Mike in the Wild

Many, many years ago, when I was young, I spent countless summer days down the Jersey Shore.  Sand, sun, surf, and boardwalk arcades, all enjoyed with family and friends, were my carefree interests.  The numerous sea gulls, crabs, and, especially, the jelly fish were an irritating distraction.  Almost forty years later, I found myself a short distance across the Delaware Bay from New Jersey, in Rehoboth Beach for the very first time.  While the beach fun was still a big draw, I spent a lot of time focused on the coastal wildlife, including even the gulls and crabs I used to eschew.  My sister's favorite New Jersey beach story is the time a sea gull grabbed a bagel sandwich from her hand.  If she were to recount that tale today, I might ask here exactly what species of gull stole her breakfast.  In Delaware, the most common gull was a black-headed variety, very likely a laughing gull.  They teemed around the picnickers the day I visited Whiskey Be...