Ninth Annual All Women's Birding Bust Results
The Thrashers (175 species)
Theresa Hartz, Lisa Hurt, Georgann Schmalz
Getting geared up for the ninth annual All Women’s Birding Bust was easy this year compared to last year. The weather promised to be warm and sunny; no thunderstorms to frighten us and the birds. But, for the second year in a row, spring seemed late up in the mountains, so the Thrashers spent sunrise at Kennesaw Mountain rather than the awesome dawn chorus in the mountains of North Georgia. It was a tough choice, but turned out to be a good one since we found birds we would not have gotten farther north. At 7 AM, the road up Kennesaw was fairly quiet, but we managed to pull 18 species of warblers out of the tree tops. We carefully avoided the large group of birders at the Kennesaw parking area, then dashed on along our usual route to the Georgia coast. We missed Swainson’s Warblers near Macon due to tornado damage and an impassable road leading to the best spot. Not to be discouraged, however, we were startled and pleased to see three Grasshopper Sparrows perched on a barbed wire fence as if patiently awaiting us. We even paused awhile to enjoy them. But not for too long as the tides at Gould’s Inlet and Jekyll Island always befuddle us and we needed to get down the road. With the low tide at 3 PM, Gould’s Inlet at 5 PM was good, not perfect, but better than previous years where the ocean is splashing against the rocks at our feet. Despite a quick run over to Jekyll Island, we had no time to really bird the beach and still get up the road before dark. We tried not to disturb the Dendroicas team while they quietly birded the Marshes of Glynn. We didn’t tarry since we needed to get the Altamaha specialties and then finish at Harris Neck - a great way to end a day. The dinner at Steamers and a glass of wine was great, too. We finished with 24 species of warblers, some wonderfully cooperative birds and 175 species which is a new high record for our team and an AWBB record.
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Wild Turkey
Pied-billed Grebe
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Least Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Swallow-tailed Kite
Mississippi Kite
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Virginia Rail
Sora
Purple Gallinule
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Willet
Whimbrel
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Red Knot
Sanderling
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson’s Snipe
Laughing Gull
Bonaparte’s Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Forster’s Tern
Least Tern
Black Skimmer
Rock Dove
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Eastern Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Common Nighthawk
Chuck-will’s-widow
Whip-poor-will
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great-crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
European Starling
Tennessee Warbler
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Painted Bunting
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Team Dendroica (167 Species) had their best AWBB run ever in 2009. Team Members Deb Zaremba, Karen Theodorou, and new member Darlene Moore started the day in Cobb County shortly after midnight with a cooperative Snow Goose in an office park (which incidentally has since departed, tried for a photo yesterday). We had some memorable moments including trying to nap in Pine Log with the deafening sound of Whips and Chucks and unnerving feeling that we had ticks crawling on us; bumping into several of the other big day teams including the Rascal`s, who got to see us dressed beautifully in our mosquito netting and gloves. Getting out to South Beach was interesting wading through 12 inches of water between the boardwalks, and the loss of Deb`s silver hoop earring on the way out made for a tense moment. Poor Karen had to blow off her own son, Luke on the South Beach of Jekyll who was doing his own big day with his Homeschool Hummers Youth Birding Team (who incidentally won with a total of 147 species! A new record!) We ran into The Thrashers at the Marshes of Glynn as we were scoping through assorted peeps and finding a flock Piping Plovers.
We ended the day at the Altamaha watching an amazing sunset and having an
American Bittern fly over and listening to Common Nighthawks call. It was
a great day. We drove a total of 630 miles and birded for 20 hours for a total of 167 species breaking our previous record .
Thank you Georgann Schmalz for organizing a fun event!
The Laughing Gulls (133)
Here is Becky Valentine summary of our day of the All Women’s Bird Bust (AWBB): “Great weather and company, good birding numbers despite limited geographic area, dearth of warblers and hawks. She goes on to say exclaim “four night birds, Bonaparte`s Gull, great success at Altamaha”.
