Cumberland Island is the largest and last barrier island along the Georgia coast. Although it was once owned by wealthy land owners including Carnegie, (here are the ruins of the Carnegie Dungenous mansion), today it is part of the US National Seashore. Since it is largely uninhabited, wildlife has flourished. As we approached the island by boat, we saw horses running along the shore - what a beautiful and exciting sight! Then, as I took a hike later on, I saw
an armadillo, a group of turkeys, and horses grazing on the grounds. What a thrill to walk among them knowing they were wild and free.
Later on, during the walk back to Lou who was waiting for me at the park rangers' hut, I stopped short when a beautiful pony was standing right on he path. He wasn't moving, so I had to - through the brambles. He looked gentle, but I wasn't taking any chances.
I've mentioned the dolphins (some call them porpoises - what's the difference?) that we spy almost everywhere, but we have other temporary companions while traveling. The pelicans have kept us company since the Chesapeake. They are my favorite bird, so clumsy and comical, but graceful when they fly a few inches above the water. And you should see them dive for fish! They're like dive bombers crashing into the water head first. Grebes, a cormorant type bird, have also been diving and emerging for several states now; but they dive from the water, not the sky. Of course, the ever present egre
ts, herons and other shore birds continue to follow us.
While we were out in the ocean off the Jersey coast back in late September, one day we were visited by Monarch butterflies following us almost the entire day, but curiously, they never landed on the boat to rest!
Our smallest companions came in the guise of an infestation of fruit flies; we finally eliminated them by following up on a sailor's suggestion to put out apple cider vinegar. It attracted them and solved the problem.
Who knows what's next...
PS. It's hard to take close ups of animals, especially birds, so don't forget you can click on the pictures to see them better.
Cumberland Island is the largest and last barrier island along the Georgia coast. Although it was once owned by wealthy land owners including Carnegie, (here are the ruins of the Carnegie Dungenous mansion), today it is part of the US National Seashore. Since it is largely uninhabited, wildlife has flourished. As we approached the island by boat, we saw horses running along the shore - what a beautiful and exciting sight! Then, as I took a hike later on, I saw
an armadillo, a group of turkeys, and horses grazing on the grounds. What a thrill to walk among them knowing they were wild and free. 
Later on, during the walk back to Lou who was waiting for me at the park rangers' hut, I stopped short when a beautiful pony was standing right on he path. He wasn't moving, so I had to - through the brambles. He looked gentle, but I wasn't taking any chances.
I've mentioned the dolphins (some call them porpoises - what's the difference?) that we spy almost everywhere, but we have other temporary companions while traveling. The pelicans have kept us company since the Chesapeake. They are my favorite bird, so clumsy and comical, but graceful when they fly a few inches above the water. And you should see them dive for fish! They're like dive bombers crashing into the water head first. Grebes, a cormorant type bird, have also been diving and emerging for several states now; but they dive from the water, not the sky. Of course, the ever present egre
ts, herons and other shore birds continue to follow us.
While we were out in the ocean off the Jersey coast back in late September, one day we were visited by Monarch butterflies following us almost the entire day, but curiously, they never landed on the boat to rest!
Our smallest companions came in the guise of an infestation of fruit flies; we finally eliminated them by following up on a sailor's suggestion to put out apple cider vinegar. It attracted them and solved the problem.
Who knows what's next...
PS. It's hard to take close ups of animals, especially birds, so don't forget you can click on the pictures to see them better.
