Another Gorgeous Day on Santa Rosa Island

How can you complain with a job like mine? The day started bright and early with a stunning Perdido Key sunrise.



The surf was calm and soothing.



Then, it was off for a bird survey, with a few Willets (WILL) escorting me down the length of the island as I kept spooking them with the ATV -- a necessary evil. Sorry!



The sanderlings (SAND) had a few ruffled feathers as well, but not from me. Maybe the flies were annoying them too.



There were not many species on the south shore today, but one Ruddy Turnstone (rutu in bird lingo) made my day.



I parked the ATV, and he kept creeping closer and closer.



Maybe the bird confused me for one of the new large pieces of driftwood that floated in after Ike.



How's this for size?



As beautifully aged, hollowed, and weathered as it is, I don't think anyone will be carting it home as a souvenir, which means it will stay on the beach for all to enjoy.

Flamingo Update

For those of you following the Opal Beach flamingo that I first sighted on September 17th, I'm happy to report the bird was seen on Saturday and Sunday by park visitors and on Tuesday (by me). We still don't know if the flamingo will find it's way home, but we're consulting experts to determine what, if anything, needs to be done to help ensure its continued health.

Greens and Loggerheads

When I assessed the green (SR7201) and loggerhead (SR7241) nests last night, there were stragglers in each nest that still had belly folds and needed a day or two in an artificial nest (a cooler) before they were ready to swim.



We keep each nest in a separate cooler to prevent contamination, but having both on hand does present a good opportunity to see the difference between the two. Just look at those bellies... Obviously, neither likes to be on their backs!



Green sea turtle heads are slightly rounded, though many of them still have egg teeth, which makes their true profile hard to see.



If we could get a close look at their jaws, we'd see that greens have a serrated covering on their lower jaws to help them chew through sea grass!



Greens only have four costal scutes, compared to the five on loggerheads. Some of our greens had five, but they were obvious anomalies... Sometimes the pattern of the scutes is a little off!



After releasing just one last night, I did take seven more green hatchlings to the Gulfarium, where they have been placed with their siblings from Monday, who are all either in the Gulf or doing well.



While there, I had a chance to check on Kujo as well. One of our park volunteers found her (or him) in another nesting area and brought it to the Gulfarium after noticing that it had lost a flipper! Despite that, or because of it, this little one is a fighter, biting at Gulfarium staff so much s/he earned the name Kujo!



I couldn't resist including this picture... It looks like s/he's afraid of heights.

Little Loggerheads at Perdido

At sunrise today, it was time to assess PK7201, a loggerhead nest that has been hatching over the last several days. We had to count eggshells, live hatchlings and embryos that didn't hatch, for one reason or another. There were three stragglers in the nest, ready to greet the world.



Since this was a nest we relocated about 100 feet north of where it was laid, we gave the turtles a lift to the approximate site of the original nest (though the area was reclaimed by the sea about 5 weeks ago... talk about erosion!), and set them out for their first swim.



Two of the three seemed to stick together...



one crawled in circles because it had sand in it's eyes!



Eventually, they all greeted the huge sea (which came complete with it's own shadow),



and took their first swim. How overwhelming that must be for a one ounce turtle-ette!

Birding at Perdido

Today was another Piping plover survey day, with the north shore of Perdido Key our destination. Perdido has not attracted many PIPLs in recent years, but it's still fun to see what's out there!



There were night herons,



tri-colored herons



and osprey, among other gulls, terns, peeps and pelicans.



There were lots of jellies too, including this one with it's little heart on the medusa!

Green Sea Turtle Hatchlings!

Our lone green sea turtle nest was overdue for assessment last night, so I headed to the beach in the early evening for the tortuous count.

I knew there were 165 eggs and only about 50 hatchlings so far -- I didn't want to find a bunch of embryos that didn't make it.



I ended up stopping the assessment almost immediately after digging into the nest, as this little live pipped turtle lifted it's head to greet the fading sunlight.



This little guy was just under the surface of the sand as well, and raring to go for a swim.



You can still see his egg-tooth, that he, or she, used to help break out of the shell. Other than that, he seemed completely ready to go!



He, or she, just needed some directions to the sea. I don't know why he's looking to me for advice - I can get lost in a paper bag!

Sometimes, nests don't hatch the way we expect, all in one giant wave. This nest seems to have small groups emerging every few days.



