Alligator Point News

Migrations are underway at Alligator Point - snow birds are migrating back to the  North (and reserving their nesting spots for next year.)   Fish are migrating back along the inshore reefs and flats.  The grouper are hungry, and the cobia and mackerel will be looking for their meals shortly, too.  Here's a "group"-er shot of a recent catch (Saturday, March 30th):

  And, of course, Steph's favorite migration -- that of the birds-- has contributed some lovely colors to our typically subdued landscape. 

Alligator Point experienced a short-lived bird migration "fallout" that lasted only a couple of days around April 14th.  Steph's hoping that there is still a chance for another fallout, as her camera battery died at a critical point -- missing some priceless scarlet tanager shots.  She has contributed a few shots to this blog and continues to update her Flickr page (www.flickr.com/photos/thewildlifeofalligatorpoint) on a regular basis.

She captured this ruby-throated hummingbird near the pittosporum bushes behind the office.    For a time, the bushes were ablaze with several male and female ruby-throats and there are still several around.

Capitalizing on Harbor Point Realty office's ideal location and vegetation, Stephanie set up a feeder and sprinkler to encourage some of her favorite feathered friends to visit the office.  Quickly and unexpectedly, she received a distinguished guest.  We all thought she was a little nuts when she stalked with regularity the reddish bird that appeared on a reliable basis at the feeder in late afternoon.  Of course, once we saw what she was pursuing (in bird books and on her camera), everyone in the office looked forward to his visit.  It was the male painted bunting featured here:   

You would be hard pressed to find a bird on Alligator Point with more color.  Which leads us to a question:  What's more colorful than a male painted bunting on a bird feeder?  The answer:  Two male painted buntings, and that is exactly what visited the feeder shortly after the first one was discovered.  It was hard to get much work out of Stephanie between the hours of 11:30 and 3:00 when she was looking for her absolute favorite birds. 

Below are a few of the cast of characters that visited Alligator Point last week, though not nearly as many as Steph would have liked to have captured.

 Steph saw exactly one scarlet tanager last year.  This year she saw at least 6 males in one day, and at one point, there were 3 in a single tree.  Once you see one, they're hard to miss.

This blue grosbeak was cooperative enough to be in the sun when Steph spotted him down near the marina.  The blue is amazing as are the wing colors -- another of her favorites.  Over the next couple of weeks, keep a look out for these birds, as well as: rose-breasted grosbeaks, summer tanagers, indigo buntings, swallow tailed kites, Mississippi kites, and various warblers.

If you have not been to Alligator Point lately to enjoy one of the "migrations", you need to visit soon before the summer migration of heat and summer visitors.

This week the Franklin County Commission voted to authorize the spending of over $4 million towards repairing and resurfacing Alligator Drive.  Hopefully, the funding will at least cover the cost of resurfacing from the Bald Point Road curve to past the marina. 

Franklin County and the developers for the South Shoal project at the site of the former campground are still working towards a resolution of the relocation of Alligator Drive through South Shoal on the newly constructed road.  Franklin County is committed to the relocation of the road, and FEMA funding is still available to complete the unbuilt section.

We are all looking forward to the start (and completion) of all of the road work.

There are a number of folks looking at property in the Alligator Point area and a few properties are under contract.  We closed the sale of house near the beach this week.  Prospective buyers are most interested in the least expensive houses near or on the water.  The least expensive houses will probably have to sell before interest in vacant land increases.

Rental reservations are very strong with some properties already booked for the entire season.  If you are making plans to come down don't wait too long to make reservations at www.harborpointrentals.com .  If you have a house at Alligator Point that you would like us to consider managing as a vacation rental, please call the office 850-349-9599 or by email to paul@harborpointrealty.com .

Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you here.