|
Altamaha Waterfowl Management Area - Birds seen in 2005
Friday: 7:15 AM – 1:30 PM
Leaders: Todd Schneider & Jim Ozier
Saturday: 7:15 AM – 1:30 PM
Leader: Todd Schneider & Bob Sargent
Sunday: 7:15 AM – 1:30 PM
Leader: Todd Schneider & Jim Ozier
Limit: 30 participants per day
Fee: $10
The Altamaha Waterfowl Management Area (WMA) offers one of the best overall birding sites in Georgia, especially in the fall. The habitat consists of a mixed pine/hardwood forest, floodplain forest, freshwater marsh shrubland, weed fields and diked ponds. Specialties include mottled duck, least bittern, glossy ibis, painted bunting, rails, sparrows and ducks. We will be birding all accessible areas, looking for early arriving sparrows and ducks, as well as lingering migrants. Lunch will not be provided, but there are several good restaurants in the area.
Recommended Needs: Boots, long sleeves and pants, insect repellent, sun protection, water, snacks, binoculars.
Trip Rigor: Easy – two miles of easy walking on weedy dikes and paths.
Glennville Water Treatment Facility
Friday: 6:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Saturday: 6:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Leader: Dan Vickers
Limit: 15 participants; 5 vehicles
Fee: $10
The mayor of Glennville personally welcomes you to come and check out one of southeast Georgia’s newest birding hotspots! The Glennville Water Treatment Facility consists of eight ponds ranging from 2 – 6 acres in size and a large grass field that utilizes a spray system. The field is drained by a gravity flow system through the ponds which were planted with water plants such as cattails, pickerel weed, cypress and gum trees. Participants will explore the facility on approximately 2 miles of berms that can be driven and walked on in any weather. With over 115 species of birds reported at this site over the past three years, there should be a good showing of shorebirds, waders, waterfowl, raptors and migrating songbirds. The Glennville Welcome Center will be open to field trip participants for refreshments and restroom use.
Recommended Needs: Sun protection, insect repellent, water/drinks, snacks/lunch, binoculars, spotting scope.
Trip Rigor: Easy – driving and easy walking on sturdy berms
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge - Birds seen in 2005
Friday: 6:45 AM – 2:00 PM
Leader: Steve Calver
Saturday: 6:45 AM – 2:00 PM
Leader: Chris Depkin
Sunday: 6:45 AM – 2:00 PM
Leader: Chuck Saleeby
Limit: 15 participants per day; 5 vehicles
Fee: FREE
Harris Neck NWR was a military airfield in WWII, and now has man-made impoundments, natural salt and brackish marshes, old fields, pine forests and maritime oak forests. Expect to observe a wide variety of migratory and resident water and land birds. Lunch will not be provided.
Recommended Needs: Insect repellent, sun protection, water/drinks, snacks/lunch, binoculars. Long pants and closed shoes are recommended due to cacti.
Trip Rigor: Easy – the refuge is flat, and our walks will be restricted to no more than a half-mile, driving from place to place.
Jekyll Island Banding Station - Birds banded during the Festival
Friday: 7:45 AM – Noon SOLD OUT
Saturday: 7:45 AM – Noon SOLD OUT
Leaders: Chris and Jan Pitman
Limit: 15 per day
Fee: $10
Located near Jekyll Island's famous south beach, this bird banding station is situated in the midst of sand dunes and scrub forest. Each October hundreds of migrating birds are captured in mist nets at this site. Captured birds include over 20 species of warblers. Birds are banded, aged, sexed, and measured. Scientists use data from JIBS to help understand migration patterns and population trends. Participants in the trip will have the opportunity to observe the removal of birds from nets, the measuring and banding, and possibly be able to release a bird. Lunch will not be provided.
Recommended Needs: Water, snacks, insect repellent, sun protection.
Trip Rigor: Easy – half-mile walk.
Jekyll Island Natural History Walk
Friday: 8:45 AM – 11:00 AM
Saturday: 8:45 AM – 11:00 AM
Sunday: 8:45 AM – 11:00 AM
Leader: Frank Mirasola
Limit: 15 participants per day
Fee: $5
Walking about 1/2-mile through the dune ridges in a live oak maritime forest, participants will learn about Jekyll Island's formation, native flora and ecology. The discussion will include descriptions and displays of various marine creatures, including loggerhead turtles, alligators, whelks, crabs and shrimp. Be ready to spot shorebirds, waders and waterfowl.
Recommended Needs: Insect repellent, long sleeves and pants, sun protection, comfortable close-toed walking shoes, binoculars.
Trip Rigor: Moderate – some hill climbing required.
Jekyll Island State Park - Birds seen in 2005
Friday: 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Leader: Diana Churchill
Saturday: 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Leader: Eugene Keferl
Sunday: 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Leader: Eugene Keferl
Limit: 15 participants per day
Fee: $5
Jekyll Island State Park offers a variety of diverse habitats, including maritime forest, salt marsh, freshwater ponds, and ocean beach. Birds we hope to spot include migrating songbirds, wading birds, gulls and terns, as well as shorebirds. Lunch will not be provided.
