FORT CLINCH: Fort Clinch State Park

Fort Clinch State Park offers spectacular north Florida ocean views and a Civil War era fort. Page 4.

The pier, jetty and beach would have been entertaining enough by themselves, but on the day of our visit we were also treated to a large convention of seagulls assembled next to the pier.

We lived on or near Florida beaches since the 60's, so seagulls aren't exciting news to us, but seeing this many gulls rubbing elbows together in one spot was somewhat novel.

There were something like a thousand gulls holding a crowded convention on the beach at the foot of the pier, and another hundred or so having a committee meeting out on the ocean.

Delegations were continually flying back and forth from the floor of the convention to the committee meeting, most likely carrying important news of developments in the world of gull politics.

I got a lot of practice panning with the video camera as I followed the birds as they made endless round trips back and forth from the water to the beach.

A couple of times during the afternoon a beach walker or their dog would get too close to the crowded gull convention on the beach and a thousand birds would erupt in to the air as one, and then float back to the beach, rearranging themselves around the intrusion.

We should point out that the park service has signs posted explicitly stating that the birds should not be disturbed in this manner. We hope our photos will not encourage our readers to entertain themselves at the bird's expense.

The best way to view this spectacle is by simply waiting patiently on the beach or pier. Sooner or later someone else who hasn't read the sign will come along and get too close to the birds, and then you can enjoy the show without guilt.

The flock was huddled closely together at the base of the pier, perhaps trying to find shelter from the cold wind blowing off the ocean that day. The zoom lenses on our video camera allowed me to get a, um, bird's eye view right in to the middle of this crowded gathering of gulls assembled on the beach in front of us.