Shore birds, especially egrets, were carefully watching the highest tides of the year at Carmel this weekend. Called king tides, the waves come fast and close to the shoreline, and are a warning of what the effects of global warming will do to our coast on a permanent basis. This egret is staring intently at a dry spot, waiting for a wave to deposit shellfish in the sand. Normally, the egret would be a 100 feet further out on the rocks, but on this day, the king tides have moved the goal line to a few feet from the road I am standing on.

King tides are fast rolling surf that invade the shoreline at the highest points of the year.
This egret looks like it ran into a king tide. It was perched in a tree high above the invading surf.

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