Birding the Georgia Coast

Jekyll Island

When you are a birder, you figure out one thing sooner or later.  You see more birds going to coastal areas than just staying inland.  So, we've decided to bird the Georgia coast more often this year.  These pictures are from our first two trips this year.

Harris Neck, NWR

The above picture simply doesn't do justice to this beautiful place, Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge.  We just kept going wow, wow, wow during that birding stop.  Ducks were a few feet from us.  We saw a rookery of Snowy Egrets, picked up a life bird later that day (life birds are birds that you see for the first time in your birding life), and we had a hard time leaving the place.  We've experienced a high birds activity on that stop,something we didn't have at some other places.

Tybee Island North Beach

Another time I ran into such a good variety of bird species this year was when I was with Trey McCuen and James Fleullan on my first trip to the coast this year.   It was a non-stop birding day with some of the best birders in the State.  We saw close to 120 bird species by the end of the day.  I started having a headache by the end as I was keeping checklists and birding at the same time with reading glasses on and off...but it was thoroughly fun and rewarding.

During that trip, we hit Hutchinson Island, Fort Pulaski, Tybee North Beach, back to Hutchinson Island to see the Western Kingbirds we missed the first time, checked out the causeways for the Snowy Owl someone reported (that we didn't see) then to the Savannah NWR on the South Carolina side.

Virginia Rail

 We had some very rewarding moments during that trip, like the Virginia Rail that came to our feet when called, and the two life birds on the trip.

Back to the trip with Debbie.  We went from the Savannah area all the way down to Jekyll Island.  Beside Harris Neck Refuge, we birded that Altamaha WMA, Andrew's Island causeways, Tybee North Beach, Fort Pulaski, and the Savannah NWR in South Carolina.  The areas where we birded were beautiful.  It was cold and windy at times but nothing to be compared with the snow that folks were having back home.

Boat-tailed Grackle

This Boat-tailed Grackle either wanted food or wanted to get in the vehicle with us where it was warmer.  He has a lot of charm and a very expressive and inquisitive look.  This was on Jekyll Island.

We would love to come back here in a warmer season.

Red Knot probing for food

Before we returned, we picked up a second life bird, a Nelson's Sparrow.

Tybee Island North Beach

We then picked up another life bird, the Lesser Black-back Gull, at Tybee North Beach.

Savannah NWR

We were surprised at the number of duck species at the Savannah NWR.  We saw a couple hundreds of Northern Shovelers, 400 or so American Coots, hundreds of Ring-necked Ducks...then several rail species including King Rails and Soras right there in front of us.  We saw a Sedge Wren! that I wished we saw in Georgia as I have not seen one in GA this year.

Andre sorting out bird species.

 This second bird trip to the coast had an unexpected surprise.  We were bumped to second position in the eBird ranking for the top 100 birders in the State.  That only lasted a few days before we dropped again in ranking.  You usually don't stop and think about it, but birding can be a little fun competitive hobby at times!
We had our fun and we are already planning another trip to the coast latter on this month.  This time, camping and birding if the weather cooperates.  Can't wait!