I made a trip to Fort Pickens at Pensacola Beach, Florida hoping to get some great action shots of osprey and black skimmers. However, when I arrived the clouds moved in and it was a windy day. Overcast skies make for dull backgrounds of flying birds so that was not in the cards this day. Because it was windy, it did keep some birds low to the ground and the beach was active with shorebirds looking for any kind of meal they could find. 

I first spotted some willets walking the beach. 

Wildlife Gulf Island National SeashoreA willet on Pensacola Beach at Fort Pickens on Monday, October 22,2018

I then spotted a great blue heron acting oddly among the sea oats. The reason I say it was odd behavior for me at least was because I have never seen a GBH stalking around sea oats. Their usual prey is fish, crabs, and frogs so and those are not found among sea oats. I guess the crabs can be around sea oats but again I just haven't seen them actively stalking like this one was. 

Pensacola Beach PhotographyA great blue heron at Fort Pickens on Monday, October 22,2018

Pensacola Beach PhotographyA great blue heron at Fort Pickens on Monday, October 22,2018

Curious what it was after I walked around to see what it was looking at. I was shocked to see this...

eastern diamondback rattlesnake PhotographyAn eastern diamondback rattlesnake at Fort Pickens on Monday, October 22,2018 eastern diamondback rattlesnake PhotographyAn eastern diamondback rattlesnake at Fort Pickens on Monday, October 22,2018 eastern diamondback rattlesnake PhotographyAn eastern diamondback rattlesnake at Fort Pickens on Monday, October 22,2018

An eastern diamondback rattlesnake! This was my first rattlesnake I have seen in the wild. This surprises as much time I spend outdoors and photographing wildlife. The great blue heron was looking at the snake as a potential meal. They  seized each other up and it looked to me like they concluded it would be a draw. I didn't hear the rattles as a warning and the gbh just went on it's way as the rattlesnake casually made it's way into the cover of the sea oats. I was a bit disappointed there wasn't an epic battle.

After that I spotted some plovers and sanderlings looking among the seaweeds and surf. One plover found a seed but just couldn't get it open. 

Pensacola Beach Wildlife PhotographyA plover at Fort Pickens on Monday, October 22,2018 Pensacola Beach Wildlife PhotographySanderling at Fort Pickens on Monday, October 22,2018 Pensacola Beach Wildlife PhotographySanderling at Fort Pickens on Monday, October 22,2018 Pensacola Beach Wildlife PhotographyA plover at Fort Pickens on Monday, October 22,2018 Pensacola Beach Wildlife PhotographyA plover at Fort Pickens on Monday, October 22,2018

Here's a video of the day's outing at Fort Pickens. Please excuse the loud wind the microphone picked up. I guess I need to invest in a more robust microphone that can filter out this kind of wind.