The Promise of Birds

I had promised that I would give a report on my Alligator Farm visit so here it is.
The bird nesting at the Alligator Farm is in full swing with nest building, a few hatchings, and lots of mating activity.  Now is the time for a visit if you have a chance, well, it really needs to be several trips to catch all the activity as they scene changes from mating activities to family rearing.

It seemed the Little Snowy's were the most active.  The males do a lot of displaying with their new fluffy plumage and the funny gurgling sound they make.  The mating ritual is pretty complex ending with a very non-impressive mating.  But whatever the process results in a new family on the way.


The Little Blue Herons were having a bit of a territorial dispute with a Snowy.  It happens occasionally in such close quarters with so many looking for a space to make their nest.



The Tri Colored Herons were also busy with the mating process with some far enough along to be already sitting on eggs.


Very exciting are the Roseatte Spoonbills which only started nesting this far North a few years back.  The first ones to nest at the Farm were a "really big deal".  Now it looks like there will be at least 5 nests near enough to the boardwalk, within easy access with my camera.  Last year I did not get back in time to see the offspring while they were small, as they had already fledged when I returned.  Hopefully this year I can get back to see the funny little baby chicks, which look like little pink rubber duckies.


"What did ya say, Hon?", seems to be what this concerned and watchful expectant father might be saying.


As this Snowy Egret sits posed prettily, in the background you see the reason for this being the choice of so many birds to gather in this rookery.  The vast number of Alligators in the pond and sunning on the banks are both protecters and scavengers where the birds are concerned.  The gators protect them from predators like raccoons, but also reap smoe benefits, should any babies get pushed from their nests.  The gators are pretty well fed, and so don't seem too agressive toward the birds who just wade in the edge of the water.


Although the Woodstorks are not considered the most beautiful of birds, in flight they are exquisite.


A couple of the Great White Egrets had tiny chicks although these were the only ones close enough to get a photo.  At this stage they are such sweet and innocent looking little ones, but just wait until they get a bit bigger and about bite mom's head off trying to get food out of her mouth.


This Snowy mom turns her two eggs.  She will probably lay one more egg before she is finished.


Woodstork courting is really quite romantic with lots of spooning, nuzzling and clacking of those massive beaks.



Watch out; you might swallow a gnat.



It seems that this pose is part of the Roseatte courting as the potential mate looks on admiringly.


In the water below one was searching for a bit of food in the water.  It was swinging its head back and forth with that large spoon beak sifting through what morsels of food that might be there.  Its reflection in the water was very interesting.


Then it seems it was time for a workout, starting with some stretches.



Then a good shaking out of the muscles and feathers.  This fellow was a youngster, probably from last years chicks and was thus too young to participate in the mating.  His head color looked too imature to be a full adult.


I thought this was a beautiful composition of one of my most favorite birds, the Little Blue Heron.  The nest in progress looks very fragile.  The nest almost looks like a duplicate of the spray of feathers the male was displaying.


One Little Blue was already sitting on eggs.


I only had a short time for this visit as it was after Turtle Training as I was riding with a friend who let me spend my time at "The Farm" while he took care of an errand in St. Augustine.


Now, this is one very relaxed turtle and is a more grown up version of the two little turtles I now have, yellow earred sliders.  I am envious of this guys chilled-out state of mind.


The commission painting is starting to finally take shape, sans the sea creatures, but at least is beginning to have the feel of the water that I wanted.  It takes concentration that is sometimes difficult to achieve in the setting of a gallery, rather than just a studio.  Constant interruptions from phone, bookkeeping chores like balancing checkbooks and paying artists, and taking care of customers often takes its toll. Plus the fact that I have been suffering from a virus that has been going around it seems.  Symptoms are that for about two to three weeks you just feel yukky with a feeling of motion sickness or vertigo.  My sis had it, now me, but seems to be a virus infection going around according to other friends who actually went to the doctor to have it checked out.


It takes a lot of time deciding on what to include in the painting, and still make it my own original ideas.  I obviously am not going to reinstate my dive certification just to get my own undersea photographs; therefore I came up with a dry version of undersea photography.  I sit in front of my nice big computer screen with my camera and research all kinds of undersea videos.  When I see something I want to use I snap photos from the moving subjects.  I don't need great detail, just decent shapes from which to make my drawings.  I generally know what I want to include, but need to have the correct anatomy and swimming shapes.  I begin with a school of small fish swimming across the top left, then add a family of dolphins which are in the distance.


