LSSI might well be called Little St. Simons Dry-land, as soaring July temperatures and a lack of any abundant precipitation are leaving the island a bit parched these days. Many plants are begging for a good rainfall, and most ponds are fluctuating between looking like dry, cracked mud flats or small shallows pools after light rains.

Early morning and late afternoon are clearly the best times to seek out wildlife, while the temperatures are a bit less severe. During the heat of the day the active naturalist can still seek out plenty of wildlife including shorebirds at the beach, wading birds around the ponds, raccoons, dragonflies, tiger beetles, swallowtails, and a few of the hardier reptiles. Many fallow deer are  active in the early and late hours of the day, including bucks with impressive antler growth and does accompanied by small fawns.

Notable birds in late July include Piping Plover, Whimbrel, Yellowlegs, Louisiana Waterthrush, American Bittern, and large groups of 50 or more Black-necked Stilts. Other migrants arriving on our shores include Dowitchers, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, and Western Sandpiper. Long-billed Curlew, Black Tern, Reddish Egret, and others shorebirds are also noted daily.

Dolphin sightings are particularly fun if you are swimming in the surf as they pass offshore. Pulling the seine nets is another way to stay cool, and to discover the amazing life in the shallows at the same time; small fish, crabs, urchins, jellies, and other sea life have been found in the kick nets. Surf fishing is another option, and small sharks seem to be the most abundant catch lately. In the creeks, shrimp and bait fish are abundant, but redfish, black drum, and the occasional trout or flounder are still biting.

No matter the season or the temperature, you can still find something wild on Little St. Simons Island!

Sea turtle activity continues to be productive on the shores of Little St. Simons Island. As of July 18, we have 96 confirmed nests and have seen 140 additional non-nesting emergences. Hatching of early nests has begun as well; two nests have emerged this week!

Guests continue to accompany our naturalists to the beach for night time walks in the hopes of encountering females and hatchling turtles. Earlier this week, a female turtle was spotted in the surf by one of the night walking groups, but immediately returned to the sea. She appeared to have waited a bit then moved slightly north on the beach to successfully nest; her crawl and nest cavity were confirmed the next morning!

Mississippi Kite have been sighted twice on Little St. Simons Island this week. The first sighting was on July 5 at Sancho Panza near the second fishing hole. The second sighting was on Saturday, July 10 in the main compound. The birds are not regularly seen on LSSI although they are found nearby, nesting in groups along the Altamaha River corridor.

It was a great afternoon of birding at Sancho Panza beach today, with a variety of shorebirds and other species. An Osprey greeted our group by flying from a distant driftwood perch to directly overhead. As we approached the shoreline, Willets were feeding along the surf edge. We looked across the creek, and saw not one but two Long-billed Curlew resting on the beach! Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, and Black-bellied Plover fed busily in the wet sand. Royal and Least Terns were resting on the shoreline; Black Terns, a Gull-billed Tern, and Black Skimmers flew above the creek water. Waders included Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Tri-colored Heron, and Reddish Egret.  Brown Pelican, American Oystercatcher, and Black-necked Stilt were also present.

After the beach, we stopped in for a brief visit at the Myrtle Pond blind where we got to watch Roseate Spoonbill, White Ibis, Snowy Egret, and Tri-colored Herons. We also enjoyed seeing young Mottled Duck and Common Moorhen, as well as several birds bathing in the freshwater, including Red-winged Blackbird and Boat-tailed Grackle.