Birdwatchers Flock to LeCount Hollow

I have always heard Wellfleet to be the perfect place for observing migratory birds, so I was not surprised to see a dozen ardent birdwatchers congregated at the end of the LeCount Hollow parking lot yesterday, telescopes pointed at the sea, chatting together with excitement. I looked out at the blue, blue ocean and could not detect a single bird anywhere. The group leader, not in observatory mode, told us there have been a lot of birds close to shore recently but today the migration patterns kept them way out to sea. That did not curb the enthusiasm of her colleagues, who hardly acknowledged us, busy with their hobby. The group hailed from Madison, Connecticut. It was beautiful out and quite a few beachcombers were taking advantage of a final day of school vacation to walk kids or dogs. I was looking the other way during our walk, amazed by the dunes, which almost begged to have their photo taken. On the way back to the parking lot, Sven spoke to a young man standing near the water's edge, a New Yorker, the stranger said. “I love to listen to the ocean,” he declared. Something one cannot do in Manhattan, so true!