When we do find just one or two on an assessment (or an attempted assessment) we may let them go while there is still some light, so I was able to get a few good photos.



Check out the size of this hatchlings shadow... It's overwhelming next to the toddling turtle!



Here comes the watery world!



Watch that power stroke into the mighty Gulf of Mexico...



They are even more beautiful after being washed by their first wave (you have to click on the photo to enlarge it to really appreciate how stunning they are).



Aren't they just adorable?

Fall in Florida

When I awoke for my early morning patrol on Pensacola Beach, it was evident fall had arrived in the Florida panhandle.



There isn't much fall foliage here, but the signs are everywhere...



In the brilliant yellow wildflowers,



the fields of purple,



the red of this dragon's mouth flower (well, at least that's what it looks like to me - anyone know what it is?)



and the butterflies starting their migration.



Even the bees are buzzing about the change in the weather. It may be a bit cool for my taste, but it sure makes Florida beautiful!

The Seven Dwarfs and Gracie

The green (Chelonia mydas) nest is finally hatching, but it's been a little odd as hatchlings emerge in small waves.



The greens are easily distinguished from our loggerheads and Kemp's by their smooth-nosed profiles...



and brilliant white bellies.



This group seems to have emerged a little early, perhaps pushed out by more rambunctious siblings.



Three still have distinct belly folds...



and one is just a little bit pale.



One little guy, Doc, does seem ready to go,



though he can't find his way out! How's that for a traffic jam?

I took six of the dwarfs to turtle rehab at the Gulfarium, where they will receive care for the next 24 hours, and will be encouraged to swim tomorrow.



For now, Dopey, Sleepy, Sneezy, Happy, Bashful, and Grumpy are all separated,



in coolers of damp sand,



tucked in with sand blankets from their original nest,



and resting until they seem more active.



Derrick, Amanda, Rachel and Marcy at the Gulfarium will provide water and other nutrients if necessary, until they're ready to go, like Doc (photo above).

It's good to know they are in capable hands...



Clover, our rescued green from last year, is still living with the folks at the Gulfarium as well, and she's gotten so big.



Maybe she'll swim free soon as well!

Flamingo Update

For those interested in finding the Escamabia County Flamingo, the most recent sighting was this morning in the Fort Pickens area of the park. Guess he's headed west for a spell :)

Still Enjoying the Florida Sun

The flamingo is still hanging out a little east of Opal Beach on the north shore... S/he seems to like our mudflats!



I had a chance to check the area again this morning after nest sitting with PK7181 and SR7201.



There were no sea turtle hatchlings today, but there were some great birds!



It looks like a rainy day, and maybe a rainy weekend, so it may be hard for folks to get down to Opal. It's definitely worth the trip to see this animal outside it's natural range. I do hope the flock finds its way back home!

Wild Flamingo on Pensacola Beach

I'm more of a sea turtle girl than a bird expert, but I was still really excited to see a Flamingo at Opal Beach this morning! I was just searching for Piping Plovers in Gulf Islands National Seashore when I came across this unmistakable bird near the pavilions.



Our local bird experts, Bob and Lucy Duncan, tell me this bird is one of three that have been sighted in Mississippi and Destin since the recent spate of tropical activity. The Destin link has video of the recent post-Gustav sighting.



Apparently, experts can tell different stocks apart by examining feathers near their face, and other distinguishing marks. Isn't that cool? They think this one, and the two that were hanging out in Mississippi, are from the flock in Inagua, Bahamas. According to this article, the birds seem to have left Inagua in advance of Hurricane Hanna on September 1st.

Piping Plover Surveys

Today was a Piping Plover survey day at Gulf Islands National Seashore. We're been trying to get them completed for days, but between hatchling sea turtles and stranded adults, it's been a bit busy!



The same banded PIPL that's been hanging out at Little Sabine for the last month was hanging out still... Guess the mudflats there have some great treats!



Of course, there was also the infamous Flamingo at Opal Beach, hanging out with a Great Blue Heron that may, or may not, be a close relative. Flamingos may just be in a bird branch all of their own, though they look a lot like storks to me!



The peeps were out in great numbers, fighting amongst themselves,



and hiding from me...



I just love watching the antics of Reddish Egrets...



With their spooky yellow eyes and comical behavior, I don't understand why no one has used them as cartoon characters yet!

