Archive

June 11, 2026 Fair warning up front — I made a rookie mistake and had my camera set to JPEG, which significantly limits both image quality and my ability to make post-processing adjustments. We have quite a bit of flooding, especially around the rivers, and Ward Bayou gates were closed, so we were only able…

June 12, 2026 The Frangipani is a tropical shrub or small tree that wouldn’t survive our winters, so every fall I load her up in the bucket of my tractor and haul her to the outbuilding, set her on dollies, and wheel her through the door. She barely fit last year, so this winter I’ll…

June 9, 2026 Soon to Fledge The first nest, at the intersection of East Beach Boulevard and Shearwater, looks like it could fledge any day now. Three chicks, all looking strong and healthy — when I was there, one of the parents had brought in a nice sized fish and was feeding all three. They…

Natures Beauty I have combined the bits and pieces of the week. There are images from Whitehead Wildlife Mgt, Tuxachanie Trail, Ward Bayou, our back yard & Cedar Hammock Rd. I think it works. Each image is labeled and tells its own small story.  Click any image to view full size and browse the gallery.…

May 24, 2026 With a Guest appearance from Mars Lake All of our Sunday morning restaurants open at seven, and we’re always there at opening time. Us and the three kids. Sunday morning, we decided to try a restaurant that we had tried several years ago, and it didn’t open till eight. So having a…

Flowers, another love Patty & I share We’ve had a nice soft rain most of the week — 3.52 inches so far, with more forecast every day through Thursday. By then I suspect we’ll be ready for a break. The garden and flowers are loving it though: temperatures in the high 70s to mid-80s °F,…

In search for a visiting Caracara We had a wonderful morning skirting the island. A bit windy and choppy, but absolutely beautiful. At one point a large bird in the pines near the new dredging area got our hearts racing — but our excitement shifted from Caracara to Bald Eagles. Word had been that the…

April 26, 2026 Patty and I were out birding at Whitehead Wildlife Mgt Area when we noticed some serious dark clouds building to the west. We were already thinking about heading in when her phone buzzed — a text from a birding friend saying she was looking at a rare Iceland Gull over in Biloxi,…

A few photos of visitors in the back yard, a couple residence, and flowers. Click any image to view full size and browse the gallery. “I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that…

Migratory Bird Fallout Last Thursday I was tied up with appointments, so Patty and Holly Berry headed over to the Clower Thornton Nature Area in Gulfport — just a few blocks from the Gulf. I checked in with her around 3:00 in the afternoon, and she was so excited she was barely coherent. Two things…

Fishing on the Bird Barge My friends Byron, Ray, and Mike took the Bird Barge out for a beautiful day fishing the Mississippi Sound. We launched at 0600 from the Biloxi Harbor boat ramp and headed east into a beautiful sunrise. We fished four or five of the Ramsay’s Hotspots filling a cooler with White…

Part of the Graveline Bayou Coastal Preserve system The Whitehead property is officially part of the Graveline Bayou Coastal Preserve system in Jackson County. Specifically, it is a significant tract known as the Graveline Bayou-Whitehead addition, which was a high-priority acquisition for local conservation groups. Walking into the preserve is like walking into the past,…

April 24, 2026 Beautiful morning Ward Bayou Wildlife Management Area is one of our most frequent and productive nature areas to visit. When both gates are open, there are two distinct routes, the main gravel road has ditches and water ways that often has waders, hawks, migrators, and an occasional owl. The north road leads…

April 22, 2026 Logtown is such a unique spot for birding; the mix of bottomland hardwoods and that eerie “ghost town” history makes for a great backdrop. It was a beautiful day, GREAT Birding and we ran into several birding friends. Logtown, Mississippi: From Timber Giant to Silent Buffer A Century of Sawdust In the…

Patty has been wanting to visit the Cosby Arboretum for some time,  It is located outside Picayune,  near the Mississippi Louisiana state lines. Our friend Ken has some of his images on display and we want to visit while they were still there. Making a day of it , we was at the Mockingbird in…

