The Daily Bucket is a regular series from the Backyard Science group. Here we talk about Mother Nature in all her glory, especially the parts that live nearby. So let us know (as close as you are comfortable) where you are and what’s going on around you. What’s the weather like? Seen any interesting plants, bugs or critters? Are there birds at your feeders? Deer, foxes or snakies in your yard? Seen any cool rocks or geological features? Post your observations and notes here. And photos. We like photos.  🙂
The Tampa Bay Watch is a local nonprofit that monitors the sea life around Tampa Bay. Twice daily they do a cruise out into the Bay, net up a sample, count and record each species, and return them. The public is invited to ride along (the money pays for the boat) and there are a couple of biologists who ride along to explain all the wildlife.
In addition, the St Pete Pier, where the boat is based, usually has a lot of wildlife to see as well.Â
Some photos from an afternoon visit. (Lots of photos, so grab a cuppa.)
Out on the Bay in a seagrass bed
Natalie is our biologist for this trip
Hauling in the net
Sorting through to count everything
A mass of tunicates
Stone Crab
Measuring the salinity
Heading out further
Part of our catch: a couple of Pinfish and a shrimp
And a Cowfish
Juvie Brown Pelican snoozes
There’s a colony of feral Nanday Parakeets living on the Pier
Cormorant
Female Grackle raiding the garbage can
It looks like an innocent little plantlet. But it’s a Strangler Fig, and this Palm Tree is doomed.
Blue Crab
Osprey
Ringbill Gull
And now it is your turn. What’s up in your neck of the woods?
We are always looking for new people to produce Daily Buckets, where we practice “backyard science” by reporting and recording what we have seen in the natural world around us (and no matter where you are–even in the middle of the city–there is nature around you). You don’t need any science degrees or training or in-depth experience to be a backyard scientist, and you don’t need any expensive camera equipment or photo-editing software to do Daily Buckets. All you need is a pair of eyes and ears, a phone with a camera, and a lot of curiosity and enthusiasm.