Friends of Padre Beach Report 5/20-21/2015

Via Cody Moravits Mostly cloudy weather with big thunderstorms developing throughout the day on thursday. Winds were blowing 5-10 mph out of the SE until a thunderstorm would get near and winds would increase to 30 mph, then would calm back down. Water temperature stayed around 80-81 degrees F Driving has improved over the past few week with all the rainfall and the higher than normal tides that have pushed a good portion of the natural debris up closer to the dunes. There are still big trees on the beach so use caution while driving. At low tide the driving is 2wd the length of the beach. Water clarity greatly improved on Thursday morning and was clear the length of the beach, with schools of mullet frequently seen. The only birds working were Least Terns feeding on smaller baitfish the length of the beach. Surf varied in size as the storms moved by but stayed relatively calm at around 2 foot. Still no sargassum presesnt... Not many people fishing the beach. Speed limit is still 15 mph the length of the beach and be sure to buckle up! Birds sighted: Willet Sanderling Cattle Egret Cormorant Black Bellied Plover Wilson's Plover Black Tern Least Tern Forster's Tern Sandwich Tern Royal Tern Herring Gull Laughing Gull Ring-Billed Gull Great Blue Heron Brown Pelican Ruddy Turnstone American Oystercatcher Caracara Barn Swallow