Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Day 40 on Captiva



After coffee, I took a walk on the beach about 9:00am and waiting for me was the Eagle in the Australian Pine near the path to the beach.   A lot was going on this morning.....many people were out fishing, shelling, and walking, even flying kites.   A lot of birds were already flocking to the shoreline including this group of Willets.
On closer look I spotted a pair of Marbled Godwits I in the group.

 
These are some of the scenes that I saw this morning:

 
We had a light breakfast of cereal , toast, and fresh oranges when I returned.  Then we spent the afternoon on the beach.   While we there, a pair of eagles hung out in the Australian tree.

 
The flock of Willets on the beach had grown to about 150 birds in size from this morning.

We had 5:00 reservations at The Mad Hatter for dinner....one of our all time favorite restaurants.   Al ordered a bottle of Pinot Grigio to begin our special dinner.  We began by sharing an appetizer Blue Crab Cake - panko crusted jumbo lump crab cake crowned with tropical fruit salsa and yucca chip finished with mango cream beurre  blanc.   Then we shared a Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Frisee, and Walnut Vinaigrette.  Both the appetizer and salad were very delicious.  Al ordered Dayboat Scallops-pan seared and encrusted with Panko Crumbs and Black Truffle finished with a caramelized shallot beurre blanc served with Garlic Mashed Yukon Potatoes and Asparagus.  I ordered a new entree just added to the menu- pan seared  Striped Bass with Tomato Jam served with Spinach Risotto and Asparagus. Great entrees!  Since this was such a special meal we just had to have dessert to finish.  We indulged with Classic Crème Brule-vanilla bean enhanced  espresso  baked custard with a caramelized raw cane sugar crust served with creme anglaise, melba sauce fresh whipped cream & berries topped with a spun sugar design.
 
 
  The sun set as we finished our dinner but it was cloudy so not as beautiful as the one shown here:
 
 
                                                        Sunset at The Mad Hatter
                                                               

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