Georgia: Okefenokee Swamp & Jekyll Island

Venture Trip Report: March 22-25, 2006

A visit to southern Georgia in the early spring should give us an early start to the spring season and our first day in the Waycross and Okefenokee area was just that - blue skies, warm weather and a blaze of red azaleas and mauve wisteria. Our birding started well too with a walk along the boardwalk at Stephen Foster State Park and 9 species of warbler within the first few hours. The highlight had to be the male Prothonotary Warbler that may have just arrived and seemed to glow in the morning sunshine. He did have competition with a male Prairie Warbler that fed low in the bushes just ahead of us. Our scheduled boat trip took us deeper into the swamp and was picturesque and interesting (in many ways!) but the birding was hardly stellar. The next day the weather changed to cold, gray and somewhat rainy conditions. We searched for woodpeckers along the Swamp Island Drive and found all except the elusive RCW! Birding was not easy and many common species seemed to be absent or maybe had just hunkered down due to the cool weather. Thankfully the rain held off long enough for our canoe ride along the Suwannee Canal. Again, it was hardly bird-infested, but the scenery and ambience were wonderful and I for one really enjoyed the spring blooming of the Golden Clubs along the waterways. The weather improved slightly upon our visit to Jekyll Island, but the cool wind still blew and spring seemed to have vanished again. An Eastern Kingbird was an early arrival and looked out of place in the gray marshland, but the shorebirds cooperated and we had scope comparisons of Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers, Willet and a lone Whimbrel. Both Surf and Black Scoters gave us great views down along the shore of the South Beach area - so often they are distant black dots out on the ocean horizon and the normal roosting flock of gulls, terns, skimmers and pelicans gave us plenty to enjoy as we worked our way through them. The weather did improve somewhat our last day when we visited Altamaha WMA. Flocks of Glossy Ibis, Blue-winged Teal and swarms of Tree Swallows were the main fare, but we also added Mottled Duck and several pair of Northern Shoveler. An American Bittern gave us a nice fly-by and the air was full of Anhingas, Bald Eagles and Ospreys - very nice show indeed. An unusual end to the trip was lunch in the office of a local developer (!). Here we had spectacular views over the marshes while enjoying our picnic lunch and great hospitality. This was tempered somewhat by the knowledge that this little out of the way place was soon to be home for 400 houses!