Archive for May, 2010
Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive Closing at Savannah NWR – June 1st!
Saturday, May 29th, 2010I just got the following message from Amy Ochoa, the Refuge Ranger in charge of the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex: Laurel Hill Drive in the Savannah NWR is going to be CLOSED to all visitors starting on June 1st and continuing through the end of the year! Read her full message below for the details.
Laurel Hill Drive is the main route that visitors and birdwatchers take through the refuge’s water impoundment areas, so this is a MAJOR setback for visitors to the Savannah NWR. Ranger Ochoa also noted that the new Visitor Center will remain open during its normal hours throughout the construction project. (It is a very useful and “user-friendly” place to learn more about the refuge.) She also told me that “… all the dates of closures and phases of the project are subject to change. We’ll keep our website updated, so you and your users can keep current there: http://www.fws.gov/savannah.”
Hilton Head Island from the air
Thursday, May 27th, 2010A Flight over Hilton Head Island
I just created a new “hub” (an informational page) on HubPages.com with pictures from a flight that I took in a small plane over Hilton Head Island a few years ago – it’s quite a bit different looking down from the sky and seeing things that are usually hidden behind the trees!
My neighbor, who is a licensed pilot, offered to take me up with him in the small plane that he “time-shares” with some other folks. Although it was a hazy September morning, the view from up in the air was amazing. And being able to pick out landmarks that I usually drove past, or areas that you can’t see from the roadways, was a real treat. I thought I’d share my flight experience so you can appreciate the wonderful natural environment that makes Hilton Head Island special to so many people, both residents and visitors (over a million visitors every year!)
Burkes Beach, Folly Field and Port Royal from an airplane
Here’s the link to the hub “A Flight over Hilton Head Island” again: http://hubpages.com/hub/Hilton-Head-Island-Flight
Of Birds and Men
Monday, May 24th, 2010(or “Mr. Cardinal’s Sticky Situation”)
It all began when my wife came up to my office late one morning and told me, “There are some strange thumping noises in the garage – you’d better go check it out.”
Being the brave man of the house, I immediately went downstairs, grabbed a convenient weapon (an old broom) and went out the side door into the garage. My wife had just been working outside with the garage door up, so we expected that some creature had unknowingly been trapped inside when she put the door down. I pressed the button to put up the overhead garage door and moved forward, weapon in hand, ready to defend our turf from any hostile visitors.
What I found was entirely unexpected. (more…)
Lady Hummingbird in our back yard
Thursday, May 20th, 2010Since I don’t have a lot of flowering plants or shrubs around in the back yard (other than a Bottle-brush Bush), I don’t see a lot of hummingbirds there. But I just saw a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird sitting on a bare branch in the sun this afternoon.
At first I thought it was one of the dragonflies that come up from the lagoon and occasionally rest awhile there. But then I saw it more clearly as it paused and actually sat still on the branch. Of course by the time I went to grab my video camera and came back, she had flown off in search of nectar. Next time!
Savannah NWR resource page added
Friday, May 14th, 2010I just created a new resource page for the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) out along the Savannah River between Hardeeville, SC, and Savannah, GA. This is a great Lowcountry birding hotspot, especially during the spring and fall waterfowl migrations.
Savannah NWR impoundment with Shovelers and Blue-Winged Teal
The new Visitor Center opened in March, 2010, and is a great place for the whole family to learn more about the refuge and the wildlife that lives (or stops by) there. Make sure to see the 11-minute video about the refuge and its connection to the Savannah River, as well as the great exhibits.
Savannah NWR Visitor Center exhibits