Indian beach and bird peek beach.

Today at Indian beach I could get to walk far enough along the beach, because it was high tide. I usually walk all the way till I reach the rocky stone looking path (I like to walk on it and look out at the water). But  because of the hide tide (and I wasn't dress to get wet) I could go any farther. The water was choppy, its strange to see it look like this, because I usually notice when the water acts like this, it is because of a lot of rain. But on friday, it was only a little bit of rain in Sarasota, and it didn't last long. The little rain we got wasn't enough to help Florida drought. The past three weeks that i have gone to that beach, the water level has been low tide.

As I was walking on the beach, I felt like the water was trying to reach up to me, and giving me less sand to walk on. What I notice on the sand was lots of sea weed. But they were arrange in a line, making like a stopping barrier for the water. Some had to have done this, I can't image the ocean pushing the sea weed in an almost straight line. Besides the sea weed line, I didn't see any dead animals or anything else, just the sea weed and only one plastic water bottle that was resting on the sea weed.

 

I left to go to Indian Beach at 4:00pm and I think i only was their for about 15 minutes because of high tide. So then I was off to go to the beach at Saint Armand's circle, but I forgot that today and on sunday is the art's fair. And just as my friend Jenny and I made it over the bridge, there was tons of traffic just to get into the circle. By the time all the cars would move, it would be getting dark and I would not be able to see and take pictures of the beach. I was hoping to see what the high tide at that beach looked like and if it washed up anything interesting. But I did the next best thing. I went to this side area that is not really a beach but I see people sail, surfing and fishing, so I went to (I think this is the name of the place) Bird Peek Beach.

At this beach I notice something that I didn't notice before. At most of the beaches (and other places that are by the water) Sarasota has put lots of cement blocks with holes in them, to catch what ever might by washed with the current. And they also have the rocks formed in a line to block the water from reaching the road. But what I saw that I didn't understand the reason for, was a next to the cement blocks with the wholes, there was some with no whole, just a big square cement. If they have the rocks to help back away the tide, and the cement blocks with holes to catch things. Then what is the purpose of the pure cement block.

I did notice that in both beaches there were people in the water (up to their waist) fishing. I just when the water is choppy, it makes great day for fishing. It was also a bit windy outside today and I notice people sailing and on their boats. 

I saw these plants growing  near the rocks by the water. I am not sure what plants they are, but I thought it was interesting to see them grow so close to the water. But when the tide gets to high, then too much water might be bad for these plants.

Indian Beach discovery

Today at 3:30 I went to Indian Beach and this time I did see lots of interesting things, that some of them I don't know what they are. It is a good thing I bring my camera with me on these trips, otherwise I would have a hard time explaining them.

This was I first notice as I was walking along the sand and tide. The previous times I have come to this beach (not just the past two weeks I have visited but other times as well), the only thing I could say about the water is that it is not clear enough to see the bottom of, it looks very dirty. The tide at 3:30 was almost close enough to the stairs. My friend Jenny Cherry who lives around this area told me that sometimes around this time, the tide would be very low that you can walk far out in the water. Today the water was not low tide and it was covered in this what looks like green seagrass (that how it looks to me). 

 This was the next strange thing I came across as I walk along the beach. Again, this is very new to me and and definitely did not see this last week. Just like the seagrass, I saw what look like millions of these little black circle things. There was so much of these things that it look like a pelage had spread on the beach that came from the ocean. The last time I can recall seeing something similar like this (not in Florida but other beaches) was when I saw fish eggs washed up on shore. These black things were over everything from the sand to the rocks and shells and even some broken glass and other waste I saw. 

  Nothing strange about this view, I just really like it. Sometimes I like to walk on this broken rock path and look out at the water.

 I found this near the broken rock bridge. I am not sure what this thing is. This was not here last week, yet it look like it has. it looks heavy, I didn't want to touch it, I don't know if it is sharp and it is probably better that I don't mess with this). This thing was pretty big, it probably fell off a ship. My first thought about this thing was that it might be an anchor, but that would not make sense. if that was it then it would be obvious that it would be at the bottom of the ocean. But it has to be made of some kind of metal for it to be rusting like it is (or if that is more of the seagrass growing on it).

This is not so much strange, but I keep finding these cement blocks all over the water in Sarasota. And from what my friend Jenny told me, recently some men have come to this beach and put in those white shells on this beach. For as long as she has lived here, she told me that she has never seen anyone come to this beach and bring those white shells. She thinks that because more tourist come to Florida around this time, they might be trying to make this beach look nice. But for the past four years that I have lived in Sarasota, this beach never shouted out to me as a place to go swimming, especially after finding so many dead animals washed up on this beach. Also I never seen this beach ever filled with tourist, hardly and locals come to this beach (at least when I come to this beach, I usually find one or two groups of people or some men fishing). So in my opinion, they wasted those white shells.

