Ware County Breeding Bird Survey

Last Sunday I ran my Ware County, Georgia Breeding Bird Survey. This is my twenty-second year to run the survey. Memories always flood back when I step out the van at each stop. My father and I started running this together. Then when he died, I ran it by myself. A few years back Sheila Willis started assisting me. Sheila has a wealth of knowledge about this area. Riding with her, I learn about this unique area. This is the north side of the Okefenokee Swamp. From stop nineteen to stop 50, I am traveling the Old Swamp Road. A few families have lived here for a very long time. Here is a cemetery with graves with marker that date to 1820’s. Those are the one with the roof over them. It is a well-attended cemetery. The graves always have fresh flowers on them. There is a bench place by on graves. One grave has stuffed animals around it. This cemetery is toward the end of my survey well in the swamp. It is fascinating to learn about the swamp from Sheila. This is not what you would think of as a swamp but it is. Sheila tell me a little bit about the plants that define the swamp. Here is Ogeechee lime.
It is found along the little creeks that riddle the area. All summer this relative of the Black gum grows fruit. Here is Sheila talking about it.