Tuesday, November 27

Melospiza georgiana - Swamp Sparrow

Sunday, October 21

While we were sitting on the back deck yesterday, something flew over and Sarah got a glimpse of the high soaring bird between the roof lines of the breezeway.

"That's a buzzard, isn't it?" I said.

"No, it's the wrong color!!!" Sarah replied.

I ran for the camera and extended the zoom to the full 300mm. He politely landed in one of the bare trees on the Lane and posed for his picture to be taken.

Buteo jamaicensis - Red-tailed Hawk

Thursday, October 11

Colaptes auratus - Northern Flicker

A breeding pair?

Titbits of Wood Stork facts:

Because of their specialized feeding behavior, wood storks forage most effectively in shallow-water areas with highly concentrated prey.

Wood storks use a variety of freshwater and estuarine wetlands for breeding, feeding, and roosting. Nests must be located in trees in standing water or on islands surrounded by water. Height of nests above the water ranges from 3-7 feet in small trees to over 66 feet in cypress trees.

During the nonbreeding season or while foraging, wood storks occur in a wide variety of wetland habitats. Typical foraging sites for the wood stork include freshwater marshes and stock ponds, shallow, seasonally flooded roadside or agricultural ditches, narrow tidal creeks or shallow tidal pools, managed impoundments, and depressions in cypress heads and swamp sloughs.

'Bout Time

It's been weeks months since we been able to add another bird to our list!

We had seen him a couple times before. He was always in flight away from us or too far away to get a good photo. However yesterday evening, he stayed perched on a remains of a old pine tree - allowing us to take several pictures. He remained contently on his post as we departed the Beaver Pond.

Mycteria americana - Wood Stork

Wood Storks have been on the Endangered Species List since 1984. In the early 1900's, there were more than 60,000 of these birds in the U.S. But habitat destruction, development, and pollution caused their population to dwindle to only 4,500 breeding pairs in the 1980's. Wood Storks are stabilizing and now have between 5,000 and 7,000 breeding pairs. The health and existence of the wood stork is a good way for us to measure the health of the wetlands where they live.

Dog Days

The time between the early of July and the middle of August is known as Dog Days.

South Georgian lore tells that song birds are mostly quiet during these hot and humid days. Many a trip to the Beaver Pond and around the trails in the woods yield nothing picture worthy.

We are waiting for the cooler temperatures and the return of the winter birds to the region.

Wednesday, July 11

Ceryle alcyon - Belted Kingfisher

Corvus ossifragus - Fish Crow

"I keep waiting to see a Hawk!"

Since we have been keeping our bird blog we have been wanting and waiting to see a HAWK...

On June 24, I saw a hawk perched on the pinacle of the old Helena Hotel - no camera.

On June 27, we saw a hawk on the top of a power pole outside Chas Mar - no camera.

Sarah had a doctor's appointment in Macon today. We stopped at Wal*Mart on the way back home to pick up some groceries. Sarah spotted it. Less than 20 feet from where we parked.

This is not the way we wanted to see a Hawk...

Buteo platypterus - Broad-winged Hawk immature

He got it in the end!

Deer

There were two deer near the planted pines as Sarah walked toward the Beaver Pond this morning...

Sunday, June 3

Passer domesticus - House Sparrow

While eating lunch after church today, we saw the Sparrows playing and picking up scraps of food. We took the camera with us this afternoon and after evening services we captured these little guys.

Saturday, June 2

While walking in the rains of Tropical Storm Berry:

Ardea alba - Great Egret

and under the carport and down at the pond:


Hirundo rustica - Barn Swallow

Wednesday, May 30

Piranga rubra - Summer Tanager
Passerina cyanea - Indigo Bunting

The fog was thick as pea soup this morning, with the moisture was condensing on the leaves and the pine needles. The birds were enjoying the cool morning and bathing in the dew.

And this Red Wing Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) was really showing his epaulets.

Monday, May 28

Bubo virginianus - Great Horned Owl

And we didn't have the camera! :(

"AGH! a snake! a snake! Ohhhh... It's a snake!"

Why Sarah hasn't been taking as many pictures or spenting as much time at the Beaver Pond:

Monday, May 21

We were having dinner last night with Mrs. Christine Brown. While we were at the dining table, we were treated to a show on the railing of the deck:

Passerculus sandwichensis - Savannah Sparrow


sandwichensis ??? Where did they come up with that one?

"Doc, it's only a scratch"

This little guy was Sarah's companion this morning at the Beaver Pond.