In this you can see a detail of the dolphin area just below the edge of the water, which separates the undersea from the above sea surface.  And so I get to play God with my brush creating a world of heavens and waters and the creatures therein.  This labor of creation hasn't happened in 6 days though.  It has taken me much longer and I still have a way to go.  I finally got the Sea Turtle drawn last night that I want to include as the star of the show, my first Green Turtle which is a very beautiful turtle.   Next, the addition of some Jellies for him to eat will be good.  I have been told that Green Turtles are herbivores but I saw videos of them eating Jellies so I am going with that idea.

Things have been extremely busy with the Isle of Eight Flags SHRIMP FESTIVAL last weekend, and Turtle Patrol started for me last Wednesday morning.  Hard to believe I will be getting up at the crack of dawn for the next 6 months.  I am not a morning person so it had better be an exciting year.  I still remember with concern the year we only had 4 turtle nests.  Thank goodness that has never happened again.  I can't even imagine only having 4 nests these days, but you simply never know (We have one already, very early).  Also, I'll soon report more on Lacy's progress, as she is growing into a big, pretty well adjusted girl, although more in contact with us than Shelly ever was.

Getting Into the Way Back Machine

In a distant past, (about a month ago), that seems like only yesterday, I got the opportunity to take a special voyage to a place I hold most dear to my heart.  My finding Cumberland Island and the natural wonders which existed there, led to my discovery of Amelia Island just next door, resulting in a truly life changing event for us.   One of my friends, Lynne, called me one busy afternoon at the gallery and said "I have a ticket to Cumberland Island tomorrow but I can't use it.  Would you like to take it?"  Thinking that it was one of the day trips from St. Mary's on the Park Service Ferry, I politely declined because my knee would not hold up to the amount of walking that trip would require.  Later that evening I got a note from Dickie Anderson who does the "High Tide Women's Weekends", saying how nice it was that Lynne thought of me first to take her place.  The "light bulb" finally lit up in my brain and I realized that this year Dickie was highlighting the National Parks in the area and this was no ordinary trip to Cumberland Island.  With shaking hands I grabbed the phone, praying I was not too late, and called Lynne, apologizing if I had awakened her, and asked if the trip was still available.  YES, YES, I WANT TO GO!!!

Lynne had feared rain and the heat since she is still recouping from a recent bout with some health issues.  The morning started out to be beautiful as I showed up early, not wanting to miss the boat, with my pack, my new orthopedic inserts in my walking shoes, and raring to go.  The recent rains had mushrooms growing galore all over the island and these were the first thing I saw as I walked toward the docks.  In the early morning light I could not pass them up without a few shots to start off the day.  It was a 70's flashback when mushrooms were a big subject for me to paint.  I'm sure there are still many of  my mushroom paintings hanging on walls in the Chattanooga area.  That was the time when framing in barn wood, reading Foxfire, and Adele Davis's dietary books (who lost favor when she died of cancer) which all told us how to live simply, eat healthy, and be environmentally friendly, the new hot ticket in living.  The dawning of the Green age; and you thought Al Gore invented it...

A perfect morning to climb aboard a boat and go on a very excellent adventure.  It was so calm it was almost as if I wasn't sure which was the upside of the photograph as I looked back toward the street on which my gallery sits and thought how great to just walk away for a day.  [Thank you to Lynne and to Bruce for making it possible.]  I whiled away the time waiting for the official Cumberland Island Park Service Ferry to show up at OUR dock,  enjoying the reflections through the camera's lens.

It was indeed a perfect morning for a cruise.  I suppose Gilligan thought the same thing when he set sail for that short cruise that ran through many seasons.  Although Cumberland Island is just a short distance as the boat sails and the crow flies it usually seems much further away since actual landing on the island means a trip to St. Marys and making reservations on the Park Service Ferry or spending the big bucks to go with Greyfield Inn which leaves from our island.

It was almost too calm as the water became a perfect mirror and I like the abstract in the water not realism.  Come on now, give me a wave or two.

Finally a boat came by and gave me some interesting images to capture.  Some day I will have an exhibit of all the wonderful things I see in the water.

