The path needs work

If you wonder what this entry is about I want the bird banders, Chris, Jan and Charles, to see the path out to the banding area as it is today. We need to organize a workday this month to fix it. If you want to help let me know otherwise stay tuned for more interesting entries.

The start of the path looking out to the beach. Sagging board in need of supports more supports missing

The wax myrtle fallen over the path.

Here is a pretty picture of Marsh Fleabane as a parting image. There is a meadow of it just beyond this path.

The pond on Pine Lake Golf Course

Since April, I have been working nonstop pulling together the Georgia Coast Birding and Nature Festival, October 7-10, 2010. This work kept me inside this summer except for the Wednesday evening tour on the Jekyll Island Golf courses, called the Golf Cart Nature Tour. In August, it seemed I was on Pine Lakes Golf Course. It has a pond between holes numbers 11 and 12 that is just great! There are always herons, egrets, Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, White Ibis and Anhingas resting around it. There were flocks of Pine Warblers generally near by on the ground. Yes, there was no looking up. They were on the ground. Pretty cool. Here is a view of the pond.

I mentioned that my little point and shoot camera does best when I shoot thru the scope. Here is a picture of a young White Ibis. It is not great but it works for me.

New camera and silver linings

Well, I broke down and bought a point and shot camera. It isn't great but it will do. It surprised me for my best shots of birds are taken through my scope so it looks like I am going to have to look into digiscoping. In the meantime, enjoy the silver linings of these clouds I shot the other day as I left Jekyll.

It is August. It is time for hot, hazy, lazy days. The Wood Storks are just hanging out.

A day on Little St. Simons Island

Last Thursday I had the privilege of spending the day on Little St. Simons Island. Scot Coleman and Abby Sterling were doing a survey of Black-necked Stilts and I joined them. It was fascinating to watch the family units of stilts. Chicks were close to each other with parents nearby and watchful. We counted over 60 stilts. Then we went to the north beach area called Sancho Panza. Now this was at noon low tide and HOT, the shorebirds were way off. We did see a few. In the afternoon because I had never seen the north end of the island, I joined Abby for some history. The area is a shell midden. While standing listening to Abby tell us about middens I heard a Tufted Titmouse. Now I love Tufted Titmice so I quietly called to the bird who flew right over our head. What a day! Thanks guys for having me over.

Location: Little St. Simons Island
Observation date: 7/22/10
Notes: The morning was a Black-neck Stilt survey. Also not able to record was at least one Long-billed Curlew and one Marbled Godwit at north end of Little St. Simons Island.
Number of species: 43

Mottled Duck 10
Brown Pelican 10
Anhinga 1
Least Bittern 1
Great Egret 3
Snowy Egret 15
Tricolored Heron 6
Reddish Egret 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 2
White Ibis 10
Glossy Ibis 15
Roseate Spoonbill 27
Wood Stork 6
Black Vulture x
Turkey Vulture x
Osprey 2
Common Moorhen 7
Black-necked Stilt 64
Willet 10
Marbled Godwit
Long-billed Curlew
Least Sandpiper 10
Laughing Gull 25
Gull-billed Tern 2
Royal Tern 7
Black Skimmer 3
Mourning Dove 5
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
White-eyed Vireo 4
Fish Crow 5
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Purple Martin 4
Barn Swallow 20
Carolina Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 1
Carolina Wren 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Seaside Sparrow 2
Painted Bunting 6
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Common Grackle 4
Boat-tailed Grackle 2
House Finch 4

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Stopped birders on the causeway

Today when I was driving over the Jekyll Island Causeway to go to work at Wild Birds, I saw a group of birders. They were pulled off the road looking at a flock of White Ibis. This flock has been there in that same spot for a week. It was heart warming to see the group of maybe six people some huddled around the scope others looking through binoculars. Since coming off the road all those many years ago I miss seeing clusters of birders. For the last decade I have been trying to encourage birders to come see this little corner of the world. If you are birding in the Golden Isles please stop by and say hello. If I am not there just leave me a note tell me what birds you are seeing. Good birding.

Birdy Friday Report

Oh it just not as much fun with out photos but today was a wonderful bird day on Jekyll. Yes, it is very hot and humid out there. First, I was sitting on bench in the shade looking up thinking I sure would like to see a Yellow-throated Warbler and a Yellow-throated Warbler flew in. It didn't stay long but what a pretty bird. I did have the pleasure of the company JR and his dad for a short Amble. JR and his group won his division of the Youth birding team competition last April. It is a pleasure to be in the company of a young talent. His Raven 8x32 Binoculars were perfect for his hands. He got a life bird. There was a Gull-billed Tern working the river. At the campground where we saw Painted Buntings, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and North Parula.

They left and I have been in the Wild Birds Unlimited Store. All day a female hummingbird has been looking for food all around the shops gardens. It would be feeding on tiny flower and people would walk right by.

Gene Keferl just stopped by and reported that the Wilson's Plovers are doing ok at the south end. He saw two chicks and three adults. He also reported lots of Royal Terns, Laughing Gulls and skimmers. There were also a few Least Terns.

It is just a birdy Friday