As many of you know there is a new management plan for the park. If you have been there in the last month or so you saw the posts and ropes that now rim the pond area. There are also new posts and ropes around the Wildlife Management Area. That includes all the dune areas of the park. There is a push from the Audubon Society people to also develop a "driving lane" with posts and ropes across the point to prevent the access of cars onto the sand flats. The plan also calls for a bird biologist to be placed on the payroll to move sandwich boards up and down the tide line to warn people off the flats and away from the Red Knots. These birds are not too much of an issue for us because the situation and conditions must be just right to bring kiters into conflict with the feeding birds. These birds move up and down with the tide eating the coquina along the edge of the water. If the birds are in the park, if the tide is low/outgoing (enough water to kite) during daylight hours, if the wind direction is north or northeast then it’s possible that a kiter might be close enough to disturb the birds. Minimum distance is about 100 yds. but you might need more on some days. Google Red Knots to see a pic. Red knots are in the park now and will be there for about a month or so. They will return again in the fall headed north. The management plan is being placed on the park because the Audubon society and other conservation groups want to make the park a place for birds. Many of us believe their goal is to make the plan fail at review, which would mean the city would have to impose even greater restrictions on park use. If that happens the city may decide to close the park and withdraw the lease. The land could become a closed area. We need all the help we can get from our group to see that does not happen. I have suggested that a group of local park patrons be recruited to become "Park Stewards" This suggestion seems to be well received by all the other committee members. I have talked to other people on the beach as well as kiters. Most people seem to be interested in participation in such a program. As envisioned it would mean that individuals would be willing to attend a training session and donate some of their time to patrol the park and educate the public about the Management plan, the birds and CWA. They would wear a Park Steward vest and carry a radio and perhaps some printed information about the park and plan. They are not to be used as enforcement. To become a volunteer there is a process that includes a background check. I guess they don’t want pedophiles in official uniforms walking around the park. I think it will be important that the stewards not come from the birders group only. We need all different park patrons to participate. It is my hope that we kiters can raise the money to buy the vests. We need about five of them. I am also hoping that we can get the kiter Park Stewards to wear a tee shirt that says “KITESURFER” as well so we let people WE are trying to keep the park open to all. I know that the times are tough and $$$s are short. If we can put together enough money to get the vests it will make a difference. They cost about $35.00 each. Tee shirts cost about 7 or 8 bucks. This is not an open fundraiser. Once we have enough to cover costs that’s it. Precision Printing is doing the work but I will place the order. Anyone interested in helping either by donating a few bucks or by donating a few hours can contact me @ 904-424-2721 or respond to this post at kitester@aol.com Thanks to all. See you on the beach!

I spoke with Pat and he would like to volunteer.

Here is an update on the HP management plan.

The "no pets beyond this point" signs are up. Dont bring your dog with you to the beach if you plan to kite. People caught with dogs outside the campground or outside the surfing area will be removed from the park by the management. This does not mean that its ok to kite in the surfing area if surfers are there. Just leave the dog at home.

There are now posts with ropes between them all the way around the pond. They have made a driving only lane from the family beach area (campground) all the way to the north point. These posts are not seasonal. At high tide there may be less than 2 feet above the water. Kiting is allowed in the pond but be careful of the posts/ropes.

During the migration of the Red Knots (google it) please stay off the wide sand flats at low tide on the point. This is not really an issue for us. The conditions that would bring a kiter in conflict with these birds are.....NE or E, SE wind, dropping or rising tide with uncovered sandbars, daylight hours AND Red Knots in the park. These birds are only in the park for a few weeks in the spring and fall as they pass through. They feed on coquina clams in soft wet sand near the edge of the water or around the tide pools left by the out going tide. To keep clear of them is easy. When sand bars are exposed Site a line up the beach from HP to Little Talbot Island beach to the North and stay east of that line. At high tide just watch out for them along edge of the water and give them a hundred yards or so. If you plan to land board or buggy stay out front along the edge of the surf. The city is forced to higher a "Bird Steward" as part of the management plan. This person will have a utility vehicle and place sandwich boards along the point to inform drivers and pedestrians about the birds. They will also have a radio. To call wild life officers to move people away from the birds. We should go out of our way to make this person feel welcome in the park. Offer a water or to help pick up a sandwich board now and then. We want them to have a good impression of us.

