December 21 – Savannah & South Carolina

So this birding trip was about work and our passion for birds. Mike had a very important teak deck survey to do on a large sailing yacht that was docked on the Savannah riverfront.  We took an early morning flight, arriving at the Savannah / Hilton Head Airport and headed directly to the Savannah Wildlife Refuge just across the river in South Carolina. This is a very nice four mile drive through what was, in the 1800’s, a large rice plantation. Driving along the main dike we stopped frequently for the numerous ducks including Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler and Ring-necked Ducks. Also among the 26 species of birds were many American Coots, Common Gallinules, a Northern Harrier and several types of sparrow. One of the high points along the drive was a short walk along a trail that passes by the remains of a cistern that was used during the plantation days and you can really feel the history that surrounds it.

Leaving the refuge, we drove to downtown Savannah and had lunch at Lady and Sons, Paula Dean’s famous southern kitchen. We have always wanted to check this place out on our previous trips to Savannah and we are glad we did. The buffet had many southern specialities and we tried oxtail for the first time. Our hotel, the Hilton Riverfront was just a few blocks away, so we checked in for a short rest before we were off to bird the marshes and beach. Our target birds that afternoon were the Saltmarsh and Nelson’s Sparrows at our first stop, the Fort Pulaski National Monument. There are several nice trails at the fort and we saw Forster’s Tern, Marsh Wren, Savannah, Song and Swamp Sparrows, but not the sparrows we had hoped for. Lucky for us, just down the road at the boat launch we heard and saw a Clapper Rail singing and preening along the shoreline. It’s not often that you see rails out in the open without a care in the world.  Heading out to Tybee Island we parked near the lighthouse and hiked out to the beach hoping for some shorebirds and were delighted to see seven Northern Gannets soaring just above the raging surf. There were also many Ring-billed Gulls and Double-crested Cormorant at the beach.

Our birding was done for the day so it was time to head back to the hotel for some well deserved relaxation and a very fine dinner at the Olde Pink House which is one of the best restaurants in town.  Our meal was incredible, the service outstanding and you must check out the Planter’s Tavern in the basement.

The next day was all about work and the 158’sailing yacht “ Thalia” is an amazing vessel. This world class yacht, built at Vitter’s Shipyard in the Netherland’s, has spent her life cruising the world’s oceans. Oh the story she could tell. We hope to play a part in Thalia’s upcoming re-fit to be done in Auckland, New Zealand during 2017.

Another weekend was done and while we didn’t find any new birds, we did have a great trip exploring Savannah and the surrounding area.

Next up: California – The Final Trip

Trip : Total Species: 43 Year Birds:  0  Life Birds: 0

2015 : Year Birds: 509   Life Birds: 83

Here’s the list: 2015 Bird List