Wildlife Habitat in Candler Park

Do you, like me,  enjoy in-town wildlife spotting? Ever since I moved to Atlanta, I’ve been amazed by the abundance of wildlife in town. On walks with my dog Lad, I enjoy bird-watching--seeing a flock of goldfinches in early spring, or bluebirds illuminated by  sunlight make it worthwhile getting out early. Even spotting the tiny chipmunk who sits on the same rock each morning by the New Endings fountain makes me happy.

A lovely new addition to our neighborhood is the restored stream that flows through Candler Park Golf Course and attracts water fowl and other aquatic creatures.  During the winter, a majestic great blue heron hung out along the water’s edge. On early weekday mornings, I’d sneak onto the golf course to catch a glimpse of it, but soon I became obsessed with spotting the little guys who apparently worked the night shift and left plenty of evidence of their industriousness.  Castor canadensis  (the American beaver) has taken up residence and has dammed up the creek into a series of ponds. The ponds in turn have attracted turtles, bullfrogs, bats, dragonflies, mallards--there is a mama with five babies right now-- red-winged blackbirds, green herons, an occasional belted kingfisher and myriads of other birds and creatures in and out of the water in this new ecosystem.

To accomplish my quest, finally, one May morning, I came at 5:45 a.m. to see the beavers. They complied and put on a show worthy of Sea World (well almost), accompanied by a raucous bullfrog symphony.

Our new ecosystem is vulnerable in many ways, and its survival depends in part on a keen working relationship with the golf course management and the city of Atlanta.

I believe we are very lucky to have this wildlife habitat in our neighborhood albeit nestled in the middle of the golf course. Please respect wildlife and golfers. If you want to join a group supporting Candler Park wildlife habitats and share wildlife sightings, please email me at metalarsson@yahoo.com.

(Click on image to see slideshow)