Sights in Bygone Days

Excerpt from Francis Harper’s Mammals of the Okefinokee Swamp, published March 1927: “Long field experience and rare powers of observation have … More

Uncanny Notes of the Barred Owl

Excerpt from Francis Harper’s Mammals of the Okefinokee Swamp, published March 1927: “The denser cypress bays are places of deep shade … More

Okefenokee Prairies: Like Nowhere Else in the World

Excerpt from Francis Harper’s Mammals of the Okefinokee Swamp, published March 1927: The prairies contribute more than any other feature to … More

Scream of the Red-shouldered Hawk

Noises carry in strange ways in the Okefenokee Swamp. A silent solitude lies upon the blackwaters as one paddles through … More

Okefenokee “Curlew”

Because of their preference for shallow wetlands, the White Ibis is a common inhabitant of the Okefenokee Swamp.  eBird frequency … More

Okefenokee Swamp Sandhill Cranes

Whenever a car stops along Swamp Island Drive, a wildlife viewing drive winding through the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, you … More

The ‘gator had the boy by the head

An old Okefenokee Swamper story as told by Owen Smith in the journals of naturalist Francis Harper, 1929: “Henry Bennett … More

Snowy Egret: The ‘Plume Bird’

The eBird frequency chart shows the Snowy Egret, Egretta thula, is a year-round inhabitant of the Okefenokee Swamp, but perhaps not … More

Francis Harper’s Okefenokee Turkey Vulture

​One bird always guaranteed to be seen in the Okefenokee Swamp is the Turkey Vulture. In the hot summer months … More

Disquieted by Dropping Snakes

From naturalist Francis Harper’s journal during his first visit to the Okefenokee Swamp in May 1912: “​When the bushes scraped … More