Our mooring at the American Yacht Club is near a feature of the Merrimack River called Half-tide Rocks. As you probably guessed, there are rocks that appear at about half tide and more rocks appear as the tide ebbs. Normally the rocks are home to lazy seagulls and the poorly evolved cormorants (really, a water bird without waterproof feathers?!) Add to that, the resident blue heron truly believes he is king of the hill. He lands and chases off the others with a surprisingly ugly honk. Recently, though, the dynamics have changed with the appearance of the seals. With limited real estate, things can get a bit touchy. Strangely, despite the size advantage the seals defer to the birds and stay out of their way. And the heron lords over all. Nature has an order, after all, even as Half-tide Rocks disappear with the flooding tide.