- Lydia C Thompson
Welcome to my world of Birds and Art
To begin: Please pick up where I left off at http://coastalgeorgiabirding-lydia.blogspot.com/ To my surprise, the last entry was precisely one year ago, September 4, 2018. We were celebrating World Shorebird Day. I had plans to celebrate on September 6 this year 2019 at Gould's Inlet. Dr. Abby Sterling and I had planned a tabling event for St. Simons Island. I had a group of the Bird Stewards, aka the Shorebird Patrol, to be at Gould's Inlet to show beach-goers the kind of birds that live at Gould's Inlet. I was going to help with Jekyll Island booth at the Jekyll Island Guest Information Center, But Hurricane Dorian formed in the Caribbean and moved up the east coast. This massive storm is moving through the Golden Isles, (Jekyll Island, St. Simons Island, Sea Island, and Little St. Simons Island). Today, September 4 and everything on the islands has stopped and battened down to go through the storm.

No one knows what this storm will do to the Gold Isles. I hope everyone escapes with little or no damage. Over the years, I have learned that the beach will be changed. The shorebirds and ocean birds will ride the storm out. During Mathew, we had a group of Whimbrels rode out that storm on the floating wrack. Georgia Department of Natural Resources Shorebird Biologist, Tim Keyes watched these birds just before the storm and came back the spot, and they were still there. The birds are tough.
My point is these storms are part of the shorebirds' world. The marshes, mudflats, and beaches are changed. How much? Stay tuned: