5-20-18 -5-26-18 (Week 12)

Sunday
We got a late start for our Crane Whisperer Tour this morning.  We left at 9 am on this hot, humid morning.  The recently burned savanna on Brown's Trail was breathtaking with the beautiful colors of all the different species of plants.

We only saw 5 cranes today and a few other birds which is a lot less than our usual sightings.  We contribute the less sightings to sleeping in, hot weather, and the distraction of the colorful savanna.

We spent the afternoon clearing brush at Camp Refuge for a better view of the bayou.

We have a smart critter that has been frequenting our storage compartment in the camper.  Lauren's attempt to catch it in the mouse traps have been unsuccessful.  Whatever it is, eats the peanut butter and never gets caught.  Lauren stepped up the game today adding a rat trap, and 4 glue traps.  Hopefully, this we get him out of our compartment.

Refuge Pictures:

Monday
Lauren's effort for the critter catching were unsuccessful last night.  This critter is very talented, he must have Houdini genes.

We put up a hummingbird feeder a couple of months ago.  We moved it to different locations hoping to lure the birds in.  We saw a few fly around in the trees, but never feeding at the feeder, until this morning.  Clearing the brush must have been the ticket.

Tuesday
We got to meet the endangered Dusky Gopher Frogs this morning.  We have watched them grow from tadpoles to frogs in the last couple of months.  They are on the top 100 endangered species in the world.

Some of them were being processed for release in the refuge in the conference room.  They are about the size of a tree frog, and very active if they get a chance to get away from the handler.  Lauren actually was brave enough to weigh and measure one and not lose him.

Anita came over to spend the night with us.  We enjoyed our stroll on the CL Dees trail before lunch.

After lunch, Anita, Lauren, and I helped Angie and the interns check the 150 frog traps.  It was a rather busy afternoon, checking the traps, releasing the tadpoles, removing the frogs, placing the frogs in individual containers, and labeling each container.

                                          Back in the tank, grow some before being released

I have never touched a frog until today.  One of the frogs jumped out of the container Lauren was placing him in and was swimming around in the tank.  I swooped him up in my hand and got him in the container.  I will always have a claim of fame that my first frog catching was one of the rarest amphibians in the United States.  I am becoming a brave nature chaser.

We sat around Camp Refuge this afternoon, watched the birds feed at the feeders, and had a great visit with Anita.

Wednesday
Lauren and I worked the VC today.  Anita hung out with us until after lunch.  Lauren went to the Ocean Springs unit of the refuge to take pictures of the purple bladderworts while I manned the center.  We are really glad our investment in our camera is providing some really pretty pictures.

When we got off, we met Anita at Island View to spend the night with her.  We all had lost our quota for the night and made one last stop to try and recoup.  Lauren hit enough to cover our losses and Anita hit enough to cover most of hers.

We stopped and ate at the diner then went to the room and watched the rain fall.

Thursday
We had a beautiful sunrise when we got up at 6 am at Island View.  It's not very often that I get up early enough to see the sunrise.  We sat around and enjoyed our coffee before putting it in high gear to get to work on time.  We made it with plenty of time to spare.  We thoroughly enjoy spending time with Anita.

Melissa covered for Lauren, Pat, and I to go to lunch at The Shed for Matt's farewell lunch.  Matt has been an intern at the refuge since October and will be heading to Colorado to work with Raptors and Big Horn Sheep.  The guy is leaving at a good time considering summer and the hurricane season is upon us. We wish him all the best.

Lauren still has been unsuccessful catching the critter in the camper compartment.  He added more traps to his collection in hopes of outsmarting this critter.

Friday
Lauren and I worked the VC.  It was a rather slow day, but we enjoyed the few people that stopped to visit us.

Saturday
We took the day off to go and spend a couple of nights with Rick and Jerri for the Memorial Day Weekend.

The week of pictures:

Memorial Weekend at Timberlake:

5-13-18 - 5-19-18 (Week 11)

Sunday
We spent the day recovering from the Cotton Graduation Celebration.

Monday
Lauren weedeated the ditch this morning, I went for a haircut.  After lunch, we headed back to Camp Refuge.  We had a light rain shower this afternoon after walking the CL Dees trail.

Tuesday
We watched twin fawns walking around as we drank our coffee this morning.  They are getting pretty brave and coming closer and closer to the camper to graze.

We walked the CL Dees trail this morning.  We found a few baby mockingbirds just learning to fly.  I realize now, why the parents were so aggressive last week.

After lunch, we went shore bird watching.  We stopped at several spots on the beach in Gulfport and Biloxi, then made a quick drive around Gulf Island National Seashore.

The most impressive birds were on the beach across from the Coliseum.  According to the Audubon Volunteer that was watching the birds, there were approximately 600 least terns and a bunch of black skimmers in the protective nesting area with about 300 nest.  The least terns will migrate back to South America with their young in August.

We took Highway 57 back to Camp and saw the Sunplex Crane forging in the grass.

Pictures from the beach day:

Wednesday
All the volunteers and Melissa met at Aztecas Mexican Restaurant for a farewell luncheon for Carole and Roger.   Carole and Roger will start home to Indiana tomorrow.  We have had some really great times with them in the short time we have known them. We will definitely keep in touch with our friends.

Thursday
Lauren, Pat, and I worked the VC today.  A quiet day except for the Power Company People trying out a prototype trail app for kids.

It was a really quiet evening, all alone, at Camp Refuge, miss you Roger and Carole.