It all began at 6 AM when Cheryl Kanes, Becky Valentine, Lynda Wiggins and Nita Winn pulled into my drive way and picked me up. The Laughing Gulls AWBB team was officially together. Each of us had a goal to meet. Mine was to break my old record of 99 species in Glynn County in one day. Cheryl, Nita, Lynda and Becky’s goals were out to bird more drive less. Cheryl drove her new birding vehicle, a 4 door jeep with a sky light that let all of us see over our heads. The back windows went all the way down so we could all lean out of the car without opening the doors. The Laughing Gulls team was set
Our first stop was Fort Frederica where we picked up Screech Owl. Ducks are hard to find in Glynn County but I knew of one place to try. Silver Lake is just south of Sea Island Causeway. It is tucked back near the marsh. We were not disappointed within a few minutes a flock of Wood Ducks dropped onto the lake. We were off to a good start.
From there, we went west with a quick stop at Andrews Island Causeway then on to Clay-Hole Swamp and Paulk’s Pasture for Swainson’s Warblers, kites and buntings. By eleven o’clock we were driving up to Gene Keferl’s farm with 90 species under our belts. Gene has a wonderful feeding station. Ground doves, American Goldfinches, and Painted Buntings were taking advantage of his hospitality. There had been a Rose-breasted Grosbeak there on Saturday. Gene had seen it that morning but the bird was not there for us.
There was a long drive from Gene’s to Jekyll of about 25 minutes. At Gisco Marina Road we picked up Greater Yellowlegs and a glimpse of Gull-billed Terns. I had us stop at a little spot on the causeway for Seaside Sparrows. It was a long shot for the sparrow for it was middle tide in the afternoon but we got great looks at the Gull-billed Terns. Time was slipping away. Zooming on to the south end of Jekyll we walked around to the group of gulls, tern and sandpipers. There in the middle of the group was an immature Bonaparte’s Gull. I tried to make into something rare but it was what it was and it counted. The rest of the team allowed me to do a quick sketch. Further down the beach the Wilson’s Plover was scooting around in the dunes. Tick and off we went. At the amphitheater we found one Roseate Spoonbill and one Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. We left Jekyll around 5 pm and I had my goal plus a few more. The total for me was 114 in Glynn County.
We went on to Altamaha WMA for the evening. It was perfect timing. The birds were up and moving around for us. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Black-necked Stilts, coots, moorhens and one lone Pied-billed Grebe were quickly pick-up. Bobolinks and Purple Gallinule put on a show in the grass. The American Bittern was actually doing its “choonk, oong-ka” song. Can you really call that a song? As we stood on the tower ribbons of ibis flew by at eye-level. We keep looking when I heard a distant Common Nighthawk. It took a while but we finally all saw the dot in the distance over the South Altamaha River. Was it over Glynn County or McIntosh? It was mighty close but I will just leave it as counted. At this point our energy was waning so we took a dinner break at Mud Cats Charlie. I discovered that they serve their grouper fingers broiled with tasty grilled veggies. Perfect! With the last bit of energy and the last couple of hours we looked for a Great Horned Owl we could all have and a Chuck-will`s-Widow.
Cheryl added: “We had a great time and were relaxed because we spent more time birding, less time traveling.” She was happy to see both bitterns and both kites. .She recalls driving around Clay-hole Swamp asking ourselves what is our next bird. We decided we wanted an Eastern Pee Wee so we did our best pee wee imitation. Remember that 4-door jeep with the sun roof wide open? Well, low and behold an Eastern Pee Wee called right back at us. Cheryl looked at me with a big smile and we laughed. The day ended at midnight. The last effort was attempting to spotlight skimmers at Gould’s Inlet but alas the tide was high and the waves were splash over the rocks
In closing I want to quote Becky again, “Thanks, ladies, and a special thanks for the individual efforts (driving, scouting, keeping the list, keeping the time, "ipoding" and being sharp-eyed) that combined for a fun, successful big day. I am already looking forward to next year!” I could not have said it better. The team ended with 133 species in Glynn County plus Altamaha WMA.
Lydia C. Thompson
The Songbirds (127 species)
Ruth Marley and I decided to join in the fun this year for her first-ever and my first full day AWBB. We had a great time - savoring both birds and habitats way too long to be serious competitors. Our day started at 6a at Mercer Wetlands/Henderson Park and moved to Macon and then the coast, with stops at Altamaha and Jekyll Island (about dark-time). Our first bird of the day was American Robin (do they ever sleep?) and the last bird was Great Horned Owl. In all, we tallied 127 species with 8 being non-shared.
We learned a lot, laughed a lot, and nearly cried when at 10:30p we realized we were running out of options for places to stay overnight. Many lessons were learned in this adventure-packed day!
A few highlights: Black Bellied Whistling Ducks and Glossy Ibis at Altamaha; Chuck-Wills-Widow at Jekyll South Beach; FRANKLIN`S GULL at Spanky`s in Brunswick; Mississippi Kite and Swainson`s Warbler at Macon; Whimbrel at Jekyll Causeway and Bloody Marsh; Blackburnian and Blackpoll Warblers and a lingering Pine Siskin at Henderson Park; and an immature Orchard Oriole at a gas stop along I-16.
Congrats to all the teams - and much thanks to Georgann for this wonderful event. We`re "on" for next year ~Patty McLean
The Golden Gulls (118 Species)
Sandy Beasley and Brenda Brannen
With the goal of beating our 2008 AWBB record of 113 species and sticking to our familiar stomping ground of birding, the GOLDEN GULLS, composed of Sandy Beasley and me, cranked up our 2009 AWBB on April 25 at 5:30 a.m. in the Savannah area. Our first bird was the BARRED OWL, and then as the day began to break, we listened carefully to the beautiful serenades filtering through the swamp and woods—WOOD THRUSH, NORTHERN PARULA , PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, PINE WARBLER, and GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER among others. A RED-SHOULDERED HAWK fussed, and CANADA GEESE honked overhead. Too bad a close encounter with a wild hog rooting through the sludge in the dark can’t count! Already the day was priceless and worth the lack of sleep.
Still, we wanted more, so we moved on down the coast, checking roadsides, fields, refuges, wildlife management areas, marshes, mudflats, beaches, and the skies overhead. The fun and thrills we found throughout the day left us with images we’ll continue to carry with us. There’s the image of all the herons and egrets at Harris Neck NWR, including BLACK-CROWNED and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS and WOOD STORKS. PAINTED BUNTINGS were everywhere, and here we picked up the SWALLOWS—BARN, NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED, AND TREE. We saw WOOD DUCKS, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, and YELLOWLEGS. As we traveled on down Highway 17, Sandy caught a glimpse of a MISSISSIPPI KITE and pulled off the road. Quickly, I stood up through the sun roof and saw him myself as cars flew by! Then there’s the image of a male PAINTED BUNTING with all his color and an INDIGO BUNTING adding his unique blue only a few feet below in the newly green foliage of a tree at Altamaha WMA. And how does one forget the vision of BOBOLINKS swaying in the marsh grasses with BLACK-NECKED STILTS flying over? Or the dazzling PURPLE GALLINULE clinging high on the stalks of grass and feeding? Or the LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH dipping his tail as a perky SWAMP SPARROW forages nearby in their damp,shady covert?
Gould’s Inlet, Bloody Marsh, Andrew’s Causeway, and Jekyll Island provided a number of species. Somehow there’s always the thrill of being near the sea, especially as the day is winding down and the challenge is on! We enjoyed WHIMBRELS; LEAST, FORSTER’S, SANDWICH, and ROYAL TERNS; REDKNOTS; DUNLINS; a variety of GULLS, and other shorebirds that are always fun to pick out. Amazingly, a flock of CEDARWAXWINGS flew from tree to tree on Andrew’s Causeway, providing yet another memorable image of the Bust. Here we added the CLAPPER RAIL to our previously seen SORA, and then ended the day with a KING RAIL, species Number 118. Yep, we had reached our goal, and, most importantly, we had followed Rule Number 11 of the AWBB—HAVE FUN!!!
