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I crossed paths with these Roseate Spoonbills on Kiawah Island, just south of Charleston.
 
This bird looks like a tropical dream dropped into a coastal marsh. The cotton-candy pink body, coral shoulders, and that unmistakable spoon-shaped bill is spectacular. Instead of spearing prey like many wading birds, they feed by sweeping their half-open bill side to side through shallow water. When they bump into a tiny fish, shrimp, or aquatic insect, the bill snaps shut in a quick reflex. You will spot them in warm coastal wetlands, mangroves, and lagoons - especially along the Florida and Gulf coasts. They often glow at sunrise and sunset like living stained glass. Their famous pink color comes from their diet of shrimp and other crustaceans. The more they have a proper diet, the deeper and brighter the pink.