Jekyll Island's new viewing platform is offical

Side Bar... The Glaucous Gull was seen several times today November 16....

NOW..... Here is the group that came to the Ribbon Cutting. Yep, that's me right in the middle with the holding the scissors with Bob Krueger the JIA Board of Directors Chairman. Christa Frangiamore is to my right.

Here is Christa Frangiamore and Bob Krueger

It is official. November 10, at 11 am The Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) had a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Wildlife Viewing Platform at the Jekyll Island Welcome Center. This platform is the first of several platforms proposed in the JIA conservation plan. Christa Frangiamore the JIA Conservation Manager took this plan and started putting parts of the plan into action. She applied & received a Watchable Wildlife grant from Department of Nature Resource Wildlife Resources Nongame Division. Christa, being the resourceful manager that she is, then called Holly Young president of Shearouse Lumber Company. Holly Young was very excited to see the plans for the platform. Shearouse Lumber Company deeply discounted the lumber. She reached out to the birding community to help her complete this project. Georgia Ornithological Society, Atlanta Audubon Society and Coastal Georgia Audubon Society all contributed. This was a group effort and we can all be proud of it.

Jekyll Island's Executive Director Jones Hooks, Acknowledging the groups that help make this group possible including our own Coastal Georgia Audubon

This very well made platform is wheel chair accessible. It could use some benches and we are looking for contribution. If you would like to contribute to these benches please contact Christa at 912-635-4112

On November 4th Coastal Georgia Audubon Society held a Lawn Chair Birding event on the platform. It was great to be above the marsh grass and look down on the birds.

Here is the list of birds we saw that day:

Green-winged Teal
Hooded Merganser
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
Roseate Spoonbill
Wood Stork
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Clapper Rail
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Whimbrel
Marbled Godwit
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Laughing Gull
Forester's Tern
Tree Swallow
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle