After Hurricane Irene

We are all lucky along the Delaware Bay with just minimal wind damage from Hurricane Irene. My damage is to my plantings in the yard which makes me happy that I took pictures of the yard just before I left for work. The damage is from the sustained winds that has tore up the Canna's, destroyed the Mexican Sunflower plants among others. Directly behind me at the neighbors a Mulberry tree, favored by the birds, has fallen. It's hit their shed (and not my garage).

Arriving home Sunday with the winds blowing about 60MPH, I had difficulty actually getting in my back door. Shortly after I arrived home, the electricity went off.

Mid-afternoon I drove over to Sunset Beach. When I arrived there was a large group of birders who had been there most of the day. They had seen an awesome number of birds which is apparently something that happens after a storm like this. Boy, I wish I had known that when I first drove home becaue I would have immediately gone over to Sunset Beach to add some new birds and experiences to my life! Since the group was breaking up I went over to the State Park to see what was going on there but it was closed and locked up. I parked and walked in where I saw Black Skimmers and varity of Gulls in the parking lot. An immature Royal Tern, some Semi-palmated Plovers, several Killdeer, more Gulls and Terns were in the grassy areas.