On the Pier

Hurricane Ivan made landfall on the Alabama coast as a Category 3 storm on Sept. 16, 2004. The Gulf State Park sustained major damage but has been able to rebuild and recover in the last 15 years. The park buildings were destroyed, Route 182 was wiped out, and the dunes were basically gone. Much effort has gone into restoring the dunes, and they look pretty normal by now. Construction of a new pier was completed in 2009 and was the longest pier on the Gulf of Mexico at 1540 ft. at the time.The new pier is 20 feet wide and 1,512 feet long. It has a concession area with rest rooms, picnic tables, snack bar and tackle shop. The end of the pier is an octagon shape that is about 65 feet across, whereas the old pier’s end cap was only 30 feet wide. It is also is two feet higher with an elevation of 20 feet above sea level, where the old pier was at elevation 18. The location of the new pier is 250 feet east of the old pier. They have experimented with treatments for the planking to preserve it. We have been on many fishing piers, but never on a guided tour by a naturalist.

Usually only one of three young Pelicans will survive from a nest each season. If they come to the pier for easy fishing, they don't get enough nutrition from the leftover pieces thrown in the water by fishermen. Of course, they get caught in fishing line too. There is a rehab center in Orange Beach, if they can catch the bird before it starves.

Yes, these are both Boat-tailed Grackles - what a size difference!

Herring Gull Juvenile

Ruddy Turnstone

Ring-billed Gull Adult

The beach at the pier was very deep, very soft white sand-a real challenge to walk through until you reach the water line. But we did see several birds we hadn't located so far. These gulls and the little Turnstone all breed much farther north, so I wonder if many of them started their migration already.

We did find a Swamp Sparrow in the marsh in the middle of town, called in with chip notes from my phone app, but he was a speedy little guy, and I didn't get any photos of him today.