A note to buggyers and landboarders......The park management is very tolerant of us and is happy to have all sorts of beach users in the park. Years ago we agreed to a guideline for land boarding/buggying. During low use times all of the park is fair game. In the summer and busy weekends there may be thousands of visitors in the park. Please do not buggy or landboard in and around traffic or people. DO NOT fly kites over people. This can generate a complaint and result in a hard rule about when and where we can buggy or landboard. We do not want the manager to even think about that. Its easy to do and after the migration is over the low tide flats are fair game!

Another point of note. The Critical Wild Life Management Area (dunes) has been expanded a bit on the point. The hope is that the Black Skimmers (google them) will nest there. They tend to be near zone 12 and right inside the ropes in plain sight. While kites by themselves do not seem bother the birds much, sudden movement or close proximity will. Please set up your gear, flip, launch, land or fly your kites away from the ropes and dunes. A distance of 60 feet or so should be enough. The truth is that the first really high tide will wash out the nests and the birds will leave. Lets let mother nature move them for us.

There is a push to make a driving lane all the way around the park. It would have posts and ropes to keep people from driving out onto the flats like in the pond area. This is not part of the plan as it is now. If this happens the park will be ruined for most human activities including kiting. Driving on the beach will be stopped (what the bird groups really want) and the city might resend the lease. This would force the park to close. The bird groups win the lotto! All of this avoidable if people will just pay attention to a few simple things. It is possible for all of us (birds too) to share the park. Remember that the park is the only place to go on west wind days. Lets do our part to keep it open for all. Thanks.

More on the situation.....


Last weekend I had a chance to talk to one of the people watching the bird/people activity at HP. I approached him in a casual, friendly way and tried to engage him in conversation. I even offered him water. It soon became apparent that he was enraged. He quickly opened a log book to write down all the "infractions" for that day. Which did include a landboarder that disturbed about 30 birds on one tack when he went as far north as the sand was exposed. While I had been there only one car had gone out on to the flats on the north point. Only a hand full of people had walked out. The birds were feeding in many spots along the edges of the wet sand bars and seemed to be doing fine. It was clear that this is not good enough for the bird guys. They are recording every possible disturbance in log books and on camera. They are gathering information to take to ARC in Tallahassee when the the management plan goes up for revue. They want it to fail so the city may be forced to close the park. We are in the cross hairs. Kiters are specificly mentioned in the latest discussions on restricting access. Removing us would be an easy concession for the city to give to keep the bird group happy. IF any of you want to be able to kite in the park please learn what these Red Knots look like and stay away from them. Also keep a two line distance (50 meters) from the Black Skimmers nesting near the ropes on the point. If you go there to kite stay on the Atlantic side and at least 100 yds away from exposed sand bars. Also.....Landboarders - byggyers Please try to kite during the low use times when people and cars are are less. We (kiters at large) have an unwritten agreement with the park management that we wont kite in and out of traffic or fly kites over and around people or cars. Please follow this GIDE LINE so it does not become a RULE. It would be too easy for the management to restrict land based kiting to October to March. Here is how the schedule might look. April, May, June - birds in the park no kiting at all. July, August-too much traffic, no land based kiting (also no wind). September, October, November - birds back headed south, no kiting at all. Dec., Jan., Feb., March - open for kiters (cold) I think it would be better to be able to go anytime of the year and use good sense to keep out of traffic and stay away from the birds. Its easy to do and we get to keep kiting there.

Man... some of the local birders in your area sound pretty anal, if you ask me.

I have met some REALLY cool birders in my day, myself being a nature lover.
This guy.... http://www.jasonhahn.com/index.php .... is a local birder extraordinaire and awesome photographer. I met him 6 years ago. He was kind enough to actually take pics at some of our local kiting events for us for free-
http://jasonhahn.com/gallery2/v/Adventu ... o+Gallery/

Keep up the good fight, Paul. Just sort of sad that it even needs to be done.
They could prolly get some really cool shots of kiters, like Jason does, instead of being haters and writin' in their notebooks.

Sorry kinda long........

