Scarlet Tanager Swallow-tail Kite Wow

April 19,2007
Oh my gosh! I just was on the phone talking about putting together the Registration Booklet for the Georgia’s Colonial Coast Birding & Nature Festival when I notice him! I have a wonderful drip birdbath with bushes near by so the birds can drop from the top of my old live oak tree down to the myrtle tree to the bath. There sitting on the top of the drip was a drop dead gorgeous SCARLET TANAGER. I know in migration that they travel in flocks. There are times at some hot spots where they all over. Here I have been working to make my yard bird friendly. I was just rewarded with this special bird.
This is a good time to update you on the past weeks birding on Jekyll and around the Golden Island. Last Thursday morning we had White and Brown Pelican as well as at least three Wilson’s Plovers at the southend of Jekyll. In the afternoon having dropped off seed for the feeders at Tidelands I was driving back to Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Cottage in the historic district when I became fascinated by the line of vultures flying north. As I watched my day was made for a SWALLOW-TAILED KITE dripped into my sights. Naturally I pulled over to just watch this agile flyer for awhile.
Saturday, I was on St. Simons Island helping with the Glynn Art Spring Festival in the St. Simons village area. It was a beautiful clear morning with just the right chill in the air. Walking to see how the various artists were doing setting up I heard GRAY KINGBIRDS. They have returned for I heard from a friend that they were on Jekyll as well. Jekyll host at least two pairs of Gray Kingbirds every summer. That same day which was April 14 the PAINTED BUNTING males started showing up at feeders along the coast. Spring is in the air.
With Georgia’s wildlife on my mind
Lydia
THURDAY APRIL 12, BIRD LIST
ISLAND WIDE
Yellow-throated Warbler
30 Turkey Vulture
Seemed to be moving North. Strings all along the Island
Mourning Dove
Tree Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Cardinal

DOWNING MUSGROVE CAUSEWAY (before Ramble)
3 Little Blue Heron
10 Snowy Egret
1 Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
3 Green Heron
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
SOUTH DUNES PICNIC AREA
1 Belted Kingfisher
JEKYLL ISLAND SHOPPING CENTER INCL. BEACH AREA
2 Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
1 Loggerhead Shrike
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
1 Northern Parula

SOUTH END OF ISLAND
100 Tree Swallow Really 100 plus
BIRD CORNER
2 Little Blue Heron
5 Cattle Egret
1 Northern Harrier male
2 Common Ground Dove
2 White-eyed Vireo
Carolina Wren
1 Northern Parula
2 Savannah Sparrow
3 Eastern Towhee
Northern Cardinal
10 Common Grackle
3 Brown-headed Cowbird

SOUTHWEST BEACH AREA
6 American White Pelican
8 Brown Pelican
6 Blue-winged Teal
1 Snowy Egret
25 Sanderling
1 Black-bellied Plover

4-H WEST Southend area Jekyll
1 Double-crested Cormorant
15 Brown Pelican
2 Willet
3 Wilson’s Plover
8 Ring-billed Gull
2 Herring Gull
100 Laughing Gull
75 Royal Tern
10 Forster’s Tern
250 Black Skimmer
1 Chimney Swift

SOUTH RIVERVIEW DRIVE
3 Fish Crow

TIDELANDS NATURE CENTER AREA
Anhinga
2 Brown Pelican
2 Green Heron
1 Osprey
1 Cooper’s Hawk 5 Spotted Sandpiper
3 Belted Kingfisher
5 House Finch
6 Brown-headed Cowbird



CAMPGROUND BIRD SANCTUARY
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
5 Blue Jay
2 White-eyed Vireo
Carolina Wren
4 Carolina Chickadee
4 White-throated Sparrow
6 Common Grackle

AMPHITHEATRE POND AREA
2 Pied-billed Grebe
1 Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
4 Snowy Egret
1 Green Heron
6 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
8 Black-crowned Night-Heron
2 White Ibis
26 Wood Stork 14 nesting
1 Black Vulture
3 Osprey
1 Red-tailed Hawk
2 Red-bellied Woodpecker
3 White-eyed Vireo
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 Northern Parula
25 Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler


SEEN AFTER THE RAMBLE:

BEACH PAVILION Mid island
15 Cedar Waxwing
HISTORIC DISTRICT
1 Pine Warbler
1 Great-crested Flycatcher
TIDELANDS NATURE CENTER AREA
1 Swallow-tailed Kite
Flying with vultures
DOWNING MUSGROVE CAUSEWAY
3 Barn Swallow


WELCOME CENTER
1 Orchard Oriole Male
25 Semipalmated Plover
30 Western Sandpiper
20 Dunlin
50 Short-billed Dowitcher
14 Whimbrel
1 Greater Yellowlegs
10 Blue-winged Teal
1 Osprey
20 Willet
10 Black-bellied Plover