From the Peach Bowl to Birding the Georgia Coast
The Peach Bowl gave us the perfect excuse to combine our love for football with our passion for birding. After watching the Michigan Wolverines and Florida Gators, we set out to add some new birds to our Georgia life list.
On Friday, we drove through the rain to Macon, arriving just in time for a fantastic Italian dinner. The next morning, it was cold in downtown Atlanta as we walked to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The state-of-the-art facility offered amazing views, but after the game, we were ready to get serious about birding.
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. Cemeteries are often great birding spots, and we weren’t disappointed, finding a 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 our destination of Jekyll Island. The island’s Driftwood Beach was recently named one of the top ten beaches by Trip Advisor, 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.
Other great birding spots we recommend on the island are 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 to our list, capping 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 we didn’t find the elusive sandpiper, the trip was a huge success. We added 44 new birds to our Georgia list, bringing our state total to 68!
Trip Birds: 66 Life Birds: 0
Next Up: Lakeland Exotics and Wimauma
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