On Wednesday, March 3, a group of 11 Purple Martins were seen on the white Purple Martin house for the first time this season. The group consisted of both male and female birds. The martins were busily flying to and from the nest box, going in and out of the nesting holes, and flying out over Mosquito Creek feeding on insects.

We will be watching the nest box closely to see if the Purple Martins will decide to stay and nest here on LSSI or if they will move on to other locations. Stay tuned!

On Friday, February 19, LSSI naturalists took a skiff down the Hampton River to Bungalow Creek, with the purpose of looking for American Oystercatchers. The birds gather in large flocks during the winter months and it is a good opportunity to survey for the numbers of birds and to search for birds with colored leg bands. The weather was warm and clear, making for excellent conditions to read the unique letter and number band combinations.

The tide was high at 11:30, and the naturalists surveyed from around 11:00 AM until noon. We counted 60 oystercatchers  and of those, 21 had leg bands. The majority of birds had received the bands from Georgia biologists, but there were also birds that had been banded in other states. One bird was seen with a green band, the color for North Carolina, and another bird had an orange band, from New Jersey.

The purpose of giving individual birds colored bands is to be able to track the birds throughout their lifetime, and therefore gain valuable information about when and where the birds travel and spend their time. The information from re-sighting birds is collected into a database.  Brad Winn, a biologist with the non-game conservation section of the Georgia DNR, shared some insights into where the birds seen on Friday had been previously.

Of the 19 birds with bands from Georgia, 13 birds have only ever been re-sighted in Georgia. 6 of the birds had records of being seen in other states. The states include Virginia, Massachusetts and New Jersey! The bird with the oldest band was J5, who was banded right here at LSSI as a chick in 2001. Two birds (T7 and X8) were re-sighted for the first time since they received bands in December 2008; they were given the bands on Little St. Simons Island. Two of the birds sighted were confirmed as breeders in Virginia in past years; one bird bred in New Jersey, and one bird bred in Massachusetts.

By looking at the above data, we can see just how valuable it can be to track individual birds. Without designating individuals, it would be impossible to understand how far the birds travel and how they form relationships during the nesting season.  Birds do not know political boundaries such as state lines; they seek out the best resources. Understanding their behavior helps states make informed management decisions and gives states the opportunity to work together.

Remember, if you are ever fortunate enough to see a bird that has an individual band, record all the information that you can, and share it with the right people. Yo can do something as simple as search “banded birds” on the internet, or call your local DNR office for contact information on who to report to.  Someone will be very interested in what you saw!

Large flocks of American Robin can be seen throughout the maritime forest and in the compound.  Although it is not uncommon for robins to overwinter here or even farther north, they have only just appeared this year, suggesting that they have spent the winter farther south and are only beginning to move back northward. In summer months the robins feed heavily on insects and worms; they also feed extensively on berries or other wild fruits, especially in the winter months.  Regardless of where the robins have been, it seems like there is nothing more Springlike than hearing the cheery call of these common but beautiful thrushes.

On Friday, February 5, naturalists on LSSI took part in the annual Mid-winter Shorebird Survey with the help of Giff Beaton and Brandon Noel. The survey is part of a statewide effort looking at shorebird numbers. A total of 23 bird species were seen during our count, adding up to a total of 8099 birds. Of those, 18 species (7989 individuals) were shorebirds. Dunlin numbered the highest, with 5477 birds counted. Trailing far behind in second were Semi-palmated Plover (834). Third numerous were Sanderling (593), followed by Short-billed Dowitcher (236).

Other shorebirds counted were: Black-bellied Plover (227), Red Knot (171), Western Sandpiper (158), Ruddy Turnstone (157), Dowitcher Sp. (32), Least Sandpiper (25), American Oystercatcher (17), Piping Plover (12), Greater Yellowlegs (11), Wilson’s Plover (9), Marbled Godwit (9), Killdeer (9), Greater Yellowlegs (8), and unidentified “peeps” (4).

Other species counted on the survey were: Scaup Sp. (86), Lesser Scaup (19), Greater Scaup (3), Lesser Black-back Gull (1), and Bald Eagle (1).

It is the time of year when visits to the two Bald Eagle nests on LSSI become more frequent… we believe that the eggs of both clutches have finally hatched! The nest on the north end of the island was believed to have hatched on January 26th. The adult was seen sitting high on the nest and moving things around below it. The bird seemed very active in comparison to when it was still incubating the eggs. The pair on the south end of LSSI is a bit trickier — we don’t have an exact date of hatching for them, but by now the eggs should be fully developed and hatched. So far, we have not had any looks at either nest where the chicks could be seen. Stay tuned for further updates and photos as the season continues!

We have had several reports of River Otter on Little St. Simons Island over the last week. The sleek brown mammals have been seen at Norm’s Pond on two occasions, Goose Pond, and the north dike of Myrtle Pond.  River Otters belong to the weasel family, Mustelidae, and are in the sub-family Lutrinae.

Today’s morning activity started out seeking sparrows, but when the sparrows eluded us we changed course and turned up numerous other species. We began at the marsh near Myrtle Pond looking for sparrows but flushed Sedge Wrens instead. We gave up on the sparrows and our list lengthened. The morning birds included: Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Stork, Black Vulture, and Turkey Vulture. We also saw Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, American Avocet, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, and Short-billed Dowitcher. In addition to all those wonderful birds, we noted Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Tree Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Eastern Meadowlark. As if the birds weren’t enough, we were also fortunate enough to spot one American Alligator and a River Otter!

This week there has been a large group of White Pelicans at the mouth of the Altamaha River. The group of pelicans is visible from Sancho Panza beach, and also from River Beach. High counts topped out around 100 pelicans, and smaller groups of 60 – 75 have been seen as well. The brilliant white is visible from a distance, even without binoculars, but the birds are moving about quite frequently and have been seen close to the shore and on Sancho Panza beach as well.

Little St. Simons Island is pleased to announce this year’s line-up of guest ornithologists for Spring Birding Days 2010! The event will take place from April 16 – 23, 2010. The guest birders featured this year will be John Sill, author and illustrator; Scott Weidensaul, author; and Tim Keyes, Wildlife Biologist with the Georgia DNR.

Spring Birding Days is a wonderful time for beginner to advanced birders to explore the many habitat types found on LSSI alongside others who are passionate about birds.  The variety and abundance of birds is plentiful in April as migration north is underway. Shorebirds, wading birds, birds of prey, warblers, and other songbirds can be found moving through the island in the Spring. LSSI is an important stop-over area for many birds traveling north who need a place to rest and refuel.

While the focus of Spring Birding Days is mainly on birds and their conservation, it is also a great opportunity to experience all the different types of wildlife found on the island as well. While out birding, we often encounter other wildlife such as interesting mammals, insects, and flora.

Be sure to call 912-638-7472 to book your stay during Spring Birding Days! This wonderful and exciting time of year fills up quickly!

Bald Eagles are incubating eggs at both the North End and South End nests on LSSI! We believe both nests began incubation during late December. We conducted a Mid-winter Eagle Survey on Tuesday, January 12, and counted 6 Bald Eagles. Four immature and two adults were seen during the survey, but we know that more individuals are present on the island, since there are a total of four adults at the two nests. One of the favorite areas of the Bald Eagles continues to be Myrtle Pond; on two separate occasions recently 5 juvenile eagles could be seen at the same time!