Jekyll Island, Georgia: Birds, Salt Marshes, Endless Beaches

We love Vermont. We truly do. But this winter has been long and hard. 

Twelve days in southern Georgia was a wonderful antidote! We flew into Jacksonville FL, drove north, and stayed near Brunswick, birding and relaxing and visiting nearby Jekyll Island.

by Maeve and Bernie

Since the 1940s, Jekyll Island has been a very unusual and very special state park. It's 5529 acres of salt marsh, beaches, sand dunes under the stewardship of the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA). The JIA's mission is to "maintain the delicate balance between nature and humankind", with financial support from the non-profit Jekyll Island Foundation.

Great birding starts immediately, at the Guest Information Center with its observation tower overlooking a broad salt marsh. 

From the tower, we heard Clapper Rails and Marsh Wrens and we saw Little Blue Herons, Greater Yellowlegs, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Palm Warblers, mockingbirds and cardinals. 

Beside the road leading from the Information Center, we watched a large number of immature White Ibises still in their "baby brown" color.

Jekyll Island is all about conservation, preservation and education: conservation of natural resources, preservation of unique habitats, and education about wildlife, nature, and the history of the island.

Anhingas are sometimes called "snake birds" because they swim with only their long necks above the water, looking very much like water snakes. Unlike most water birds, they don't have the special oils that make feathers waterproof so they often leave the water and spread their wings to dry.

During our twelve days in Georgia, we saw Hooded Mergansers in just about every pool of fresh water and brackish water.



This little guy was contorting his head in all sorts of shapes in an attempt to attract the female!




We watched a gull repeatedly flying high over the fishing wharf to drop its prey until the shell cracked open and the creature inside could be devoured.

First time Bernie ever hugged a  whale!

Laughing Gull

Great Blue Heron

Ruddy Turnstones were doing what they're supposed to do: turning over stones (and shells) to find small crustaceans to munch.

Willets on the beach were a real treat! 

Sand Dollar

We suspected this Sand Dollar was still alive so we removed it from the beach and placed it in the ocean water. Maeve also spotted a Sand Dollar the size of a quarter. Perhaps a Quarter Dollar!

Jelly Fish

Mystery Fin

The first time we visited the south end of Jekyll Island, we strolled on a broad sand beach that stretched for yards and yards out to the ocean. When we returned a few days later at high tide, there was no beach at all!

Above: Snowy Egrets

Below: More Willets

Horseshoe Crab shells

South Dunes Picnic Area was one of our favorite stops on Jekyll Island. We watched turtles in the small freshwater pond, ate a picnic lunch, watched shorebirds and walked for miles along the beautiful white sand beach.

                                                                         Interesting long neck and pointy snout.







We found the Vermont sign at the Jekyll Island Campground, an inland area with many sites for RVs and tents. Sites are designated by row and by states' names.

This male Boat-tailed Grackle  entertained people at the fishing dock (north end of the island) with an astonishing assortment of snorts, whistles, groans and harsh yells. The brown female watched in silence.

We got great close-up views of a flock of Black Vultures heading for their night roost.

Great Blue Herons are at home in fresh water, salt water and brackish water.


Bernie stood perhaps 15 to 20 feet from this heron for minutes before it decided to mosey on.










It's February - and we're having a day at the beach!!!

Western Sandpipers, Dunlins and Sanderlings rounded out the shorebird crew on the sand.

We lucked into a GREAT place to stay, at an airbnb on a small private island-Oak Grove Island. The cabin, which used to be a hunting/fishing retreat, was cozy, private and well-equipped - and, best of all, deliciously quiet and private!

Just a few yards from our cabin was a tidal creek that was nothing but a trickle at low tide but a wide river/lake at high tide. A neighbor told us that the difference in tides here is greater than at any place on the North American Atlantic coast except for the Bay of Fundy!



A writer's retreat if ever we viewed one.

Five kinds of warblers, cardinals, Blue Jays and Bluebirds, mockingbirds, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Great and Snowy Egrets, Clapper Rails, Wood Storks, Black and Turkey Vultures, four kinds of woodpeckers - even a Barred Owl! - all within a few steps of our cabin.

Male Yellow-throated Warblers sang most of every single day, announcing that they've returned from their wintering areas and are staking out their breeding territories.




Every birding expedition has a few mysteries. We caught a glimpse of the next bird, and Bernie snapped one quick picture, but we didn't identify it as a Brown-headed Nuthatch until we were home and could enlarge and study the photo. 

These are the least numerous nuthatch in North America. We feel lucky to have seen one!

More photos from Jekyll Island, just a short drive from our idyllic retreat:

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center combines public education with the rehabilitation of injured turtles. We learned that most injuries are due to collisions with boats or entanglement with fishing lines, but some turtles get "cold stunned" when they venture too far north. We got to watch surgery on one cold stunned animal that had lost some of its carapace. 







We were impressed by the thoughtful development of Jekyll Island's residential and commercial areas. Parking lots for stores are set back from the road and are broken up into small sections by curves and palm trees. There's no ugly beachfront development, just ocean, dunes and sand.








Every different part of Jekyll Island had a different feel. The fishing wharf near the north end is bustling, with long paved piers, a little store, and humongous ships passing by.







Snowy Egrets and Great Egrets were everywhere, on both Jekyll Island and Oak Grove Island.

Wood Stork

Northern Mockingbird

Osprey with fish (maybe a Red Snapper, which are  caught in the creek)

This little crab was on the dirt road leading to our cabin. We tried to help it get across the road - however it seemed to prefer to go at its own pace.

This little fella (Green Anole) reminded me of the PBS show Death in Paradise. 














Every morning was different - and all were beautiful. This day started with heavy fog and hushed quiet.









We fell (more) in love under the majestic live oaks covered with Spanish moss.















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We got the following comments about this posting:

What a precious haven!
Thank you, thank you.
Brattleboro, VT

Fervently seconded! A thrill to tag along through these beautiful photos, many thanks, Passumpsic

Enjoyed your blogspot a lot. Captures the beauty of JI very nicely.

What a lovely album, full of great photos and interesting narrative.
VT

These are great photos of a magical place.
SB VT