Southeast.NaturePhotographers.net Locations

Alabama

Georgia

Tribble Mill Park - Grayson Georgia. Excellent site for birding in wetlands area, some wild flowers, and various landscapes. Commonly used for fishing, horseback riding, and jogging. Enter wooded trail at base of metal bridge to get to wetlands. Directions from Atlanta. I-85N to 316. Exit at hwy 124 , turn right, go through Lawrenceville until 124 becomes New Hope Rd at Scenic Hwy (do not turn). Travel 5 miles to Tribble Mill Park on right. See Gwinnett Parks and Recreation or Atlanta Audobon websites for more info.

Elachee Nature Center & Chicopee Woods - Gainesville Georgia. Woodland and wetland habitats with great opportunities for wildlife viewing and photography. There's a large pond with a boardwalk and blind, and miles of hiking trails. Directions

Big Creek Greenway - Alpharetta, Georgia. This is a nature corridor in the midst of suburban Atlanta. Nonetheless, there is plenty of nature to be seen. This is a well trafficed area, but I've been able to pursue photography there with only minimal distraction. Directions: Take GA 400 North from Atlanta. There are access points from several expressway exits around NorthPoint mall (Mansell, Haynes Bridge, Old Milton). Directions

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area - Atlanta, GA The National Park Service provides several recreation areas along the Chattahoochee river in the Atlanta area. They vary in size and habitats. There are miles of hiking trails providing photographic opportunities.

Callaway Gardens - Near Columbus, GA Callaway Gardens provides thousands of acres of planned and natural settings for nature photography. In additional, the Day Butterfly Center may provide photo opportunities not otherwise available. Directions

Maryland

North Carolina

Foothills Equestrian Nature Center - Tryon, NC FENCE has hiking trails and a splendid boardwalk across a pond. There should be ample bird photo opportunities here. Directions

South Carolina

Pinckney Island NWF - near Bluffton and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
The entrance is 1/2 mile west of Hilton Head Island, SC off of U.S. Highway 278. The island lies between Skull Creek (the Intracoastal Waterway) and Mackay Creek. There is a parking area with space for 30 or so vehicles. There are several miles of walking trails, bicycles are frequently used on the graveled walkways (no motorized vehicles). Some of the 'off-road' walkways would not be suitable for bicycles. I have seen and photographed white ibis, herons and egrets, as well as osprey's on the island.
From the parking area to 'Ibis Pond' is a short walk (5-8 minutes), the tidal pond supports many waders, and since foot and bicycle traffic is nearby, most of the birds do not spook easily. Further down the walkway (about another 10 minutes) there is a freshwater pond on the right that supports some waders, and a population of the 'duck like' category, along with a gator or two tossed in for excitement. I have gone further into the island, but so far have found the greatest concentration of birds in/on the first two 'ponds'. More information is available at http://pinckneyisland.fws.gov/index.htm

Hunting Island State Park is one of the most popular state parks and beach areas in South Carolina. Camping, the historic lighthouse, lagoon, fishing pier and nature trails. Hunting Island is not just another beach... it's a nature and wildlife paradise... Avian photographers will find many varieties of shorebirds here. There are two brackish water lagoons past the end of the Lighthouse Trail. Follow the trail to the end and there is a small lagoon there, but the water level has been very low and here has not been much activity. Continue along the beach until you are almost at the campground, and you will find another lagoon (much larger) with many wader varieties. There are not many real hidey-holes so be prepared to 'creep along'. Depending upon the season, keep the 'deet' handy! For more information about Hunting Island, look at huntingisland.com

Tennessee

Virginia

Florida

Northeast Florida & Southeast Georgia

Okefenokee (meaning bubbling water) Swamp was formed over 6,500 years ago by the accumulation of peat in a shallow basin.

The Okefenokee Swamp is home to many wading birds, such as herons, egrets, ibises, cranes, and bitterns, though populations fluctuate with water levels. Okefenokee is famous for its amphibians and reptiles such as toads, frogs, turtles, lizards, snakes, as well as the abundance of American alligators; and it is a critical habitat for Florida black bear.

In the fall it is Orchid-Hunting in North Florida. There is no snow to worry about and with the warm to temperate climate the environment is a natural for the Orchid. Just about any place in North Florida where it is wooded wet will provide a great opportunity to locate colonies of Orchid’s.

Beach and beaches provide a unique opportunity for some of the most spectacular sunrises you have every seen. And if you need the sunset, simply ride to the golf coast and capture the sun setting along some of the whitest sand in America. Of course you will be able to capture a host of sea birds and even pigeons that work along side Gull’s on the beach searching for food. On calm day’s you can capture the dolphins playing just off shore and perhaps a whale or two exhaling.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge located near Cape Kennedy is home to migrating birds of all shapes and sizes. There is over 140,000 acres of distinct habitat for many species of birds and 15 Federally listed Threatened or Endangered Species. In all there is ore than 500 species of wildlife with more than 1,000 species of plants.

Talbot Island and watchable wildlife: The salt marshes offer excellent habitat for raccoons, river otters, clapper rails, egrets, and herons. Shorebirds frequent the sandy beach on which loggerhead sea turtles lay their eggs in the summer. The coastal hammock is a good place to find snakes, gopher tortoises, painted buntings, and migratory warblers. Look for brown pelicans, gulls, royal terns, and sea ducks from the pier.

Osceola National Forest Watchable wildlife: The pinewoods abound with rufous-sided towhees, pine warblers, Bachman's sparrows, brown-headed nuthatches, northern bobwhites, rattlesnakes, and fox squirrels. Near dusk or dawn, you may be lucky and spot wild turkey, white-tailed deer, gray fox, or bobcat. American swallowtail kites soar over open places in spring and summer. The cypress swamp boardwalk is a good place to view pileated woodpeckers and warblers.

Cedar Point, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve Watchable Wildlife. Yellow-breasted chats, blue grosbeaks, orchard orioles and indigo and painted buntings may be spotted along the pasture trail in the summer. Cedar Point’s maritime hammocks attract migrants such as ovenbirds, veeries, scarlet and summer tanagers, red-eyed vireos and black-throated blue warblers, as well as Florida breeding birds such as pileated woodpeckers, yellow-throated warblers, white-eyed vireos, wood storks, great and snowy egrets, white ibis, little and great blue herons and American oystercatchers. Look for river otters (in Pumpkin Hill Creek), armadillos, opossums, raccoons, box turtles and both red and black rat snakes. Diamond-back rattlesnakes have also made a comeback at the preserve.

These are but a few areas in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia that offer many opportunities for wildlife and nature photography. Of course if you need it a bit more wild we can travel to the south where we have Jaguars, monkey’s, gators, reticulated pythons, and birds from south and north America.

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