July 7, 2015 From the Harbor River to Johnson's Creek

We have rented a house on Harbor Island in the woody section with a big porch over an alligator pond.  On the first night there was thunder and lightening and heavy rain. We stayed on the porch.

 This island lies where the Harbor River empties into St. Helena Sound.  In the morning I have walked along the beach from the Harbor River, south to Johnson's Creek.  An old draw bridge spans the river. Along the water's edge is the black sticky pluff mud of the wide marshes.  There are many conch shells scattered in the sand. Each one is inhabited by a hermit crab.  There are fishermen along the shore and shrimp boats on the horizon.  There are many sea birds, ibis, herons, gulls.  Here it is a bird sanctuary.  Great flocks fly out into the sky in the early morning and at sunset they return  to roost in the trees and bushes along the inlets.

There are few people swimming in the ocean. There have been seven shark attacks along the North Carolina beaches and one here beside us at Hunting Island.  The children have splashed and played in the tidal pools.

Fran, the Turtle Lady, has told us there are 47 sea turtle nests this year.  None have opened yet.  The first one at Fripp opened this week.  Hunting Island has 79.  Near Johnson's creek, there is a large roped off area where there are several nests.  Here when the tide is out and the beach is very very wide, there are many stranded horse shoe crabs.  I can see the light house across the creek beyond the trees.