We started the week out on Sunday getting our walking in. We went to the dunes near Burgoyne Road looking for the Gulf Coast Solitary Bee. We didn't find any, but again, we found plenty of other pollinators and cool stuff.
As we were walking from the ferry landing to the dunes, we got pictures of a Broad-winged hawk perched in a tree.
On our way back to the parking area, we stopped and watched bird banding of a Wood Thrush. A beautiful bird.
We have been at Bon Secour for 2 months now and had never hiked the Centennial Trail. That was remedied today. While we were there, we got a few more species for our iNaturalist observations, including another Chicken Turtle. We have seen 3 of these vulnerable species in the last few weeks.
We got back to Camp Secour and worked on our pictures and blog while resting our tired legs that hiked over 5 miles today.
Monday, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo was hanging around Camp Secour.
We got the grass cut at Camp Secour then hung around headquarters waiting on a delivery. As soon as we went to lunch, the delivery truck showed up. Not a problem, we are just minutes away.
This afternoon, while waiting for the LEOs that had been on storm duty to come back and pick up their trucks and trailers that had been stored at the compound, a couple stopped by the visitor center. As we were talking to them, the lady said that she wanted to see an Eagle. Lauren looked up and pointed to one that flew right over our heads. How lucky is that??
We hung around and assisted the LEOs then locked the gate and called it a day. It has been one of those wait around kind of days.
Tuesday, we had a North American Wheel Bug hanging around while cleaning up Rap.
Wednesday was another Gulf Coast Solitary Bee search. We searched the dunes near Burgoyne parking area and Gator Lake Trail. We found lots and lots of Coastalplain Honeycombhead blooms, and lots and lots of bugs flitting around, but not the bugs we were looking for. Oh well, it was a great day to be out in the dunes.
We also got our first sighting of a White-crowned Sparrow.
We spent the afternoon, looking for supplies to install the new trail counters. One of the search areas was the South Quonset Hut where we have heard that an alligator hangs out. Today, we finally saw not one, but two in the Fort Knox Pond. One was about 6 foot long and the other about 8 foot long. They made a big splash then started swimming toward us. After a bit, they turned and went the other way. We must have looked too old and tough for their liking.
We spent the afternoon packing up for our camping trip tomorrow.
Lauren did some odd and end jobs while I manned the visitor center on Thursday. It was a slow day of visitation, but the few that came in were very engaging. After we closed, we headed to Fort Pickens for a Gulf Coast Solitary Bee survey tomorrow.
We weren't lucky enough to get our favorite spot, but lucky enough that someone canceled their reservation opening up site 35 for us. We have a shade tree and are close to the restroom. We are also lucky enough that the temperature is in the mid 80's during the day and mid 60's at night, which is 10 degrees cooler than the last time we camped here.
We had a nice relaxing afternoon, sitting around camp and grilling brats.
Friday, we met up at 7 am for the sleeping bee survey. There were 8 of us doing the survey. The Interns did most of the sleeping and foraging bee surveys. The rest of us split up into 2 teams for the vegetation survey. Lauren and Jen, the refuge biologist, called out the number and stages of plants, while I recorded. Let's just say, we rocked or as Jen said, we were the A team!
After the Interns got finished with their first sleeping bee survey, we finally got to see those tiny little bees that we have been looking for at Bon Secour NWR. They were gorgeous, with those iridescent green eyes, and so stinking cute sleeping on the Coastalplain Honeycombhead flowers.
At the end of the last transect of the vegetation survey, Lauren spotted a foraging Gulf Coast Solitary Bee.
After we collected data on the 9 different transects for vegetation, we did 3 transects for foraging bees and found none of the bees that we were looking for, but did find a juvenile Coachwhip.
We grabbed some fish tacos and shrimp tacos afterwards at the Native Café. Amber, one of the NPS staff that helped with the survey, gave us a great recommendation for lunch.
After lunch and with Jen's approval, we took another look in the dunes at the Battery Worth pavilion where sleeping and foraging bees were seen during the survey. We saw plenty of bees, including Gulf Coast Solitary Bees.
After a long hot shower and some recuperating at camp from the 5 hours of walking in the dunes, we went for a short walk along the beach. We got back, grilled some burgers, and called it a night.
Saturday morning, we enjoyed lazing around camp drinking our coffee then cooked breakfast. While cooking breakfast, we had a flock of Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets hanging out in the trees.
We packed up, then enjoyed a nice stroll along the Blackbird Trail before heading back to Camp Secour. Fort Pickens 2022 Bee Survey is a wrap!
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