With lots of bigwigs from Washington with Park Service affiliations on board and with women who had come from near and far for this trip, most were eager for a top side view as we left the harbor.  Dickie had outdone herself in arranging this great one of a kind event.  So thankful was I, to be able to be on board.  My yellow pack and camera bag sit in the foreground.  I should not have bothered.  Every thing was provided from water to a pack in which to carry our "stuff".

At that time of the morning there were many of the wild horses of Cumberland Island out along the grassy beach areas, as we paralleled the shoreline.

Our first stop was Dungeness, the home of Lucy Carnegie and her family, previously owned by and the home of the Phineas Greene's.  We strolled with the very informative Park Ranger down Coleman Avenue as we listened to the stories of the people who had lived here from the knowledgeable park ranger.  The canopy of Live Oak Trees and Spanish Moss fills you with expectations of what might have awaited you beyond the turn in the road as you traveled once upon a time in Miss Lucy's carriage as her guest.

Lots of wild turkeys were scattering as we interrupted their quiet morning of dining on the lawn bugs.

I had forgotten where this wonderful old fountain was, while on a previous trip and was determined to not miss it this time.  It was located on the backside of the oldest remaining building on the island, a nice tabby built by the Greene's who had built the first Dungeness.  This building had housed the tutors for the children who lived at Dungeness.  It had also served as an office for the tutor who stayed on to be Miss Lucy's right hand man after her husband died fairly early in life.

In the museum at the dock, which is actually the old Ice House for the estate, you can see the pictures of the mansion when it was a real live home.  It is impressive now but must have been a true wonder for its time.  The Carnegies had the latest in technology, and when only 7% of the country had electricity, they were generating their own here in their private island paradise.

Since there was so much to do it was time to re-board the boat much too soon, but we had a lunch date with the folks at Greyfield Inn.  It was not something anyone wanted to miss, either, as walking around the ruins, we had worked up an appetite.  This horse was enjoying a morning brunch of Spanish Moss, which it was harvesting off a downed tree.  A glimpse into part of their diet on the island.

These two were grazing on the sparse grass found growing on the sand flat.  I loved the twisty gnarly branch forms from the trees which have been uprooted by the eroding shoreline.

This was my favorite of the horses I saw.  Such a pretty pattern.  The horses through the years have mixed with those from the all the families who lived there.  My friend Cindy who lived here, and whose grandmother was Lucy Carnegie, can tell you whose horses influenced some of the colors especially the ones with the white blazes on their faces.  Sometimes a horse just gets through the fence and spreads his charms around the whole island.

A tour of the main floor of the house, now Greyfield Inn, which was given to the daughter, Lucy, as a gift.  The library here is filled with rare first edition books, some signed, which you are free as a guest to browse through.  The lunch was substantial and pleasant as the whole group assembled to chat, get acquainted, and pose for a group photo.  That's me with the red shirt, hat and water bottle in her hand sitting on the first step underneath the rather large flower pot on the right.

We had 20 minutes to go until the boat would leave us but I just had to walk with a few hardier souls to get a glimpse of the beach I had for so long loved.  This is the Main Road, which goes from end to end on the island and which I have hiked many times with my backpack loaded with a weeks worth of food on my back, and then later on my old three wheeler with Bruce once we found a cottage we could rent.  I stood remembering that first walk on my very first trip as four of us, 3 women friends and one male, when the sounds of the Armadillos would startle us as they rattled the stiff Palmetto fronds scurrying away when we passed by.  We couldn't see them and was not sure what was making the noise.

My knee was reminding me that I still had to walk back, and it was quickly nearing departure time.  Thankfully a fellow came along in one of the golf cart vehicles from Greyfield and I was relieved and thankful to accept a ride on his chariot right to the dock.  Yea, saved the knee for another time.

The next stop on the tour was Plum Orchard behind which we had found our little Pink Cottage retreat and left the tent camping behind.  Since it is about 7 miles up the island I don't often get the chance to revisit.  On the way we had to retrace our path a good bit to be able to access the river channel, with the large ferry   The channel took us very close to the Kings Bay Nuclear Submarine base.  The large tall structure on the top left photo is a gizmo (very technical words so don't get overwhelmed) through which the subs pass through on their return to discharge the static electricity that has built up on the outside of the vessel due to the friction of the high speed with which they travel through the water.  They have to do this so they don't create a spark when they refuel.  As luck would have it on such a perfect day a sub was in port.  Of course we also were being evaluated, but  as a result, able to get up close and personal with the gun boat which was guarding the base.

