The Mysterious Bird

That bird I don't recognize is still hanging around, though not close enough to get any good pictures. It seems to be some sort of diving waterfowl, like a duck but with the wrong kind of bill for a duck.

In other on-the-rocks news, a laughing gull was yelling its head off at another laughing gull standing next to it, and was a real pest about it, until the other one finally regurgitated a fish and handed it over. Since they both had breeding plumage, I'd guess they were mates rather than parent/kid.

Snapper Sign

A new sign at the boat launch near the boardwalk pier. Looks like something is going on with red snapper, which I assume means Lutjanus campechanus (them's good eatin'), and not all of the other fish that are both snappers and red (ex. Rhomboplites aurorubens), or sometimes are red and get sold as snappers but actually aren't.

DISL Dock Heron

There always seems to be a great blue heron hanging out at the DISL dock. It might even be the same one.

Some Birds and Some Bright Green Algae

To the right, an egret. On top of the pole, a juvenile laughing gull. Next to the pole in the middle of the picture, a bird about the size of the egret, but not white, and too small to be a heron. Not sure what that was.

To the right of the egret, the rocks on the bay-facing side of the line has become covered with bright green algae. It's like that all over. It looks a little like moss, but that wouldn't grow in the salty bay waters. 

The egret is not pictured because this shot was actually taken yesterday. I've been super lax about actually posting my pictures lately. Will try to do better (after some minor cheating by back-filling older pictures earlier in the month...).

New Boards

Well, the yellow caution sign is gone, and they replaced the board with the hole in it, and also another one. But not the one that was sticking up (not pictured), I guess because it stopped doing that after some heavy rains soaked it back flat.

Also, another new board on the way to the pier. (It's two narrow ones together, actually.)

The one that I mentioned several months ago is also doing a fine job of blending in with the older boards now.

Many Small Flowers

This kind of yellow flower is back in bloom.

Also, the basic yellow daisy looking things. There seems to be at least a couple different species of them.

The morning glories are back and starting to take over the higher-elevated areas.

Finally: these tiny two-petal purple things. I haven't seen these before, and they're close to the edge of the boardwalk area. Not sure if they're marsh plants or grass.

Bird Poo and a Caution Sign

It looks like a whole bunch of birds decided to roost on the east side of the pier recently. The line of poo keeps going off to the right, halfway down the bridge.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the boardwalk: a hole has appeared, and someone stuck a yellow Caution sign in it.

Pontoons

Busy day at the boat launch today. There was one boat coming, one boat going, and a boat with blue pontoons just sitting there docked.

Also, the water level has been really high for the last several weeks due to all the rain we've been getting.

Some NOAA equipment

Random equipment sitting in the middle of the dunes, bearing NOAA logos. Not sure what they're for, probably monitoring something. No educational signs explaining them. No warning signs to keep away, either. They've been there for at least as long as I've been working down here. I've yet to see anyone tend to them.

Peas?

Saw some more small green plants that have started sprouting near the dead pea trees. Maybe these are the new peas?

Going to watch these all year now, just to see what they do. :)

The Duke

I've seen this boat go back and forth several times now, so I guess it warrants mention now. Must be part of the summer boating tourism season.

Burrs

It's been warm long enough now that Sticky Seeds season seems to have started back up. After every walk, I have to check my shoes and get these off before I go inside. Otherwise, I end up stepping on them while wandering around in my office in socks.

They're a pain in the neck. Or, more often, under the fingernails.

Snails

The water level has been really high lately. (By coincidence, we've also had a lot of storms in the past few weeks.) The plants that are right by the water line, and currently in the water, were covered with periwinkles (small snails).

Lots of Little Boats

Summer boating season seems to have started. There were lots of little boats going in and out from the docks today.

A couple fishing boats. Not pictured: a larger boat that said "6 hour fishing tour" on its side.

One of the small commercial boats that say "PILOT" on the side. These dock in the same place as the big vessels like Gulf Glory and MS Joy.

A Snake

... or possibly a legless amphibian. It was in the middle of running away while I was taking its picture.