The First Santa Rosa Breach

If you've read recent posts, you may remember my unpleasant ride out of the park Wednesday night as the waters rose during the three hours I was checking nests and releasing emerging hatchlings.

I only had a chance to look at one of the breaches as I was focused on getting nests screened and assessed last night. I didn't want to be late meeting VIPs at Park East for a hatchling release.



This was the first breach I crossed, and mild in comparison to the ones further west.

Imagine this ditch, at 3am, full of water passing from the Gulf to the Bay, while you're driving down the road and beach on an ATV. Rogue waves crash on the asphalt, rushing across the island, as you're trying to find a safe path out, and there's no route, east or west, tide will rise for four more hours, and calling someone for help means putting them in danger too. Even last night, when walking over to take this photo, 100 pound little me was sinking ankle deep in the soft sand -- surely my ATV would have been mired as well.



I'd be mad at myself for being out there at all if I could have predicted how fast the water would rise, but I didn't expect this. I don't think any of us did, or we would have suspended nest sitting for the night!

I lead a very charmed life.

Chomper, the Little Loggerhead

Tonight, Mark asked me to invite park turtle volunteers to a hatchling release from SR7111. Before we were to release the 91 hatchlings from last night, I headed to the Santa Rosa area to assess nest SR7081.

Monica and I found this nest on night patrol on July 8. It was borderline, at just 38 feet from the high tide line, but it was on a slight elevation so we left it in place. After repeated washings in Dolly, Eduoard and Fay, we decided to move it before Gustav came ashore. The nest already had 38 eggs that were clearly ruined by sitting water, but the other 90 looked viable. The nest finally hatched on September 10, which means the 72 hour post-hatch assessment was due this evening. We usually assess nests just before sundown so we can more easily see what stage embryos stopped developing, and so we can release any live hatchlings as soon as it gets dark.



I was really happy to find 19 more hatchlings in the nest! Added to the 62 from a few days ago, that's 81 that we know made it to the Gulf of Mexico. A few more may have escaped during the stormy weather when it wasn't possible to have nest sitters on the beach.



Among the 19 hatchlings in the nest was one straggler, a late hatcher that still had a bend to his carapace and was not ready for a swim. The photos of him aren't so wonderful as they're from the beach after sunset, but they give a good idea of why he wasn't ready to swim yet!

I set this little guy in a safe place where sea gulls and ghost crabs couldn't get him while I released his nestmates and opened the remaining eggs. There were a lot of plain yellow yolks!

Meanwhile, Chomper struggled on his back, flipping over even when I tried to let him crawl on his belly. He was just too curved from being cramped in that ping pong ball-sized egg for two months.



I don't know that the turtle was a he -- I just call it that because it's easier, and because he's so stubborn, and a fighter. All good things when you're a one ounce hatchling facing the mighty predator obstacle course in the Gulf of Mexico!

I already had one cooler full of hatchlings on my ATV, so I didn't have any cooler available for this little guy. We don't mix hatchlings from different nests in the same vessel due to contamination concerns. I had no choice but to hold the little loggerhead for the five mile beach drive down to the Santa Rosa POD.



This little guy must have been rather freaked out. This odd, two-legged, 5 foot three thing had just dug into his nest, yanked him out into the sunlight, and set him upside down in the sand. That must have been quite strange. After a short while, I picked him up, cradled him in the palm of my hand, and started driving the jiggly ATV down the beach. Not many sea turtles are adapted to this sort of experience, and the little guy responded appropriately. He reached out his little leathery neck, found the soft fold of skin between my thumb and forefinger, and bit... and held tight. It didn't hurt, but it I did feel it!



This created a strange predicament for me. I gently removed him from my skin after a few seconds, and thought about a tiny turtle lecture. I realize turtles neither understand nor speak English, but I talk to them from time to time anyway. This was one of those times.



Normally, we tell our pets, livestock or other animals we encounter not to bite. That wasn't the message I wanted to pass on to the newly hatched loggerhead. I was happy he bit me. That meant he wasn't afraid to fight off a predator and he stands a good chance in the crazy ocean environment, so I told him to keep on biting. Bite the ghost crabs, the blue crabs, the speckled crabs, the sea gulls, heck, bite the sharks! Fight, and swim hard little dude...



That's the second time in my life that I've been bitten by a hatchling -- the first was just a few weeks ago. How strange is that? At any rate, I'm happy little Chomper has that sort of spirit. He's a survivor!

