I mention to some birder friends for Atlanta, that I missed Boat-tailed Grackles along the Jekyll Causeway and the historic District. There are always Boat-tailed Grackles in fact they can be a nuisance some time. They are still interesting birds as far as their social behavior. They can be anyway around our Golden Isles. They nest in the wax myrtles on the causeway and in a couple of fresh water sloughs on the island. So at the end of June when for no obvious reason, they disappeared from the causeway, I was curious where they went. They had to go somewhere but where?
I asked people who lived in the area that birded regularly. When I asked some visiting birding friends from Atlanta to look around, they got curious as well. They made a comment and that comment went on GABO. So I replied about the missing grackles.
Well, this got a response from a South Carolina birders. He said that these were anecdotal observations. He went on to expound on the fact that Boat-tailed Grackle do not nest on our coast. They leave to go inland. Hum? I pondered his comment. I have notes on nesting Boat-tailed Grackles on Jekyll. So I went back to my weekly lists. I have a note book for every year from 2001 to 2008. These were great birding notes with weather. I include notes on places I went on Jekyll. In 2005 I added picture of birds and birders.
I had my information right at my fingertips. It was inspiring so this week I did my list using the establish format. This format was developed for me by Marjorie Clark. I want to thank her for encouraging me and for helping to establish this thorough data.
Here is this week’s list and a few pictures.
WEEK OF AUGUST 22-27, 2011
Weather for the week:
Hurricane Irene is gathering strength and head north. On Friday August 26, 2011 the storms passes well east of Jekyll. Temperature averaged in the 90's f. There were widely scattered showers especially on Friday.
(Marjorie added this notice for the important bird area for educational reasons. )
THE SOUTH END BEACH OF JEKYLL ISLAND IS CALLED JEKYLL POINT
THIS BEACH AREA IS A MAJOR RESTING AREA FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF BIRDS. THEY SPEND THEIR TIME HERE RESTING AS THEY PREPARE FOR THEIR NEXT FEEDING TIME
MANY OF THESE BIRDS MIGRATE FOR MILES AND MILES.
EVERY TIME THESE RESTING BIRDS ARE DISTURBED, OR SENT FLYING BY PEOPLE COMING TO CLOSE TO THEM, THEY LOSE VITAL ENERGY THAT IS NECESSARY IF THEY ARE TO FIND FOOD.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE ENERGY TO FIND FOOD, THEY DIE!!!
PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE NEEDS OF THESE BIRDS.
NO PETS ARE ALLOWED ON THIS BEACH.
PUSH BIKES AND/OR WALK SLOWLY AROUND THESE BIRDS.
YOU WILL BE REWARDED FOR YOUR EFFORTS BY KNOWING THAT YOU MAKING A VERY IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TOWARD THE WELFARE OF THESE BEAUTIFUL CREATURES!!!
DO YOUR PART TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE LIFE CYCLE OF THESE IMPORTANT BIRDS!!!!
HAPPY BIRDING AND THANK YOU
GISCO MARINA ROAD
10 Great Egret
2 Wood Stork
DOWNING MUSGROVE CAUSEWAY
1 Osprey
VISITOR CENTER VIEWING TOWER
4 Double-crested Cormorant
1 Great Egret
1 Snowy Egret
1 Tricolored Heron
2 Roseate Spoonbill
1 Turkey Vulture
2 Clapper Rail
10 Black-bellied Plover
30 Semipalmated Plover
1 Willet
1 Whimbrel
60 Semi-Western Sandpiper***
3 Short-billed Dowitcher
10 Laughing Gull
3 Gull-billed Tern*#
1 Forster's Tern
2 Northern Mockingbird
5 Red-winged Blackbird
This is Eugene P. Keferl’s list Saturday 27
Comments: This was part of the Coastal Georgia Audubon Society field trip. The first visit on this date was at high tide and the second visit was when the tide was going out and exposing some mud banks. 12 species
Early morning
6 BLUE-WINGED TEAL (Pretty early)
3 Wood Stork
1 Great Blue Heron
6 Great Egret
1 Little Blue Heron
1 Tricolored Heron
40 ROSEATE SPOONBILL
2 Clapper Rail
7 Laughing Gull
5 BLACK TERN
2 Mourning Dove
3 Barn Swallow
2 Marsh Wren
1 Northern Mockingbird
142 Red-winged Blackbird They came in to get freshwater in groups of 20-25. Easy to keep track of.
Boat-tailed Grackle 6
(Marjorie added this notice for the important bird area for educational reasons. )
THE SOUTH END BEACH OF JEKYLL ISLAND IS CALLED JEKYLL POINT
THIS BEACH AREA IS A MAJOR RESTING AREA FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF BIRDS. THEY SPEND THEIR TIME HERE RESTING AS THEY PREPARE FOR THEIR NEXT FEEDING TIME
MANY OF THESE BIRDS MIGRATE FOR MILES AND MILES.
