Ocean Springs, Mississippi Weekend

Several weeks ago, a group of friends and myself rented a home along the Gulf of Mexico shore for a weekend getaway. When we arrived at the tiny ocean resort town of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, we discovered that the home was actually along a inland bay and not really on the beaches of the gulf. The rental home was located in an undeveloped area of the coast. We traveled down a remote and narrow several mile-long road to the very end. The bay was on one side and marsh swamp was on the other side of the road.

The water was too dirty for swimming and there weren’t the customary waves of a beach. But the scene was quiet and relaxing. And a pleasant surprise were flocks of brown pelicans who patrolled up and down the water all day long. They frequently dove into the water to catch a fish. It kept me and my trusty digital camera entertained for hours. I can imagine the shore line hasn’t changed much in the past several hundred years, this is how it must have appeared to early explorers and their tall ships.

We sat on the deck from morning until evening. The first night we were treated to a beautiful sunset.

The second day, the wind picked up and the water became choppy. At noon, the sun danced on the waves making a silvery shine on the water.

The brown pelicans put on quite a show, soaring in flocks overhead.

Back and forth the flocks glided.

I managed to catch a few photos of several as they passed directly overhead.

Here’s another angle.

They would swoop down and skim a few feet from the water, before occasionally taking a dive.

It is amazing what evolution has done; these precision birds were quite skilled at their task. Once on the endangered species list because of the effects of DDT on their eggs; brown pelicans have now been removed from the list. They flourish in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico as well as the Eastern seaboard of the states, and the western waters.

The pilings in the area of old docks made convenient seats for pelicans and other birds.

The homes along this stretch of the bay were built on pillars. Hurricanes have taken quite a toll along the beaches; we saw many structures which had not survived hurricanes in the early 2010’s.

On the final morning of our trip, the water was still and calm. We watched as a shrimp boat quietly and patiently went up and down the bay.

Peaceful!

Visit the “Ocean Springs Mississippi” gallery for more pictures of the brown pelicans and the Gulf of Mexico bay on our quiet weekend retreat.