Savannah is for the birds

Things I should have taken along with me on my long solitary hike in the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge today:

1. Sunscreen.

2. Hat.

3. Mosquito repellant.

4. More than one water bottle.

5. A porta-pottie. (Staying hydrated has its consequences.)

6. Cell phone. (I mean, what if that snake had attacked instead of slithering away? Or what if I'd slipped on the mud and broken both legs? By the time someone stumbled upon my sorry carcass, I'd be gator meat.) 

7. Lunch.

8. Bird book.

9. An extra pair of shoes and socks.

Despite these minor oversights, I emerged with wet feet, sunburned face and arms, sore legs, exactly two mosquito bites, and more than 200 photos, some of them pretty exciting. Yellow-rumped warblers! Three kinds of herons! A tree full of wood storks! I wish I could pack all those birds up and take them home--but considering how poorly I packed for this trip, maybe not.