The latest report from the shore bird committee is to close HP's access to the flats on the point. kitesurfers have been specifically included in this recommendation. Please stay off the flats by at least 100 yds. until the Red Knots are out of the park. It looks like most of our guys are keeping an eye out for the birds quite well. Of course since we don't kite on the sand there is not too much chance that we will be affecting the birds anyway. Also maintain 2 line distance from the Skimmers inside the ropes.
On another note the Talbot Island State Park is open to water kiters. Land based kiting is not allowed in the park at all. The decision to allow kiting is made on a day by day situational basis by the park manager. As long as we do not endanger people or disturb the birds we can use the southern most point in the park to launch and ride from. HOWEVER....New kiters must be aware that the current in the channel is fast and the water deep. Do not attempt to kite there if your skills are not good. We went there this weekend to see what the launch was like now. Even on this busy weekend there was plenty of room for kiting where the channel and the ocean meet. On less busy days there should be room for intermediate kiters who can deal with the waves just north of the channel. There is a small "pond" where the old channel used to be. Its about 200 yds. long and 30 yds. wide running north/south. It is feed by a narrow slough that enters from the south. The western edge of the pond is about 80 feet from the vegetated, off limits area. As of this week there were no nesting birds there. There may be birds just east of this pond on the beach flat. Do not use the slough if you think you might flush them off the beach. While I was there several groups of people were fishing the pond and several groups had swimmer/waders there as well. Sometimes jet skis beach inside the pond. If you arrive at low tide and decide to fly over to HP the flats are still off limits when exposed. The shore bird management committee meets at the Talbot office and could decide to limit access to Talbot if you fly too close to the birds on the HP side. Lets try to avoid that. To get to this area go north from the HP entrance on Heckscher Dr. about three miles. The entrance fee is $4.00 per car. Drive to the southern most parking lot (its a 5min drive) and use the beach access board walk. Go southeast till you reach the water.
All this may be over this year for the most part soon since the birds will be moving north to breed. There after we will have the flats back. When the young terns start to show up on the beach front at HP the seasonal closed zone will be installed until they can fly. At that time the only access to the point will be around the back at low tide (just like last year). Check the tides to avoid being caught there until the tide drops.

On a positive note the kiters have taken a proactive approach in getting the word out about the birds and the efforts to close the park. People with dogs and fast, reckless drivers are being reported or warned that the park will ask them to leave. People who park on the sand flats during an incoming tide are being alerted to the water and the possible loss of the car or truck. In the past several weeks ten or more vehicles have been saved due to the efforts of the kiters. THIS is one of the biggest differences between the kite community and the bird community. While the birders seem to want the Management plan to fail and bring greater restrictions, Kiters are taking the lead on a daily basis to inform, educate and alert the park patrons to bird and access issues. There was supposed to be one or two bird educators on site everyday to help inform the public about the birds. They were afraid that they would not be received well and might have to face angry park patrons. The city told them that they could have volunteers in the park as long as they did not represent themselves as official city volunteers. When asked to place volunteers the audubon people declined. Their way is to stay in the shadows and point the finger of blame. They have forced the city to place the poles and ropes around the pond. I would guess that if anyone were to get hurt on those the adubon society would not share any of the liability.
To be sure there is a problem (see the PBS special) and this particular subspecies of Red Knot is very close to extinction. Out of almost 1 million birds five years ago only about 10k survive today. Most of this is due to the loss of the horseshoe crab population further north and global warmimng. It was interesting to learn that there is a group of these birds that do not go to South America but stay in South Florida (not mentioned in the special). I have read several reports that some of the bird don't make the trip all the way to the breeding grounds every year. Even if these birds do well as individuals no replacement offspring means no recovery. When a population of animals fall below a certain number there can be no recovery. It will diminish until gone. The crab population may not recover in time to save these birds and global warming may be the last nail.

The latest........

The park now has Adubon and Fish & Wildlife people patrolling the shoals along the North point of the park. There is a barrier of cones and signs placed there when the tide begins to drop and expose the sandbars. I went out yesterday and found that it was hard to see the cones from the water. It also seems to be hard for kiters to judge what 100 yards is. Also when your on the water its easy for a wave to push you too close to the shoreline. So here is an easy way to make sure that you don't cause the bird to fly off. When the tide has dropped and the sandbars begin to show imagine a line West to East about 100 feet from the high tide mark. That line extends out into the ocean past the first break. Everything south of that line is cool right up to the edge of the water. North of that line keep your kite OUTSIDE the first break. That applies all the way to Talbot Island. If the cone barrier is in place use that as your West / East line. All of the shoals are off limits until the Knots leave for parts unknown. That should be in just a couple of weeks. Please dont enter the shoals from the north since that defeats the whole purpose. So far there have been good responses from the bird people about kiters staying out of the area. Only a few times have kiters gotten close and caused the birds to fly. If we are good with it now we can have it back when the Knots leave.

