Synopsis

    The April tragedy of the Gulf oil spill, brought me down to Pascagoula, Mississippi for work. There I helping with some operations concerning safety of seafood. More information can be found here (including a brief background appearance by yours truly).
   I've never spent any time in the south, so although it is a truly catastrophic event, it provided me the opportunity to experience this little part of the south. One of the best things about being down there is the southern hospitality of the people. I met some of the kindest people down there. Even if you're a stranger they seemed very welcoming and nice, which is a sharp contrast to the "cold, reserved" Seattleites.
   While there I was able to enjoy the very humid and warm mornings, birding around the small suburban town. The commonest birds were Common Grackles, Mourning Doves, Eurasian Collared Doves, European Starlings, Laughing Gulls, and Chimney Swifts. Also in the neighborhood were Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, and Great-crested Flycatchers. I spend most of my time and most of the daylight hours in a lab, so I haven't been able to spend any time outside of the cities. The Mississippi Sandhill Crane Wildlife Refuge and Gulf Island National Seashore are fairly close to Pascagoula. Both places look like interesting places to check out, if I have time on one of my trips down, though I don't know how bareable they'll be once summer rolls around.
   Unfortunately this environmental and economic disaster is far from over. Like the trips down for the Cosco Busan oil spill in San Francisco, I will likely be returning to the Gulf area on multiple trips for who knows how long.
I've had two opportunities to do a bit of exploring of the nearby Gulf Island National Seashore - Davis Bayou. I was able to walked the trails through the bayou. The vegetation was all new to me, but very beautiful. I espeically enjoyed the palmettos and the magnolia trees. All of trees and plants added to the bayou experience. I just wish I had more time to look around!
At the end of July, I participated in a 10-day research cruise on the Tommy Munnro in the Gulf of Mexico.

Top

Pictures

Many large oaks still stand in Pascagoula, MS

	Booms line the beach in Pascagoula, MS
	A Black Skimmer flies over the booms in Pascagoula, MS
	Hard head catfish carcass on the beach in Pascagoula, MS

Strange enough to find a Corn Snake washed up on the beach in Pascagoula, MS, but less then a couple of feet away was a second dead corn snake.

	Sensitive marsh island stand in Biloxi Bay, MS
	Biloxi Bay, MS

Brown Pelican fly over Biloxi Bay, MS A few Least Terns all call this bay home.

This was a great bbq joint close by. The food in general was great down in the south.

OK, well maybe not all the food in the south was great...

	Davis Bayou, Gulf Island National Seashore, MS
	Hibiscus, Davis Bayou, Gulf Island National Seashore, MS

	Davis Bayou, Gulf Island National Seashore, MS
	Palmettos, Davis Bayou, Gulf Island National Seashore, MS
	Davis Bayou, Gulf Island National Seashore, MS
	Green Anole, Davis Bayou, Gulf Island National Seashore, MS

	Davis Bayou, Gulf Island National Seashore, MS
	Davis Bayou, Gulf Island National Seashore, MS

Top
                                            
Bird List

Great Blue Heron - P

Green Heron - GI

Great Egret - GI

Snowy Egret - P, GI

Osprey - P, GI

Broad-winged Hawk - GI

Turkey Vulture - P

Killdeer - P

Laughing Gull - P

Black Skimmer - P

Forester's Tern - GI

Least Tern - P

Eurasian Collared Dove - P

Rock Pigeon - P

Mourning Dove - P, GI

White-winged Dove - P, GI

Common Nighthawk - P

Chimney Swift - P, GI

Downy Woodpecker - P, GI

Red-bellied Woodpecker - P, GI

Red-headed Woodpecker - P, GI

Great-crested Flycatcher - P, GI

Loggerhead Shrike - P

Fish Crow - P, GI

Blue Jay - P, GI

Barn Swallow - P, GI

Cliff Swallow - P, GI

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - GI

Northern Mockingbird - P, GI

Carolina Chickadee - GI

Tufted Titmouse - GI

Eastern Bluebird - GI

Cedar Waxwing - P

European Starling - P

Northern Cardinal - P, GI

Common Grackle - P

Boat-tailed Grackle - P

Brewer's Blackbird - P

Red-winged Blackbird - P, GI

Eastern Meadowlark - Gulfport airport

Baltimore Oriole - P

Eastern Towhee - GI

European House Sparrow - P

P = Pascagoula

GI = Gulf Island National Seashore, Davis Bayou

Other Critter List

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Bat sp.

Southern Black racer - GI

Green anole - GI

Frog (heard)

Bottlenose Dolphin

Top

Information
Gulf Island National Seashore, MS

Top