Our first camping trip of the year.

Our first camping trip of the year came earlier than expected. We're in February and it feels like we're having an early spring. Such a nice weather for a winter month. Just what we've been waiting for, the first opportunity to go camping.

Off we go...to the Oconee National Forest where you can enjoy a weekend of relaxing camping in the woods. All by yourselves.

We were totally set up within an hour and half from the time we reached our location; tent, dining/sitting tent, bathroom, chairs and tables...everything around well organized. Then we sat down to relax. And it hit us. Oh gosh! that quiet, that peace and serenity that keeps bringing us back.
All we could hear were the birds around us. As usual, some were singing, and some were just playing, chasing each other around like kids do.

We did have a visitor. We heard it (him, her?) walking loudly on the dead leaves, going through the woods around our camping site. We wondered what it was. A deer, a bear, a bobcat? Maybe a coyote?  This could be a good story to share: there we were, in the huge Oconee Forest, minding our own business, then came this big bear walking behind our camping site with his cub.  He wasn't afraid of us.  So we approached them both.  The cub was a little shy.  We made friends and they came back that evening to enjoy the camp fire with us...   Oh no, it was just an Armadillo! No interesting bear, not even a deer.  And there I was, hoping for an interesting encounter.  

At least he did his routine at daylight on our first day of camping.  Every evening since then, this armadillo will make his round shortly after dark.  Maybe he didn't want his picture taken again.  Can you see him in this picture? Not very photogenic.

Besides the armadillo, we did hear a pack of Wild Turkeys going through the woods almost every day we were there.  They came very close to our camp the first day.  We thought we could see them, but nada.

Then comes the nightfall.  Glorious night! Lift up your head and look at the starry night.  Even with a full moon, the sky was lit with bright stars.  We tried to remember the different constellations.  We need to brush up on that.  We were almost directly under the Orion Belt. 

Beautiful campfire, quiet night, full of stars...what else do you need to enjoy camping?  We even had some Earl Grey tea that first evening.  Just to warm ourselves up.  The nights were cool.  The Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-will's-widows have gone to South America for the winter (these are nightjar birds).  We did hear the Great Horned Owl hooting in the middle of the night.  Always nice to hear the owls. 

We've been at this site before and birds came to visit all the day long.  This time, we really noticed less activities.  So we went out in the forest birdwatching.  No trails.  And, of course, we were rewarded.  People draw pretty bird pictures in bird books, but birds are actually prettier in real life.  When we see them with your binoculars, you'll start to really appreciate their beauty... especially now with their bright colors.

We've identified over 36 bird species and our favorites on this trip were the White-breasted Nuthatches.  Our most frequent visitors were the Eastern Towhees.  They were the first to call out and sing first thing in the morning, and they were the last to retire for the night.  The largest group was the Red headed Woodpeckers.

We spent three nights in the woods and thoroughly enjoyed it, but we were happy to be back home too.  We thought of those you could have been here with us, and we missed them.  Hopefully, next time.