 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Great Egret standing along cattail marsh wetland wastewater treatment cell. Ardea alba is a large white heron. Birding photography at Phinizy Swamp, Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia USA. January 1, 2021. Phinizy Swamp Nature Park is a great place! Perhaps because I live over an hour away in Athens, I had no idea it even existed. But when I joined iNaturalist, I began seeing all kinds of great photographs being posted! Living in the Piedmont, I typically had to drive several hours to find some good wetlands habitat. I was happy to find this great place call Phinizy Swamp! On any visit, the long-legged waders are present. Ibis, herons, egrets and a variety of other waterfowl love the wetland cells. It is some great habitat for them. On my last January visit, it was definitely a gathering of the greats: Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons. There were dozens and dozens of stately white Great Egrets standing in marshes. The Great Blues were a bit more tricky to find, and in less abundance. The Great Egret, Ardea alba, is found throughout the world in tropical or warm climes. Being all white and standing at 1 meter tall, it often stands out among the green reeds of the wetlands it inhabits. The Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias, is a bit taller, but its gray and blue coloration make it blend in with its surroundings a bit better. Both wade through the shallow marsh waters with their long legs hunting for a wide variety of food, including fish, snakes, frogs, dragonflies and crustaceans. With plenty of these prey items available as well, Phinizy Swamp is a great place for the gathering of the Greats! New Year's Day at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park; Richmond County, Georgia  Great Egret standing along cattail marsh wetland wastewater treatment cell. Ardea alba is a large white heron. Birding photography at Phinizy Swamp, Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia USA. January 1, 2021.
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William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Large American Alligator basking in the sun at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia USA on January 1, 2022. Even though it was January, the forecast called for a warm day. The high at home was going to be 75, but over in Augusta it was to be a sunny 80 degrees! Perhaps this warm January day was going to be good for herping. By the time I arrived, the clouds had burned off and the temperature was already rising. I knew I would soon regret my choice of a long-sleeved thermal shirt. A few hikers were already at the Phinizy Swamp Nature Center when I arrived. And when I reached the first wetland cell hopes got even higher for a great ‘gator day. Right away I spotted three alligator laying on the marsh grasses in the sun. By the end of my 7.5 mile hike, I photographed over 20 alligators, eight snakes and many turtle. Human, bird and reptile alike were loving this warm, first of January spring like day! New Year's Day at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park; Richmond County, Georgia  Large American Alligator basking in the sun at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia USA on January 1, 2022.  Yellow-bellied Slider Turtle, Trachemys scripta, swimming in green duckweed algae muck in marsh bog. Phinizy Swamp Nature Park and Center for Water Sciences in Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia USA. Phinizy is an environmental wetlands wastewater treatment facility and waterfowl impound.  Large American Alligator basking in the wastewater clarification pond at Phinizy Center for Water Sciences in Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia USA on January 1, 2022.  Large adult American Alligator laying in water at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park and Center for Water Sciences in Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia USA. Phinizy is an environmental wastewater treatment facility and waterfowl impound.  Banded Watersnake, Nerodia fasciata, coiled on cattail reeds in a marsh. Herping at Phinizy Swamp, Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia USA  Banded Watersnake, Nerodia fasciata, coiled on cattail reeds in a marsh. Herping at Phinizy Swamp, Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia USA  Banded Watersnake, Nerodia fasciata, coiled on a cypress log basking in the sun. Herping at Phinizy Swamp, Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia USA  Banded Watersnake, Nerodia fasciata, coiled on a cypress log basking in the sun. Herping at Phinizy Swamp, Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia USA William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Two young Cottonmouth Water Moccasins coiled on a cypress stump at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park Center for Water Sciences in Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia USA on January 1, 2022. As I as leaving Phinizy Swamp after a 7.5 mile hike that took several hours, I was approaching the bridge over Butler Creek when I noticed a couple staring down into the waters below. “What did I miss?”, I asked. They pointed down below to a young Cottonmouth coiled on a cypress knee. “Thanks!”, I exclaimed as I fired off a few shots. I then began scanning the stumps and debris below to find another, no three… four… five total Cottonmouths! It seemed the 81 degree January day was being enjoyed by more than just the human hikers. The Northern Cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus, is a venomous snake often called a Water Moccasin in many areas. Like rattlesnakes, it is a pit viper, meaning it has two heat sensing pits near its nostrils. They are usually fairly thick snakes with a mostly brown coloration, and a pattern of crossbands that is more distinct in younger individuals. New Year's Day at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park; Richmond County, Georgia
William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message
Close up photograph of large American Alligator teeth, mouth and Integumentary Sense Organs. Phinizy Swamp Nature Park Center for Water Sciences in Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia USA on January 1, 2022.
