My Lifer Red-footed Booby

Tuesday morning October 6, Tim Keyes called and said, "I have a booby sitting on the St. Simons Pier." Well, I am only 2 miles from that pier. When I walked up Tim and Bob were there watching this large fawn colored booby with dull orange feet sitting right in front of us. My goodness! It has been a while since I had a life bird, but this Red-footed Booby was going to be added to my list.
It was a strangely beautiful colored bird.  It was pretty beaten up from flying in the storm Joaquin. Here a few pictures of this amazing bird.

It was a big bird.

A busy week ending with Shorebird Survey

Willa with her siblings and parent 

It has been a busy last few weeks. First there was the Georgia Ornithological Society meeting where I got a chance to preview “Willa’s Grand Adventures,” children’s book. It was well received. There were some good suggestions on how to smooth out some transitions.

During the week, I had to prepare the etching press for it debut as a teaching tool at Glynn Visual Art Center.  The press and I had our first printmaking workshop on Sunday. You can read about that workshop at www.artworksforbirds.blogspot.com

This one is banded. This was at the south end at the end of September . Will it stay for the winter

This one wasn't banded but was hanging with the banded plover

On Saturday morning, Breanna and I were out at dawn for our International Shorebird Survey. It was overcast, and there wasn’t as much bird activity. However, we were treated to three Piping Plovers.  Here a few pictures. Enjoy.  

A happy plover watcher watching a happy plover. 

I was out two times this week to look for birds.

Friday September 25, Breanna and I conducted an International Shorebird survey. There were lots of shorebirds gathered up in the wrack. We were fortunate to see two Piping Plovers. One was banded with color bands. On the left leg there was one orange band. On the right leg there was a metal band above the knee and a green band below the knee. I am excited to learn more about this little banded bird.

We also found one Common Tern among the Royal Terns.



On Sunday September 27, I joined a group of women who have known each other since the grade school.












We were going out to the beach but the tide was extremely high. We did find a Reddish Egret enjoying the surf. Then we walked up to 4th street to see the egrets and ibis.

 We also discovered some tiny frogs. You never know what you are going to discover when you get outside. To quote Bilbo Baggins, "It is a danger business stepping out your door. Step out on the road you don't know where you'll be sweep off  to."

 Katherine, my Grandniece is working on an school assignment called "concentrating." This was a perfect walk for her to spend some time discovering nature.

Shorebird Survey September 9

On Wednesday, September 9, Breanna Ondich, Meghan Davis and I headed out to do Jekyll Island International Shorebird Survey. We choose to do this four main beach survey in the evening.

Before I go on about the survey, I want to introduce Breanna.  She is Jekyll Island's new Park Ranger. The job is three jobs in one title. She will be doing in beach patrols, helping with the wildlife research, and developing environmental educational programs.



Back to our survey. Here is the form that we used.

                                                                                                                                                             

















Least Sandpipers and lots of Sanderlings were our shorebirds.


There were lots of waterbirds.

  We finished as the sun was setting.

This is perfect way to end the day.

Spoonbills on the Jekyll Island Causeway

On Sunday August 30, I was headed to work at Jekyll Island Guest Information Center but I was early. It was high tide so I drove past the toll plaza and pulled over. This is a favorite place to see spoonbills. Today was no different. What a treat to watch before going to work helping people discover Jekyll Island.

Here is a look through the palms at the gathering. 

A gathering of Wood Storks

On Monday, I noticed this group of wood stork out in the marsh.  It 

was fun to take some time just to enjoy them.

Here they are enjoying a little gathering

They look like a bunch of judges to me. They are just hanging out.

Walking the south end of Jekyll August the 4th

Twostriped Walking Stick in Cabbage Palm

Every time I walk the south end of Jekyll, there is something new going on.  I enter at the Glory Boardwalk which is located at the soccer field. This boardwalk is named after the 1988 movie Glory which was filmed here. The last part of that movie was a charge down the beach. At the time, my father  and Lorraine Dusenbury worked to ensure that part of Jekyll was protected and reconstructed the correct way.  My father spent some time finding a person who would over see the reconstruction. So this boardwalk is here because of the movie.

Any way I met Meghan Davies, a Americorp intern at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. She is a birder so it was fun to go out on the walk with her.  The first thing we spot is Twostriped Walking Stick. They come out at this time of year to mate. They seem to like Cabbage Palms.

It is low tide so the birds are spread out. But there was a crowd of people.  As we got closer, it is the Georgia Sea Turtle Center group releasing some baby sea turtles.  It was fun to watch these young turtle make their way to the ocean.

There was some birds around as well. Here a Lesser Black-back Gull.