Trip Date: December 2018 | Location: Georgia and Florida
The Peach Bowl gave us the perfect excuse to combine our love for football with our passion for birding. As you can see in this picture, we came ready for the rivalry—Sharon representing Michigan and Mike proudly supporting his Florida Gators. Though the game ended with a decisive 41-15 victory for Florida, we quickly moved on to the real goal: adding some new birds to our Georgia life list.
The morning air was crisp as we walked through downtown Atlanta toward Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The state-of-the-art facility is not only architecturally impressive but also offers spectacular views of the Atlanta skyline. We were also pleasantly surprised to discover the stadium’s ‘fan-first’ pricing model, which keeps most food and drink options accessible, generally priced between $2 and $11
Macon: Birding and Southern Rock History
Sunday morning, we revisited Macon and stopped at Rose Hill Cemetery, the final resting place of Gregg and Duane Allman. The Allman Brothers Band used to hang out here, and several of their songs, including “Elizabeth Reed” and “Little Martha,” were written on the grounds. As it turns out, cemeteries are often great birding spots, and we weren’t disappointed. We found Red-tailed Hawk, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Cedar Waxwings, and Chipping Sparrows.
Jekyll Island: A Coastal Paradise
Next, we drove to the coast and to our destination, Jekyll Island. The island’s Driftwood Beach was recently named one of TripAdvisor’s top 10 beaches, and it’s easy to see why. For over a century, Jekyll Island has been a popular wintering spot, with historic mansion-sized cottages built by the Vanderbilts, Morgans, and Rockefellers. With 25 miles of trails, the island offers great birding opportunities. We got up early and walked to a nearby campground with a designated bird garden and feeders, where we found even more species.
From the campground, we headed to the boat launch and the boardwalk that leads to Driftwood Beach. This two-mile walk took us through a variety of habitats and was incredibly productive. We logged an impressive 34 species, including a Clapper Rail, Wilson’s Snipe, several types of woodpeckers, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, and an Orange-crowned Warbler. All the herons and egrets we expected to see were there as well.
Another great birding spot we recommend is the beach by the soccer field and the Tidelands Nature Center. Our final stop at the Welcome Center added a Peregrine Falcon, an American Avocet, and a Belted Kingfisher. This capped off a great day of birding.
Final Stop in Florida
After a special few days in Georgia, it was time to head home. A recent report of a Purple Sandpiper made us add one more stop: Huguenot Memorial Park in Jacksonville, Florida. This park is a great spot for birding and camping, and you can even drive on the beach. We added our first 21 Florida birds of the year, including a variety of gulls, terns, and shorebirds. In retrospect, we wish we had taken more photos of the Ruddy Turnstones to study them later—the Purple Sandpiper may have been hidden among them. It was interesting to see the numerous Cannonball Jellyfish on the beach.
While the Purple Sandpiper proved too elusive for us this time, the trip was a huge success. We were thrilled to add 44 new species to our Georgia life list, bringing our state total to 68 and wrapping up a fantastic weekend of football and birding
Trip Summary:
Trip Totals: 67 species • 0 life birds
Georgia Totals: 60 species • 44 GA life birds
Florida Totals: 21 species • 0 FL life birds
Next Up: Birding in Lakeland – From the exotic swans at Lake Morton to the nearby Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture.
You must be logged in to post a comment.