Meanwhile, Back Home in Georgia

July 11, 2019Posted in Birds, Flowers, GeorgiaTagged boating, Butterfly Garden, Coastal Georgia, Great Egret, salt marsh, summer, summer blooms, zinnias16 Comments

It seems like we’ve been going non stop since we returned from our trip to Ireland and Scotland on May 23. Once I got caught up on laundry and got over the jet lag, I’ve been able to enjoy the summer.

With very little rain while we were on our trip, my garden was suffering when we got home. After a few days of digging in the dirt and a little watering, it is now thriving.

Zinnia

Daylily

Fiddler Crab on milkweed

Zinnias in the butterfly garden

Zinnia

Some days are perfect for a boat ride.

20190707-Sandbar-with-Bela-(32) — Driftwood on a Georgia sandbar

The hummingbirds come by each day and a painted bunting bunting pair and other small birds come by the feeder regularly. Wading birds are frequent visitors in the neighborhood.

20190704-Egret-Catalina-(21)-wide — Great Egret

Have a great summer!

Saint Augustine Alligator Farm Rookery

February 16, 2019Posted in Birds, Florida, Nature, RVing, Tourist Attractions, WildlifeTagged Great Egret, Great Egret Breeding Plumage, Roseate Spoonbill, Saint Augustine Alligator Farm, Wading Bird Rookery21 Comments

The next stop on our winter RV journey was Saint Augustine, Florida. We had a beautiful campsite in Anastasia State Park to call home for a few days. The weather was lousy most of the time but we picked a perfect sunny day to do some sightseeing.

At the top of my to do list was visit the Saint Augustine Alligator Farm Wading Bird Rookery. During nesting season wading birds come to nest in the trees in the Native Swamp at the Alligator Farm. The birds who nest here are wild and can come and go as they please. Although it was a little early in the nesting season there were a lot of great egrets and roseate spoonbills wearing their breeding plumage and some pairs were starting to build their nests.

The trees surround a swamp area filled with alligators. A boardwalk winds around the swamp giving visitors close up views of the alligators in the water and the birds in the trees.

A bird gathering at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Rookery

Roseate Spoonbills

Boardwalk through the Saint Augustine Alligator Farm Native Swam and Rookery

The Great Egrets showed off their breeding plumage and pairs worked on their nests.

20190211-Alligator-Farm-(39) — Great Egret with breeding plumage at St. Augustine Alligator Farm Rookery

20190211-Alligator-Farm-(45) — Pair of egrets working on their nest

20190211-Alligator-Farm-(103) — Pair of great egrets at St. Augustine Alligator Farm Rookery

20190211-Alligator-Farm-(137) — Egrets at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Rookery

20190211-Alligator-Farm-(121) — You can take my picture now

20190211-Alligator-Farm-(162) — Great Egret Breeding Plumage

The Roseate Spoonbills were my favorite.

20190211-Alligator-Farm-(174) — Roseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm

20190211-Alligator-Farm-(220) — Roseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm Rookery

20190211-Alligator-Farm-(241) — Roseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm Rookery

20190211-Alligator-Farm-(250) — Roseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm Rookery

20190211-Alligator-Farm-(320) — Roseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm Rookery

20190211-Alligator-Farm-(417) — Roseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm Rookery

20190211-Alligator-Farm-(431) — Roseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm Rookery

20190211-Alligator-Farm-(432) — Roseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm Rookery

Coming up next, more about our St. Augustine adventure including other critters at the Alligator Farm.

Breakfast In the Salt Marsh

January 20, 2019January 21, 2019Posted in Birds, Georgia, Nature, Photography, WildlifeTagged Coastal Georgia, Georgia Salt Marsh, Great Egret, salt marsh, White Ibis, winter19 Comments

When the tide is just right and the minnows in the water are plentiful, wading birds gather in the salt marsh in search of food. White Ibis, Egrets, Herons, and Wood Storks can often be seen feeding side by side in the marsh.

This morning my husband got my attention to show me a long line of white birds lined up on the railing of our neighbor’s dock. By the time I got my camera ready many of the birds had flown down into the marsh but there were still a few white ibis and great egrets surveying the area before diving in to eat.

20190120--morning-birds-(1) — White Ibis searching for breakfast in the salt marsh

20190120--morning-birds-(13) — Great Egret

20190120--morning-birds-(25) — White Ibis

20190120--morning-birds-(11) — Great Egret

It’s always entertaining to watch the white ibis as they feed. Usually there is a large group of them poking their long beaks under the water to capture fish. Suddenly, all of them will start wading through the water in the same direction in search of more food. They don’t stay long in any one place. Eventually, they tire of the area and fly off in search of better fishing grounds.

20190120--morning-birds-(77) — Ibis dining in the salt marsh

20190120--morning-birds-(17) — White Ibis dining in the salt marsh

I never know when I’m going to stumble across flocks of birds in the marsh but it’s always a treat when I see them. I was lucky to see them this morning and was glad to have my camera nearby.

Wandering Dawgs 2018 Year in Review

December 31, 2018January 7, 2019Posted in Birds, Butterflies, Florida, Georgia, LighthouseTagged photo essay, year in review23 Comments

Our 2018 was filled with a few short RV trips, Daytona 500, parades, festivals, Universal Studios Orlando, gardening, Georgia Bulldogs, wildlife, beaches, mountains, and lots of fun!

Icicles in January

Start/Finish line at Daytona 500

Glass bottom boat at Silver Springs

Bagpipes at Savannah Scottish Games

Tybee Irish Heritage Parade Junkanoo from the Bahamas

Universal Studios, Florida

The Tybee Island Lighthouse displays the American Flag on 9/11/18 in honor of all those lost on 9/11/2001

This photo of the walkway at the beach shows us a lighthouse when we look away from the beach.

Swallowtail

Painted Bunting on twisted vines

Mexican Sunflower

Georgia Peaches from Ellabell, Georgia

Boat ride in Georgia waters near Tybee Island

Sanford Stadium at UGA

TEAL Walk Savannah 2018

Osprey looks over the salt marsh

Early morning in the Georgia Salt Marsh

Fall brings wading birds to the Georgia salt marsh

Wandering Dawgs at the top of Brasstown Bald

Blue Ridge Scenic Railway

Big Shoals trail on the Suwannee River

Festival of Lights at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center

The Wandering Dawgs at the University of Georgia

Happy New Year!

Bald Eagles of Alaska

August 16, 2018Posted in Alaska, Birds, Nature, Photography, RVing, WildlifeTagged Bald Eagle, Photo Challenge, Wandering Wednesday16 Comments

Five years ago we were wandering around Alaska in our RV. As we traveled I was always on the lookout for wildlife and we saw plenty of it.

Along with the many land and sea animals, I enjoyed seeing the birds. The Bald Eagles were my favorite and there were more Bald Eagles than I’ve ever seen anywhere else. We saw them perched in trees, soaring overhead, and even in a nest in front of the Homer Post office. The most unusual sighting was seeing one fly right beside the truck as we drove along the Homer Spit. I was so busy watching him keep up with us that I didn’t get a chance to take his picture!