Large group of American Oystercatcher

Operation Plover Patrol has begun. There are a couple of surveyors who have gone out around the high tide and watched. What is interesting is the number of American Oystercatchers that are down there. Several times they have counted 100 just on the beach. We just had 65 on Thursday. Also the Wilson’s plovers have arrived. The season has begun.

If you are in the area and want to help with a survey, it is very simple. It is basically standing
and watching the large gathering of birds at Jekyll Point and record what you see. I do have a form for you to look over before you go out. Let me know.

Peregrine raid

Last Thursday, It was chilly. Ok for me, it was cold. However, nothing was stopping my hardy Rambler group from exploring. The tide seemed just right so we were off for a hike to Jekyll Point. We notice the birds were spooky. Red Knots were flying about here and there. It was interesting to watch. I finally spotted an American Oystercatcher, and then Rob spotted five more, then another one. It was great. We got to see a Black Skimmer and compared the two different species. Then the birds all flew. A large Peregrine Falcon came into view. It flew over the birds a few times. Then it landed up the beach. Now that was something to see.

The Peregrine raid made me forget I was cold.

Sorry for the poor picture but this bird was way up the beach.

Happy Thanksgiving from the gang

November 10 the tide was high at the south end of Jekyll. There were lots of surf clams and other tasty morsels for the birds. Willets, Red Knots, and Sanderlings all gathered up. Some American Oystercatchers flew in for a while. They all joined in the feast. Plus they took a little time to rest together. Happy Thanksgiving from my gang to yours.

Taxes are out of the way! Yea. I have been so busy that I really could not do anything but work on the grant and do those taxes. Even then, I always get out for a few hours on Thursday.

Last Thursday, the American Avocets were in full breeding plumage. They are behind the American Oystercatchers.

It was a windy day. The beach was loaded with birds. The Loggerhead Shrikes look like they are going to nest in the trees just south of the Jekyll Island Convention Center.

Teaming Birding with Art for Nature

I have just gotten home from a full day of birds and art. Back a few years ago I suggested to Diane O Shea that we should do an art show and sale to raise money for Tidelands Nature Center. When we got that going, Eric Garvey, and I wanted to do something for birders that were wintering on Jekyll. It was a perfect match so we do the art show and birding around The Great Backyard Bird Count. This was an opportunity to get beginning birders out with good birders in a spirit of learning and counting birds.
Here is my idea. Jekyll Island is eleven miles long and just a few miles wide at the widest point. I divided the island into sections with no overlap of areas. This year four guides volunteered to help, so there were four areas. We met between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. at the Jekyll Island Convention Center. I put up signs about the areas, the guides and the rigor of the field area. The folks choose who they want to go out with to learn. At 9 a.m. the teams are off to count birds. It is important to get an accurate count but it is just important that the beginners learn something from the group. The areas are divided up so there is no rushing around. Take your time to count the birds you see. then talk to each other about the birds and why they are there. Then around noon come back to the Jekyll Island Convention Center to gather around a computer table and see how to enter your data. When we are finished, there are wonderful arts and crafts to look at and take home. We have some incredible artists with wonderful work. It is a great opportunity to take home a little piece of the islands.
My group went down to the south end of the island. It was not as good as Thursday but it was still great. Look!
We carefully counted 710 Dunlin, 55 American Oystercatchers, and 26 American Avocets. To top it off , we had a large pod dolphin just beyond the beach. No not a bad day at all.

Shorebirds one day and art the next

Well yesterday I was helping count shorebirds on Sea Island. Capt. Clay was a great driver. We saw American Oystercatchers, Willets, and Piping Plovers just to name a few birds.

Today I was in my etching studio. The Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival is next week and I have to print. While doing this, I thought I would show you how to print an etching.

First ink the zinc plate

Then wipe the excess ink off the plate

Put the plate on the press place a damp sheet of 100% rag paper over the plate

The paper and the plate are run through the press and here is the image.

Here is another plate I pulled today.


It is call Dancing Water Spirits. Tree Swallows drinking water at the south end of Jekyll inspired the image. It is just hard to seperate my birding and my art.

Oysters, mud and shorebirds

On Sunday, Gene Keferl, Mike Chapman, and I joined Chris Depkin in his boat to see if we could relocate the Harlequin Duck that was seen on Friday. The day was such a contrast to the day before. Sunday was a gray day. A cold front blew in. We could see the dark gunmetal gray clouds marching right over us. There was rain and spray. The temperature dropped. We went anyway.

First, we went out where the duck had been spotted. No not there, so we began patrolling the small creeks. Now we never found the Harlequin Duck but there were other birds to see.

The Dunlin, dowitchers, and yellowlegs were feasting on the mud and around the oysters. On one mud bank there were some tiny Least Sandpipers. A few Oystercatchers were hanging out as well.

It is always fair weather when good fellows get together.

Lawn Chair Birding October

Well, it was a little chilly Monday evening but Coastal Georgia Audubon members met at Gould's Inlet for a little birding. This time we were watching gulls, terns, shorebirds, wading birds. A couple of artists added a little charm to the afternoon.

After the birding some of us went over to hear about Amercian Oystercatchers in Georgia. Brad Winn, Gerogia Department of Nature Resource Coastal Resources Division, and Terry Norton, Director of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center were talking about the research being conducted here on Amercian Oystercatchers. It was fascinating to learn about these birds which are found all year on the Georgia coast.

Here is a drawing I am working on. No surprise it is a study of American Oystercatchers.

Lastly here is a list of the thirty-five species we saw at Gould's Inlet from 5 pm to 6:30 pm

Double-crested Cormorant, Brown Pelican, Reddish Egret, Tricolored Heron, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, White Ibis, Wood Stork, Osprey, American Kestrel, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone, Short-billed Dowitcher, Sanderling, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Piping Plover, Ring-billed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Laughing Gull, Caspian Tern. Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Forster's Tern, Black Skimmer, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Tree Swallow, Palm Warbler, Song Sparrow, Boat-tailed Grackle,

If you are in the area next Tuesday, we are meeting at 3 pm at the new viewing platform at the Jekyll Island Welcome Center for another Lawn Chair Birding event.

Art of oystercatchers

In keeping with the art theme, here is a photo taking by Gene Keferl. American Oystercatchers are striking birds. There are times when they gather up on the south end of Jekyll Island. Here is a watercolor I created a while back of a group of them.