What a festival!

Wow! Georgia's Colonial Coast Birding & Nature Festival now that was 5 plus days of birding and nature fun. The list was compiled and there were 200 bird species seen. Here are a few pictures. Here is the group that went Rambling with me on Thursday. We had a very special bird show off for us. This is the immature Scissor-tailed Flycatcher who let us look to our hearts content.

Our keynote speaker was Don Kroodsma. He conducted a workshop that made you hear and listen to birds with new insights. Here the group is going out to the Glory Boardwalk to listen to catbirds sing.

Friday night at the Evening Social he signed his books. The newest one is titled Birdsongs by the Seasons. I highly recommend this book. Don Kroodsma in his workshop used it to show us how to listen to birds throughout the year. Fascinating! Now I have a deeper understanding of what to listen to with birdsong.

Thursday's ramble

Man, did we luck out Thursday. I did a bird ramble with Jean from Bucks Co PA and her niece Charlie. The day stayed overcast. We were able to enjoy the birds without passing out from the heat. The first birds to greet us were the Gray Kingbirds at the shopping center. They were being territorial. Could they be nesting again? Keep your fingers crossed.

We were able to find a few shorebirds, Black-bellied Plover, Short-billed Dowitcher, and one Semipalmated Sandpiper. Of course, the most common shorebirds were the Willets. They were in marsh and on the beach. Everywhere we went we heard their calls.

Since I last visited the south end of Jekyll, the tides have been very high. The water was pushed into the primary dunes changing the look of the beach. I was concerned for the Wilson’s Plovers but they were fine. I found all three young one. You can’t call them chicks for they look like they can fly.

This is the male keep an eye on us.

Here is the youngster watching as well.

As we walked back to the van, we enjoyed a few wildflowers.

Aren't these little Sea Pinks pretty?

The morning glories were in full splendor.

We finished the morning at the Amphitheater. There were a few young Wood Stork youngsters hanging out high in the pines.