Fort Pickens as Hurricane Ike Flood Water Recedes

It was much easier to see Fort Pickens today, though it still wasn't possible to get down to the fort without a boat.



The Santa Rosa Island Authority parking lots will both need some repair!



The flood waters had greatly receded, leaving interesting patterns in the sand...



and dune erosion



and missing sand from the pedestrian walkway



and the new dry gully from the hike with Mark the other night.



The asphalt pile lost the bank of sand Gustav desposited on it last week...



Even the nest signs and screen were missing from FP7111, but the eggs were still there when I went to assess the nest!



That said, the visitors seemed to enjoy slogging through all the standing water,



and the birds were having a blast as well!



We're lucky the storm stayed so far away, but Ike still left a mark we won't soon forget... Pensacola Beach is a barrier island, and it will breach at will -- it's no place to stay during a hurricane!

Sunrise on Perdido Key

Today was a day to assess damage, at least as much as possible. It started with a gorgeous sunrise on Perdido Key, where I filled in for a turtle volunteer on the morning nesting patrol.



There was still a lot of water on the east end of the island (that's almost a river flowing from the Gulf to the Bay)!



And the sand fence had blown away on the west.



I stopped mid-patrol to assess nest PK7121, which had some very strange eggs with pink yolks!



There wasn't much damage on Perdido, just lots of shifted sand and standing water, though there was still a lot of sheeting water at Spanish Cove (pictured above). it's still amazing though as we were never closer that 300 miles from Ike!



I love my Perdido mornings... Somehow, even the name of the island just fits my frame of mind -- lost wandering on the sand!

Hurricane Ike Flooded Sea Turtle Nest Hatches!!!

I'll have to wait til tomorrow to post photos as my new work day will start in just a few hours but I had to post good turtle/Ike news... The photos aren't that great as i didn't have my tripod to help with low light. I did take a flash photo of the nest area, but well before hatchlings emerged!

I had just returned from a full day at work, trying to assess the damage to some parts of the island and check on nests when Mark called from Opal Beach. He waited until after noon to try to access the beach by ATV -- I wasn't able to early this morning as the tide was still too high.

Mark had stopped by Santa Rosa nest 7111 (we had three nests that day -- Santa Rosa, Fort Pickens and Pensacola Beach). He heard hatchlings, though the nest was wave washed. He asked me to come back in around sunset to see if they were ready to go.



When I arrived at the nest at 1930, I laid down my raincoat on the sand so I could listen to the nest without getting a face full of quartz fragments... It sounded like a waterfall just beneath the surface. That's the sound of sand sifting through the hatchlings as they all wiggle and step on each others flippers and heads -- talk about sibling rivalry! Their movement displaces so much sand that it lifts the ball of hatchlings gradually towards the surface of the sand, from an original depth of about 18 inches. It's neat to see, and fun to learn to predict! They sounded like one of them was about to crawl into my ear, so I knew the nest was just about to hatch... It's so good to see (or hear) that happen, especially in a nest that had a little issue with water.

This turtle mama had some trouble when she laid the 101 eggs back on July 11th. LiMarie found her wandering around the Opal Beach pavilions when she was doing her Saturday turtle patrol! It's just another example of the deleterious effect of artificial lighting on sea turtles. If we hadn't found her and returned her to the sea, she would likely have died in the heat of the July sun...

It's great to see such positive results -- the turtle got back in the water, Fay, Gustav and Ike spared the nest, and now the hatchlings are ready for their first swim. I often wonder if they'd take that step if they knew they'd be swimming for decades!

They'll swim free Saturday, with the light of a nearly full moon to guide them...

Pensacola Beach After Ike

Before heading out to the Santa Rosa area this morning, I stopped in Pensacola Beach to pick up the salty ATV, and check on conditions in the Gulf, and any nests I could easily access.



The nest DJ and I released the other morning was still getting washed regularly. I'm happy we were able to help those little loggerheads make their way to the sea.



PB nest 8201 fared better. Though wave washed, the water had piled sand on top of the nest and it appeared to drain very quickly. Once the surf has calmed a bit, we'll remove the excess sand so incubation temperatures are not artificially altered, and the hatchlings don't have those added 24 inches of sand to crawl through!



The area in Park East near the nest was smoothed by constant wave action. The beach was beautiful, if a little wet!



