Autumn from Michigan to Georgia

Autumn colors lined the roads as we traveled north from Wisconsin into Michigan's Upper Peninsula.






Our first stop was Seney National Wildlife Refuge where families of Trumpeter Swans dotted the waterways in white.

We spent the night at Grand Marias on Lake Superior.  We went to Whitefish Point and spent the day birding with Bill & Sarah Krouse who were vacationing here from Green Bay.



Thousands of White-crowded Sparrows, Juncos, Thrushes, Kinglets, Am. Pipits, and warblers were migrating through from Canada.

We drove south through Lower Michigan and into Ohio in heavy rain and even a few snow flurries.  It stopped long enough for us to tour the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary near Battle Creek, MI.  This is the place from which the first Giant Canada Geese came to Green Bay in the 1930's.  Note the white forehead patch that identifies the Giant subspecies.

Into the rolling hills of Southeastern Ohio and the tree covered mountains of West Virginia.  We stayed at Pipestem Mountain RV Park where new birds were Carolina Chickadees, Carolina Wrens, and Mockingbirds.

Great Egret at Bogue Intet

We moved through the narrow part of Virginia and into North Carolina.  We were doing well following the advance of colored leaves and bird migration.  We headed to the coast just south of the Outer Banks and found our first Laughing Gulls, Fish Crows and Boat-tailed Grackles.

On October 7th was the beautiful full moon and early the next morning was the total eclipse.  Thankfully we were blessed with a clear night sky.

Greater Black-backed Gull

We stayed along the Crystal Coast of North Carolina and found some interesting finds near Ft. Macon National Monument.

Ghost Crab at Fort Macon

Gulf Fritillary 

Red-spotted Purple

Crystal Coast NC on the Atlantic

Eastern Bluebird

We were feeling the record heat and humidity along the coast as we traveled down through South Carolina and into Georgia.

We are now camped on Jekyll Island State Park for a few days and the front that moved across the country with severe weather only brought us some rain and lower humidity as the skies cleared.

Doily Spider

Golden Silk Orbweaver

Painted Bunting on Jekyll Island

Fisherman's unwanted catch, active Crab

On the road again soon through the beautiful Live Oaks hanging with Spanish Moss and looking forward to Florida birding.

As always, love and prayers,
Ida & Ty Baumann