I tried to send a pic but it did not work.

Just to let you know...

There is a very unusual bird (a plover from Asia) in the pond area of the park and sometimes on the shoals off the point. This bird has made the news and people from all over the continent are coming to HP to see it. We need to make sure that kiters are all well away from this animal. This is brining international attention to HP and its bird people. DONT step on any toes or scare any birds. This bird will probably be gone in a couple of days. Red Knots will be moving on soon too. Kiters have been great about keeping clear of the birds. Keep up the good work.

REALISTICALLY speaking...just how many kiteboarders know about the situation at Hp? I'm guessing from responses and total registered users on this forum that it is a small percentage. Also, who knows what a Red Knott looks like (ore even cares). Not me.

fla fish and game post signs about manate zones and slow speed zones but i can't see them enforcing "laws?" concerning kitesurfing too close to birds.

i can not tell 300yards from 300 ft when kitesurfing because of my old eyeballs w/o glasses and I am one who could careless if I flush up a bird with my kite. so....I'M ONE OF THEM

THAT BEING SAID...i stay clear of hugenot park unless it's the only game in town. With $3.00 entry fee, crowds and fat old bird watchers, the appeal is gone. On the extreme north end of big talbot, there is a sandbar 1/4 mile long with a huge bay on the back side, (a 10 minute canoe paddle or 5 minute jetski)--glass on any wind and a smoothe tack all the way to the big talbot/Ameila island bridge. there's parking on both ends of the bridge and there is amble shoreline in each side of the bay for rigging and launching. The current running through the bay is no more than HP and the hole thing is somewhat sheltered by the outside sandbars. parking is $1.00 on Amelia side and free on big talbot. I spent a few hours there this past Saturday and saw no sharks (as rumored) and NO BIRDWATCHERS.

There is also several good west wind spots in the river. Launching by the Coast Guard station would be no problem except for oyster shells.

And....while on this rant...once the Birders close HP, then it will be open to the public again with no guards, fees, ect. it will be just another sand bar!

i too have sworn off hp. to much drama for a fun loving guy like myself. Ever time i have ventured out that way, my buzz has thoroughly been killed! Red knot hunting season now open... j/p!

The kiting at the park is still good. Most of the issues with kiters never were. We don't kite on sand and the pond is only good on north to north east winds at high tide. The only time a kiter would come into conflict is if tide, wind, birds and daylight hours all add up in just the right way. Most kiters will be in the ocean anyway. The Red Knots are expected to leave the park in another week or so. The park may have to set up the closed area again on the beach side near the point for the tern chicks next month. If that happens the only access to the point will be around the pond side. These storms may have driven off many birds. I was just out there and yesterday for the committee meeting and took a drive into and north of the park. The water got so high the pond and the St. Johns were connected. You could see that the point was completely under water and some breaking waves were well inside the pond. After the Knots leave most of the focus will shift to Wilsons Plovers. They are nesting on the back side of the dune area around the pond. This is not much of an issue for kiters. Just keep the kites away from the dune area. As for the sound area on the north end of Talbot......Be aware that the birders are already concerned about people in that area as well. Its harder to patrol since you have to have a boat but some of the same birds are there. At the meetings I have heard it already said that boaters and kiteboarders are disrupting the birds up there too. Just because you don't see the bird people there don't think they are not watching. Still there is no reason to come into conflict. keep your kite out over the water and at least 100 yds or for a better reference, when you get close to a sandbar keep you and your kite outside the break. If you disturb the birds they will call the Fish and Game officer who can make you leave the area. right now The F&G guys don't mind us too much and seem to have a very fair approach the access vs. wildlife debate. Lets keep it that way. Same goes for Little Talbot Island State Park. To keep our access just use common sense and kite like you ARE interested in not disturbing the birds. Its easy to do and avoids all kinds of future restriction and bans. This year it may be a moot point if the sandbars were completely covered by the storm water and high tides. Most or all of the nests may have been lost. If there are even a few left be assured that the bird people will be all over those. I will keep posting as I find out more.