The sea oats the Santa Rosa Island Authority planted did their job well, holding the dunes together. The next batch are on their way, taking root in well-planned rows just north of the sand fencing. Their roots do such a great job holding sand in place!



Occasional waves were still washing the walkovers, but this is nothing compared to what folks are now facing in Texas. We're happy we didn't see Ike hit the panhandle, but sad to see anyone in its path...

First Look at Santa Rosa in Daylight...

I headed out to Santa Rosa today in an attempt to check on the island, and nests SR7081 and SR 7111. No one had been out there since my water-soaked journey the other night.

Mark and I had tried to get to the Santa Rosa are Thursday, and found the road flooded and covered with sand, so I drove to Navarre Beach to access the park from the east gate.



I was happy to see Navarre Beach had their double red flags out, which makes it illegal to swim in the Gulf. It's a great idea as it protects visitors, and lifeguards alike! It's so easy to underestimate the power of the surf, or think you're invincible. Believe me, none of us is!



Even though the surf was much calmer than yesterday, Navarre Beach was flooded. That didn't bode well for the park!



As the surf continued to flow over the berm at intervals, it was apparent the water would be there for a while longer. It's a good thing the rebuilt houses are all up so high!



The entrance to the Park was a bit flooded as well, so I parked my truck and ATV outside the gate and prepared to walk through the water, hopefully far enough to check the nests I'd left the other night.



With the decreasing tide and surf, and sunlight, it was easier to see the road. It's there, just a bit buried under sand and water.



I didn't make it all the way to Opal Beach as it would have taken hours, and there were still other areas to check. I'll be out there tomorrow though -- hope to see some of you back out on the beach, even if it's still too rough for a swim!

Ike Introduces the Gulf of Mexico to the Bay

Mark asked me to join him this evening to assess a nest on Fort Pickens. After all that had happened with Ike over the last two days, I wasn't sure I wanted to, but I'll go to extremes for the sea turtles!



Once we arrived at the Fort Pickens area, we unlocked the gate and attempted to drive down the Fort road on the sand covered pavement. For the last few years, the road has only extended about a mile and a half past the closure area, where a large breach has persisted since Hurricane Ivan.

About 50 feet from the gate, it was evident that even a 4-wheel drive was no match for this road. All the sand that had piled up on the beaches after Hurricane Gustav was now on the road, leaving soft, boggy sand. We backed the truck out of the park, and started to hike to the nest, about two miles west of the gate.



On the way to the nest area, we passed through several areas where water rushed over the road, others where small waves occasionally crashed on the asphalt, 100 yards north of the current tide line. Gusts helped us walk faster, but we knew they'd make the return trip arduous! At one point, we walked through a deep gully, turning back to watch as a huge stacked wave rushed through just behind us, knocking down a visitor heading in the opposite direction. Mark stopped to talk with her as she held her ground against the long rush of water. I know how scared she must have been -- I was there last night! It had knocked her to her knees, but she was lucky. It was very apparent that she could have been swept to the Bay, which was a sobering thought as we continued west, on a quest to assess a nest.



A few hundred yards later, we reached the end of the known road (though I think we'll find the road now ends in that gully once the water clears!). There was a solid sea from the Gulf to Pensacola, with the island representing a submerged sand bar in the middle. We debated slogging through the water to get to the nest, but the lesson we had just learned in the gully gave us pause. Mark and I could both wash out to sea, but Mark was a Marine, and, like me, doesn't like to give up on getting a job done.



I'm not sure if Mark would have attempted to reach the nest alone - he may have. Perhaps having a tiny turtle girl along made him more cautious and he decided we should leave the nest for another day. Seeing the water rush over the island, we had no way of knowing if the nest was still there anyway!

The walk back was a little more difficult. At times, the wind blew steadily over 25mph, though a more consistent 15 to 20. After a very long and stressful day, it was taxing, and a great relief to get back to the trucks, now determined to check on the rest of the nests on Pensacola Beach.



Pensacola 7111 had already hatched, 7081 (at Starboard Village) had already washed away (sad) and 8201 was doing well. In retrospect, I wish 7081 was higher on the dunes to begin with -- it's always a challenge to pick a good spot, trying to allow for both storm tides and sea oat roots. This time, my judgement was wrong -- the nest should have been higher, even though that means the hatchlings may have to struggle with the roots that grow over the two month incubation period. It's a lesson learned for next year...

