Yesterday was our first day on Folly Beach in South Carolina. At first we found no birds due to high winds that kept the birds grounded. But after a short reconnaissance, breakfast, and a visit to the other end of Folly Beach, we were lucky to find at first one Sanderling, then another, then a couple of juvenile endangered Piping Plovers. Beach panning was out of the question because of the conditions but we set up our tripods and focused on the Sanderling and the Plover. I’m used to watching Sanderlings run toward a wave only to reverse course and run away from the surf darting back and forth, rarely standing still. For some reason, this Sanderling had a different idea. It plunged head on into the foaming surf and ducked under to bathe. When it emerged, it preened for several minutes as it smoothed its body feathers and straightened each wing feather. The colorful bubbles from foam in the surf reflected the colors of the rainbow and made it appear that the Sanderling had a colorful bubble bath.