teal.jpgBecause we can’t walk in our woods in hunting season we’ve been going afield and this week we found a real winner, Harris Neck Wildlife Refuge. Once a training air base for the Army it is now a park and it is beautiful. It’s peninsular location and varied habitat make it popular with the migrating and wintering birds. I’d been a little down about duck populations in the Atlantic flyway, roughly 10% of what they were when I was a little twitcher, and it was good to see such numbers and variety of water birds. Lots of teal (blue and green-winged), widgeons, coots, moorhens, all the waders, including wood storks and one thrilling fly-by of a female peregrine. Also the biggest gators we’ve seen in Georgia, even in Okefenokee. There are really fine trails through varied forest with good live oaks and moss and long leaf pine.

To make the day complete we went to the Altamaha Riverkeepers Clam Jam and dug into the oysters (from Louisiana, Florida and Georgia), clams and shrimp. A fine bluegrass band from Atlanta, the Dappled Grays played two good sets and we met some good folks. The riverkeepers in Georgia are fighting the good fight and we are grateful for them. We also support the Satilla riverkeeper, Gordon Rogers, a forceful advocate for an endangered ecosystem.

Green winged teal photo from christinevadai.com  Thanks.