Harris Neck Wildlife Refuge

 We spent most of the cool sunny morning at the beautiful Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge in coastal Georgia. This once WW2 airfield, and before that the site of a stately coastal home, is gorgeously wild with its large Spanish moss draped live oaks, long leaf pines, and ponds and wetlands. Our first stop was Woody Pond with its embankment that allows for easy wildlife viewing.

 

 Common Gallinule, Anhinga (a life bird for us!), Hooded and Red-Breasted Mergansers, White Ibis, and three herons: Great Blue, Tr-colored, and Black-crowned Night gave us great views in the bright morning sunshine. 

The Anhinga drying its feathers in the sun:

 

 

Common Gallinule swam from partially submerged log to shore:

An alligator sunned itself on the bank near the ibis:

 

We continued on the miles of road shaded by the oaks and moss. 

 

At one bend in the road a flash of yellow in a long leaf pine caught our eye. Not surprisingly the bird that eagerly gleaned pine nuts was a brilliant Pine Warbler.

This bend proved to be more of a warbler corner as Yellow-rumped warbler, Blue-headed Vireo, and Yellow-throated Warbler flitted and foraged the pine and oak near the Pine Warbler. 

Harris Neck is gorgeous just driving around. But the birding is top notch!