Tuesday, 4:13 PM - After pitching camp in the Stephen C Foster State Park campground, the game with my daughter was to see who would spot our first alligator. So we headed down the Trembling Earth Nature Trail and onto the boardwalk that heads into the swamp. On our way, two woodpeckers chased each other, spiraling around and through the trees; a doe and fawn casually fed on the grass near the cabins, and a Green Anole darted across our path.

Being primarily hikers, I was a bit disappointed to find only a short, 2-mile hiking trail. But it isn’t any fault of the park services, seeing as the majority of the refuge is under water! The trail gets its name from the English translation of the Indian word Okefenokee. The wide, ADA portion of the trail loops on solid, dry ground and is lined on either side with palmettos, downed wood and patches of standing water. A few tall pines and snags stand within the loop. Other than Catbirds and other small, flitting birds, we didn’t encounter any wildlife on that first portion of the trail. Near the back of the loop, a spur of the boardwalk heads 2,000 feet out into the standing water of the swamp. Underneath lies 2 to 3 feet of dark tinted water, but very clear to the bottom, revealing submerged debris, logs, grasses and vegetation.

​We arrived near 4:00 PM at the ranger station. I found the park more populated than I had imagined; several cars in the parking lot, retired couples occupying the rockers of the registration office porch, and sauntering along the drive. Each pier was occupied by a lure-casting hopeful.  As we toured the two campgrounds hunting for a suitable spot, our first wildlife encounter was a single Wild Turkey jenny. We selected the yellow-placarded site #9 as our home. Our first order of business was picking a shady retreat, for the day had considerably heated up, and dousing ourselves with bug repellent to back off the annoying “flocks” of gnats and stinging mosquitoes.

Upon arriving to work this morning, my eye was again attracted to the willows and taller pines above the small creek between the shelter and the jail. Hundreds of birds were perched in the trees and making a good bit of noise. I first recognized the red breasts of over 50 American Robins, but had to take aim with my zoom lens to identify the rest… gray backs, yellow bellies, black masks… over a hundred Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) perfectly disguised among the pine cones, like masked bandits hoping to hide from the law! Groups would take flight, circle a bit, then return to the same or nearby tree.

The 8 o’clock forced me into the office to begin dealing with the day. A voicemail and email from Channel 2 News let me know the anti-tethering proponents were busy last night. Another day of winter weather and this is how it goes. At least we got off work at 3:30 PM due to the threat of wintery precipitation. 

Walton County, Georgia

At lunch break , my coworker hollered for me as she looked out the front office window, “Is that a hawk or an owl?” Sitting hunched in the bare willow branches over the storm water drainage creek was a rusty-orange Red-shouldered Hawk.

​He was intently staring down into the ravine, obviously on the hunt. He was so fixated on catching lunch that he didn’t mind my close approach. He made a couple of unsuccessful dives into the thickets, each time coming up a bit further away from me.

Eventually he caught on to my stalking and flew off to the wood line behind the shelter, stopping to pose on a chain link fence before heading out of site.

​Walton County, Georgia 

​I’ve been spotting large groups of 20-30 American Robins (Turdus migratorius) across front yards on my drive to and from work each day. At Whit Davis Elementary, the large field was dotted with no less than a hundred Robins. The worms rising from the soaked ground don’t stand a chance! Several provide wonderful background music as they sit perched in the trees around the shelter. 

Migrations are in response to food and weather, and not always north-south. Their nomadic ways will move them east-west as they generally migrate north through spring. 

​Walton County, Georgia

The bitter cold and biting winds continue; with lows in the teens and twenties, and highs barely above freezing. More flurries, but no lasting fun on the ground or time off of work. The cold drove two Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris) back to the shelter pond. Their wariness allowed only a photo from the other side of the pond. Regular spottings of raptors on the ride to-and-from work. A shorter winged Red-shouldered Hawk dove across my path into a dilapidated barn on High Shoals Road. 

