Pensacola Drifts

It's been rather windy and chilly on Pensacola Beach this week.



There's sand blowing everywhere, making huge drifts that mimic snow. This one reminds me of the Sahara!



In other places, the weight of windblown sand cause mini-sand slides, leaving tiny berms behind.



Of course, our last nest has these issues as well. It's hard to keep ahead of the sand piling on top of PB8201, but it's necessary. Sand is good for insulation on these cold days, but it's also important to keep the eggs from growing too humid, and keep the distance to the surface optimal for the tiny hatchlings who are relying on stored energy from their yolk sacs until the reach offshore waters... We do still hope to see hatchlings here soon!

Shore Birds Seek Shelter!

Today was a very cold day for North West Florida in late October... It was only 41 degrees when I arrived at the fire cache, and there's a freeze warning tonight for inland counties. Unheard of!



I had to really search for the birdies today. They were all seeking whatever windbreak they could from the harsh north wind, like this juvenile ring-billed gull.



These gulls and terns liked the jetty.



The snowy egret did as well...



There were others hiding from the wind over the berm, but I didn't get many photos - my hands were too numb. I did catch this juvenile Herring gull eating a lunch left by a kind fisherman.



I am definitely a warm weather girl... I know, I went overboard with the snowy egret. I couldn't decide on the best photo, and it was nearly all I took pics of today. It was that cold.



It was still beautiful at Pensacola Pass, and it might have been a tad toastier were I in the water instead of driving an ATV!