Shore Birds on the Sea Turtle Maternity Ward

We're still waiting on SR8061, a loggerhead nest with 136 eggs, to hatch. It's not even making noise yet, and it's almost 70 days since it was laid, which is not a good sign. It seems many of our nests got a little more flooding than we thought during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike!



We just want to see about 200 more of these little guys from this nest and the last Pensacola Beach nest...



That said, being out on the beach in the wee hours gives me a great opportunity to catch the sea oats in the light of the full moon...



the full moon as it dips behind a cloud,



and sea oats against the rising sun.

Yes, I know, I should have been out on a bird survey already since the nest was quiet, but I needed better light to tell all the plovers apart!



Today, we added some SEPLs (semi-palmated plovers)



and BBPLs (black bellied plovers) to the mix.



You'll notice many of the birds, including some sanderlings and piping plovers, appear to be one-legged... They're really just fine, but working to conserve a little heat. The flocks of mixed plovers, sanderlings and sand pipers help keep them warm in the cool east wind as well!



Even the Canada geese look lovely in the early morning sun,



though ever they are weary of the noisy ATV. Wish we could do a bird survey from a floating blind!

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!

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!

A Turtle-y Day

Today, I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves...



We had little loggerheads,



going for their first swims,



And stubborn little Kemp's,



refusing to crawl,



and some lovely Reddish Egrets as well...



There was even a banded PIPL (Piping plover).



Anyone recognize that banding pattern?

Fort Pickens Pics

The day dawned bright and clear, with a cooling north wind. That wouldn't last -- by noon, it was 98!



I spent the morning on PIPL (piping plover, or Charadrius melodus) surveys on the north shore of Fort Pickens. I didn't find any piping plovers, but I did see a beautiful American avocet (Recurvirostra americana).



If you click the picture, you'll see why the Latin name is "Recurvirostra", as it has an elegant upward tilt on it's long bill.



Usually, I see them in groups of 6 or so, but this one seemed to be a loner. I didn't get a photo of my other 'good' bird, a marbled godwit, as it was too skittish and flew away when it heard my ATV. Oh well.



I stopped by the Fort for a bit on the way back to the south shore. The buildings are looking pretty sharp!



There were lots of lovely flowers in the marsh at the Fort Pickens gate.



The marsh seems to support a vibrant wildflower community.



I know, too many pics of the same thing :)



Lantanas were in full bloom as well.



This little guy must think I can't see him if he can't see me...



The adult least terns Sternula antillarum in the area were a dead give-away... In all, it was a gorgeous morning!

8th Graders and Shorebirds

I forgot my camera today which is sad as I had a group of students visiting from a local school. They helped me find plovers and terns today at Fort Pickens and spent a few hours helping clean the beach. Oh well...



I did get this great picture of the early morning sky from the fire cache though. It's not quite sunrise on the beach, but it will do!

Plovers Everywhere!

Today was the first day of the statewide snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) census in Florida. Mark called me early this morning to ask me to come in on my day off... that's what happens when you answer emails first thing in the morning, including responding to your boss! I need the time though, and the OT is good too.

It's been awhile since I've done a complete SNPL survey -- we did a lot of LETE (least tern) last Thursday, and I did as much SNPLing at Perdido Key as possible Saturday before the storms blew in, but I haven't seen an entire beach since I came back last week. Today was the first, and it was the mother of all beaches -- Santa Rosa. It's a huge beach with lots of habitat for plovers. There aren't that many SNPL nests, but there are a lot of SNPLs and it's a banner year for WIPLs (Wilson's plover) too. I thought it would take two or three hours, but it took all day! It was great to be out and about though, and there were several snowy family groups. They always make me smile -- those little puffballs of tiger down tripping over their own feet and hiding in footprints are hilarious.

I'm really enjoying being back at the park. It was good to spend time with my Mom, but I lose myself there. I feel forced to fit the roles everyone wants for me, and forget what's important to me. In time, I get confused and start losing myself. I don't meet society's expectations for me -- I should be married with 2.4 kids, working a job that I have no passion for, just trying to get by. Instead, I am alone in my life, following my dreams and working towards what I hope will be a wonderful future. I just hope it won't be alone.

What's This Strange Thing in the Sky?

There was a very bright white thing in the sky today. After days of rain and bone-chilling gray winds, I almost forgot what a sunny day looked like. With the worry and stress of this week, the weather fit my mood. It was wonderful to see such a good omen today though as my uncle finally has his cardiac cath and we get a better idea of how things will proceed from here.



I missed a lot of great photos today, but the birds were still great therapy after a heart-wrenching week. There was a plump little piping plover bullying the snowy plovers on a mudflat near the asphalt mountain. I couldn't capture him as he raced around, flapping wings and diving at other birds, seeming to claim his territory. In a calm moment, he might have looked like this plover, but he was more sleek and pudgy:



Two lesser yellowlegs were hanging out near the asphalt pile too -- Mark doesn't believe they're still here, but I see them every week... One of them wrestled with a small fish while I watched -- it's strange to see a fish travel down the birds neck!



I didn't have my camera out to capture the two bald eagles at the west end of Fort Pickens today either. I'll still take it as another sign from above that all will be well at home.

I promise to get back to more Park and sea turtle based discussions soon!

The Plover Cafe and the North Shore Hoodlums

Today is piping plover survey day -- we do them on the north shore of our three beach areas the 5th, 15th and 25th of every month (+/- 2 days). I was at Santa Rosa today, which is undoubtedly the best!

On the mudflat just east of Opal Beach, there were at least 50 plovers -- Snowy, Piping, Semipalmated and Black Bellied. I kept losing count, unsure of which I'd already seen and which had run across my field of view again and again.

This picture isn't very clear (I still need that 300mm zoom), but it gives an idea of how many were running around.



At least one of the snowy plovers was the bully of the north shore -- he, she or they would swoop down on feeding piping plovers, scaring them into flight. One really scrawny snowy plover bent down low to the ground, as if creating an avian battering ram. He, or she, then sprinted towards the feeding piping plovers til they ran or flew. It was pretty gutsy for the little guys to fight like that!

Here's one charging...



And the big piping plovers flying away in fear, or is it annoyance at the skinny little SNPL that's charging them?



One angry plover was loaded down with "jewelry". I wonder how the extra weight changes the flight, running ability and feeding demands of this hollow-boned little beauty.



The chatter of the plovers was constant, as they were dipping into the mud, searching for food. I stood still at the edge as they swooped, ran and fed around me, learning to accept and ignore my benign presence. It was really an amazing day! What sad thoughts can occupy your mind when you're stuck in a gaggle of gossiping plovers?