DI 29

I'm a Volunteer Field Observer for the Mobile Bay Keeper group. Yesterday, fellow VFOB, Debra, and I walked our grid, DI 29, down on Dauphin Island. It starts at Ft Gaines and goes to the end of the bird sanctuary. Beautiful stretch of beach!

Since Ft Gaines is right at the mouth of Mobile Bay, there are some rocks they put out as a breakwater and birds like to hang out there, although today, they must have been out fishing elsewhere.... only one lone gull sitting out there.

This stretch also goes behind the Dauphin Island Sea Lab which has a natural buffer area behind it and that's where this photo of the sea oats and wildflowers was taken.

Plenty of shore birds were scurrying for lunch along in front of us.

They are always so speedy...sharp eyed little birds running along the waves looking for morsels.

Then there was this larger shorebird.... not sure what kind it was, but it was seemingly unconcerned with us walking behind it.... It stopped and preened, then would search the waves a bit more.

We did find some small, clear jellies that had washed up....typical for this time of year and we took it for a good sign that they'd not been killed by the oil in the Gulf.

On the way back, we stopped for a spell at the campground's shelter to fill out reports and to let me rest! Way too out of shape... Afforded me a chance to snap this close up of the stand of sea oats next to it though.... Oh, for a hammock as there was great breeze, the lulling sound of the waves lapping the beach....could have had a great snooze there!

As we left the beach gazebo, there were several gulls lined up.... having some sort of meeting, I guess. ;-)

Back at the car, we had a good view of the Ft Morgan/Ft Gaines ferry going across with the blight of oil rigs in the background.

The lone sentinel cannon on watch at Ft Gaines.

Great walk, I came home and took a nap!