White Pelicans and Cold Fall Island Meals Arrive

Greetings from the island everyone. I hope that all of you are doing well and staying bundled up and warm during these cold mid-Fall northers that we are having. The winds on the island during these last several hard blows have really been strong. Steady 25-35 mph winds with gusts over 50 make it feel so much colder, and scatters everything around the yard that isn’t secured or anchored down well. I make certain to put another line on the boat at the dock in front of the house during these hard northers, as the entrance into the lagoon faces north, and on many occasions there have been waves with white-caps inside the lagoon. . . that’s hard to imagine but it definitely happens. And the much higher than normal tides we have been having makes it worse.

I always make sure that I’m stocked up with extra full propane tanks beginning this time of year, as the propane is my heat source for a small heater upstairs at night, and separate tanks keep my water heater and stove going. During the warmer summer and beginning of Fall, I take all of my showers outside in the late afternoon using non-heated well water straight from the ground, but it’s definitely too cold for that now. With the beginning of winter still over a month away, it sure seems as though the cold, nasty weather is starting very early this year. I think that Mother Nature may have forgotten that the season of Fall was supposed to at least make an appearance.

I’m just now beginning to see the arrival of the beautiful American white pelicans around the island. The brown pelicans stay here year-round, but the white ones only arrive and stay here during the colder winter months, migrating south and east along the Gulf of Mexico. I enjoy watching squadrons of these white pelicans as they soar across the sky above the island, going back and forth from the bay side to the gulf. And if I’m really lucky, a large group of them, 50-60, will swim from the bay shoreline into the lagoon to feed on mullet, creating a beautiful sight of majestic white pelicans right in front of the house.

I’m starting to see a few ducks flying across the bay as well lately. Their numbers will increase as the weeks pass, and even if I don’t see them I’ll know they are here because of the early morning and late evening sound of air boats running the shoreline. I’m not a duck hunter, those things seem to fly the best during the nastiest of weather, but occasionally someone will drop off a few to me, and I’ll enjoy a nice meal of fresh duck.

My most enjoyable meal out on the island during the cold winter months, are fresh from the bay fried oysters. There are several small oyster beds inside the lagoon, plus they also attach underwater to the posts of my pier. So several times a winter I’ll put on waders and take a 5-gallon bucket and hammer into the water and get a few dozen oysters to open for a meal. Any type of fresh caught local seafood is always the best!

In closing, I want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving in a few weeks. Enjoy the time with your friends and family, and please be safe in your travels. That’s it from the island for now, everyone take care and have a great day.