Hi Eran and Everyone, Between Mary and Giff there is a lot of good information on the coast. In answer to this Question: - Is the "old marina" on Jekyll the same marina described at the beginning of the North Tour section of the Birder's Guide ? (p.23) No, the marina that the book is talking about is in the Historical district. This is a much older dock than the "old marina" but look on page 21 for the area. The Ski Rixen is out of business and is now a nature center called Coastal Encounters. Please drop by and say Hi. The pond in front of the center was part of the "old marina". It was to be the holding area for boats. This can be very good or have nothing at all on it. The "old marina" was a failed attempted in the '60's to put in a grand cove type marina . It didn't get to far because the cove they dug out, keep filling up with mud. It has been left to returned to it nature state on its own and is doing that nicely. For a decade or more it was great for shorebirds but now it is hard to see any birds if they are out there. A bunch of us will be going out to Cumberland this weekend to do their annual CBC count, so if we see anything different we'll let you know. I can't wait to hear how all the counts go! As it gets closer to let me know your plans maybe a group of us can go out for a fun birding time! Good Birding. Lydia

Lydia C. Thompson St. Simons Is. Ga. 31522 artworksbylydia@thebest.net

> Hello everyone ! > > I am currently planning a mid-January birding trip to the coast & > vicinity where I have little birding experience. I would thus like to > > humbly request GABO assistance with a few questions and ANY input > whatsoever will be very deeply appreciated. > > - Aside from White Pelicans at Point Peter, are there any wintering > waterbirds significantly more likely to be seen on Cumberland and/or > St. Simon's islands than on Jekyll ? > > - On Tybee Island, can one observe the Purple Sandpipers during high > tide ? > > - Which year-type plumage is most frequently seen on Georgia's Lesser > Black-backed Gulls ? And the handful of Little Gulls ? (i.e., 1st > winter > birds, winter adults, etc.) > > - What site is a good bet to see the Sandhill Cranes in the > Okefenokee? > (Suwannee Canal ???) I assume that there is a preferred time of day to > > find them ? > > - Is the "old marina" on Jekyll the same marina described at the > beginning > of the North Tour section of the Birder's Guide ? (p.23) > > - How does one bird Andrews Island (Causeway) ? > > - Finally, are there any particularly good locations to look for the > following species along the coast? The Birder's Guide and other > sources > list several locations for each, but which (if any) is the best bet in > > January ? > > - American Bittern > - Bald Eagle > - Peregrine Falcon > - Freshwater rails (Sora, Virginia & King) > - American Oystercatcher > - American Avocet > - Whimbrel > - Piping Plover > - Long-billed Dowitcher > - Parasitic Jaeger > - Lesser Black-backed Gull > > Many thanks in advance for any reply !!! > > - Eran Tomer > Atlanta, GA > etomer@emory.edu