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| A White-Tailed Deer showing off its rump (March 2021) |
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| Speaking of rumps, this Yellow-Rumped Warbler was a very common site during our time on Jekyll Island (March 2021) |
This dilapidated amphitheater provides a unique venue for birding. With little human activity, nature has taken over along with many species of birds. Molly and I came here on two separate occasions. Our first occasion was the second day we were on the island, in which Molly and I snuck in some birding before an all-day rainstorm arrived. Our goals were to see some Black-Crowned and Yellow-Crowned Night Herons. Also, this spot was a popular spot for Roseate Spoonbills, which Molly and I had first seen while biking the 20 mile bike path at Shark Valley Visitor Center in the Everglades two years earlier. The Amphitheater Pond lived up to the expectations and we were fortunate to be able to see our target birds with great views.
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| A Roseate Spoonbill Hangout (March 2021) |
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| A lone Roseate Spoonbill preparing to fly and meet with its friends (March 2021) |
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| In flight to the hangout bush (March 2021) |
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| A Great Egret and a Black Crowned Night Heron sheltering from the light rain (March 2021) |
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| Both Yellow-Crowned (above) and Black-Crowned (below) Night Herons in one shot! (March 2021) |
The second time we went was on our bird ramble with Lydia Thompson. She leads Bird Rambles every Thursday morning on the island and was a wonderful guide for us. Her friend Priscilla was also a nice addition to the group. Lydia and Priscilla helped us spot the White-Eyed Vireo at the Ampitheater Pond, another lifer for us. They both provided great guidance as well on shorebird locales and identification, which was crucial for me to add some life birds to my list in this area. Lydia and Priscilla also pointed out the Northern Parula, one of my favorite warbler species and a great addition to our Georgia state list. The ramble ended after we had visited multiple sites including the Ampitheater pond, the golf course, and several popular bird feeder sites and an added per was that we were able to earn some friends that we hope to bird with again during a future visit to this island. Lydia also wrote about us in her blog, which you can find here https://www.artworksbylydia.com/post/yea-march-is-here
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| A male Anhinga sporting his green ring around his eye during breeding season (March 2021) |
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| An amazing photo of a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron that Molly took during our second and sunnier visit to Amphitheater Pond (March 2021) |
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| Some juvenile White Ibises hanging out on some palms (March 2021) |
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| A mixed flock of birds hanging out at the Hangout Bush (March 2021) |
The Horton Pond was the other birding pond locale I visited on Jekyll Island. This pond is a park on the north side of the island that connects the east side of the island with the west side of the island. The Horton Pond received its name from Major John Horton, who built a tabby house (tabby is made out of water, oyster shells, sand, and ash) on this location back in 1743. Amazingly, the ruins of this home still stands today and the property that the house is on provides a great forested habitat for birdwatching.
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| An Anhinga at the Horton Pond (March 2021) |
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| Another common bird seen at these ponds, the Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher was in high numbers while we were visiting the island due to them migrating through this area. (March 2021) |
Horton Pond added another beauty of a bird that I had also photographed but never this well before: the Wood Duck. As I was about to leave the pond, a male and female Wood Duck flew in from the woods and landed yards away from my camera setup in an overlook. It was a treat to photograph what I argue is the most beautiful male duck in North America (perhaps I will think differently when I see m first Harlequin duck in the wild).
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A Stunning Male Wood Duck at the Horton Pond (March 2021)
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Birding was not confined to off site locales on Jekyll Island. On the grounds of our resort that we stayed at (Villas by the Sea), there were many birds that were seen right outside of our window in the trees and shrubbery right near the ocean. On the premises of our resort, I was able to obtain good photos of Brown Thrashers, Northern Mockingbirds, and Boat-Tailed Grackles. The Boat-Tailed Grackles are unique to this coastal habitat, and the Cornell Lab or Ornithology's All About Birds indicates that most of these birds do not venture more than 10 miles from their place of birth. These birds loved showboating their massive tails around with the hopes of capturing a female's eye.
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Brown Thrashers, on the other hand, migrate and are found in our area in Michigan in the summer for breeding and spend time year round in the southeast. These birds are similar to the mockingbird. These accomplished mimickers can sing up to 1,100 different songs per All About Birds, in which many of these songs are mimics of other bird songs.
One bird that I could not get enough of that is very common down south is the Northern Mockingbird. These birds like to make their presence known with their unique mimicry songs in their highly visible perches on fence posts or viewable branches. One video that I took shows the mockingbird mimicking multiple bird songs, including a Brown-Headed Nuthatch at the beginning of the clip and a Blue Jay at the end of the clip. I found them to be charismatic birds and I look forward to seeing these goofy birds again the next time I am in the south.
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| A Northern Mockingbird posing for a photo op (March 2021) |
The next post will be about the beautiful shorebirds that reside on this island. Stay tuned for some more information and thanks for reading!
Hangout Bush sounds like a wonderful spot to kick back and gab with some buds. I hope those birds send me an invitation soon.
ReplyDeleteThe wood duck photos are great.