1. Acadian flycatcher
2. American coot
3. American crow
4. American kestrel
5. anhinga
6. bald eagle
7. barn swallows
8. barred owl
9. belted kingfisher
10. black and white warbler
11. black skimmer
12. black vulture
13. black-bellied plover
14. black-crowned night heron
15. black-necked stilts
16. black-throated blue warbler
17. blue grosbeak
18. blue jay
19. blue-gray gnatcatcher
20. blue-winged teal
21. boat-tailed grackle
22. bobolink
23. brown pelican
24. brown-headed cowbird
25. brown-headed nuthatch
26. Canada goose
27. Carolina chickadee
28. Carolina wren
29. cattle egret
30. cedar waxwing
31. chimney swifts
32. clapper rail
33. common grackle
34. common moorhen
35. common yellowthroat
36. double-crested cormorant
37. downy woodpecker
38. dunlin
39. eastern bluebird
40. eastern kingbird
41. eastern towhee
42. eastern wood pewee
43. Eurasian collared dove
44. European starling
45. fish crow
46. Forster’s tern
47. glossy ibis
48. gray catbird
49. great black-backed gull
50. great blue heron
51. great egret
52. great-crested flycatcher
53. greater yellowlegs
54. green heron
55. herring gull
56. house finch
57. house sparrow
58. indigo bunting
59. killdeer
60. king rail
61. laughing gull
62. least sandpiper
63. least tern
64. lesser yellowlegs
65. little blue heron
66. Louisiana waterthrush
67. marsh wren
68. Mississippi kite
69. mottled ducks
70. mourning dove
71. northern bobwhite
72. northern cardinal
73. northern mockingbird
74. northern parula
75. northern rough-winged swallow
76. osprey
77. painted bunting
78. pied-billed grebe
79. pileated woodpecker
80. pine warbler
81. prothonotary warbler
82. purple gallinule
83. purple martin
84. red knot
85. red-bellied woodpecker
86. red-eyed vireo
87. red-headed woodpecker
88. red-shouldered hawk
89. red-winged blackbird
90. ring-billed gull
91. rock pigeon
92. royal tern
93. ruby-throated hummingbird
94. ruddy turnstones
95. sanderling
96. Savannah sparrow
97. semi-palmated plover
98. short-billed dowitcher
99. snowy egret
100. sora
101. spotted sandpiper
102. summer tanager
103. swamp sparrow
104. tree swallow
105. tri-colored heron
106. tufted titmouse
107. turkey vulture
108. whimbrel
109. white ibis
110. white-eyed vireo
111. willet
112. wood duck
113. wood thrush
114. wood stork
115. yellow-billed cuckoo
116. yellow-crowned night heron
117. yellow-throated vireo
118. yellow-throated warbler
The Birding Pals (102 species) team, comprised of Kathy Miller, JoAnn Miller, and Wendy West participated in the All Women`s Birding Bust on 4/25/2009. We started at 4:30am and ended at 8:45pm, travelling a total of 200 miles. We did a "limited geographical area" big day, birding sites within metro Atlanta, and sites about an hour away from Atlanta. Some of the sites we visited were E.L. Huie, Newman Wetlands, Indian Springs State Park, Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve, Mercer Wetlands, and a few other locations. We ended up with a total of 102 birds for the day, with four unshared birds and some notable misses, such as house wren and pied-billed grebe. Warbler numbers were down this year, due we think to the weather getting hot very quickly by mid morning on Saturday. We had 15 warblers, which did not include American Redstart, which we usually get each year. As has now become a tradition, we stopped for lunch to eat barbecue near Indian Springs State Park. The slogan for the !
day was "no savoring!", which was said whenever a teammate was enchanted too long with a particular bird and we needed to keep moving. (Barbecue excepted from the no savoring rule!)
The first bird of the day was American Robin and the last bird of the day, number 102, was a screech owl at Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve. At Mercer Wetlands, we searched for about a half hour for an American Bittern, and finally found it for bird number 100. Bird 101 was Yellow-crowned night heron, also at Mercer wetlands.
It was a great day, a little too hot at times, but lots of fun appreciating (but not savoring) the birds of the Piedmont in Georgia.
102 birds 4 unshared
double crested cormorant
Great blue heron
greeen heron
yellow-crowned night heron
American bittern
Canada goose
wood duck
mallard
blue-winged teal
black vulture
turkey vulture
osprey
bald eagle
cooper`s hawk
red-shouldered hawk
red-tailed hawk
northern bobwhite
killdeer
solitary sandpiper
least sandpiper
rock dove
eurasian collared-dove
mourning dove
yellow-billed cuckoo
eastern screech owl
barred owl
chuck will`s widow
whip poor will
chimney swift
ruby throated hummingbird
belted kingfisher
red-headed woodpecker
red-bellied woodpecker
downy woodpecker
hairy woodpecker
northern flicker
pileated woodpecker
eastern wood-pewee
acadian flycatcher
eastern phoebe
great crested flycatcher
eastern kingbird
purple martin
tree swallow
northern rough-winged swallow
barn swallow
ruby crowned kinglet
carolina wren
gray catbird
northern mockingbird
brown thrasher
Eastern bluebird
wood thrush
american robin
blue-gray gnatcatcher
carolina chickadee
tufted titmouse
brown-headed nuthatch
white-breasted nuthatch
blue jay
american crow
fish crow
european starling
white-eyed vireo
yellow-throated vireo
blue-headed vireo
red-eyed vireo
tennesse warbler
northern parula
yellow-rumped warbler
pine warbler
prairie warbler
palm warbler
bay-breaster warbler
black and white warbler
worm-eating warbler
ovenbird
louisiana waterthrush
kentucky warbler
common yellowthroat
hooded warbler
yellow-breasted chat
scarlet tanager
summer tanager
eastern towhee
chipping sparrow
field sparrow
song sparrow
swamp sparrow
white-throated sparrow
northern cardinal
blue grosbeak
indigo bunting
red-winged blackbird
eastern meadowlark
common grackle
brown-headed cowbird
orchard oriole
house finch
pine siskin
american goldfinch
house sparrow
The Augusta Bird Masters (93 species)
Well, another year, another Birding Bust under the belt. The Augusta Bird Masters (Anne Waters, Ruth Mead, Ritz Reeves, Judy Gregory and I) started yesterday before dawn birding Phinizy Swamp NP, Lover`s Lane and surrounding areas. We found 93 species of birds. Migration again was slow in Augusta.
Did I mention that we started before dawn? We were looking for owls. We found them too; 2 Barred Owls about 9 am and an Eastern Screech Owl at 4 pm.
THEY didn`t bother getting up early! In all we had 7 Barred Owls including two fuzzy fledglings, all during daylight hours.
We did manage to find a few warblers. We had several Blackpoll Warblers, a Yellow Warbler, several Yellow-breasted Chats, Northern Parulas, a Yellow-throated Warbler, Prothonotary Warblers and American Redstarts. We also had one Yellow-rumped Warbler. Only ONE Yellow-rump? Summer MUST be here.
We did however have some high spots. Hundreds of Boblinks were all over the swamp. There seemed to be a large flock in every cell with cut grass. It was a great sight.
Driving along the distribution canal looking for shorebirds a Tricolor Heron flushed from the fence. That`s a fairly rare bird for this time of year.
Speaking of shorebirds, we had 20 Least Sandpipers and 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper. And it`s funny how you find things. While eating lunch and scanning a flock of Boblinks flying over, a bright Yellow Warbler flew through the binocular view. While following the flight of the warbler the first of the Lesser Yellowlegs (we ended up with 9) flew through the view.
Would we have seen them otherwise?
Another highlight; a Yellow-crowned Night-heron flew out of the trees, across the marsh, around our truck, across the marsh, and right back into the trees he first came out of. Just for us!
In a far back pond we had one female Ring-necked Duck. A femal Ring-necked Duck spent the summer in the same place last year. Guess she likes it here.
And the hardest bird to get? Would you believe Eastern Towhee? Took us all day to find.
By the way, the Augusta Cardinal population is doing JUST fine.
See you next year; same bird place, same bird time.
Women With Altitude (82 species)
Saturday, April 25, 2009, was a very pleasant day for the Women With Altitude team of the All Womens Birding Bust. We birded in Union, Fannin and Towns counties.
Our day began at 7:15 am and ended at 8:30 pm. First and last birds were owls. We tallied 82 species, 3 of them being unshared, giving us an official total of 81.
Our day began at 7:15 am and ended at 8:30 pm. First and last birds were owls. We tallied 82 species, 3 of them being unshared, giving us an official total of 81.
This is the sixth consequetive year the Women with Altitude have competed in the AWBB. Team members are Betty Belanger from Suches, Dot Freeman from Blairsville, Anne Mursch from Woodstock and Ann Stewart from Rome.
Highlights were:
Wild Turkeys - giving their "tuk, tuk, tuk" call in all three counties.
Red-headed Woodpecker pair - Morganton Point Park in Fannin Co.
Black-throated Blue Warblers - Sosebe Cove in Union Co
Blackburnian Warbler - Lake Winfield Scott picnic area in Union Co
Yellow Warblers (5) - In crabapple tree at Tammen Park in Fannin Co
Orchard Oriole - at lake beside Mercier`s Apple/Peach Store in Fannin Co
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks - throughout Union, Fannin and Towns Counties
Complete list of species seen is as follows:
Green Heron
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Wild Turkey
Killdeer
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Eastern Screech-Owl (unshared)
Great Horned Owl
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Acadian Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great-crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird (unshared)
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
European Starling
White-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Pine Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Worm-eating Warbler (unshared)
Ovenbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Orchard Oriole
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
The Athens Yellowthroats (79 species) Mary Case, Page Luttrell, and Eugenia Thompson spent most of Saturday being in the right place at the wrong time! We visited sites in Clarke, Oconee, Greene, and Morgan counties. Great sightings were seen the day before and hours after we were at several sites; if I could draw, I would illustrate a cartoon with little birds (and big) hiding silently and giggling to themselves.
We started the day at 6:00 AM on my front porch where we got a total of 28 birds without even trying. THAT was the highlight of our day!
We then moved on to State Botanical Garden as soon as it opened. Most of our warblers came from there, but we missed both waterthrushes, redstarts, chats, and numerous other warblers. No Scarlet Tanagers or Rose-breasted Grosbeaks or orioles, either.
Ward Road in Greene County was almost a bust -- no chats, no turkeys but we did hear a Belted Kingfisher.
Dyar Pasture gave us a Killdeer and a deputy sheriff who wanted to be sure we were okay -- we assured him we were birding and were fine. Page reached down and meant to hold up her binoculars but held up her purse -- oh, well......
We then hurried down to Redlands Boat Ramp area, assured of Osprey and Double-crested Cormorant and hoping for Bald Eagle. We got the cormorants!
There is only one Osprey nest visible from that area now; formerly there were as many as eight. I wonder if Georgia Power would consider putting up some artificial nest platforms since almost all the snags out in the water have fallen.
Our last stop was the Bostwick Sod Farm; it was blazing hot by then. We tried to make some of the many Mourning Doves into Common Ground Doves. We did get Savannah Sparrows there and had a tree full of female Red-winged Blackbirds, which was interesting, but that was all.
One plus to the day was that we had Eastern Meadowlarks in SIX different places; I can`t remember the last time that has happened.
We ended our day at 3:00 PM, hot and tired, with a total of 79 birds, not a flashy total by any means, but a day spent out birding with good friends is always a good day.
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Barred Owl
Chuck-will’s-widow
Whip-poor-will
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Purple Martin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Parula
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Summer Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
The Sassy Sisters (75 species) 2009 edition of the AWBB, Friday April 24, was much like previous years: pleasant company, great weather, “easy” species missed, and a couple of highlights to keep us going. The only negative of the day was the prevalence of smaller flying creatures, namely mosquitoes. Aaargh!