Thus far

1. Lophodytes cucullatus - Hooded Merganser
2. Anhiga anhiga- Anhiga
3. Polioptila caerulea - Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher
4. Boaurus lentigingus - America Bittern
5. Phalacrocorax auritus - Double Crested Cormorant
6. Callipepla squamam - Northern Bobwhite
7. Bubulcus ibis - Cattle Egret
8. Euphagus carolinus - Rusty Blackbird
9. Passer domesticus - House Sparrow
10. Carpodacus purpureus - Purple Finch
11. Aix sponsa - Wood Duck
12. Beaolophus (Parus) bicolor - Tuffted Titmouse
13. Plegadis ajaja - White Ibis
14. Egretta caerulea - Little Blue Heron
15. Ardea herodias - Great Blue Heron
16. Streptopelia decaocto - Eurasian Collared-dove
17. Melanerpes erythrocephalus - Red-headed Woodpecker
18. Pipilo erythrophthalmus - Eastern (Rufous-sided) Towhee
19. Empidonax flaviventris - Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
20. Anas platyrhynchos - Mallard Duck
21. Mimus polyglottos - Northern Mockingbird
22. Toxostoma rufum - Brown Thrasher
23. Picoides Pubescens - Downy Woodpecker
24. Cathartes aura - Turkey Vulture
25. Coragyps atratus - Black Vulture
26. Agelaius phoeniceus - Red-winged Blackbird
27. Meleagris gallopavo -Eastern Wild Turkey
28. Dryocopus pileatus - Pileated Woodpecker
29. Molothrus ater - Brown-headed Cowbird
30. Cyanocitta cristata - Blue Jay
31. Zenaida macroura - Mourning Dove
32. Tyrannus tyrannus - Eastern Kingbird
33. Corvus brachyrhynchos - American Crow
34. Archilochus colubris - Ruby-throated Hummingbird
35. Cardinalis cardinalis - Northern Cardinal
36. Branta canadensis - Canada Goose
37. Charadrius vociferus - Killdeer
38. Progne subis - Purple Martin

Monday, May 14

• Lophodytes cucullatus - Hooded Merganser

And I got to see the reason for the beaver pond. (S)He was swimming about 20 yards away from our observation post, headed back toward the dam... Photos were taken, but they are never as good as being there LIVE!

Saturday, May 12

Birds only heard early this morning:

• Strix varia - Barred Owl
• Caprimulgus vociferus - Chuck-Will's-Widow
• Caprimulgus carolinenis - Whip-poor-will
• Callipepla squamam - Nothern Bobwhite

Birds at the Beaver Pond:

• Anhiga anhiga- Anhiga
• Polioptila caerulea - Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher
• Boaurus lentigingus - America Bittern
  
  

On the farm pond:

• Phalacrocorax auritus - Double Crested Cormorant

And... late this afternoon, we finally got to not only hear but also see:

• Callipepla squamam - Nothern Bobwhite
  

This morning we were able to watch two deer across the smoky Beaver Pond

(a distance of around 200 yards)!

Wednesday, May 9 - Trip to Savannah

• Bubulcus ibis - Cattle Egret
• Euphagus carolinus - Rusty Blackbird

We would have love to seen more - we were limited in time and there is an subtropical storm causing rain in and around Savannah.

What began as a mid-latitude or extratropical low pressure system has transitioned to a subtropical storm named Andrea. A tropical storm watch is posted from Altamaha Sound, Georgia southward to Flagler Beach, Florida. Andrea has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and little change of strength is forecast. The storm is located about 110 miles southeast of Savannah, Georgia and is moving slowly towards the west at 3 mph. The center of Andrea is forecast to remain offshore through at least Thursday morning and possibly for the remainder of its lifespan.

The greatest impacts from this storm have likely peaked on Monday and Tuesday (before it was even given a name) but an isolated tropical storm-force wind gust or two is still possible especially along the South Carolina and Georgia coast.

Wave heights will continue to be on the decline during the remainder of the week however breakers of 9 to 12 feet will still crash along the beaches of South Carolina during much of tomorrow. Minor to moderate beach erosion is still possible and the risk of rip currents will remain high through at least Thursday and possibly longer.

Coastal showers will move onshore from time to time tonight and Thursday especially along the South Carolina, Georgia, and northeastern Florida coast. Unfortunately for the arid Southeast, any bit of rain is beneficial but it will likely not be a soaking rainfall. The rain that does fall will likely not be enough to help firefighters battle the fires over southeast Georgia and northern Florida.

The sign on Highway 121 in Collins