Nature You’ll see in February (2.12.10)

by Cleo B. Robertson

We can never know what to expect from this month, but I do know that storms will be stirring up the beach and bringing in things that will be wonderful to see. Here’s a tip that is quite useful: When you want to sit in the sun and out of the wind, find a wall, a sea grape plant or anything that is large enough to protect you and relax, on the non-wind side. I have even gone as far as to dig a hole in the sand deep enough to protect me and lay down and gone sound to sleep.

Bad weather time is actually a great time to go to the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum on 10th Avenue in Pass-a-Grille (Winter: Thurs, Fri, Sat 10am-4pm Winter: Sun 1pm-4pm ) or to the Dali in St. Petersburg. Clearwater (727-441-1790) also has a great Aquarium, as does Tampa (Florida Aquarium 813-273-4000), or you can go bowling (Ten Pin Lanes 727-381-1010), or the movies (see Movies on the home page). In other words, you don’t have to stay shut in. Get out and let the wind blow in your face. On nice days you’ll want to just lay in the sun in a protected spot, drink something warm and be thankful.

Fun things to know: February is the best month, I think, to see the green flash at the end of a sunset. This phenomenon occurs because of the curvature of the earth and the last color to show as the sun sets is green. It is very intense when you see it, but you have to look quickly because it is truly only a flash. The horizon has to be very clear with no clouds present but it is worth looking for—you’ll never forget you saw it. Even though I grew up here, it wasn’t until February 2001 that I saw my first one, so keep looking.

Things to see on the shoreline: You’ll see them along the beach in the winter after storms. As I mentioned last month, there are jelly-like blobs called Sea Pork that come in assorted colors and live in bays and wash up when cold weather kills them. Tubeworms may also be seen in large numbers when storms have disturbed beds of them. These are those white, empty casings that tend to have a fishy smell to them as they gather in clumps on the beach. I have seen people digging them up in the bay, pulling the worm out of its casing and then cutting it up to use for bait (how successful they are I don’t know). Though they are not what we’d call pretty, all the animals that live under the sand love the casings, as they become fertilizer over time.

Jellyfish can often be seen when the weather turns cold, and they can be from small ones to giant ones the size of a large pillow. Whether they are poisonous or not depends on the type but I wouldn’t suggest poking around with your finger!

Fish and animals: As you walk the beach you probably will see Horseshoe Crabs lying on the shores edge. This animal, which is not really a crab at all but a trilobite, is one of the oldest living creatures on earth. Their long, pointed tail, though it looks like a weapon, is not at all. They use it to steer themselves through the mud or sand. They also use it when they have flipped over and are trying to right themselves. When they are mating, the smaller males attach themselves to the back of the female and hold on until the female lays her eggs. The males then fertilize the eggs and go away. They mate in the spring, laying eggs in the sand just above the high tide line. For 28 days, until the next full moon, the eggs incubate in the sand.

Shells you might see: Winter storms throw the darndest things up on shore. One winter I found a 15 ½” starfish, frozen. Coral chunks (not just pieces) often roll up, coming from far south. If you go over to Shell Island on the Shell Island Shuttle out of Merry Pier, you will see that if you find one good shell, like a lettered olive, you have a good chance of finding several more. Calico clam shells can also be frequently found at this time of year (if you don’t have a shell book, just pick up a postcard from most tourist shops or drugstores that have the most common ones on it).

Birds, birds, birds: Walk the beach in the winter time and on any day you may see any or all of the following birds: Laughing Gulls (most common one here), Herring Gull (largest, speckled gull), Royal Terns (they have spiked punk black hairdos and yellow or orange bill), Ring-billed Gull (has white body, black speckled tail, gray wings, and yellow legs and a yellow beak with a black ring around the beak), little Sanderlings running up and down the edge of the water, Willets (brown, plain looking birds until they fly and their black and white striped wings identify them), and the American Oystercatcher (black headed and backed bird with large orange/red bill which is flat on both sides for prying open oysters and other shells). If that isn’t enough, Cormorants can be seen diving towards the jetty, Pelicans are everywhere (if they have an all-brown head they are new babies this year), and Osprey are cruising around overhead.

There are kingfishers in the bay, I saw a loon paddling around one twilight and the Skimmer has returned with its retractable jaw, skimming the bay for food. Osprey are perching on my neighbor’s mast again. I’ve seen redheaded woodpeckers busy on trees and poles and there are masses of migrating birds to be seen on telephone lines all over the place. I remember my Mom would have to carry a newspaper in the winter as she walked to the bus to go to the Don Cesar to work. She would use it to swat the birds that would move in on our street for a week or two each winter. If you haven’t really looked at birds around here, Get a bird book and have a wonderful time seeing these birds and watching their funny community habits as you take a winter walk on the beach—you are in for quite a surprise of the variety you can see.

There you have it for February. If you look at the individual articles my month under Nature Articles, you’ll find stories of my growing up in Pass-a-Grille and what an adventure waited each day. Hope you fill your day with adventure today. Enjoy!

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