On Thursday May 9, I went down to see if the Wilson's Plover's nest survived the super high tides and heavy rains.

   I saw the two adult plovers over to the side of the nest, and there were three eggs!  They made it! 






On Sunday May 12,  This Wilson's Plover became a mother.  See the chick over to the left!  It was wobbly.  It took a few moments for the chick to gain the strength get up.  Then we saw another chick.   . It took a few moments for the chicks to gain the strength to get up. Then they were up and running.   Wow!

The Wilson's are nesting on Jekyll!

They are nesting!  Want to help? Consider signing on for a Plover Patrol Survey.  It is simple and you get to spend 2 hours on the beach.  Look at this great picture by Marilyn Meagher.  She has completed two surveys already.  Ty Ivey has done one.  Thanks guys!

Sorry to take so long to post but I have been very busy pulling together this art show. It shows my growth as an artist over the last thirty year of drawing, printing and painting birds.

Here is one of my walls that I had to fill.  These are drawing using graphite and pastels

     There were a lot of walls to fill so I worked and worked and worked.  I didn't know how it was going to look so I was surprised to see it up.  Thank you to the Jekyll Island Art association's Rosemary and Stephanie for hanging so well.  The show is at the Goodyear Cottage on Jekyll Island.  It will run through the end of the April.




Here are a few more pieces.

 The other artist in the show is Nancy Adams of Savannah Georgia.  Her organic gourds are simply beautiful.                                                                         

Of course, what I work so hard for is the Plover Patrol to help the birds that are my driving force. So it is back to the birds.  Also I would like to thank David Fisher for taking these great photos of the show. 

Plover Patrol goes to the Jekyll Island Green Screen Event

It was so much fun sharing the Plover Patrol with so many people at the First Green Screen Event on Jekyll Island.  If you have not seen the film "Chasing Ice", do see it.  Beautiful photography. 

Here is Abby Sterling and I in front of her research poster on Wilson's Plovers. 

The Venice Area Audubon Society comes to Jekyll

The Venice Area Audubon Society group came to Jekyll.  They came in yesterday February 5.  We saw Avocets, Whimbrels and assorted shorebirds at the Wild Viewing Tower on the causeway.  Then I lead them over to Amphitheater for nature's  nightly heron show....(the birds come into roost)
Then this morning we went out to southend beach for gulls, terns, skimmers and the Wilson's Plovers. 
      It was fun showing this wonderful group Jekyll's birds. 

Banding Marsh Sparrows

My Bird Rambles are spontaneous.  Before I meet my group , I look at the marshes and watch for birds.  This tells me where to go and what to show my guests.  So when I saw Tim Keyes and the crew preparing to band marsh sparrow, I knew what my group was going to see that day.  We got to the crew as they were taking the birds out of the nets.  So, I stood back and told my group to looking into the marsh.  The tide was super high so all the normally secretive sparrows were right up so we could watch wild sparrows moving around.  It was what makes birding an "in the moment" event.  We were there watching sharp-tailed sparrows.

Here is a picture of the crew taking birds out of the nets.Tim Keyes on the left and Charlie Muise on the right are working quickly and smoothly banding sparrows.

Here is a Nelson's Sparrow.  This bird is a target species for this on going marsh sparrow study here in Georgia.

Here is Charlie talking to my "Ramblers" about the Seaside Sparrow.

Priscilla is preparing to release a Seaside Sparrow under the direction of Todd. 

Lourdes not only learned that there were birds in the marsh called Seaside Sparrow, she got to release one. What a great morning!

 

It is a new year