Recommended Needs: Insect repellent, sun protection, snacks, water, binoculars, spotting scope.
Trip Rigor: Easy – expect to walk 1-2 miles.
Little St. Simons Island
Friday: 7:45 AM – 4:00 PM SOLD OUT
Leaders: Carol Lambert, Jeff Sewell & Nick Van Lanen
Saturday: 7:45 AM – 4:00 PM SOLD OUT
Leaders: Giff Beaton & Nick Van Lanen
Sunday: 7:45 AM – 4:00 PM SOLD OUT
Leaders: Malcolm Hodges & Nick Van Lanen
Monday: 7:45 AM – 4:00 PM SOLD OUT
Leaders: Earl Horn & Nick Van Lanen
Limit: 11 participants per day
Fee: $75
Little St. Simons Island is an unspoiled birding paradise located off the north end of St. Simons Island. Since access is so limited, it is an excellent place to bird at anytime, but especially during peak migration. We will bird the extensive maritime forest for passerines as well as the beaches and marshes for shorebirds. For more information on the site, visit www.littlestsimonsisland.com. Lunch will be provided.
Recommended Needs: Insect repellent, sun protection, water, snacks, long-sleeves and pants, rain gear, backpack, binoculars.
Trip Rigor: Easy – two miles of easy walking.
Little Tybee Natural Heritage Preserve - Birds seen in 2005
Friday: 8:15 AM- 5:30 PM SOLD OUT
Saturday: 8:15 AM – 5:30 PM
Sunday: 8:15 AM – 5:30 PM SOLD OUT
Leader: Captain Rene Heidt
Limit: 6 participants per day
Fee: $50
Little Tybee, owned by the state of Georgia, is an uninhabited barrier island lying just to the south of Tybee Island. It is made up of salt marsh interspersed with hardwood hammocks and fronts the Atlantic Ocean with pristine beaches that are nesting sites for Wilson's plovers. The American oystercatcher nests on oyster bars in the area as well, and is a common sight on our trips. We will see a variety of shorebirds with the possibility of the piping plover, Wilson's plover and the marbled godwit. We will depart by boat from a private dock on Chimney Creek and take the short ride through the salt marshes to Little Tybee. Expect to spend some time observing the local population of bottlenose dolphin in the Back River. Lunch will not be provided.
Recommended needs: Please wear comfortable footwear with some grip to the sole and the ability to get wet. Dress accordingly for the weather keeping in mind that it is always colder out on the water. Bring binoculars, water, and lunch. A spotting scope will be provided. You may not want to risk bringing your scope out into the salt spray.
Trip Rigor: Easy – some agility required to get on and off the boat at the beach and dock.
Exploring South Georgia Swamps & Pinelands
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge - Birds seen in 2005
Friday Only: 6:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Leader: Sheila Willis, Native American-Naturalist Talks & Tours
Limit: 20 participants
Fee: $15 ($5 per car refuge entrance fee to be paid by participants at entrance gate)
Naturalist Sheila Willis (Native American-Naturalist Talks & Tours) will lead a field trip at one of America’s most famous national wildlife refuges (East Entrance near Folkston). The Okefenokee Swamp has been officially designated as a “Wetland of International Importance” but that doesn’t begin to describe its incomparable beauty or the complex web of life that exists in this corner of Southeast Georgia. Rich in history, “swamp culture”, flora, and fauna, this one-of-a-kind giant peat bog contains uplands and islands covered in pine & oak forests; black-water lakes of varying sizes; and interior freshwater marshes (locally called “prairies) dotted with floating mats of “botanical gardens” interspersed among stands of pond cypress, black gum, mixed-bay trees, and shrubs. Avian specialties include the anhinga, wood duck, sandhill crane, brown-headed nuthatch, and pileated and red-cockaded woodpecker. The Okefenokee also provides significant wilderness habitat for large populations of Florida black bear and American alligator.
Departing the refuge visitor center parking lot at 8:00 a.m., participants will caravan around the 5-mile, round-trip Swamp Island Drive with stops at a red-cockaded woodpecker colony and at the Chesser Island Boardwalk for a 1-1/2 mile round-trip walk to the 50-ft. Owl’s Roost Observation Tower. Afterwards, participants may tour additional areas of the refuge on their own or return with the Jekyll Island car pool. Lunch will not be provided. Participants may either bring their lunch or purchase lunch at the Camp Cornelia Cafe & Gift Shop. For more information on the refuge, call 912-496-7836 or visit them on the web at okefenokee.fws.gov.
Recommended Needs: Water, snacks/lunch, sun protection, insect repellent, comfortable shoes, rain gear, optical equipment.
Trip Rigor: Easy – the 1.5-mile round-trip walk is along a wooden boardwalk with sheltered rest stops along the way. Restrooms and water fountains are available at various locations including the Chesser Island Boardwalk parking lot.