Friday
Lauren and I went to Grand Bay and took a boat tour with the phenology group.  We arrived at 9 am for the 10 am meet up at the Grand Bay VC.  We had an hour to kill, so we walked the board walk for what we thought would be a leisurely stroll.  The yellow flies were in attack mode.  We swatted our way to the end and back and took a few pictures of the Osprey.  We've got to remember to bring bug spray.

We traveled in two boats out to Heron Bay.  Margo and Dennis were our boat captains.  We rode in the boat with Margo.  It was a nice, leisurely ride until the rain begin to get close which changed our direction.

On our way back, we stopped at an oyster bed that was built by the Indians, then walked to the salt flat.  We weren't quite prepared for a walk through the marshy waters in our newest tennis shoes, but hey they will dry.

After our boat trip, we walked the boardwalk at the VC and got a hands on demonstration of the phenology web site from Gail and Sue.

It was a great day of meeting some nice folks, watching birds, finding new plants and flowers, and being outside.  Not every day, our office is in a boat.

Pictures from the day:

Saturday
We saw a couple of  Sandhill Cranes fly over the bayou last night at Camp Refuge.  On our walk to work, we could hear some calling in the  nearby savanna.  Lauren went to look for them, he never saw them until they flew off when a car drove by.  It would be nice if they would frequent the headquarters for our utmost admiration.

                                                                   evening flyover

                                                               next morning take off

It was a good pace of people visiting today.  A group from a church retreat in Biloxi came bearing home made cupcakes.  There went my plan to eat healthier today.  They were worth the change of plans.

We waited until after 6 pm to walk the trail.  We were a little bit shaken, when a nighthawk that was chirping, all the sudden dove down, then made a strange fluttering noise with his wings. The fluttering sound reminded me of the sound that an 18 wheeler makes when he uses his jake brakes.  A really neat thing to watch.

Week of pictures:

5-6-18 - 5-12-18 (Week 10)

Sunday
Carole and Roger joined us for the Crane Whisper Tour this morning.  We explored new territory at the Ocean Springs unit.  We rode around for a couple of hours and finally saw a couple of Sandhill Cranes.  We came back via the interstate enroute to Brown's Trail and saw a couple of Sandhill Cranes on the power lines near I10.

Things were much better when we got to Brown's Trail.  Our total sightings today; (18 Mississippi Sandhill Cranes).

After lunch, we all decided to go to Boomtown Casino and play Pow Gai poker.  This is a new game for us.  Lauren, Roger, and I were out of money long before Carole.  Lauren and I watched Carole to learn more about the game. Roger sat across from us at a slot machines, looking bored, but patiently waiting for Carole.

Carole gave Roger her players card to play her $10 free play.  He came back and told her that her card did not have any free play.  She sent me over to assist him, and we realized he was putting his player's card in the machine, not Carole's.   After putting in the correct card on a $1 machine, playing a $1 per spin, and spinning 6 times, he won $250.  He cashed out and left the casino a happy man!

Monday
We did a much needed run to Sam's this morning, then walked the CL Dees Trail on this rather hot day.  Summer is upon us.

Carole and Roger treated us to dinner at Boomtown Casino tonight.  We tried our luck at the Pow Gai poker, we didn't win, but we got to play for a couple of hours.

The Fire Crew cleared some more of the brush at Camp Refuge, every little bit helps our view of the bayou.

Tuesday
We watched 3 deer walking around this morning while drinking our coffee in the newly cleared area near the bayou.

We hung around at Camp Refuge, got a little walking in, and camper cleaning, then got a Wally World fix.

Wednesday
Work day.  Lauren, Roger, and Charley went to the storage yard to cut grass.  Carol, Carole, and I stayed at the VC.  A slow day of visitor's makes a great opportunity to get the wash done.

On my way back from hanging sheets on the clothes line, I found a turtle laying eggs by Carole and Roger's car at Camp Refuge.  Later that day, on the CL Dees trail a box turtle was laying eggs.  Looks like we are going to have a bumper crop of baby turtles in a few months.

Thursday
Another work day.  Lauren and I spent most of the day on the trails.  We went to Fountainebleu Trail and Escatawpa Trail to evaluate the conditions of the trail.  We placed trail guides and cut down a tree at Fountainebleu Trail.  It was a nice work day walking the trails, even though it is getting hot.

  

I packed a few things to go home tomorrow, then met Lauren at the end of CL Dees Trail.  I was attacked by a Mockingbird when I stopped to get a picture of it on my cell phone.  There was another one lurking in another tree hissing at me.  They must have a nest in the tree.

                                                            Downy Woodpecker

Note to self, be cautious of making eye contact with Mockingbirds!!  Needless to say, the pictures were blurred.

Friday
Pat and I worked the VC.  Lauren mowed grass all day at the VC.  The grounds are looking good.

We went to Crossroads when we got off.  Ferny Kat was ready for a road trip.

We have been gone so long the crawfish have built a castle.  We are not so sure we want to see this giant craw dad.

Saturday
Lauren mowed the yard this morning.  He has got more than his quota of sun and dust the last couple of days.  After a short rest, we headed to Bush for the big event - The Cotton Graduation Celebration at Erica's.

And yes, it was a big celebration in honor of Nick and Micaela, with plenty of food, adult beverages, family, friends, and a big water slide.  It was a great time had by all, especially when Anita and I went down the slide.  We are still having fun!!

Plenty of pictures, Click here: