TwoDipsfromAmsterdam
Anything About?
This is probably the worst vacation report ever but reviews a week in May in Savannah without transport or binoculars.
It was our daughter's graduation from the Savannah College of Art & Design so everything was geared around that. I decided that as this was primarily a family event with some local transportation being provided by friends and relations no car hire was necessary. A check on birding sites around Savannah suggested that the coast, especially places such as Tybee Island, were the places to go. They required cars so I decided to "ignore" the birds.
Whatta mistaka da make-a (UK readers might appreciate that from the BBC TV comedy "'Allo 'Allo" back in the 80s).
I guess I realised I'd cocked up big time before I'd even arrived when the 'plane was taxiing in at Savannah Airport and a Killdeer (a lifer) looked up and laughed at me. Next day I walked down to the Savannah River and they all started laughing big time. This was no bird country - a very deep and commercial river - but within minutes (and without binoculars) there was Royal Tern, Least Tern, Brown Pelican and, as you would expect, Laughing Gull. Over the next couple of days I clocked up Eastern Kingbird, House Finch, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Chimney Swift, Brown Thrasher, Scarlet Tanager, Red-winged Hawk (hardly a surprise), Northen Mockingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, plus Amercian Robin and a few other expected species. A trip across to Hutchison Island was the highlight - the ferry is free (my God - is the US going Communist?) and that turned up Great Blue Heron, Nothern Cardinal and Green Heron plus a pair of Alligators - absolutely brilliant for a Euro birder.
Oh to go back with transportation and binoculars/telescope.o
It was our daughter's graduation from the Savannah College of Art & Design so everything was geared around that. I decided that as this was primarily a family event with some local transportation being provided by friends and relations no car hire was necessary. A check on birding sites around Savannah suggested that the coast, especially places such as Tybee Island, were the places to go. They required cars so I decided to "ignore" the birds.
Whatta mistaka da make-a (UK readers might appreciate that from the BBC TV comedy "'Allo 'Allo" back in the 80s).
I guess I realised I'd cocked up big time before I'd even arrived when the 'plane was taxiing in at Savannah Airport and a Killdeer (a lifer) looked up and laughed at me. Next day I walked down to the Savannah River and they all started laughing big time. This was no bird country - a very deep and commercial river - but within minutes (and without binoculars) there was Royal Tern, Least Tern, Brown Pelican and, as you would expect, Laughing Gull. Over the next couple of days I clocked up Eastern Kingbird, House Finch, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Chimney Swift, Brown Thrasher, Scarlet Tanager, Red-winged Hawk (hardly a surprise), Northen Mockingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, plus Amercian Robin and a few other expected species. A trip across to Hutchison Island was the highlight - the ferry is free (my God - is the US going Communist?) and that turned up Great Blue Heron, Nothern Cardinal and Green Heron plus a pair of Alligators - absolutely brilliant for a Euro birder.
Oh to go back with transportation and binoculars/telescope.o