We did attept to access the Santa Rosa area as well, but we quickly turned back. Even the road near Park East was a river! As DJ referred to in her article, I am clearly crazy.

Hurricane Ike Irks Island Waters

Hurricane Ike is passing well to our south, headed west to visit Texas or Louisiana, but we can still feel the strength of the storm here, especially as we watch over our turtles nests! Mark, park VIP DJ and I watched over PB7111 for a bit in the late evening, with Mark eventually determining it was most likely safe, and it was, at least until about 0200.

I left the Pensacola Beach nest to check on Santa Rosa nests 7081 and 7111. One nest had 62 hatchlings a little past midnight, that all went for a very harrowing first swim. They all seemed to do very well though! After chatting with Mark, I stayed a while longer to listen to both nests, then planned to head home, checking on the Pensacola Beach nest on the way.

Leaving was not such an easy prospect. At first, the tide was just high in the Opal Beach area, but it wasn't that significant.

Once I got about a mile west on my little Honda ATV, water was covering the road.

By the time I had traveled another half-mile, there was water running across the island, with the occasional wave crashing across it. Water surrounded me on all sides, though most of it was only a few inches deep.

Since it was 0230, it was hard to see the extent and depth of the flooding, especially in the distance. I started to panic a little. Do I risk the few inches of water on the road, knowing there's a huge breach in the road that I may not be able to see? Should I head for the few inches of running water on sand that could be lik driving through quick sand? Or just find a high dune and park? It was clear that water was rushing across the island, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Bay, and high tide was still almost 5 hours away. Standing still didn't seem like a very good option!

I could feel myself losing control, and knew that would be even more dangerous. I had no choice but to talk myself through, or wait like a sitting duck as the water rose around me. Not my idea of a fun activity in the wee hours of the morning.

As you may imagine, it took longer than normal to exit the park, so my work plans were a little delayed, and the combination of fatigue and supressed fear was overwhelming. Once I finally got back to the main road, things were still flooded. My nerves sure had a workout, and did not appreciate the water that knew no boundaries -- not the gulf, the dunes,the nests, the roads, nothing was safe!

The nest on Pensacola Beach that had been ten feet from the water when DJ left at midnight now had waves washing as far as 20 feet north of the hatchling chamber (we knew the eggs had hatched as we'd heard them crawling towards the surface for a few days). I called Mark for a little advice, and Monica and DJ for a little help.



DJ, Monica and I helped a nest full of hatchlings get to the water by about 0500 this morning. We were completely drenched in the process, planting our feet firmly in the sand when the largest waves came in so we wouldn't accidentally step on hatchlings tossed in the surf. I think the tiny turtles did better than we did!



Once all 70 loggerheads were in the water, several washed back on the higher-than-normal surf.



Thirteen made their way north, towards a Gulf Power streetlamp. Happily, we found their tracks and recaptured and released the wayward turtles. Disorientation can have a lethal result if they're not found in time...



After that, I tried to check on a nest at Fort Pickens, but my little work truck didn't seem like a match for the flooded road...



in either direction...

After getting hopelessly lost in the Santa Rosa area earlier, looking for a safe way out of the very flooded park, my frazzled nerves couldn't handle any more flood water!



Even the Beach Patrol seemed to think we should stay out of the water, with red flags flying high.



Some of the waves crashed over the long Pensacola Beach pier. A pier employee said there's already damage along the end, and we're not even within 400 miles of Ike!



Quiet Water Beach is flooded as well.



Weather forecasts indicate tonight's tides will be higher. I'm not so sure I'm up for another night nest sitting like last night! I feel bad for the people who will really bear the brunt of this storm -- we're hundreds of miles away and still seeing much impact!

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

These jeans were randomly placed to dry north of the new runnel on Perdido this morning.



Wonder what their story is...

Santa Rosa After the Storm

Well, the new road has a few minor issues, but it doesn't look too bad. Other than that, there's just sand in new places... like over the same road :)



The animals all seemed to be thriving though! A heron took flight almost as soon as I arrived on the beach - it must have known I was trying to count the birds!



American Avocets hung out in the marshes...



Some visiting with avian friends.



Piping plovers visited at Big Sabine, Opal and the Navarre gate. One had quite an attitude!



And the dowitchers were everywhere. In all, it was a gorgeous day!

Pensacola Beach Turtle Run, After the Storm

The beach was well wind and sea swept this morning, with nary a track in sight, which made turtle patrol very easy!