Walton County, Georgia

Just for fun, set up the trail camera in my backyard for a few days. Besides the neighbor's dogs and cats, caught this Red Fox. 

Athens-Clarke County, Georgia

​While on our Thanksgiving Texas trip, I had the privilege of watching a buck stalk and chase down a doe in a series of photos I called The Rut. These deer obviously spend a good bit of time fighting for the females, as can be seen by the gash over the eye of the buck in the tall grass.  Although it is a type of sanctuary with limited hunting, life can still be tough. Most of the deer probably die of starvation since there are so many deer per square mile. 

​We made our annual Thanksgiving trek to the hill country of Driftwood Texas. Amanda and I went out several mornings looking for some good deer shots. One shot, with the blue sky background, is in nearly the same place, looks like it may be the same deer, and is nearly a duplicate shot as one I got several years ago and printed as a large canvas on my office wall. I particularly liked one series of shots of a nice buck shot through a split rail fence. Megan also found a cute House Gecko in my parent's garage. 
Driftwood, Texas

Our tour of the Georgia State Parks brought my daughter and I to Panola Mountain State Park on November 3, 2014. Right away we were presented with an outstanding observation of a Red-shouldered Hawk taking a limb near the Nature Center.

Located in Stockbridge, Georgia, it is a favorite retreat-to-nature by many metro-Atlanta residents. We spent the day exploring the granite outcrop ecosystem unique to the park. I was also impressed with the extensive, paved trail system perfect for biking or hiking by those with access issues.

​https://gastateparks.org/PanolaMountain

Cold! Our planned camping trip to Magnolia Springs State Park for the 4 day GA/FL weekend was cancelled. It was our only open window for a camping trip, and the first hard freeze of winter had to roll in. I wavered back and forth all evening and morning; one child in favor of going, the other against; but finally we cancelled. The forecast was predicted at 35 and 33 degrees each night; well below the 40 degree ratings of our sleeping bags. When we woke Saturday morning to an overcast sky and increasing winds, I knew I had made the right decision to stay home. Later that day, standing in the shade with cold, biting wind on outreach confirmed it. At the warmest point of the day, it reached only 48 degrees. I went for a 2-mile run and my throat and lungs burned from the crisp, dry air. Oh well, the trip was cancelled, and who know when the next window will open, but we were warm sleeping in the living room watching Pinocchio this evening. 

Nature Notes, October, 2014:

10/5/14 – Wow, what a cold snap! The first of the year. This morning’s low of 38 degrees broke a 1974 record of 39 degrees. Cold and windy; a very abrupt change. But don’t be fooled, the warm weather will return again!

10/7/14 – It seems “Myrtle”, our Crepe Myrtle perching hummingbird is gone, along with the male and juveniles that fed at our feeder. But wait, one smaller juvenile pops up every now and then at the feeder on cool, overcast days.

10/11/14 – It is only 9 AM and I am actually perspiring as I sit in the full angled rays of the sun as it rises to my left. But fall has definitely begun to arrive. Yes, its football season, most people’s sign that fall has arrived. But God’s clock of changing season strikes “fall” in the changing of the leaves. The Black Cherry Trees are a mottled green and yellow. A few strategic patches of yellow are seen in the Sweetgums, while one large Sweetgum on the edge of the pasture has turned a brilliant red through most of its foliage.

​No hummingbirds have come to the feeder this morning.  Although it has warmed back up to clear, warm 80+ degree days, they must have all moved on. Now, there is only a large, intricate spider web bridging the space between the feeder and the adjacent Crepe Myrle, tracing the exact route that Myrtle used to Buzz hundreds of times per day. ​

An overnight family camping trip to Richard B Russell State Park in Georgia. 

Found this fairly large Common Snapping Turtle moving from the upper retention pond, which is drying up, to the lower pond and wetlands area. 
Walton County, Georgia