3-10-19 - 3-16-19 (Week 54)

Sunday
Daylight savings time crept in overnight.  We had coffee with Anita, then she headed on her way back home.

We had a nice walk on the CL Dees Trail.  Butterflies are beginning to show up along with new flower blooms.

The fog on the beach late afternoon was not conducive to shore bird watching.  We stopped at Island View to play our free play and Lauren walked out with $34 of their money.  Not a bad Sunday afternoon.

We rode through Gulf Islands National Seashore and saw the gators.

We took the long way home and found a couple of Sandhill Cranes at Bright's Pasture.

 A look from the HQ tower, we found the 3 captive raised cranes with a couple of visitors outside the pen. Wonder what will happen when they get released from the pen the middle of this week.  Hopefully, they will all stay close and make this their home.

The Brown Headed Cowbird has made his way back to our feeder.

Monday
We worked with Pat today and had a Crane Tour of 8 tourist at 10 am.  We saw 5 Sandhill Cranes on this foggy morning along with a Fox Squirrel, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Blue Winged Teals, and a bunch more birds.

The Eagle activity was a great show again today.  Goober was easily seen, Georgie's visibility was obstructed by the tree.  BB was sitting up like he owned the nest with both parents nearby.  One of the parents flew in with lunch as we were watching.  As always, the eagles put on a great show.

Tuesday
We worked the VC with the Loew's and Dix today.  We went to Fountainebleu Trail and checked out the recent prescribed burn and picked up trash.

We had a 12:30 pm tour with 7 tourist.  We saw 8 Sandhill Cranes, Great Blue Herons, Bald Eagles, Great Egrets, Belted Kingfishers, Southern Black Racers, and an Alligator.

We saw a Bald Eagle sitting in a dead tree near the temporary pen at HQ when we returned.  Castille is back.

Wednesday
We have 3 more Free Birds out and about.  We released them from the temporary pen today.  Crab Apple and Coconut left the pen with graceful flight.  Crab Apple's landing was another thing.  Poor thing crashed landed.

Banana refused to leave the pen and was walked out by Scott.  Scott was one proud biologist when they all flew away.

Late afternoon, we helped biology take up the electric fence, borders, and rolled up 2 sides of the netted pen.  The hopes are they will come back to roost.  As of last check, they are no where in sight.

Thursday
The Free Birds stayed in the HQ savanna overnight.  As we were headed out on Crane Lane to Crossroads, we saw one of them standing in the savanna.  It was most likely Crab Apple, but not sure.

We managed to get the weeds mowed, some of the leaves raked up, and the pollen washed off the jeep this afternoon.  The rain will move in tonight.

Friday
We went to Crosby Arboretum to get native plants for the flower beds at HQ.  What an experience!  People were snatching plants like crazy.  I made the mistake of setting a plant down while looking at another, and a woman grabbed it.  She informed me that once I took my hands off it, it became hers.  Such a beautiful plant for such an ugly woman.  We got a few plants and got the heck out of dodge.

Lauren tromped around in the field and confirmed it is way to wet to bush hog.  He did get some pictures of some pretty flowers.

Saturday
Anita came over and spent the night.  It was too cold outside, so we entertained ourselves by playing a game of Monopoly and watching a movie.


Week of pics:

Crane Release

3-3-19 - 3-9-19 (Week 53)

Sunday
We were able to get our walk in on the CL Dees Trail and Crane Lane without getting wet this morning. As on added bonus, we saw 2 Sandhill Cranes out in the savanna while we were walking Crane Lane.

We went to Island View to play our free play.  We each had $10.00 free play.  My man, The Leprechaun, was generous today.  He turned my $10 free play into $102.95.  I really love him on days like today.

The rain hit about the time we left the casino.  By the time we shopped at Wally World, the rain had ended and the cool air had arrived.  Looks like winter is back for a couple of days.

We decided to take Highway 57 to I 10 after leaving Ocean Springs.  After seeing 4 Sandhill Cranes at Sunplex, we took the long way home and saw a total of 9 Sandhill Cranes.  The Crane Whisperers still got it.

Monday
Our 10 am tour was full with 8 tourist. We saw 16 Sandhill Cranes.  We thought the Greater Sandhill Cranes were gone being we haven't seen them for the last week, but we thought wrong.  There were 10 of them in Bright's Pasture today.

We had a couple show up when we opened this morning, that really wanted to go on a Crane Tour.  We obliged by doing a 2nd tour at 1:30 pm.  We had 6 tourist and 13 Sandhill Crane sightings.

The Eagle nestlings were not very active on the first tour but the afternoon tour was a different story.  We saw all 3 sitting up in the nests.  The parents of the BW Nest were flying around the nest for our enjoyment.  It appears they may be trying to coax the youngsters to fledge.  We will keep our eyes on them.

