Though our recent storm system has moved up to New England, a strong north wind continues to rake Sarasota Bay. Rather than retreating from this steady onslaught, many local seabirds seem to enjoy the conditions.
Royal and sandwich terns, hovering into the wind, repeatedly dove for fish while ospreys circled above the waves before plunging for their meal. Masters of the air, brown pelicans soared about in the turbulent atmosphere though their white cousins, which feed from the surface, gathered in protected inlets. Double-crested cormorants and white ibis made rapid sorties across the bay and a flock of tree swallows, down for the winter, skimmed the waves in search of insects. Other air show participants included turkey vultures, ring-billed gulls and, surprisingly, large flocks of rock pigeons.
Once the windy conditions subside and low tide exposes mudflats, a variety of waders will dominate the scene and many of the aerialists will favor the Gulf side of Longboat Key. Indeed, shifting winds and tides dictate the Bay's bird population on any given day.