EVERY TIME THESE RESTING BIRDS ARE DISTURBED, OR SENT FLYING BY PEOPLE COMING TO CLOSE TO THEM, THEY LOSE VITAL ENERGY THAT IS NECESSARY IF THEY ARE TO FIND FOOD.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE ENERGY TO FIND FOOD, THEY DIE!!!
PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE NEEDS OF THESE BIRDS.
NO PETS ARE ALLOWED ON THIS BEACH.
PUSH BIKES AND/OR WALK SLOWLY AROUND THESE BIRDS.
YOU WILL BE REWARDED FOR YOUR EFFORTS BY KNOWING THAT YOU MAKING A VERY IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TOWARD THE WELFARE OF THESE BEAUTIFUL CREATURES!!!
DO YOUR PART TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE LIFE CYCLE OF THESE IMPORTANT BIRDS!!!!
HAPPY BIRDING AND THANK YOU
GISCO MARINA ROAD
10 Great Egret
2 Wood Stork
DOWNING MUSGROVE CAUSEWAY
1 Osprey
VISITOR CENTER VIEWING TOWER
4 Double-crested Cormorant
1 Great Egret
1 Snowy Egret
1 Tricolored Heron
2 Roseate Spoonbill
1 Turkey Vulture
2 Clapper Rail
10 Black-bellied Plover
30 Semipalmated Plover
1 Willet
1 Whimbrel
60 Semi-Western Sandpiper***
3 Short-billed Dowitcher
10 Laughing Gull
3 Gull-billed Tern*#
1 Forster's Tern
2 Northern Mockingbird
5 Red-winged Blackbird
This is Eugene P. Keferl’s list Saturday 27
Comments: This was part of the Coastal Georgia Audubon Society field trip. The first visit on this date was at high tide and the second visit was when the tide was going out and exposing some mud banks. 12 species
Early morning
6 BLUE-WINGED TEAL (Pretty early)
3 Wood Stork
1 Great Blue Heron
6 Great Egret
1 Little Blue Heron
1 Tricolored Heron
40 ROSEATE SPOONBILL
2 Clapper Rail
7 Laughing Gull
5 BLACK TERN
2 Mourning Dove
3 Barn Swallow
2 Marsh Wren
1 Northern Mockingbird
142 Red-winged Blackbird They came in to get freshwater in groups of 20-25. Easy to keep track of.
Boat-tailed Grackle 6
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Late morning
1 Great Egret
2 Snowy Egret
1 Tricolored Heron
2 Clapper Rail
1 Black-bellied Plover
100 Semipalmated Plover
2 Willet
1 WHIMBREL
200 Western Sandpiper There is a mud flat that is close enough to the tower to identify the species and the ones nearest the tower were Western Sandpipers.
6 Laughing Gull
4 Boat-tailed Grackle
JEKYLL ISLAND CAMPGROUND SANCTUARY
2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
4 Carolina Chickadee
1 Carolina Wren
1 Brown Thrasher
1 Eastern Towhee (male with yellow eyes)
14 Northern Cardinal
2 Painted Bunting
4 House Finch
4-H AREA
AUG 27, 2011 8:02 AM - 10:17 PM
3 HOODED MERGANSER These birds are early
SOCCER FIELD
1 Killdeer
CENTRAL BEACH AREA
20 Sanderling
8 Ring-billed Gull
CORNER OF ST. ANDREWS AND MACY LANE OUT TO BEACH
3 Eastern Kingbirds
1 White-eyed Vireo
3 Blue Jay
25 Barn Swallow
2 Carolina Wren
2 Northern Mockingbird
1 Common Grackle
JEKYLL POINT
5 Brown Pelican
1 Black Vulture
1 Osprey
1 Willet
15 Ruddy Turnstone
77 Red Knots (4 flagged green**)
50 Sanderling
1 Least Sandpiper
30 Laughing Gull
1 Ring-billed Gull
10 Least Tern
2 Common Tern
40 Royal Tern
6 Sandwich Tern
75 Black Skimmer
Added to the list Saturday 27 by Gene Keferl
21 White Ibis
1 Turkey Vulture
1 Semipalmated Plover
1 PIPING PLOVER
2 Killdeer
2 Willet
20 Ruddy Turnstone
6 Red Knot
1 Least Sandpiper
200 Laughing Gull
2 Ring-billed Gull
1 Gull-billed Tern
1 Caspian Tern
1 BLACK TERN
2 Common Tern
100 Royal Tern
3 Sandwich Tern
100 Black Skimmer
35 Barn Swallow
2 Northern Cardinal
HISTORIC DISTRICT (WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED)
3 Painted Bunting (green birds)
Carolina Chickadee
7 White Ibis
GOLF COURSES (PINE LAKES COURSE)
Aug 24 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
10 Wood Stork
5 Anhinga
1 Great Blue Heron
3 Great Egret
3 Little Blue Heron
12 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
14 Roseate Spoonbill
1 Turkey Vulture
1 Bald Eagle
1 Red-tailed Hawk
2 Eurasian Collared-Dove
6 Mourning Dove
3 Red-bellied Woodpecker
2 Downy Woodpecker
1 Pileated Woodpecker
2 Eastern Kingbird
1 Red-eyed Vireo
8 Blue Jay
6 Fish Crow
2 Barn Swallow
4 Carolina Chickadee
8 Brown-headed Nuthatch
5 Carolina Wren
4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
6 Eastern Bluebird
8 Northern Mockingbird
1 Worm-eating Warbler
1 Tennessee Warbler
1 Northern Waterthrush
2 Black-and-white Warbler
6 American Redstart
1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
2 Pine Warbler
2 Yellow-throated Warbler
10 Prairie Warbler
1 Summer Tanager
10 Northern Cardinal
NOT VISITED
BOAT RAMP/ROAD TO JEKYLL CREEK
TIDELANDS NATURE CENTER AREA
AMPHITHEATER POND AREA
JEKYLL CREEK BRIDGE AREA
NOTES:
**Red Knots 4 flagged green
Codes were X5C, VP6, E4K, 2YJ
*# Gull-billed Tern There was one adult feeding 2 fledglings
*** Semi-Western Sandpiper too far away to identify so I just lump the two species
Late morning
1 Great Egret
2 Snowy Egret
1 Tricolored Heron
2 Clapper Rail
1 Black-bellied Plover
100 Semipalmated Plover
2 Willet
1 WHIMBREL
200 Western Sandpiper There is a mud flat that is close enough to the tower to identify the species and the ones nearest the tower were Western Sandpipers.