Tuesday
We worked the VC with Pat today.  We had a late afternoon, impromptu Refuge Tour for a group of 6 from Campbellsville University.  Before we left HQ, they said they only had about an hour time allotted to tour.  We got back a couple of hours later.

They wanted to see Mississippi Sandhill Cranes and Bald Eagles.  They got to see quite a few more birds than that.  Right inside the gate, along the Firetower pond, we saw a Belted Kingfisher, a Great Blue Heron, and Great Egrets.

After watching Goober on the BW nest, we went Le Conte's Sparrow hunting.  We walked around in the savanna trying to flush one.  We didn't get a Le Conte's, but we did flush a Song Sparrow.  We see them all the time, but this was a new sighting for them.

A parent was on the nest with BB on the Beasley nest.  Again, they got to see these gorgeous birds up close and personal through the spotting scopes.

As we were headed out, Lauren happened to see 2 Mississippi Sandhill Cranes in the rear view mirror about 300 meters down the fire lane.  Then, he spotted 2 cranes right across the pond near the gate.  They were able to see them fly and hear them call, then watch them through their spotting scopes.

We made a quick trip to Bright's Pasture and found Dougie and his partner about 50 meters from the road.  They were so close, that binoculars were all that was needed to see them up close and personal.

Wednesday
We recorded a day in history at the refuge today.  The first ever banding of Eaglets.  Lauren took pictures and I did video recordings.  The twins at the BW nest now have some bling bling on their legs.

Mississippi Power provided a bucket truck to go up to the nest to retrieve the youngsters.  Dr Scott Rush went up in the bucket with the operator and brought them down to be banded on the ground.  They were so cute with their falconry helmets and talon covers on.

They were very calm during the banding and appeared to be sleeping at times.  After they were returned to their nest, they watched us until we left.

One of the parents flew around during the banding checking on her babies.  A magnificent sight.

A couple of Mississippi Sandhill Cranes did a fly over while we were banding.  They were probably coming to eat at the feeder but changed their mind when they saw all the white vehicles.

After the banding, we went with the biologists and the banding team to catch American Kestrels.  A white rat is placed in the trap.  The Kestrel is caught on the top of the trap without harming the rat. After banding the Kestrel is released unharmed.

There was a Kestrel seen, but the chance to catch him was squashed when the team got their truck stuck.  Luckily, we were able to get it out without calling for reinforcements.

We had a Crane Tour at 1:30 pm with 4 tourist.  We saw 12 Sandhill Cranes, Egrets, an Armadillo, Great Blue Herons, and Bald Eagles.  On our way back, one of the ladies was thanking us and telling us the highlight of her trip was seeing the Bald Eagles.  Another woman on the tour said the highlight of the tour for her was seeing a live Armadillo. Everyone has their own unique appreciation of nature.

Thursday
We took our ole Rez buddy Shannon on a Refuge tour this morning.  The bird sightings were scarce today.

We had a great time catching up.  We saw 3 Sandhill Cranes, a Belted Kingfisher, Great Blue Herons,  Great Egrets, and of course the magnificent Bald Eagles.

Late afternoon, we took a quick ride with Angie to G11 and found another set of Eagle twins.  She said she had been to the nest and never seen the Eaglets until today.  We didn't spend much time there because one of the parents was not happy about people being in her neck of the woods.

Friday
Anita made it for a visit for a couple of days.  First order of business, a new doo for Anita.  It really looks good on her.  But then again, she always looks good.

I thought we would go to Dauphin Island today, but it was too windy.  The wind may have not been good for beaching, but the wind was a good thing for a prescribed burn across the bayou from the campground.

We had a blast watching the fire center throw fire balls and riding in their boat on the bayou.  It's not every day you can get a front row and center seat to watch a prescribed burn.

We had an early evening campfire with Anita and the volunteers to welcome our new co-volunteer, Dix.  It was an early night.  We have a big day tomorrow, the Raptors are coming!

Saturday
The Raptor Show was as fabulous as last years show.  Nothing like a free Raptor Show and Popcorn.  I now know how to use a popcorn machine.  Another feather in my hat!

We cut out early and went to Da Bayou for a late lunch/early dinner.  We enjoyed sitting on the deck, having adult beverages, and eating good food.  Luckily we had a break from the howling wind.

We made a tour of the Ocean Springs Beach and found 2 beautiful Bald Eagles sitting in the top of a Live Oak Tree.  They are so majestic.

It was time to get the birthday month started.  Nothing like a present or two, birthday cake, and a flashing Happy Birthday sign to set the mood.  This makes getting older better and better.


Week of Pictures:

Prescribed Burn day: