Who’s Been Reading My Posts? Oh, okay…
Eufala NWR, by Faye, 7/18/2009
I was leaning against the counter in my parents’ kitchen yesterday morning blabbering away about God know’s what, my dad walked in and tossed a newspaper section at me and said, “hey, with all your blogging about the wildlife refuges, I thought you might like to see this.”
I looked down at the newspaper spread, and my gaze instantly narrowed in on the wildlife photos, the word “refuge”. HUH!?! WHO’S BEEN READING MY BLOG!?! (selfish and arrogant of me, right? I mean, anyone is capable of wandering into the local refuges to snap photos, they weren’t googling and happened upon my blog for an article idea). phew….
The Savannah Morning News’ article is about tours that are available. Although, I don’t really think you need a tour. All you need is sunscreen, bug spray, and patience. Stop, listen, watch for gators, and then just enjoy watching and listening to the wildlife.
Published on SavannahNow.com (http://savannahnow.com)
By Emily Goldman
An alligator, with seemingly no particular mission in mind, glides across a calm waterway dotted with dragonflies during a recent tour of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge.
The southern-most area of the 29,000-acre refuge – located upriver from Savannah in South Carolina – is home to a 4-mile-driving path.
It was a good sighting, tour guide Karen Grainey of Wilderness Southeast said of the gator.
Much of the gator’s back was visible above the waterline. Grainey estimated the reptile to be between 6 and 8 feet long.
Grainey, a guide for the “Alligator and Anhingas” driving tour at the refuge, makes frequent stops so visitors have time to take it all in.
Because alligators are less active during the winter months, the tour runs from March through November.
But wildlife enthusiasts need not despair; during the winter, about 15 species of migrant ducks take center stage.
“I can’t imagine living without spending time exploring nature,” Grainey said. “It makes your life richer and more interesting. There is so much to see, you could never get bored with it.”
Alligators, anhingas and more
Shortly after the tour began, Grainey pointed out an anhinga, a long-necked, dark-colored bird, which was sunning itself – wings spread – on a log.
Grainey said the bird’s feathers aren’t waterproof and after swimming, the anhinga – pronounced an-HING-guh – must dry its wings in the sun.
Although both alligators and anhingas were spotted on this tour, Grainey said, that isn’t always the case.
“You never know what is going to happen,” she said. “These are wild animals living out their lives in here, and sometimes they aren’t where you can see them.”
Many other birds are frequently spotted at the refuge, because of its carefully managed habitats and location on the Atlantic Flyway, a bird migration route.
The weather, although hot, did not discourage the numerous kinds of birds that call the refuge home from making an appearance along the driving path.
Grainey pointed out red-winged blackbirds, osprey, egrets and a great blue heron.
Expert birder Diana Churchill, who writes a column for the Savannah Morning News’ Closeup sections and is a guide with Wilderness Southeast, said the refuge is the best place in the area to see wildlife.
Churchill has seen a mother opossum with six offspring as well as bald eagles and has been thrilled by the sight of a mixed flock of what she estimated to be more than 300 Mississippi and swallow-tailed kites.
Kites are now gathering in large numbers to feed on dragonflies at the refuge before migrating to Central and South America for the winter.
Taking it slow
“The trick to seeing things is to go slow,” Grainey said.
As she navigated the driving trail around the outside of the refuge, the car’s speedometer never registered more than a few miles per hour.
Another trick – go with a pro.
Grainey was able to share stories about the refuge while pointing out the most likely places to spot wildlife.
The find of the day was a family of purple gallinule, a feathered summer resident of the refuge.
The purple gallinule is deep blue with greenish iridescent wings and a red beak. They spend most of the year in South America and other tropical regions.
