Welcome to Puerto Rico!

I was up way too early, but the plane ride was smooth and easy.  As we were coming in to land in Puerto Rico, I saw a great egret and then a whole bunch of egrets (maybe snowy?) in a tree.  As we taxied I saw some swallows dancing around the tree line, and the trip was off to a great start!

My bag eventually emerged from the mysterious underworld of Checked Luggage and I picked up some Diet Coke for my sister, and we were off!  A long drive and a short grocery trip later we were on the beautiful beach we would call home for the next few days.  And what a beach it was!  Gorgeous, not at all crowded, plenty of chairs with shade, and a bar nearby that was only to happy to make mango daiquiris.

Our first new friend was this great egret, which I tried to make into a white-morph great blue heron, but I couldn't quite pull it off.

Great Egret

 A pair of killdeer testing out nest locations.  They somehow recruited about a zillion little burrs to protect them, as whenever we tried to stray from the sand to get a teeny bit closer we were attacked without mercy.  

Killdeer

 Then a nice visit by this tricolored heron, the only time we saw one this trip, so although it was late afternoon these are the best pictures I got.  

Tricolored Heron

 Look at that neck!  

Tricolored Heron

There was also a brief landing of a green heron on the beach, but sadly I was too slow to get pictures.  What a great start!