Ossabaw Island State Heritage Preserve - Birds seen in 2005
Friday: 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Saturday: 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM SOLD OUT
Leader: Mary Elfner
Limit: 20 participants per day; 5 vehicles
Fee: $75
Ossabaw Island has a fascinating natural and human history to share. Humans have lived on Ossabaw Island for more than 4,000 years, enjoying and putting to use its rich salt marshes, freshwater ponds, ancient maritime forest, wind-swept dunes, and deserted white beaches. Shaped like a wishbone with marsh filling the middle, the island consists of 25,000 acres, of which 11,800 are upland and almost 10 miles are beach, making it roughly twice the size of Bermuda and counting total acreage, the second largest barrier island on the Georgia coast. The island was the first acquisition of the Heritage Trust Act of 1975, which protects the island from overuse and development, but makes public access difficult and rare.
The undisturbed beaches of Ossabaw are the most important areas on the island for migrant, wintering and breeding shorebirds and seabirds. The upland maritime forest on Ossabaw Island comprises a mix of native hardwoods, such as live oak, southern magnolia and loblolly pine. The forest is dominated by live oaks, which are common to Georgia’s barrier islands where salt spray from the ocean reduces competition and allows the oaks with their leathery leaves to dominate. Here we can expect to see many resident and migrating perching birds and raptors. Lunch will not be provided.
Recommended Needs: Binoculars, spotting scope, insect repellent, sunscreen and a hat, water/drinks, snacks/lunch, long pants and closed shoes, notebook and/or bird guide.
Trip Rigor: Moderate – boat travel can be cold, wet and/or choppy depending on weather conditions; open-air riding on trailer with benches once on the island and walking in different terrains such as maritime forest and beach. Restroom facilities are limited.
Paulk’s Pasture Wildlife Management Area
Friday: 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Leader: Tim Keyes
Limit: 15 participants
Fee: $10
Paulk’s Pasture is a Wildlife Management Area with several areas of good birding. Of primary interest is a wet power line cut, which often holds Henslow’s Sparrow and Sedge Wren in winter. There are also several nice forested wetlands, as well as many other clearcuts that participants can bird looking for sparrows and other early successional species. Participants will likely find pitcher plants and other interesting pine-flatwoods plants that survive in the power line corridor. If time permits, trip will be extended to cover Altamaha Regional Park and/or Sansavilla Wildlife Management Area. Lunch will not be provided.
Recommended Needs: Rubber boots or shoes that can get wet, insect repellent, sunscreen and hat, water, snacks/lunch, binoculars, spotting scope.
Trip Rigor: moderate; mostly easy walking, but power line corridor can be wet and uneven ground.
Sapelo Island - Birds seen in 2005
Friday: 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM SOLD OUT
Leader: Malcolm Hodges
Sunday: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Leaders: Carol Lambert, Jeff Sewell
Limit: 17 participants per day
Fee: $45 (Participants need to bring an additional $2 cash for ferry)
State-owned and largely undeveloped, Sapelo Island is the approximate mid-point of Georgia's barrier islands, the probable site of first European settlement (16th century missionaries) in Georgia. A 200-year history of wealthy private ownership of most of the island's 20,000 acres of upland and marshland preceded the establishment of the University of Georgia's Marine Institute (1953), R.J. Reynolds Wildlife Management Area (1969) and the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (1973). About 70 descendants of the Gullah culture established by freed slaves in 1865 still live in the community of Hog Hammock. Sapelo has miles of pristine beaches and dunes, inter-dune meadows and ponds, salt marshes and tidal creeks, grassy fields and mature maritime forest (live oak hammock) as well as pond-pine savanna. A mix of woodland, grassland, marsh, shore and seabirds in these varied habitats can be seen year round. Sapelo is also the only east coast location where Plain Chachalaca can be found. Lunch will not be provided.
Recommended Needs: insect repellent, sun protection, long sleeves and pants, hat, water, snacks and lunch, rain gear, binoculars.
Trip Rigor: Moderate – open-air riding on flatbed pickup with benches; 2 miles of beach walking and up to 1 mile of road/trail walking. Boat travel can be cold and wet depending on current weather conditions – please dress accordingly.
St. Simons Island Kayak
Friday: 2:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Sunday: 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Leader: Cindy Janus – Southeast Adventure Outfitters
Limit: 15 participants per day
Fee: $50 (includes kayak rental)
Kayak through the beautiful marsh creeks in historic Bloody Marsh on St. Simons Island and out to the fabulous birding beach on the south end of Sea Island. We will get out of the kayaks and explore the two miles of undeveloped beach with a great view. This area is known to be a resting spot for many local birds as well as migrating species. Paddling through two ecosystems, enjoy the opportunity to see ibis, osprey, wood storks, American oystercatchers, tri-colored herons, bald eagles, royal terns, black skimmers, long-billed curlews, willets, and least terns. Lunch will not be provided.
Recommended Needs: Sun protection, water, snacks, shoes and clothing that can get damp, zip-lock bags for any non-waterproof cameras or binoculars.
Trip Rigor: Easy – Trip is geared for beginners and can be handled by anyone with moderate physical ability. Windy conditions can make the trip more challenging.
| 