6 Laughing Gull
4 Boat-tailed Grackle
JEKYLL ISLAND CAMPGROUND SANCTUARY
2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
4 Carolina Chickadee
1 Carolina Wren
1 Brown Thrasher
1 Eastern Towhee (male with yellow eyes)
14 Northern Cardinal
2 Painted Bunting
4 House Finch
4-H AREA
AUG 27, 2011 8:02 AM - 10:17 PM
3 HOODED MERGANSER These birds are early
SOCCER FIELD
1 Killdeer
CENTRAL BEACH AREA
20 Sanderling
8 Ring-billed Gull
CORNER OF ST. ANDREWS AND MACY LANE OUT TO BEACH
3 Eastern Kingbirds
1 White-eyed Vireo
3 Blue Jay
25 Barn Swallow
2 Carolina Wren
2 Northern Mockingbird
1 Common Grackle
JEKYLL POINT
5 Brown Pelican
1 Black Vulture
1 Osprey
1 Willet
15 Ruddy Turnstone
77 Red Knots (4 flagged green**)
50 Sanderling
1 Least Sandpiper
30 Laughing Gull
1 Ring-billed Gull
10 Least Tern
2 Common Tern
40 Royal Tern
6 Sandwich Tern
75 Black Skimmer
Added to the list Saturday 27 by Gene Keferl
21 White Ibis
1 Turkey Vulture
1 Semipalmated Plover
1 PIPING PLOVER
2 Killdeer
2 Willet
20 Ruddy Turnstone
6 Red Knot
1 Least Sandpiper
200 Laughing Gull
2 Ring-billed Gull
1 Gull-billed Tern
1 Caspian Tern
1 BLACK TERN
2 Common Tern
100 Royal Tern
3 Sandwich Tern
100 Black Skimmer
35 Barn Swallow
2 Northern Cardinal
HISTORIC DISTRICT (WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED)
3 Painted Bunting (green birds)
Carolina Chickadee
7 White Ibis
GOLF COURSES (PINE LAKES COURSE)
Aug 24 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
10 Wood Stork
5 Anhinga
1 Great Blue Heron
3 Great Egret
3 Little Blue Heron
12 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
14 Roseate Spoonbill
1 Turkey Vulture
1 Bald Eagle
1 Red-tailed Hawk
2 Eurasian Collared-Dove
6 Mourning Dove
3 Red-bellied Woodpecker
2 Downy Woodpecker
1 Pileated Woodpecker
2 Eastern Kingbird
1 Red-eyed Vireo
8 Blue Jay
6 Fish Crow
2 Barn Swallow
4 Carolina Chickadee
8 Brown-headed Nuthatch
5 Carolina Wren
4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
6 Eastern Bluebird
8 Northern Mockingbird
1 Worm-eating Warbler
1 Tennessee Warbler
1 Northern Waterthrush
2 Black-and-white Warbler
6 American Redstart
1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
2 Pine Warbler
2 Yellow-throated Warbler
10 Prairie Warbler
1 Summer Tanager
10 Northern Cardinal
NOT VISITED
BOAT RAMP/ROAD TO JEKYLL CREEK
TIDELANDS NATURE CENTER AREA
AMPHITHEATER POND AREA
JEKYLL CREEK BRIDGE AREA
NOTES:
**Red Knots 4 flagged green
Codes were X5C, VP6, E4K, 2YJ
*# Gull-billed Tern There was one adult feeding 2 fledglings
*** Semi-Western Sandpiper too far away to identify so I just lump the two species
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