Too Wet and Windy for the Shorebirds Today

Starting today, the 23rd, we're in the 5-day window for PIPL (piping plover) surveys on the north shores of the Perdido Key, Santa Rosa and Fort Pickens areas.



Though the day started with brilliant blue and white skies, it just wasn't fit weather for our feathered friends.



Normally, we'd start at one end of the beach, and count all the shore birds, like this semi-palmated plover, between the first sand bar and the vegetation line on the north shore.



I really tried hard to do that this morning, and had a good time counting birds in the first two miles of Fort Pickens. It was hard to find them though as they all hid from the wind! The photo is a little fuzzy as the birds continually tried to smooth their ruffled feathers.



Once I reached the asphalt pile, it was time to turn back. Though the tide was receding, there was standing water in the road corridor...



And the surf was kicking in the Gulf. I wouldn't mind getting stuck out at the west end of the beach, but I was pretty sure my boss had other tasks in mind before the end of the day. That just gives me a great excuse to head back out to the beach in the morning, as long as it stops raining by then!

(* No, I don't avoid the beach in the rain. That said, it is hard to use binoculars to id shorebirds in a downpour!)

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.

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!