Plum Orchard was the largest of the homes Lucy built for her children.  They were all given the choice of a house or cash, with most of the girls opting to take the money and run.  This is one of the most beautiful, which the daughter-in-law added another wing onto, after it was built, needing more space, -for just the two of them and staff of course.  It has over 100 rooms although I was not sure what was considered a room.  I think the count had to have included closets and hallways as rooms, because it doesn't seem that big to me.  Of course it has an attic with living quarters for some of the staff which we were not able to see.  That means 4 floors of rooms including the large and cavernous basement which we were also privileged to explore.  There was an area the size of a room just to accommodate the motors for the refrigerator which was in the adjoining area.  Things were not so compact in the early days of electrical technology.

Because they could afford to do so it was tastefully furnished with fine furnishings and elegant touches like Tiffany Lamps and hand painted/stenciled wallpapers everywhere.  To me the warmest part of the house was this cozy fireplace which you stepped down into, located in the foyer area,  It would have been very warm and cozy with a roaring fire on those cool damp winter days.  Great touches like wood paneling in the Gun Room to give it a very masculine touch with billiard tables, a baby grand, and built in gun cabinets along with the tortoise shell Tiffany lamps in the picture above.  A great place to hang out at the end of a hard day hunting and prowling the beaches.  Even an elevator with hydraulic lift which later came in handy as the Carnegie son developed a muscle condition which left him in a wheelchair.  What had been a luxury became a necessity for navigating to the upstairs bedroom area.

The only time I have seen a horse in this condition on the island.  The Park Service lets the horses remain on the island on the condition that they do not have to do anything to keep them going.  This means if they get sick they do not help.  Sometimes a stallion will loose his place as head of the herd and is exiled.  He will then soon die of loneliness and this could be the case here.

There is a fresh water pond just behind the house, which I had remembered always had lots of birds.  That was back when I didn't know the names of our birds.  The tree was filled with lots of very skittish Great Whites, White Ibis (young ones still brown). a Green Heron, some baby Alligators, and mosquitoes the size of birds and ticks to boot which took their toll on me and I did not stay long.  It was pretty grown up and one of the longest snakes I have ever seen in the wild had run into this pond on an earlier trip back in the old days.  I like snakes but I didn't want to prowl around in their house uninvited.  Water snakes are noted to not be real friendly to such intrusions.

It came time for us to turn homeward.  I usually do not feel our paper mills pollute the air but from this distance I am rethinking my stand on this.  True we do not get the smells on the island associated with papermills of earlier times, but when I saw the clear pristine skies from this distance and the plume of low lying yellowish haze spreading to the Southwest from Rayonier and gray smoke coming directly on the North end from the Rock Tenn plant I was very disheartened.  I don't think they were both just having a bad day.  Now come on folks, even if your pollution doesn't stay on our island, it's still going out there.  Let's clean up our act!!!  Even on cloudy days...

The Marshes were at their prettiest green and the horses were enjoying it as if they had been turned out into a new pasture.

Only a few of us still headed for the upper deck on the journey back home.  There was wine and treats inside the cabin underneath and some very tired ladies to enjoy it.  The trip was exhausting but wonderful at the same time.  None of the buildings we toured had the new fangled air conditioning so perspiration had taken its toll zapping our energy.  As we rehydrated only a few rain drops added to the mix from the gray clouds overhead.  All around were the perfectly beautiful billowing clouds I love.  I took many photographs of them that day.  The next day one of my other friends from Jacksonville who had gone on the trip came to say she was disappointed that I had not made it to the mixer and fashion show later that night.  I said, "are you kidding?  I was sound asleep by 8 o'clock."  Am I getting old?

Excitement on the Beach

Two new paintings just finished by Sandra. The first is a commission the second is for exhibiting in her gallery.

"Marsh Point" 30 x 40 Acrylic on Canvas (Commission for patron)

Across the Miles 48 x 60 Acrylic on Canvas.