The lovely blue-green color had returned to the Gulf as the tossed sand and sediments settled out in the calming waters.



A great blue heron stalked fish along the shore.



There was a new color in the sea oats, burnt by the salt spray and winds over the last few days.



And PB nest 7111 was spared crushing with this giant piling...



I replaced the sign this morning, still amazed that the actual egg chamber was not impacted by the large wooden post. That's luck!

Fort Pickens, Post-Gustav

We were very lucky to avoid most of Hurricane Gustav this past week, but he did leave a few signs of his passage in his wake...



For those of you familiar with our bird nesting areas, you know these signs stand about 5 feet high. With all the sand Gustav pushed around, this is now less than 2 feet off the ground. That's quite a few sand grains re-arranged!



There were breaches in three areas that I could identify, but the water has receded enough that I had no trouble accessing the western point of the island on ATV.



The two remaining turtle nests on Fort Pickens are doing well...



The dunes around them were a little worse for wear. It looks as if there was a breach just west of nest 7111 (the nest in photo above).



The pre-Ivan road was very evident for about a mile-and-a-half.



Drainage ditches were appearing randomly at the west end as well -- the island has to shed the water somewhere!



The marsh looks really good though! The buildings fared well also. Can't wait to have them back in business for visitors sometime soon!

Gustav at Perdido Key

Gustav definitely left a mark on the National Seashore, though we are about 200 miles west of where the eye came ashore.



Some of our nests were just wind eroded or washed.



One was completely missing... Though the sand is still there, pushed under the adjacent boardwalk and up on the Perdido Key road.



We're hoping the eggs are still down there, and that at least some are viable. They can survive a little washing, but standing water can drown the eggs, developing embryos and hatchlings in the nest. It's just a fact of nature, but it's hard to take when they're endangered species babies dying in the flood... Each one is so important!



Remember the early June nest on this gorgeous dune? The dune is almost non-existent now. How sad!

Pensacola Beach and Gustav

I didn't spend much time on the beach today. Somehow, my five foot three, hundred pound frame doesn't stand up well in the TS force winds...



I did, however, check on all of our Pensacola Beach nests. The above, PB 7111, was moved to the sand fence yesterday. The sand fence didn't do too well, but we're hopeful the nest will survive it's early introduction to the Gulf.



All were well washed.



Some had several feet of sand over them...



I was unable to check nests on Santa Rosa and Fort Pickens as the roads were impassable and Fort Pickens has breached. That's probably a good thing as there are still rainbands and tornado warnings...



Can you tell I'm a little over-protective of my turtles? My future kids are going to hate me!

Pre-Gustav at Perdido Key

We had one nest that coned Sunday morning on Perdido Key. I was worried that the turtles emerge in the tropical storm conditions we expected to arrive overnight. or drown in their nest, so I was happy to see them ready to go just before sunset. Sometimes they don't wait for darkness in rainy, cloudy weather, and we certainly had that with Gustav's outer rainbands passing through all day!



All 88 were ready to go! They even seemed to be hugging each other goodbye as they prepared to part ways in the Gulf of Mexico.



This white spider was in the egg chamber -- I've never seen that before! I would remember since I have a pathological fear of the critters...



The surf was a little high, but no where near as bad as it is today, so we decided the allow the turtles to try to swim...



At first, they seemed a bit reluctant...



Til a trail blazer lead the way



and they joined in a game of follow-the-leader...



You can almost hear the cadence: left, left, left, right, left.



Some of them were flipped upside down,



'til a kind volunteer set them right-side-up.



That first wave introduces them to an entire new world.



They sure seemed determined!



It must be quite a first day for the tiny tottering turtles!



Eventually, I had to put my camera away as rain bands started to run through the area.



It was probably for the best -- the weather was giving me a kind hint to move inside! It was pretty calm still, but the radar was impressively red!

Loggerheads Everywhere

I've been remiss in posting the last few days as we got ready for Gustav. We had many nests to move, meetings to attend and all that jazz. We still had tiny turtles too!



These loggerheads are from two different nests, with this photo just taken for comparison. The larger of the two is from Santa Rosa 6241, the smaller from Fort Pickens 6241. The variability within the species in terms of color, size, etc. is so amazing! This isn't the best comparison, but it's what I saw that day.



We had to release stragglers on two separate beaches, but the turtles did well playing follow the leader!