Pat's Wildways: Home Again

I just returned from our special place in Belize with my heart and soul filled with the tropical beach scenes there. But here I was at home again on Amelia Island, it was low tide, and I started my first day back with a walk on the beach right in my neighborhood. It’s been a while since the timing and my ambition has lined up here at home, and it's time to hit our own beach.

Before leaving my house, I took a look at my backyard for the first time in two weeks. And wow! The wisteria I planted years ago has definitely taken up residence and is blooming way up into the crepe myrtle tree above the trellis. Maybe hazardous to the tree, but right now, the beauty is overwhelming and a great welcome home.

My wisteria vine is blooming high up into the crepe myrtle tree, a great welcome home.

Driving down Simmons Road toward to the beach access, I looked up at the place where ospreys had been hanging out before I left for two weeks. It was great to see the progress this pair of birds has made in preparing a new nest on an old snag located on the north side of Simmons Road about a block west of Fletcher Avenue. Here, right in front of us, we can all easily watch this pair’s efforts to raise their brood in the ensuing weeks. What a great start to my day!

After parking at the Simmons beach access, I had another visual treat to savor on my way down the newly revitalized boardwalk across the dunes. The gaillardia flowers were blossoming in bright hues of yellow and orange, contrasting wonderfully with the green and brown background colors of the dunes. Here and there, I noticed openings to gopher tortoise burrows, but none of the residents were out and about yet on this coldish day.

This morning was colder than usual, keeping many of us acclimated Floridians inside our home. But fewer people on the beach made for a peaceful early morning walk. I headed south, passing only a few other people who were happily looking for fossilized shark teeth, jogging, walking their dogs and just enjoying the ambiance. One gal, all covered up in her hoody, nestled down with her iPhone, oblivious to the world around her, but happy too, I imagine.

Willets, those large, mostly solitary shorebirds, were spaced at intervals. One ahead of me was busy poking its bill at some object in the sand, so of course I went over to see what it was. A mole crab (sand flea) that was helpless above the surf line was a ready prey item. I moved away and yes, the willet returned to resume its breakfast; no harm done by my intervention. Meanwhile, chains of pelicans glided over the water, heading somewhere north. Although the weather seems cold for us Floridians on this day, some of our birds have detected spring and moving northward.

I admit there wasn’t a whole lot of wildlife to watch this day but there was still a lot to look at. I focused on the objects stranded in the low tide. Look, there’s a cannonball jellyfish and what’s that encrusting this bit of shell? I easily recognized the small white barnacles but what is that globular object? At home, I perused my key reference book, "Florida’s Living Beaches" by Blair and Dawn Witherington, and determined that it was an anemone with tentacles retracted to prevent desiccation on the hostile territory of the beach. Had I thought about it at the time I would have tossed it back in the water to save it. Too late now.

While I was happily exploring the beach, some people were actually at work there. Up near the dunes, a beach clean-up vehicle passed by, and the worker happily waved at me. A bit further along, a security officer was parked near the end of the zone where beach driving is allowed. I wandered over to chat with him and learned that he is protecting wildlife by saving shorebirds from loose dogs, making sure people refill any holes they have dug when they leave before these present a hazard to nighttime beachgoers, and later in the season, nesting sea turtles, and otherwise ensuring beach safety for all of us. It’s great to know that someone is watching.

Before heading back into the wind to return to my car, I saw a group of horse riders heading towards me. While I watched, the leader organized the riders into groups for photos of them on horses on the beach, memories I’m sure these riders will treasure.

All of this activity happened in maybe an hour one morning in the place I am pleased to call home. Yes, I can fly to Belize, or around the world, wherever, but it just takes a morning like this to realize that my own home turf is best of all!

Pat Foster-Turley, Ph.D., is a zoologist on Amelia Island. She welcomes your nature questions and observations. patandbucko@yahoo.com