An update....

The Red Knots are still in the park but seem to be starting to move out for migration. There are about half as many as there were last week. The bird barrier on the point is still being put out each day and moved as the tide drops or rises. Two kiters showed up Friday and were asked not to kite the shoals off the point where the birds are. They did it anyway. The bird people called the park manager who had to talk to the guys and ask them not to kite there. I guess not everyone had gotten the message yet. Please pass it on to all the kiters you know. Stay out of the shoal area at low tide (when sand bars are showing). Kite either south of the barrier or keep both you and your kite beyond the break line if you kite north toward Talbot Island. The bird people are moving the barrier to try to allow for as much area for people (kiters too) while still protecting the Red Knots from disturbance while they feed. As long as we respect this we will be able to use the park and the barrier will not be turned into a permanent line of posts and ropes. Help us avoid that. Thanks.

Most of you know already that parts of the park are closed to driving. There are on cars allowed on the inside (pond) area except in the family beach area. On the outside there are no cars allowed beyond the "zone 11" area. To get to the point the best way is to drive as far north on the Atlantic side and park as close to the dune as possible near the bird fence. The Nor Easters we had cut down the beach so high tide will wash agianst your car so dont wait till it gets too high to drive out. The bird fence is good and bad for us. We have to walk about 300 yds to get away from the baby birds but at low tide there is a great place launch and ride just north of the last (zone 12) lifeguard chair. When you walk up just stay away from the birds. Please do not ride between the bird fence and the zone 12 chair unless your kite is OUTSIDE the break. In other words do not ride the shallow water along the shoreline here. This is where the BBs will be on the beach and also where the bird people will be watching for any disturbance of them. They were out there with cameras and scopes yesterday. The bird fence will be up untill the last of the BBs can fly in about 6 weeks. Then we will have full access to the point agian. of course there has been so little wind all this is a moot point except for training new people. Anyone who can ride can just set up along the beach front and launch there. Just remember the standard distance rule and ride away from people. Thanks.

Well the season of flightless baby birds is almost over. There are only a few left on the beach and when no more are seen for three days the bird rope line will come down and the point will be open again to driving. I think even the lost posts( wave action ) will not be replaced. There does seem to be more bird steward activity and patrol at the rope line. They are there recording every instance of disturbance that people cause among the flightless birds.

Kitesurfers have been very cooperative and conscientious in their efforts to ride away from the areas where the baby birds gathered on the beach. The area between the rope line and the zone 12 lifeguard has been the most sensitive. Until the rope line is officially removed please do not kite between it and the # 12 guard. If you set up and kite to the point or from it please keep you and your kite outside (east of) the wave break line as you pass in front of this area. If you have to walk back please put your kite down and as far out over the water as possible. Don't fly your kite over the beach at all. Please spread the word to all your kiting friends that this area must be avoided while the rope line is in place. Thank you.


As we deal with the new restrictions with regard to birds and wild life we should also remember that we have it so good at the park. No where else in the state can you drive right out onto such a huge, clean, sandy beach. We have the advantage of being able to kite in any wind direction. The new sandbar on the outside has formed up and will offer some great riding on west wind days at low tide. Huguenot Park is a seeeeewt place to ride. There is also another option just North of HP. Little Talbot Island has some great riding for the accomplished kiter and there is a small tidal flat water pond at the south end. The break off the point has some great waves too. The cost is a buck more and you have to walk several hundred yards out to the beach but most people stay more north of the channel so there is usually plenty of room to launch and ride. Riding there is at the daily discretion of the managing park ranger who makes his decision based on safety, proximity of other park patron and (again) birds. Stay away from both and we are golden.

Now I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the riders who have helped keep the park access open to us by observing the "no fly zones". Your respect and help has been greatly appreciated. It is interesting to note that kiters have been the most environmentally conscientious group on the beach. While the bird people watch for disturbances and count the baby birds, kiters are actually picking up garbage off the beach and asking people not to go into the dunes. I have watched kiters asking people to stay away from the birds and to take dogs back to the pet areas. I am a member of the park access committee and I can tell you I hear it all. But your efforts have made a change in the attitude of the bird conservationists on the committee. They tell me they can see kiters making the effort to make the park a place shared by people and wildlife.