Right through the center of the Phinizy Swamp wetlands runs the distribution canal for the treated wastewater. This is typically a good place to get some close-up alligator action. There is a chainlink fence running both edges of the canal - I guess to keep people from falling in - but the large gaps underneath allow the gators to come and go.
While walking Phinizy Swamp on New Year's Day, I spotted a mighty big one on the opposite bank. Being a warm January day, with a previous week of cooler temps, this giant was enjoying the sun. I looped the southern end of the fenced canal and came up to where it lay basking in all glory. It kept its eye on me as I kept my eye on it. The gaps in the fence didn't offer much protection, but did allow some great close-up detail photographs of the large, white teeth, integumentary sense organs, vertically elliptical pupil, and panoply of armor - its scales, scutes and osteoderms. I have seen and photographed nearly 1,000 alligators, but they never fail to impress and captivate my attention. New Year's Day at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park; Richmond County, Georgia 
Large American Alligator sleeping in the sun along the distribution canal at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park Center for Water Sciences in Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia USA on January 1, 2022.
Close up detail of large American Alligator eye with vertically elliptical pupil. Phinizy Swamp Nature Park Center for Water Sciences in Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia USA on January 1, 2022.
William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Anhinga darter bird in cattail wastewater treatment marsh at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park and Center for Water Sciences in Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia USA. Anhinga anhinga is a water bird also known as snake bird or water turkey. What a concept: turn our wastewater into a wetland! In a world that historically hasn’t been friendly to the environment, at least the last few decades have shown some progress in preserving and caring for the natural home gifted to us by our Creator. One such place is the Phinizy Swamp Nature Park and Center for Water Sciences in Augusta, Georgia. According to their website, the City of Augusta was ordered to upgrade its wastewater treatment system in 1993. Instead of releasing treated wastewater into Butler Creek, a series of wetland cells was created to further purify the water before being released into the Savannah River. Other than a few pumps and a slight odor, you’d never realize it was a water treatment facility. And the waterfowl definitely don’t seem to mind that is a constructed wetland. “Build it and they will come!”… Phinizy Swamp is loaded with herons, egrets, ducks and other water-loving creatures. The manmade dikes topped with gravel are perfect for hiking, biking, birding or running. New Year's Day at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park; Richmond County, Georgia  Boardwalk trail over the Butler Creek floodplain panorama at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park and Center for Water Sciences in Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia USA. Cypress trees, Spanish Moss, blue sky, clouds and cattail marsh grasses. Phinizy is an environmental wastewater treatment facility and waterfowl impound.  Pied-billed Grebe water bird, Podilymbus podiceps, swimming in green marsh. Phinizy Swamp Nature Park and Center for Water Sciences in Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia USA. Phinizy is an environmental wastewater treatment facility and waterfowl impound.  American Coot water bird, Fulica americana, . Phinizy Swamp Nature Park and Center for Water Sciences in Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia USA. Phinizy is an environmental wetlands wastewater treatment facility and waterfowl impound.  Anhinga darter bird in cattail wastewater treatment marsh at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park and Center for Water Sciences in Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia USA. Anhinga anhinga is a water bird also known as snake bird or water turkey. William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  A tiny Ruby crowned Kinglet, Corthylio calendula, song bird in a thicket facing the camera. Birding photography at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in Augusta, Georgia USA on January 1, 2022. Although a bit later because of the midnight celebration, as is my custom, I rose long before daybreak on New Year’s Day morning. When the sun finally decided to get out of bed and climb the eastern sky, the warm morning prompted me to a bit of backyard birding. A surprise appearance of a seclusive Hermit Thrush was a bit fulfilling, but only whet my appetite for more. I threw a few snacks and water bottles into the car and headed toward Augusta, Georgia. On this first day of the year, I was hoping to increase my Richmond County, Georgia species count a bit by a winter visit to the Phinizy Swamp Nature Park. The oddest sighting of the day was an American White Pelican. When I first spotted the white bird with black on the wings, I thought it was a Wood Stork. But raising the glass I was caught by surprise. I’ve photographed white pelicans before, but not so far inland in Georgia. When I asked another birder around the corner, he stated he had been going to Phinizy for many years and not spotted one before. He was quite excited as well. All in all, it was a good day. I added 19 birds to my Richmond County list! New Year's Day at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park; Richmond County, Georgia  American White Pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, flying with wings spread in blue sky and clouds. Birding photography at Phinizy Swamp, Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia USA. January 1, 2021. William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message Wow, its already the last day of 2021 and I haven't done any birding in December. Time to get out there for a bit! Found five species of sparrows in just a few minutes. Walton County, Georgia  Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  An American Alligator laying alongside the Chesser Island Boardwalk allowed ample opportunity for some close-up study. Alligator's have upward facing nostrils at the end of the snout that allow it to breath while the body is underwater. The nostrils have flaps which close when the alligator is submerged. Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA. The American Alligator is perfectly designed for the swamp habitats that they frequent. The eyes and nostrils protrude above the plane of the snout so that the body and head can be totally submerged yet they still can see and breath. The nostrils are positioned on a fleshy mound at the tip of the alligator’s snout. The nostrils can close like a valve when submerging to prevent breathing in water. Sensitive nerve endings around the nostrils signal the alligator to close its nostrils as they touch the water’s surface. In the colder winter months, a gator may submerged for days with just its nostrils poking above the surface. Chesser Island Boardwalk; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Turkey Vulture buzzard, Cathartes aura, soaring in a blue sky. Birding photography at the Suwannee River Sill Recreation Area Dam in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA. One bird always guaranteed to be seen in the Okefenokee Swamp is the Turkey Vulture. In the hot summer months when most birds are hiding in the shade, or in the late fall and winter when other birds have migrated on, the Turkey Vulture is often the only bird seen circling overhead. The eBird frequency chart shows a thick blue line every month through the year, graphically representing its continuous presence, and showing it be more frequently observed than its cousin the Black Vulture. Even in the days of naturalists Albert Wright and Francis Harper (1913), the Turkey Vulture was a common sight. They write in The Auk, “TURKEY VIULTURE; 'Buz- zard.'- Common throughout the swamp. The natives have never found its nest. They told us, however, of several roosts, including one at Mud Valley (south of Billy's Lake) and another in the dead tops of some cy- presses in a small 'head' on Floyd's Island Prairie. It is astonishing how soon the Buzzards appear over a spot where an alligator has been shot, and how quickly they transform its carcass into a bare skeleton.” Suwannee River Sill; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Wright, Albert and Francis Harper. A Biological Reconnaissance of the Okefinokee Swamp: The Birds. The Auk, Vol. 30, No. 4 (Oct., 1913), pp. 477-505 Published by: Oxford University Press.
Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Double-crested Cormorant water bird, Nannopterum auritum, standing on driftwood in the Okefenokee Swamp. Birding photography at the Suwannee River Sill Recreation Area Dam in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA. The Double-crested Cormorant is a strange looking bird. Cornell’s website www.allaboutbirds.org states, “They look like a combination of a goose and a loon.” They are quite common throughout the Okefenokee Swamp and I’ve seen them on every visit, and within every type of habitat within the swamp. Like the Anhinga, the Double-Crested Cormorant does not have oil glands like the ducks. Instead of floating on the surface, it is able to dive and swim underwater for long periods of time and, as I have seen myself, for some good distances. I have sat and waited for a Cormorant to resurface for a photograph, only to have it pop up many yards away. Nannopterum auritum’s main staple is fish. Since it lacks the buoyancy made possible by the oil glands, it often swims the surface with just its head out of the water. Once it is done fishing, it perches nearby, often with its wings spread in order to dry out. Suwannee River Sill; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia.  Double-crested Cormorant water bird, Nannopterum auritum, swimming in the Okefenokee Swamp. Birding photography at the Suwannee River Sill Recreation Area Dam in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Slash Pine tree trunk bark, understory of brier and Saw Palmetto in the pine uplands of the Okefenokee Swamp. Swamp Island Drive in Suwannee River Canal Recreation Area in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA. Not all of the Okefenokee is swamped with water. There are some sandy islands within the refuge and plenty of pine uplands that surround the swamp. Large puddles readily form after rainfall, but do drain, especially in a drought. Slash Pine, Saw Palmetto and grasses are the dominant growth in these upland areas. The once over-logged Longleaf Pine is making a coming in these upland areas due to managed plantations by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The drier upland areas provide habitat for wildlife not as regularly found in the wetter habitats like Glass Lizards and Gopher Tortoises. One may also be more likely to find one of the three rattlesnake species – Eastern Diamondback, Pygmy and Timber – found within the Refuge in the drier upland areas. Swamp Island Drive; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Tree Swallows looping over The Sill; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. The first day of a fall Okefenokee Swamp paddle, I came across a couple groups of 50 to 100 tree swallows over the prairies near Kingfisher Landing. By my fourth day, on The Sill, there were hundreds and hundreds - probably thousands - looping and diving overhead. It was quite a trick to get a decent photograph of just one fast-moving little bird.  