Dauphin Island Wednesday I had planned to go fishing on the Bird Barge, with Byron, Ray and Mike, but Mother Nature had other plans, blowing 15 to 20 MPH out of the northeast. Though the fish would likely not notice, the four of us would have been bounced about the Mississippi Sound like a cork.…

Spring Migration April 10, 2026 Patty, the kids and I headed up to Boggy Slough in the Pascagoula Wildlife Management Area at daylight. We barely got off the highway before Patty said stop, there were birds singing all around us. It was a beautiful clear morning, the morning temperature was perfect; requiring a light jacket.…

Graceful & Ungainly – all wrapped in one feathery package! Patty was off with birder friends Saturday morning, and on a whim I stopped by Lake Mars. Just off the breakwater west of the channel, what I suspect was a school of Pogies (Menhaden) had the pelicans in a full-on feast. For those of you,…

This post is made up of a harbor sunrise, and a drive up to Ward Bayou Wildlife Management Area. Spring Migration is starting and will be our focus for a while. Ocean Springs Harbor Sunrise Click any image to view full size and browse the gallery. Ward Bayou Wildlife Mgt Area Click any image to…

Birdfeeders It is mating time of the years and birds are coming into their breeding colors; so beautiful! It is always a new experience to take a drive to another locations, to explore something new or different; then sometimes it is nice to just sit in my little blind and enjoy our yard’s residence. Click…

Mullet for Breakfast These are a few photos I took in Biloxi at the Drain Pipe back in January 21, 2026, sitting forgotten on a memory chip. I ran across them yesterday and thought them worth sharing. I do love the Osprey, and they do love the Mullet!Story Click any image to view full size…

I’ve never met a sunrise I didn’t appreciate. A mug & thermos of coffee; a 15 minute drive to the harbor, and a fresh start, Click any image to view full size and browse the gallery. Wake up early. Take a shower. Grab a coffee. And open your heart to Nature’s ultimate sign of life.…

Sister Jo’s visit Saturday, we took the Bird Barge out of Ocean Springs Harbor, toured around the western tip of Deer Island to the Oyster Farms, on the way back we received an escort that you need to see. From Deer Island we headed up Davis Bayou Coastal Preserve into Simmons Bayou to the The…

I can always depend on either of these locations to be pleasant to visit, and for images, whether sunrises, sunsets or the local residents. Click any image to view full size and browse the gallery. “The most important element in fostering a sense of place is to teach ourselves… to see with fresh eyes the…

Every sunset is also a sunrise. It all depends on where you stand. Karl Schmidt Ocean Springs Harbor Pier March 14, 2026 Ocean Springs Harbor Pier March 20, 2026 Gulfport Harbor March 21, 2026 “May I mindfully appreciatethe diversityof every being I encounter,who, like flowers,brings beauty, variety,and sustenanceto our world.” Jean Smith in Now!: The Art…

March 1, 2026 Heading to breakfast Sunday morning, we chose Phoenicia restaurant because it was too chilly to eat outside with the dogs, besides, their pancakes are always the best. It was 47° F (8.3° C) when we went in, and 67° F (19.4° C) an hour and a half later when we arrived at…

My One Person Blind Patty has identified all the birds, and I see she has also added a bit of commentary; cool! I have had some issues with locking in on a good focus lately. Turns out I have missed several firmware upgrades, and it appears to be an improvement.  “We make a living by…

Our day started off at a crisp 18°F(-7.8°C). We had Sunday-morning breakfast at Fat Spoon Cafe in Ocean Springs. After breakfast, we birded our way down the coast to Biloxi, then went in search of the Golden Eye, and Patty found it in Biloxi Back Bay by the shrimp factories.

There is a cold spell coming! Driving home, thinking of the frigid weather coming to us and much of North America. I watch two cars speed through a red light, and I think about how we are becoming, more and more, a ME society, and I mourn how we are treating each other and how…