That is also something that I have found to be strange. Why do we have these white shells all over the place. Why can't we just leave the shell the way they are. To me the only places that would use those white shells is places that are trying to be a tropical paradise when they are not. This has always been on my mind whenever I see them. I just want to know why. 

Saint Armand Circle Beach Week 2

This week I was only able to make it to one beach instead of going to both the one in Saint Armand Circle and the Indian Beach. But I do plan to go to Indian Beach on Monday at an earlier time that the time I am going  at (which is around 4:00 to at least 5:00 or 6:00, until it gets dark).

Last week I went to Indian Beach first and notice that unlike the public/ tourist beach this beach is not one I would see kids swimming in. Especially after seeing the number of dead horseshoe crabs and the dead bird.  The most that I see people going to that beach for is to fish. The water there is not clear, lots of seaweed in around there and the water looks almost muddy. Then when I go to the beach in Saint Armand Circle, it is all soft white sand and the water is so clear and has a light aqua color. from this observation of those beaches, it is clear to see that the beach in Saint Armand's Circle is cleaner and healthy. No chunks of seaweed to make the ocean water seem dirty.

This weeks observation of the Saint Armand's beach is pretty much the same as last weeks. Only there was some news things that caught my attention. Going to this beach was my first stop, at around 4:00-4:30, at this point of the day the sun is still out for a few more hours before it gets dark at 6:00. the tide was low, very far back but the waves were still moving fast as if the tide was going to increase again. Once I got to the beach I saw lots more birds than last week. Last week there were very little number of birds at both beaches. This week, there was lots of birds that I did know the names off. Mostly because I am not a local, but for the four years I have been in Sarasota, I never seen these birds before. The were all staying in one spot together as group, some standing some sitting. It look like if they were guarding something or waiting for people to leave and eat. There was also a number of bird that were far in the water getting food too. But I couldn't see what kind of birds they were.

After taking a few close pictures of these birds, I took a while up and down the beach, looking down on the sand hoping to find something interesting. As I was thinking to myself on how clean this beach is, I notice something strange on the sand that was not to far off from the tide, but everything from this point was completely dry. On a pile of broken shells and seaweed, I saw a broken piece of glass, it look like china glass. on the back it had a pottery stamp on it (but I could see what it said). From the shape of this broken glass,, you would think that it would be very sharp, actually it was not. All around the edges were it would be sharp, it was very smooth, probably from the sand and the seawater. This makes me think of how it got here. I doubt that anyone would bring fine pottery on the beach for a picnic, so it mush have washed up on shore, form someones boat out at sea or something. This was like finding a clue to a mystery and I want to find more.

From 4:30-5:15, there was nothing much to write about this beach. But I am sure that soon I will find something, or I keep exploring other places around the waters of Sarasota and compare the places. The water at this point of the day was cold. The weather outside was a bit cold, but not freezing like the water. My guess for that reason is because the sun was not out, it was starting to get dark and it look like it was going to rain. I tried to see if any fish were near the shore. Sometimes when I am swimming in this beach and I stay still, I can see different fish swimming around me. But I did not see any fish. I thought with there being less people in the water and that everything was quiet around the beach that I would see some fish. But it is feeding time for the many birds on the beach, so that is probably the reason for less fish seen in the water. My reason for coming back to this beach and reporting what I see, is because I usually find something new about this beach. I have good eyes for spotting things, so I am using my skills to help me with this journal. I still remember my freshman or sophomore year at Ringling and I went to this beach with my family. And I found something that I never thought I would see. A dead baby squid (or octopus). Ever since that day, I have alway like to observe the beach and see what may wash up.

 

 

Nature Journal week 1 Beaches

For my Nature Journal I plan to visit two beaches, and observe them and see if anything new or different shows on on its shores.

I started with Indian Beach at 4:00 pm, I was curious to see if anything interesting washed up on the beach and if it was clean from human waste like plastic and other garbage that is a big problem for the animals. I did not see any plastic waste floating in the water or on the sand. But what was on the shore the most was dead horseshoe crabs and one dead bird. I did not want to get to close to the bird, but from what I saw the bird was not attacked by an animal (no bite marks or body parts missing). It look like it was drowned to death, it's body was very wet. Or it could be from the waved hitting it's lifeless body on the sand and seaweed.

 

I spent my time at this beach for about 20-25 min, walking along the sand and rocks seeing if anything new caught my eye. I did find something that made me happy to see, after seeing many dead animals on the beach it was starting to be very depressing beach. On a pile of seaweed dry on the shore, there was some tree seeds and some were starting to grow. 

At 4:50 I went to the beach that is in the Saint Armand Circle. I was only there for about 15 minutes, there was not much to see. It was nice to see the beach quiet and empty, and able to enjoy the beautiful view of the ocean without the tourist. I will say that it was a long walk to the water, because it was very low tides. Only a few people were on the beach. Families collecting shells, couples walking along the water and some kids playing sports in the water. The beach was very clean and unlike Indian Beach, the water was clearer to see below.