It has been an exciting two weeks in the park for Sea Turtles. We have doubled our nest numbers.

For two days in a row I had this pair of Black Ducks near the pier, which look very much like Mallards, except the colors on the male are not as pretty and they have an olive green beak. I was hoping that we could add their nest numbers to our count of bird nests, when I saw them making their way up over the escarpment to the Sea Oat area. I have not seen them since so maybe not. I have seen one duck hanging out on the beach a little further west so maybe mom is sitting on a nest and dad is collecting food.

Almost disappearing into the same color sand was this Great Blue Heron.

Another family, gathering from as far away as the Midwest, to greet their loved ones who have been away on the incoming submarine for two months. They were very excited, scanning the water with binoculars. I told them they were still some time from the arrival, as the tug was just on its way out.

A photo of nest number 3 which is where we left off with the last story. I think each track tells a separate story and each is in its own way different. This one left one of those long ones which make it hard to determine the exact location of the eggs.

We had the threat of rain but that was all, just a brief hope and nothing in the way of drops to wet our very dry ground. It rained in Jacksonville but we only got about 3 drops, then the skies closed back up. The smoke has been apparent several times from the Okefenokee Swamp so rain would certainly be a blessing for us all.

Many hours were spent by some child building this great little Robinson Crusoe house even down to the furniture. Quite an engineering feat to get all those sticks to stand up and allow work inside to commence.

The baby Wilson's Plovers have not been as visible as in years past. I see the parents but have a hard time seeing the kids. This one had hunkered down behind the wrack trying to make himself invisible. Reminds me of my brother who thought if he closed his eyes no one could see him.

Although they usually have three offspring, it is apparently rare for them to completely raise all three. The ones I have observed seem to just to have one surviving chick, although this morning I was able to spot two for this mom.

I got these photos of the fireworks the other night from my neighbor to the South, the Ritz Carlton. I stood out in the street in front of my real next door neighbors to get these shots because I feared I would not have time to get to the beach to see them. Pretty cool to have fireworks for no apparent reason suddenly appear above your treetops.

The drawback of not knowing when it will happen is that I miss the lower ones like this splendid finale which made my trees look like they were on fire.

I have had several grasshopper-type hitch hikers this year. This one was sitting on my shorts leg and had very interesting colors with a golden back. But the most exciting event was that we had a new nest; one that is even exciting for the whole island.

A Leatherback, one of our more elusive and endangered Sea Turtles, has nested just South of the pier at Fort Clinch. One of my other park rangers discovered it on the day before so by the time I found it the tracks had already been driven over with the beach buggy so my photos of the rare tracks were not as nice as I would have liked. You can still see the distinctive curvy track that they take.

The width of the track rules out any other turtle at 6 1/2 feet. The largest of these turtles ever recorded was slightly over 2000 pounds. They are the giants of the reptile world, a throwback to the day of the Dinosaurs. They travel thousands of miles, able to endure much cooler temperatures than other turtles, and diving to depths of 3500 feet. Amazing creatures.

We had a Leatherback last year also, after many years of not having one visit the island. It was a major event, so we are very excited to have one in the park.

This one section gives you an idea of the wavy track they take on their way in and the compaction of the sand gives and idea of their weight.

The nest is huge; no telling where the eggs are, although I have had three crabs digging in it, which will give us an idea of the location of the nest chamber. I use them to help me determine other turtle egg locations. Ghost Crabs love turtle eggs, and these large tennis ball size eggs would be a "real deal" meal for them.

Clouds kept flirting with us but no rain has fallen into what should be our rainy season, with afternoon showers becoming an almost daily occurrence, sending tourists scurrying off the beach and into town, to buy lots of things. Or is it just a nap they seek?

The Little Snowy Egret which hangs out at the fort was trying to hold really still waiting for a fish to wander into his striking range.

Further on down the beach Alpha, the daddy Osprey, had caught a Flounder, one which I would have been happy to have found on the end of my line.

By the time I leave the park Little Girl was feeding her chicks the nice Flounder breakfast. A very satisfying week to have in the park with nest number 5, a river nest, and 6, an ocean front nest, also appearing on the beach for me to find causing a very long and tiring morning. It starts to get hot by the time you get around to staking off that second nest. A shower will feel really good, but having our nest numbers double in the time period of a week is great.