News

FoP Pre-Spring Break Beach Report

By Aaron Baxter

Date: 03/08/2018

Air Temp: 67

Water Temp: 64

Waves: 3-4ft

Water: Clear north of the 30, slightly off south

Weed:  Some sea grass on the north end and a very small amount sargassum south

Driving: Good at low tide but bumpy, some 4x4 at high tide

     The high water after the last cold front put some decent washouts on the beach making driving tedious.  Blue buttons (small quarter size blue jellyfish) are washing ashore and stacking up on the high tide line.  Driving over them will sling them all over the sides and bottom of you trucks.   There is bait present but it is very scattered after this last cold front.  Mostly pony mullet but I did see a few menhaden this trip.  We really need these late season cold fronts to stop for the fishing to improve! 

Birds: Brown pelican, Blue heron, Laughing gull, Herring Gull, Least tern, Long-Billed Curlew, Sanderling, White-tailed hawk, Aplomado falcon, Double Crested Cormorant.   

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Texas Turtle Nest Update 4/21/2017

By Aaron Baxter

Via Dr. Donna Shaver

Today, 25 Kemp’s ridley nests were located on the Texas coast, including 17 at Padre Island National Seashore and 8 on South Padre Island.

 

KEMP'S RIDLEY TURTLE
So far this year, 36 nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast including (north to south in state):

0 Bolivar Peninsula

0 Galveston Island

0 Brazoria County, N. of Surfside 

0 Surfside Beach 

0 Quintana Beach 

0 Bryan Beach 

0 Brazoria County, N. of Sargent Beach 

0 Sargent Beach 

0 Matagorda Peninsula 

0 Matagorda Island

0 San Jose Island

1 Mustang Island

0 North Padre Island north of Padre Island National Seashore

24 Padre Island National Seashore

10 South Padre Island

1 Boca Chica Beach 

 

LOGGERHEAD TURTLE
So far this year, 0 nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast including (north to south in state):

 

GREEN SEA TURTLE
So far this year, 0 nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast including (north to south in state):

 

Data presented here are preliminary. Do not cite or quote without permission. Contact Donna Shaver for further information.

 

Updates regarding nesting are also posted at the Padre Island National Seashore website:  https://www.nps.gov/pais/learn/nature/2017-nesting-season.htm

 

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Captain Billy Sandifer and Dr. David McKee on Coastal Advocacy Adventures Podcast

By Aaron Baxter

Friends of Padre President Emeritus, Billy Sandifer and Vice President, Dr. David McKee share their thoughts on conservation, how things used to be and where we are now.

 

https://soundcloud.com/user-978708922/episode-11-mckee-and-sandifer-salt-of-the-earth

 

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