Roadside Treasures: Wildflowers

Well, as you know by now, if you follow this blog very often, I love taking photos of the wildlife and scenery in Georgia.  I am not the person you want to be behind when something catches my eye.  I can stop that old chevy on a dime, I am a U-turn master and when I'm on my photography adventures I tend to drive slow.  You also know that I often talk about the little things that we take for granted every day, he things we should take time to notice, they are quite beautiful.  Today I would like to share with you some of the Wildflowers I found on the road side, along the ditches, in the swamps and in the racks of the concrete in the parking lots.
 Please keep in mind, I am by no means a wildflower expert.  I am going to do my best to identify these beauties, but I am human and I could be wrong, (please don't let my husband her me admit that).  Please feel free to leave comments and help me learn.  Let's start with the ever popular and easily recognized Black Eyed Susan, shown below can be found along just about any road side in south Georgia in the early summer.

This next tiny little treasure was found on the Jekyll Island causeway.   It is called the Asiatic Daisy or Mouse Ears, which I think is more appropriate.

 I have written numerous times about the Butler Island Wildlife Management Area just south of Darien in McIntosh county.  It is a plethora of hidden little treasures.  Most of these pics from there I didn't even have to get out of the truck and fight the black flies and mosquitoes, which is always a plus!

Buttonbush

Sweet Smelling Honeysuckle 

The unusual and delicate looking Passion Flower also know as a Maypop

I didn't find this one in abundance, but a few long the backside of one of the ponds.  Often referred to as a Swamp Rose.  Below is the Butterfly Milkweed which we found on that trip to Clayhole Swamp Wildlife Management Area, which is another wonderful place to find these little cuties.

 

Common Primrose

I think this one is an Oxeye Daisy

 Eastern Daisy or Common Daisy

 The name of this one just tickles me...Sensitive Briar, I have never found a Briar that was upset or distraught with me getting tangled in it.  HA

I found this Prickly Pear Cactus flower in Harris Neck Wildlife Refuge.

 Then on our way to the Okefenokee Swamp in Folkston I saw some these pretty Purple Coneflowers.

And of course we found many Water Lilies once we entered the swamp.

Zigzag Spiderwort, I swear I don't know where they come up with some of these names...Anyway, I have also written numerous times about Homer Wilson Way in downtown Brunswick which is where I found these.  The one pictured below, I have no idea, but it is so dainty and it produces a red berry. 

 Well, I think I have done pretty good identifying these lovely little flowers, but these next few photos I really of no idea.  But I want to share the beauty you can find along the dirt roads and ditches.

 

 

 Well, I hope you have enjoyed the pictures above, and again feel free to help me identify these flowers and in some cases weeds.  Remember to always take the time to notice the Beauty That Surrounds Us and of course to smell the flowers.

Harris Neck Wildlife Refuge

Well, I hope every one had a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. I personally have been enjoying a nice extended weekend. Spending lots of time with my Hubby. Once again I rousted my husband out of bed at 5:00 am and on Friday we took a trip to Harris Neck Wildlife Refuge, which is located right off Interstate 95 at exit 67 in McIntosh County. On the corner of Harris Neck Road sits the Smallest Church in America. Which is so sweet and quaint. The doors are open all the time for everyone to enjoy and worship.

Well, when we arrived at the Refuge the gates weren't open yet. The Refuge doesn't open until 6:30 am. So we took a ride down to the Barbour River Boat Ramps and watched the sunrise. This is my favorite time of morning. I love watching the world wake up and start a new day. Here are some of the pictures I took.

After the sunrise we headed back to the Refuge and encountered a young doe frantically trying to cross the road. We stopped and let her safely pass. When we reached the entrance the gates were open. There is no charge for entering Harris Neck. It offers a boat ramp and fishing pier at the immediate entrance. It also offer many hiking trails and a wildlife drive. My first stop was Woody Pond. In the spring and summer Woody Pond is loaded with nesting wading birds. This time of year is mostly ducks, coots, moorhens and cormorants along with some wading birds. Here are some shots of the Common Moorhens, American Coots ans Blue Winged Teals I saw along with some scenic shots..

We then continued on to Goose Pond. Goose Pond requires a bit of walking but, it was a nice cool morning and bugs weren't bad. When we arrived a t the Pond I immediately noticed the Woodstorks feeding, the Green Winged Teals and a few Hooded Mergansers. But, it was my husband, Don who noticed the white bird all by itself. It was a Snow Goose, I have never seen a Snow Goose so this was quite a treat. Here are the pics from Goose Pond.

We stopped by the Office to confirm that it was a Snow Goose we had seen and Ms. Pat Metz agreed and said it had been here for about two weeks now. We had a very enjoyable day. These are just a few of the things Harris Neck Wildlife Refuge has to offer. But there are many more Ponds and Trails. There is definitely alot of beauty to be seen here and in the County of McIntosh. 'Til next time be safe and take the time to slow down and look around.

Busy, Busy, Busy...slow down and look around

Wow! The last few weeks have been real busy. I have had little time to do any exploring/birding let alone take many pictures. But I did get out to

Andrew's Causeway which is another of my weekly haunts. I saw many great and snowy egrets, 3 great blue herons, a roseate spoonbill, and a little blue heron. I also saw gray kingbirds, mockingbirds, a young loggerhead shrike and several eastern kingbirds, which are among some of my favorites. I was lucky enough to get several good shots. I wanted to share a few with you. I just think they are so majestic looking. A good looking bird.

I was also able to spare a couple hours and go shooting with my friend Greg from work on Saturday morning. We headed out to Jekyll Island of course. As we were coming over the bridge at the pay station we had a very nice treat a chance to stop and photograph this beautiful young osprey while he was sitting on the bridge fishing. I don't think anyone has told him that there is no fishing allowed from that bridge...haha. Well he certainly didn't seem very camera shy either. This is another of my favorite birds. I watch and keep track of several osprey nests throughout breeding season from Jekyll Island to Kings Bay Navy Base. Also a very majestic bird. The morning was cool and clear but warmed up really quickly. We went to the east side of the island to photograph some of the driftwood and to check out any effects from Hannah. Hannah was very kind to us as compared to Fay. I do love the clear blue skies Coastal Georgia has to offer in the early morning hours. What a great way to start the day.

Also on Sunday I drove up to Harris Neck Wildlife Refuge for a meeting of the Colonial Coast Birding and Nature Festival. I always like to arrive early so I can spend some time at Woody Pond. There were bunches of common Moorhens, egrets and little blue herons. But what caught my eye and was a first for me was sitting in the middle of the road about 50 yards away. I saw a Bobcat and her two kittens at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. What a treat. Unfortunately it was too far away to get a good picture but I was just glad I was able to catch a glimpse of them. Harris Neck is a wonderful place. So many things you can see and lots of nice trails to hike. Don't forget to check out the Birding and Nature Festival in October from the 9Th to the 11Th on Jekyll Island at the Convention Center. Stop by and check out the Rookery. Saturday the 11Th is Nature Day. Fun for the whole family. Check out our website at http://www.coastalgeorgiabirding.org/ for more information.

Til next time, remember to slow down and look around....appreciate the Beauty that Surrounds US.