Where the shorebirds sleep - Skywatch Friday.

Shorebirds going to sleep on the causeway. The little orange legged ones are ruddy turnstones. I think the others are dunlins.

Willet trying to sleep while keeping an eye on me.

Willets and sanderlings mixed in.

Sun not quite down on the Bayside bridge.

I took this on the Courtney Campbell Causeway.

After dark, you can always find ruddy turnstones on the rocks.

The sun seems to be staying up a little bit longer now. One night last week a left work a few minutes earlier than usual and was able to stop for a half an hour along the causeway and take a few pictures. You can always find shorebirds sleeping along the Courtney Campbell causeway. The causeway is state road 60 that crosses old Tampa Bay between Clearwater and Tampa. The causeway was named for Courtney W. Campbell, U.S. Representative and member of the Florida Road Board who spearheaded efforts to ensure needed repairs and beautification of the Causeway was completed. It is listed under the Great Florida Birding Trail under SR 60. Some nights I take this road home and some nights I take the Howard Franklin bridge (Interstate 275) across the bay. I check traffic on the web to determine my route before heading home. Both routes have pelicans, osprey, gulls, shorebirds, herons, egrets and dolphins but on the causeway you can pull off onto the the access road and enjoy the view.

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