A Trip to Tybee Island

We drove out to the east of Savannah today to Tybee Island. Fort Polaski, a brick fort, is seen just before the Island. We drove around it, but didn't take a tour -- I think we're sort of "forted out." We ended up birding in the park-like area in the vicinity of the Fort.

There are a lot of weathered juniper trees on the island -- like this one with the wounded trunk and errant branch --

Our prize find of a good day of birding! This Painted Bunting posed as it was enjoying a meal of grass seeds. Isn't it a gorgeous bird?

We also saw an Eastern Kingbird; a flock of Cedar Waxwings; Brown-headed Cowbirds; pigeons; grackles; and the usual black-headed buzzards.

These little shops were delightful and I was able to pick up a couple of early birthday gifts.

Not so sure about this "mermaid" in one of the shops further down the line...

It was a very warm sunny day today and there was absolutely NO parking anywhere near the Atlantic Ocean beach. You couldn't even see it except for an occasional glimpse over the dunes. Typical of most East Coast beach towns that we've seen, the Island is rental beach house after beach house, side by side, in a solid mass.

We ended up going back into Savannah for dinner. As we walked to the restaurant, we saw more of the beautiful wrought iron work --

 

At the recommendation of our friends, Bill and Leslie, we ate dinner at The Pirates House, the oldest building still standing in Savannah. It was a former pirate hang-out where 'tis said, many a man woke up the next morning out at sea, after having been shanghaied.

We had some wonderful she-crab soup as an appetizer, but could have made a meal of it, it was so good. As it was we brought most of our dinner home to enjoy tomorrow.