I also want to take the time to apologize to anyone I offended. If I seemed too vocal, rude or agitated when asking kiters to stay out of certain areas please don't take it the wrong way. Often to get to where a kiter is I have to run some distance to catch them before they launch or ride through a restricted area. Stopping my own riding or halting a students training to run two hundred yards to inform a kiter is hard. That is why your efforts to avoid these areas is so appreciated by me. Thank you again.

I am thinking that we might form a group to inform via the grape vine of any changes and restrictions that affect kiting at the park. It will be better if more of us are on the same page from the beginning. That way we can get the word out faster. I think it could involve a beer or two in the process! If anyone is interested let me know.

Paul

The city is of the opinion that some of the areas (11, 12 and 13) of the park restricted from driving should be reopened now because the flightless birds have not been seen for several days. This is exactly the "deal" the city has with the ARC committee. The FWC rep and Adubon reps are resisting this opening because there are still a few flightless birds only in the area along the Atlantic side between the roped off area and the zone 12 lifeguard (apx. 500 ft.) If you go to the park to kite please kite completely out of this area. You can still walk through. They are looking hard for any reason to keep the park closed. Don't give them any thing to use against us. Additionally they are trying to have posts placed permanently across the point. Anyone who uses the park to kite or any other activity should contact your city councilman and tell them to reject this idea. it is not part of the Management Plan and it would have no positive impact on the bird populations. It could result in serious problems for kiters, fishermen or anyone who wants to access the areas north of the park for any reason. They want it because they are tired of supplying volunteers to man the no driving line when Red Knots are in the park. thanks for reading.

I've noticed those bird watchers by the poles, sometimes wearing vests? Some of those bird guys are a little weird.....

Ok guys......there are only just a couple of weeks till the north point is open again. Please do not launch, ride or recover or even set up in the area between the rope line and the the #12 lifeguard. The walk is not that far. There are only a few flightless birds (babies) left. It looks like the back side of the park will open to allow driving to the point sooner. On a even better note the Red Knot migration may be almost over too so there will not be the need for a line of cones across the point (it did not make any difference to us anyway). There are still bird (Audubon and FWC) people looking for any infraction that might scare the birds that cant fly away. Please do not fly kites over the dunes. One guy dropped a single line kite right in the middle of the nesting area and stirred up a bunch of birds which made the bird people mad. Of course all the usual kiteboarding guidelines still apply. No launching, landing or riding within two line lengths of people down wind. Dont ride through swimmers or surfers. Dont fly your kites over people. This is not new but I saw people doing just that last week. Dont get us kicked out because you want to skim the shore around people. There is plenty of space away from people.

It looks like the back side of the park will reopen to allow driving this coming weekend. The rope line on the front will remain in place for about three more weeks. There will be a new line of temporary ropes and posts 2200 ft north of that line. The area in between will still allow pedestrian traffic from both sides. The city is pressing to do this because they want to open up the area for jet skis so they don't have to launch in the surf around swimmers. Both rope lines will come down at the end of the month. then we will be able to drive to the point again. Please be aware that we will have more people inside the roped area and more jet skis on the water. Still do not kite between the rope line on the atlantic side and the zone 12 lifeguard. Thanks.

Is there anyway we could start a petition to present to the city councilman??
I have been going to HP all my life...born and raised in jacksonville, and though I have never Kited, I have always loved to watch you guys out at the point. I love going to the point at lowtide, its just so beautiful. And I love taking the jetski out and launching it in that area. I have never experienced them closing off so much off the beach at one time before. My question would be..if the bird people win..and the city gives up its lease, would it ultimately be closed to all beach goers??
I would love to volunteer or help anyway I can in taking our beach back. Thats the one place I find peace and relaxation. There has to be a way to get the word out to more people, although there are so few going out there now. This is one issue thats true to my heart, and it suprises me there are not more people standing up and speaking out on this issue. How did the birds make it this long, I remember 20 years ago, you could drive on the dunes and build a fire on the beach. Now maybe that needed to change, but closing off half the beach for the birds is just ridiculous to me..IMO