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| Limpkin! -- photographed by Philip Hodgkins at Savannah NWR -- July 28, 2012 |
Here's a much sought-after bird this past week! A
Limpkin, rarely seen in South Carolina, appeared Saturday, July 28, 2012 in the
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). He has served as the catalyst for many a SC birder to head south towards Savannah, myself included. Philip Hodgkins of Savannah took the superb photo above that day and posted it in the
Carolina Bird Club Gallery on the next day, Sunday, July 29. I saw the photo there Monday morning (July 30) and immediately began recruiting birding buddies to go with me the next day in search of the wondrous bird. By the way, if you like Philip's photo, you should visit
his site to admire some of his other work!
And why is this a wondrous bird? As I mentioned previously, it is extremely rare for South Carolina. I learned during my adventure that this particular bird above is only the third limpkin ever seen in the Savannah NWR! For me, it would be a bird for my life list! Well, yes, I had seen a few, in the days before I was a birder. Once upon a time I lived in southern Georgia, the very northern reaches of this bird's normal range. I could have already added the bird to my life list. I probably could still determine a date from old photos of visits to the
Okefenokee Swamp. But, unless I change the rules (and they are my rules to change), I only have birds that I have seen since I became a birder on my life list. But that's a debate for another day.... back to the Limpkin! This bird feeds on snails, insects and fresh-water mussels. Using a bill whose tip is slightly curved to the right, this bird can easily extract the meat from the right-handed chamber of the snail. Extraction takes about 10 to 20 seconds and the shell is rarely broken. Also, having first heard
the Limpkin's eery, unforgettable call in the swamplands of Georgia, it will always conjure up for me images of the Okefenokee. How I would love to see this bird here in South Carolina!
The search for this Limpkin was on. My friend Keith McCullough took advantage of his day off to go down Monday. He picked up some 64 species -- but no Limpkin. He was able to give me some good tips for where to find the Purple Gallinule that I wanted for my year list. In the meantime, I recruited my friend Carl Broadwell to join me on my trip for Tuesday. I also communicated with Philip Hodgkins, the photographer of the Limpkin, for specifics about where he saw the bird. Well-prepared, I hoped, Carl B and I took to the road early (5 am) to arrive at the refuge at just after 7 am. I will go ahead and let you know that we also did not see the bird. In fact, no one has re-sighted the bird since last Saturday, July 28. The Limpkin was a one-day wonder! Several very nice folks, including Phil Hodgkins (very nice to meet him in person!) and Fish and Wildlife Service personnel, were out there looking though on Tuesday. Certainly, this bird could easily remain hidden in the vast marshes of the refuge. Thus, changing gears here, this post is no longer about the disappearing Limpkin -- on to the other fabulous birds and critters seen and photographed this day, Tuesday, July 31, 2012!
Inspite of the dreary weather, overcast skies and a bit of misty rain when we started, the temperature was quite agreeable and our spirits were high as the birds were thick. There was no shortage of Red-Winged Blackbirds, of course. What surprised me though was the number of
Least Bitterns! The elusive bird, which breeds in our freshwater marshes and migrates to the tropics for the winter, was not so elusive, but he was distant. In the first mile of the Wildlife Drive, I conservatively counted 10. The distant bird, lack of good sunlight and the drizzle made for poor photography conditions. And yet, I tried. I was thrilled to see so many in one place!
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| A distant Least Bittern -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
Likewise, the
Anhinga was not so very photogenic in a misty drizzle. Nonetheless, I always appreciate seeing the "snake bird" come up from underwater with a fish impaled on its beak! It usually pierces its prey through its side, a behavior that suggests that it stalks its prey underwater rather than pursues it! The Anhinga is another waterbird that nests here in the Lowcountry, frequently in heron rookeries, and usually winters points further south. Occasionally, though, we spot some lonely bird here in the area on our Christmas Bird Counts. After a meal, this bird will perch sunning its wings outstretched to dry them.
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| Anhinga -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
A
Little Blue Heron was more obliging than the early morning weather. Though some of our Little Blue Herons are year-round, their numbers do increase in the Spring as more migrate in from the south to nest in our southern swamps.
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| Little Blue Heron -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
We heard the next bird calling from the marsh before we saw it. In fact, it may be the first time I have ever seen the
King Rail! I had learned to identify its call, which is a bit similar to that of the Clapper Rail. This fellow seemed larger than the Clapper Rail. He certainly amused us as he played around in the grass, danced around on the right hand side of the road before crossing over to the left hand side. Little is known about the migratory patterns of the King Rail but it appears that this species is year-round on our coast.
