Listing Through Life

pelecanus (pelican) occidentalis (western)

Thursday, July 19, 1990 — 3:40 pm

Fort Pulaski National Monument, Georgia — Savannah River

We toured the fort then walked down the trail to the north pier overlooking the river. I scanned the river and picked out an immature Brown Pelican sitting on top of a green navigation buoy in the center of the channel. It was still there when we left.

I continued to scan the river and could barely discern a flock of twenty or so standing on a beach across the river down a ways.

Later in the day, both by the Tybee Island Lighthouse and by the hotel, I saw several flocks. The usually flew in single file, but occasionally in other formations. When they flew over land, they were generally about 40 feet up. When they were over water, they flew just above the surface, rising slightly when they flapped, then dropping down behind the waves in a short glide. I even saw a few flocks from the window of our hotel room.

sterna (tern) antillarum (from albus, white, and frons, forehead)

Thursday, July 19, 1990 — 1:50 pm

Fort Pulaski National Monument, Georgia — South Channel, Savannah River

After checking into our hotel, we drove back off the island to Fort Pulaski. The park is on Cockspur Island in the Savannah River. A Least Tern was standing on a railing post on the causeway about 40 yards out from shore. I slowed the car and crept toward the bird. It allowed us to get fairly close before it took off over the water. For some reason, I expected it to be more difficult to find this bird.

About an hour later, we were on the upper level of the fort. Another adult was flying along the moat next to the wall. We watched it for about five minutes, and I took a picture.

It flew slowly into the wind, hovered frequently, and occasionally dove into the water. When it reached the end of the moat, it tipped into the wind and swiftly glided downwind to the other end. It then turned and started slowly back upwind again.

Still later, as we crossed the bridge off the island, I saw an immature standing on a post very close to where we saw the first one. I was able to drive up next to it and take another picture.

quiscalus (quail) major (greater)

Thursday, July 19, 1990 — 1:00 pm

Tybee Island, Georgia — Arby’s Roast Beef Restaurant

Some bird sightings are romantic. Some are not. My wife, daughter, and I drove down to Savannah. I made reservations at the Sands Motel, right on the beach of Tybee Island for one night. We waited until we got to the island to eat lunch, figuring there would be a lot of choices, but Arby’s was the only game in town. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I just mention it for the sake of setting the scene. The restaurant was on a point between two streets in the downtown area about 100 yards from the ocean. In the small triangle in front of the building there were two or three picnic tables.

As we walked from the car, I saw a male Boat-tailed Grackle standing on the bench of the picnic table closest to the door. As we walked by, it hopped up onto the table top. As we looked at it, it hopped around a bit then took off and flew toward the ocean.

This was my easiest lifer in many years. During the next two days, I saw about 15 more grackles, of both sexes. All of them were very close to the ocean except for a male I saw at Savannah National Wildlife Refuge.