Tree Swallows looping over The Sill; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Snowy Egret heron, Egretta thula, standing on driftwood in the Okefenokee Swamp. Birding photography at the Suwannee River Sill Recreation Area Dam in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA. The eBird frequency chart shows the Snowy Egret, Egretta thula, is a year-round inhabitant of the Okefenokee Swamp, but perhaps not as frequent as the other long-legged wading birds. Over the course of many paddling trips, I've only found them occasionally, and mostly along the Suwannee River Sill Recreation Area. For the non-birder, the Snowy Egret looks pretty much like all the other white herons and egrets in the swamp. The astute observer might notice a difference in size, but how else are they distinguished? The most telling feature is the Snowy Egret's golden slippers. The adults have long black legs that end in bright yellow feet. This distinguishes them from greenish legs of the Little Blue Herons (which are white as juveniles). The bill of the Snowy Egret is black, with yellow around the eyes, while the Little Blue Heron juvenile has a two-toned bill. The other common white wading bird in the Okefenokee is the Great Egret. It is unmistakably larger and taller than the delicate Snowy Egret.  Snowy Egret heron, Egretta thula, standing on driftwood in the Okefenokee Swamp. Birding photography at the Suwannee River Sill Recreation Area Dam in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA. In the 1800's, in order to satisfy the fashion industry, the Snowy Egrets were hunted for the long white plumes on their heads. According to allaboutbirds.com, the much sought feathers were twice the price of gold at the time. "Plume-hunting for the fashion industry killed many Snowy Egrets and other birds until reforms were passed in the early twentieth century." This might explain why, upon his visit in 1917, Okefenokee naturalist Francis Harper failed to see any within the swamp. His report in The Auk stated, "SNOWY EGRET; 'Egret.'- A plume-bird, called the 'Egret,' was found in the swamp twenty years ago." He regrettably laments that the Snowy Egret, and some others, "did not come under our own notice." The Suwannee River Sill; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  A Snowy Egret watches a large American Alligator basking in the sun on cypress driftwood at The Sill Recreation Area Dam in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA. While I thoroughly enjoy any season in the Okefenokee Swamp, I felt as if I had “struck out” with wildlife observations on my November 2021 trip. Particularly with alligators. I had only seen a dozen or so in three days. So before heading home, I knew where to go: The Sill! Its an 85 mile drive around the Okefenokee to get from the eastern entrance to the Suwannee River Sill on the western side. You head south into Florida, then across the bottom of the Okefenokee along the Georgia/Florida line, and back north to Fargo. The Sill is off Highway 77 just before the Stephen C Foster State Park. The Sill isn’t very attractive for landscape photography, and isn’t very exciting for swamp exploration. It is a long, straight, manmade canal with little vegetation. But those deep waters and clear banks usually mean alligators basking in the sun. In fact, I’ve seen some of the biggest alligators in all my visits laying out along The Sill. My short paddle of almost four hours resulted in more photographs and more diversity than the previous two days. Even though it was a cool fall day, there were plenty of alligators basking and swimming. The Sill never lets me down for alligators... I spotted over thirty! I even got an Okefenokee Lifer, a Southern Ringneck Snake (although DOA on the road). Suwannee River Sill Recreation Area; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia.  Close up of American Alligator jaw, neck, eye and scales. Wildlife photography in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Close up portrait of Sandhill Crane, Antigone canadensis, beak, face, red forehead, eye and feathers. Birding photography along the Chesser Island Swamp Island Drive in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA. Whenever a car stops along Swamp Island Drive, a wildlife viewing drive winding through the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, you can almost be sure there’s an alligator basking. But another large swamp inhabitant that will make folks put on the brakes is the Sandhill Crane. These long-legged birds are quite a spectacle for those who haven’t seen them before. I have to admit, when I spotted four along the roadside, I had to stop too! Standing at almost five feet tall, Antigone canadensis are quite impressive birds! Even if not seen, their strange trumpeting call can be heard throughout the Okefenokee. In 1913, naturalist Francis Harper wrote of the Sandhill Crane’s call, “Their note is one of the finest sounds of the swamp. It is so unbirdlike, and yet rings so clear, is so far-reaching, and possesses such measured qualities, that the listener longs for an instant repetition.” While they can be quite secretive, they can be seen foraging on the open prairies, especially on Chesser and Grand Prairie on the eastern side of the Swamp. They scrounge for anything from seeds and berries to insects and small reptiles or amphibians. eBird frequency charts show the Sandhill Crane can be found throughout the year in the Okefenokee, with the highest sightings in the winter months. Swamp Island Drive; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia.  Sandhill Crane, Antigone canadensis, walking. Birding photography along the Chesser Island Swamp Island Drive in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA.  Close up portrait of Sandhill Crane, Antigone canadensis, beak, face, red forehead, eye and feathers. Birding photography along the Chesser Island Swamp Island Drive in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA. |
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In December 1993 I came to know the Designer and Creator of this wonderful planet and its creatures: Jesus Christ.
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