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| King Rail -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
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| King Rail -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
Throughout our visit, we saw Gallinules, young and adult, Common and Purple.
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| Common Gallinule -- noisy chick and patient parent -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
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| Common Gallinule -- noisy chick -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
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| Another Common Gallinule youngster -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
The photo below represents our first view of the
Purple Gallinule from a distance as a parent beckoned her very young, black, fuzzy chicks across the road in front of us.
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| Purple Gallinule hen with very young chicks -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
Yes, I decided to show you the very poor quality photo above so that you can see how much the coloration of the chicks change as they molt into their juvenile plumage. Soon enough, Carl B and I enjoyed a very close encounter with a couple of Purple Gallinule families. And thankfully, the drizzle had stopped and though still overcast, the skies became lighter. The longer we stayed parked, sitting quietly, the more accepting these birds became and the closer they approached. The car served as a fabulous blind. I did sit on the ground at one point outside of the car and the birds still approached! See how blond the juvenile birds become from their initial black fuzzy plumage!
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| Purple Gallinules -- juveniles and parents -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
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| Purple Gallinule -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
I saw my first Purple Gallinule at the Savannah NWR last year in August and had not seen one since. I had heard that they were rather secretive so I was dumbfounded by how readily this family accepted our presence.
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| Purple Gallinule -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
This colorful, tropical marsh bird only spends its summers here. Typically, they are hard to find north of this area. A bird of freshwater marshes, it feeds primarily on seeds, flowers, grains and some invertibrates. How delightful to be able to see a parent feeding its child just feet from where I was sitting!
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| Purple Gallinule -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
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| Purple Gallinule -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
Why does the Purple Gallinule cross the road?
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| Purple Gallinule -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
To lead his family to the other side, of course! Look at those feet!
With those feet the Gallinule can walk across vegetation on top of the water including lily pads!
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| Purple Gallinule -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
While I was sitting at the edge of the road, these birds came out of the grass just a few feet away and then the family crossed the road in front of where I had parked the car on the right hand side of the road.
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| Purple Gallinule juveniles have safely crossed the road -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
Carl B was still in the car. I returned to the car and before I knew it, the birds were making their way down the right hand side of the car!
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| Purple Gallinule juvenile -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
Carl B could have reached down and petted them! He did not, of course. We looked at each other and just shook our heads. We were amazed by and grateful for this close encounter with this family. We had just spent 45 minutes watching the family. It was 10:15 am and we had spent nearly 3 hours wildlife watching and we still had not yet reached the first mile marker on the Wildlife Drive. If we had had to leave right then, we would have been more than satisfied with our roadtrip. But we did not have to leave yet and we had more wonderful encounters to come!
We had already noticed a few
Yellow Warblers in the marsh grasses on the left. Carl B called my attention to a few that were perching in the shrubs on the right where we parked to watch the Purple Gallinules.
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| Yellow Warbler -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
Yellow Warblers breed throughout most of North America but north of our area. Thus these birds had already begun their Fall Migration! They are known to migrate much earlier than other warblers both in the Spring and in the Fall. They spend their winters in southern Central America and northern South America. We had heard from a few local birders of some sightings of Yellow Warblers. We did not expect to see the large number that we did. We finally made it past the first mile marker and stopped at the first wooded area. The trees seemed to tremble with birdlife! Carl B and I were trying to point out specific birds to each other but we could not focus on the other person's bird of the moment because there were too many other birds diverting our attention. Yellow Warblers were definitely in the majority. We conservatively estimated 24 of these little wigglers bee-bopping about the branches.
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| Yellow Warbler -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
Some of the other species that we saw among the little wigglers in this corner include 4
Prothonotary Warblers. This beautiful songbird has begun dispersing from its nesting sites in the hardwood swamplands and is now seen more frequently in coastal areas. The bill which is black during breeding has now faded to a beige.
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| Prothonotary Warbler -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
A few
Prairie Warblers were also fluttering in and out of the foliage. Though we occasionally find a Prairie Warbler on our Christmas Bird Counts, this species is considered migratory and centers its winter range in the West Indies. So is this bird a migrant or a bird still on its breeding ground? Hard to tell... They are known to begin migrating from more northern areas in mid-July.
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| Prairie Warbler -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
In this large group of birds flitting about the trees, we also saw a few of our non-migratory
Carolina Chickadees (no photo on this one) and this
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher. Most Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers migrate from our area for points further south but some remain to spend their winters here.
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| Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
We also saw a family of
Painted Buntings. These colorful buntings of our summers are still feeding fledglings but will soon be ready to migrate south to the tropics in September.
