Eastern cottontail, Egan’s Creek Greenway, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida
This is a wildlife wrap-up of my trip back east since my next trip to Mongolia is coming up in three weeks and I’ve got posts coming about that. I was going to do a short post about the wildlife that I saw in Georgia, a bit of Florida and New York state. Instead it took me almost all of yesterday to pick out one of each of as many critters as I had decent photos of and make any adjustments necessary. Turns out I saw a LOT. I’m going to start with mammals, then birds, reptiles and finally insects. It’s a long post, but I wanted everything in one place for future reference. Hope you enjoy this wildlife trip!
MAMMALS
White-tailed deer, Okefenokee NWR. Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia
Eastern grey squirrel, Okefenokee NWR, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia
Eastern grey squirrel and red squirrel, Hudson River Valley, New York State (red squirrel was a new species for me)
Eastern chipmunk, Hudson River Valley, New York State
Muskrat, pond in the Hudson River Valley, New York (seen while out painting on location with Jim Coe; first muskrat I had ever seen, so had to post a photo even though it’s not a good one; for the record)
BIRDS
Wood stork, Harris Neck NWR
White ibis, Okefenokee NWR, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia
Glossy ibis, Savannah NWR, South Carolina
Anhinga, Okefenokee NWR, Georgia
Tricolor heron, Okefenokee NWR, Georgia
Great blue heron Egan’s Creek Greeway, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida (notice the turtles off to the right)
Great egret, Egan’s Creek Greenway, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida
Little blue heron, Turtle River area, Georgia
Green heron, Harris Neck NWR, Georgia
Ring-necked ducks, Hudson River Valley, New York state
Blue-winged teal; American alligator, Savannah NWR
Common moorhen (juvenile), Harris Neck NWR
Turkey vultures, Hudson River Valley, New York state
Turkey, Hudson River Valley, New York state
Pileated woodpecker, Okefenokee NWR
Hairy woodpecker, Hudson River Valley, New York state
Red-bellied woodpecker, Hudson River Valley, New York state
White-breasted nuthatch, Hudson River Valley, New York state
Blue jay, Hudson River Valley, New York state
Purple finch and goldfinches, Hudson River Valley, New York state
Tufted titmouse, Hudson River Valley, New York state
Cardinal, near Harris Neck NWR
Mourning dove, near Turtle River, Georgia
Mockingbird, near Turtle River, Georgia
Blue-grey gnatcatcher, near Turtle River, Georgia
Warbler, Okefenokee NWR, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia
Palm warbler, Egan’s Creek Greemway, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida
Slate-colored junco, Hudson River Valley, New York state
Boat-tailed grackle, Savannah NWR
Birds I saw but did not get photos of or don’t have good ones include: swallowtail kite (no photo), cormorants, various ducks, a belted kingfisher, cowbird, snowy egret, and gallinule.
REPTILES
American alligator, Okefenokee NWR, Okefenokee Swamp Park ( The park people named him”Crazy” because he is very aggressive and is the current dominant bull gator; 12′ long, 800-900 lbs.)
American alligator, Okefenokee NWR
River cooters, Egan’s Creek Greenway, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida
Soft-shelled turtle, Okefenokee NWR
Banded water snakes, Okefenokee NWR
Midland water snake, Okefenokee NWR
Midland water snake, Okefenokee NWR
Penninsula ribbon snake, Okefenokee NWR
Water moccasin/cottonmouth, Okefenokee NWR
Water moccasin/cottonmouth (I was told by a local who works in the woods, so has to know snakes, that this was the biggest one he’d ever seen and, from the bulge, it looked like the snake had a “belly full of frogs). This species is extremely venomous)
Green anole, Okefenokee NWR
INSECTS
Spicebush swallowtail butterfly, Okefenokee NWR
Spicebush swallowtail butterfly, Okefenokee NWR
Dragonfly, Okefenokee NWR
