A Day of Birding in 2 Georgia State Parks

“Watching birds is like looking at the sky at dusk on a frosty night; endless numbers of stars, endless mysteries, and, the more you look, the more you can see.” – Simon Barnes in How to Be a (Bad) Birdwatcher

I wanted music for my birthday. Song.

Mansong and birdsong.

We saw an Air Supply concert on Saturday night in Evans, Georgia, and we were blown away with what a fabulous show it was! These two guys still hold the magic with the crowd! I used to think the worst lines ever in an Air Supply song (Making Love Out of Nothing At All) were

I can make the runner stumble
I can make the final block
And I can make every tackle at the sound of the whistle
I can make all the stadiums rock

Really? I used to wonder. Air Supply can make all the stadiums rock?

I stand corrected. They can!

My friend Fran asked if they could still hold the notes as long as they did before. Maybe not quite as long and as high as before, but they gave their songs some tailoring to keep their fans impressed. I sat next to a young-20ish fan who swooned and held her cheeks and cried the emotional concert tears and sang every word.

After spending an amazing night in Evans, on our way home the next morning we decided to tour a couple of Georgia State Parks that we have not visited yet: Mistletoe and A.H. Stephens. I wanted to do some bird counts as part of the July eBird Challenge to complete at least 31 checklists this month.

If you’re not familiar with eBird and Merlin ID but love to spend time in nature, check out eBird and the free course they offer in birdwatching. No matter where you live, there is always a fun new challenge, and looking at the photos that others post is often quite breathtaking. I enjoy being part of the big picture of helping scientists track birds and their migratory patterns. AND it’s completely free!

We began in Mistletoe State Park in Appling, Georgia. I observed 61 total birds, including 25 different species. The most elusive of these was the Blue-Headed Vireo, which had a child-like call, telling a story and asking for candy or something. Nearby, there was an American Redstart in the same wildlife observation area.

There were also some bird eggs in a nesting box. I stuck my camera in to check on life inside the box, and this is what I found.

There were woodpeckers in abundance – all different types.

Mushrooms filled the woods, and if I were confident enough to be a forager, I’d have collected some of them.

Our next stop was A.H. Stephens Historic State Park, which has an equestrian section for those who enjoy trail riding on horseback. The stalls are clean and spacious, and there are camp spots close to the stables.

The fauna was captivating, but the flora in these state parks is absolutely gorgeous! I couldn’t resist snapping a picture of the mushrooms and flowers I saw along the paths.

Deer were everywhere, too – I think perhaps they were in greater abundance because the park is undergoing restoration. They still let us go around the barriers and drive through, but there are no current campers because they are upgrading all of the sites to full hookup sites, including sewer. It is set to re-open August 1st.

I was hoping to see an eagle as I walked through A.H. Stephens – they are known to have populations in this lake area and nearby Oconee, where I saw an eagle several months ago, but we didn’t see any today. In fact, I only observed 14 birds in total in this park, with 4 species represented.

We saw turtles, though – – basking the day away on logs above the water. This one’s buddy jumped in right before I snapped the photo.

18 Canadian Geese in Mistletoe and 9 Canadian Geese in A.H. Stephens made Canadian Geese the most popular bird of the day for me.

What a blessing to be able to spend a day completely in nature, observing the outdoor life in high dosage. It’s better than any medicine for soothing the soul and bringing peace!