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!
Myrtle Pond has been a great winter birding spot — from waterfowl to wading birds, the pond has continued to be an active gathering grounds. Ducks seen recently include small groups of Bufflehead, Pintail, Black Duck, Mottled Duck, Ruddy Duck, and Red-breasted Merganser. There are also large groups of Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, and Hooded Mergansers. Alongside the ducks are Pied-billed Grebes, American Coot, and Common Moorhen. Wading birds at Myrtle Pond include White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Wood Stork, Snowy Egret, White Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Roseate Spoonbill.
