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!

Grey days on the marshes

I awoke again today to sheets of rain, lightning and the rolling drum line of thunder. I ached to stay under my covers, warm and dry instead of arising to greet the day at 0500. I'd agreed to be on Perdido Key at sunrise to see if there were any hunters today before heading to Santa Rosa -- tomorrow will be the reverse. I've been wet for two days now, and wonder if I will ever be dry again.



There were brief periods of cool mist instead of rain in the flat early morning light. In the distance, the Pensacola Light burned through the shrouded morning to remind one and all that we were in a safe harbor. Even the birds seemed more at ease in the mist, but that was likely as a result of the hunters staying home in their beds... They're not as crazy as biologists!

I couldn't capture the flight on film as it was raining at the time, but I took away this image:

A race of Canada Geese, startled by the noise of the approaching ATV took flight, flapping their wings in the stiff northerly breeze and paddling furiously at the wave tossed bay as they rose, in a single, sinuous line, over the misted Pensacola Bay.