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| Painted Bunting -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
While I was trying to photograph some of these numerous wigglers, the observant Carl B tapped me on the shoulder and pointed up the road. A wonderful little family of Raccoons was trotting towards us down the road .... Oh my!
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| Mother Raccoon halts in her tracks when she spots us -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
Mom halted in her tracks when saw us and she observed us for a moment. The children became jittery as they read her alarm.
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| Raccoon family assessing the situation -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
Finally, after a frozen moment of indecision, she grabbed one of her babies by the scruff of the neck and the other one followed at her heels as they made a 90 degree turn into the woods! I checked my camera to see if the photos had turned out. Yes! In spite of the poor light, I got the shots I wanted!
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| Detour for the Raccoons -- Savannah NWF -- July 31, 2012 |
Right after the raccoons disappeared, we heard a wheezy, whistling noise and turned to watch the arrival of some
Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks, followed by their squabbling over a perch. I had already seen these ducks this summer but for Carl B, it was another bird for his year list. A regular population of these tropical, cavity-nesting ducks has now established itself in the Savannah NWR and we also find them each summer in
Donnelly WMA. This species migrates to Mexico for the winter. But I have heard some conjecture that some may now actually over-winter in our area now rather than migrate.
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| Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks squabble over a perch -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
AS Carl B and I continued on our trek scanning the wetlands for the missing Limpkin, we encountered several
Cattle Egret feeding on insects in the grasses along the roadside. I wonder when these guys will begin to migrate.
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| Cattle Egret -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
Carl B and I had not yet completed the first two miles of the 5 mile Wildlife Drive and it was nearly noon. Needing to depart the refuge by noon, we stopped one more time to scan for the Limpkin. Again, we heard that unmistakable wheezy whistling of an approaching Black-Bellied Whistling Duck. He was flying straight towards us. Cameras ready! Success! Thank you duckie! Carl B and I just turned and looked out each other shaking our heads, amazed by all of our wildlife encounters for the day!
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| Black-Bellied Whistling Duck -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
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| Black-Bellied Whistling Duck -- Savannah NWR -- July 2012 |
Just yards from us, the duck veered to the left and landed in the grass near a wooded area 50 yards away, which is where we found him ready to oblige us for this final photo of the day!
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| Black-Bellied Whistling Duck -- Savannah NWR -- July 31, 2012 |
It was now most definitely time to return to Charleston. We found it difficult to drive the next three miles out of the refuge without stopping to observe more of the wildlife but deadlines are deadlines and we had to be cognizant of our responsibilities. We regretted absolutely nothing though. What a crazy, wonderful day of fabulous, continuous close-up encounters with wildlife. The Limpkin and the sunshine may have been missing but all of the other critters and birds well made up for their absence! Seriously, I should consider more frequent trips to the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge ... particularly as the Fall Migration season progresses!
Credits
- Bryan, D. C. 2002. Limpkin (Aramus guarauna). In The Birds of North America, No. 627 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
- Ellison, Walter G. 1992. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea). In The Birds of North America,
No. 23 (A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The
Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, DC: The American
Ornithologists' Union.
- Frederick, P. C., and D. Siegel-Causey. 2000. Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga). In The Birds of North America, No. 522 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
- Gibbs, J. P., F. A. Reid, and S. M. Melvin. Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis). In The Birds of North America,
No. 17 (A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill, eds.). Philadelphia:
The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, DC: The American
Ornithologists' Union.
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- Lowther, P. E., C. Celada, N. K. Klein, C. C. Rimner, and D. A. Spector. 1999. Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia). In The Birds of North America, No. 454 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
- Lowther, Peter E., Scott M. Lanyon and Christopher W. Thompson. 1999. Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris),
The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab
of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/398
- Meanley, B. 1992. King Rail (Rallus elegans). In The Birds of North America,
No. 3 (A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The
Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, DC.: The American
Ornithologists’ Union.
- Nolan Jr., V., E. D. Ketterson and C. A. Buerkle. 1999. Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor),
The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab
of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/455
- Poole, Alan F., L. R. Bevier, C. A. Marantz and Brooke Meanley. 2005. King Rail (Rallus elegans),
The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab
of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/003
- Rodgers, J. A., Jr., and H. T. Smith. 1995. Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea). In The Birds of North America,
No. 145 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences,
Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
- West, R. L., and G. K. Hess. 2002. Purple Gallinule (Porphyrula martinica). In The Birds of North America, No. 626 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
Fabulous blog Cathy! 'Why did the purple gallinule cross the road' ... love it! The raccoon pictures are precious.
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