Black-bellied plover

It takes so little to get me excited!  Rebecca Carruth, a bio-tech with Gulf Islands National Seashore, was able to identify this bird as a Black-bellied plover. Yay!  I've seen them for the past few years near the start of our turtle patrol season, but I was never able to get my camera out in time for a good photo.  They are SO beautiful.  Rebecca says they are also referred to sometimes as the "tuxedo bird" and you can see why.

Birds are difficult for me to identify because they seem to be constantly changing plumage.  First there is the difference in males and females, then the juveniles and the adults, and finally a difference in plumage when birds are breeding and when they aren't!  Think of it as their dating season and they get all gussied up.  To give you a good example of how difficult identification can be for an amateur, take a look at this site Black-bellied Plover which shows what they look like in NON-breeding season.   

Thanks for helping me out on this, Rebecca!

The Point

The high winds and currents created a new, sweeping tidal pools around the west tip of the island which we call "The Point", and it happened just since my patrol last Sunday!

I have seen several tidal pool of the Gulf side near the western end, but not right at the tip of the island.

I was surprised not to find a host of sea and shore birds in the area, because this is generally a favorite spot for them.  Guess they were a bit surprised by the change also!  This particular shot turned out to be a bit of a self-portrait when the shadow of me and my UTV were caught in the photo.  Oops!

Heron Alley

It was a beautiful morning at Ft. Pickens.  I call this area "Heron Alley" for obvious reasons.  There were two more Blue Herons in the group as I arrived, but unfortunately they were young and more skittish about being photographed. 

Fishing Friday

I've discovered a favorite spot for fishermen on Pensacola Beach!  They are VERY serious and aren't happy when they have to reposition for me to get through.  Luckily it's not a problem most of the time!

Colonial Birds

In case you haven't driven through Gulf Islands National Seashore lately, be aware that the speed limit has been lowered to 20 mph in some places.  Birds like Least Terns and Black Skimmers which nest in colonies have arrived, as have the endangered Snowy Plovers.  Most people enjoy  trying to catch a glimpse of tiny birds once they realize the reason they have to slow down.  Unfortunately Snowy Plover and Least Tern chicks appear little more than a cotton ball atop toothpick size legs when they first start darting around....and right into the roadway.  It's amazing how quick they can move - which is one of the reasons I rarely have photos of them. My "panning" skills with my camera are not very good. 

Hopefully I'll have a bit more luck this year.

Here, turtle, turtle!

So far the only sea turtle I've seen evidence of on my own patrol is this one which was grinning up at me at Santa Rosa GINS yesterday morning.   I really enjoy sand sculptures people create on the beach.  

I'm hoping a few more days of warm weather and I'll find my first nest of the season.  Rebecca Carruth, one of the Gulf Islands National Seashore bio-tech's found the first one in our area on Saturday morning (located on Pensacola Beach), and it has me itching to find my own! 

Sunrise at Navarre Beach

I was treated to another beautiful sunrise during sea turtle patrol this morning.  I was patrolling the Santa Rosa area of Gulf Islands National Seashore and about the time I neared Navarre Beach the sun was peeping over the homes on the north side of the beach road.