| May 23 - | Left Oak Ridge at 8:00 a.m. Arrived UGA's Skidaway Institute of Oceanography on Skidaway Island outside of Savannah at 5:00. Met the first group and did meal planning. |
| May 24 - | Shopped at Kroger on Skidaway. My cooking group was Mike Palleson, Ninajo and Bill Owenby, and Alec Bodzin. We went over about $50. I went out on the first boat and set up camp under a couple of palms right on the crest of the old dunes overlooking the tidal marsh. |
| May 25 - | Phaon Crescentspot butterflies
are abundant on the roadsides. Went a short distance up Coast Guard Road.
Saw a great crested flycatcher up close. Set up Malaise trap over a wet
area 100 yards up from camp on South Beach Road. Set up the butterfly trap
down the beach road over the meadow cord grass. Hung it from a small loblolly.
A broad headed skink lives near the outhouse. Remarkable looking. Fine leaved sedge (Rynchospora colorata)everywhere. The kids found a white spider carrying an egg sac. I believe it to be Arctosa littoralis. Traveled down the beach with Stan Guffey - saw a boneyard tree covered with wood lice called Rock Slater, Ligia spp. Sandy West came down to the camp with some of her family that were visitng. We had a great visit and got her set up to start her "turd farms". |
| May 26 | Went north toward Middle Beach. Stan and I saw about 6-7- black skimmers facing the wind. Also got near the Wilson Plover and Least Tern nesting site and observed through binoculars. |
| May 27 | Went on an island tour with the group. Visited Ms. West and saw her 'farm' set up. |
| May 28 | Mike Palleson and I hiked about 8 miles - up Coast Guard Road and then returned via Graves Road. Saw Shorter Shelter. Watched a pair of summer tanagers cavorting on a dead snag on the the sand flats. The male makes giant swooping moves around the female. Got very close to a gator on the narrow causeway of Graves Rd. |
| May 29 | Took Hewitt on a walk down Helicopter Point Road as far as the end of the trail, but not all the way to the point. |
| May 30 | Jesse took Emily, Nathan and I up to Bradley creek. Nathan and Emily kayaked up river and I went went over to Harry Hammock solo. Walked about 2-3 miles very cautiously through the saw palmetto. Jumped strtaight up when a large boar burst out of a clump. Saw NO snakes. Jesse thinks the pigs keeps the population down. Found a great coon skull. Watched two summer tanagers courting a female. Left kayaks and walked 4 1/2 miles back to camp on Mule Run Road. |
| Sat
May 31 |
Piddled. Began reading Prodigal Summer. Mike and I seined the slough at low tide. Lots of shrimp and small fish that we couldn't identify. |
| June 1 | Hiked to the end of Helicopter Point. On the return, cut across the woods off trail. Found two chanterelles. Found pieces of the helicopter (not much) and brought a small piece back. |
| June 2 | Paddled the Graves Road ponds.
Jesse and I tandem in canoe and Emily solo in kayak. Went down the salt
pond (3 miles), portages on South Beach Road about 100 meters, paddled
back on brackish pond. Wonderful trip. Saw loads of Gators, Ibis, Storks,
Stilts and Herons. A Clapper Rail and a Least Bittern.
Afternoon the group went to Bradley Beach. Hiked 1 1/2 hours solo. Sand dollars abundant. In p.m. set up black light with Jonah. Not much activity. |
| June 3 | Diane Vaughn's group arrived. I left
camp abaout 7:45 and hiked the Old Log Road through old loblolly timber.
Lots of woodpeckers including redheaded, red bellied, and pileated. Met
the group at the dock and rode back.
Stormed in the p.m. and broke a tent pole. Decided to continue tent there. |
| June 4 | Made story bags with the group. Rained all a.m. Rest day. No hike. |
| June 5 | Jesse gave me a pig mandible with 3-inch teeth! Spun a drawstring for story bag with retted Spanish moss I gathered from the road. About noon Jesse took me to Rice Pond Road to look for prothonatary warblers. Found none, but it was a great place. Hiked back about 6-7 miles. Made small basket from kit in p.m. |
| June 6 | In a.m. two folks were surprised by a scarlet snake in their tent! Trip to north end and visit Sandy West again. Her 'farm' has done great. |
| June 7 | Group left. I hiked Log Road
again. Saw prothonatary warbler at Hunt Camp. On back side of the old sawdust
pile Emily and I saw an 8-rattle (4-feet?) Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.
Also saw a large king snake (32 repeating patterns).
In p.m. watched an osprey eat a fish for 30 minutes. Storm came and blew tent flat. breaking another pole. Moved tent and managed to brace poles. Everything wet. |
| June 8 | Hiked 3 miles up middle beach. Saw first Ruddy Turnstones. Sandy West visited again in the p.m. bringing an e-mail from Ellen |
| June 9 | Hiked South Beach to the kiosk around the point. Good shelling today. |
| June 10 | Hiked up Coast Guard Road again. Returned by same route. |
| June 11 | Spent the day packing and sorting in preparation for leaving tomorrow. |
| June 12 | Left for home. Pulled out of Killkenny at 11:30. Arrive Knoxville 7:00 p.m. |