We amassed 75 species from our limited geographic scope…the ferry ride to and from the mainland and several favorite birding places on the south end of Sapelo. The problematical Belted Kingfisher was seen this year. The Plain Chachalacas were neither seen nor heard.
One of our highlights was 5 separate sightings of Bald Eagle, both mature and immature. The most memorable was an immature eagle perched on a small branch of a dead cedar tree in a lurking, sinister Addams family pose. The wings were slightly spread, making the bird look immense. Our biggest question was how a 10 or 11 pound bird managed to perch where it was without breaking the branch!
We were pleasantly surprised when alerted to the fact that a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak was visiting a feeder at the DNR office building. He was duly photographed from inside the office and we all had great looks from the outside. (I was there again on Sunday afternoon and he was still chowing down.)
Another unusual sighting was what I diagnosed as a Wurdemann’s Heron, the intermediate color morph of the Great Blue. Its head was white and the back coloration was a much lighter gray than that of the Great Blue.
Participating in this year’s count were Renee Valle-Hay, Aimee Gaddis, Harriet Langford, Jody Fraser, Trish McMillan, Suzanne van Parreren, and Doris Cohrs.
Doris CohrsMcIntosh County
Solitary Vireo (75 species)
After a promising start to the morning owing to some agricultural areas I "discovered" close to my home, I headed to Arrowhead around 10:30 AM with hopes for the kind of surprises that Arrowhead can deliver. My hopes were dashed when I found the trails were closed for timber management. What a cruel trick to play in April! At that point, as the temperature started to climb, I checked a few areas near the river in Rome. Swallows were hard to find but the people were out in droves. I caved to the heat and my lack of inertia and made the rest of the day a "Big Sit".
I actively birder from 5:30 AM with Whip-poor-will and Great Horned Owl to 1:30 PM. Highlights included my dozen or so remaining Pine Siskins, Green Heron, Savannah Sparrow, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and two beautiful Cape May warblers in the trees at the end of my driveway. That was compensation for the lack of total warbler species. I had 75 total species of which 10 were warblers. Most of my birds were within a 12 mile radius of home.
Thanks for organizing such a fun activity.
Diane Vary
Canada Goose
Mallard
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Killdeer
Solitary Sandpiper
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Great-horned Owl
Whip-poor-will
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Purple Martin
No. Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Northern mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Cape May Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
No. Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Team Gagglettes (72 species), Annette Burgess, Diane Shellack and Carol Vanderschaaf, spent Saturday, April 25, participating in the All Women`s Birding Bust, 2009, beginning with a hearty breakfast at the Waffle House. Thus fortified we went forth to find our feathered friends. It was a beautiful day though the heat descended fairly early and the birds seemed more quiet than usual.
We birded three sites, Henderson Park and Huie/Newman with a brief stop at Sam`s Lake Bird Sanctuary. We had a total of 72 species, mostly the usual suspects. Highlights were the sandpipers at Huie, the Blackpoll Warbler and the Pileated Woodpecker calling at Henderson. We had a total of 8 warbler species-two of them seen or heard by just one team member. Missed birds included the Prothonotary Warbler and Louisiana Waterthrush of Newman and the many warblers apparently hiding and silent at Henderson.
All in all it was a great day to be out in nature sharing this activity with friends . Hats off to Georgann for developing this event!
The Butter Butts (60 species)
June 10, 2009
Mary Jane Stone
Becky Valentine
Cheryl Kanes
Sally Hodges
The Butter Butts have proven that good things do come to those who wait!
When we finally found a mutually possible date for the four of us, Becky, Cheryl, Sally and Mary Jane savored a splendid day on Rabun Bald. Cheryl had mapped out a perfect itinerary for us:
On the way up, a stop at the Piggly Wiggly back lot in Dillard started us off with the bang of Willow Flycatchers and nesting Barn Swallows. On to beautiful Rabun Bald where we birded under arches and canopies and through tunnels of Mountain Laurel and Azalea, and beside soft walls of lush moss and jewel boxes of wild flowers.
We were accompanied all the way up and down by vigilant Dark-eyed Juncos, who stayed very close and monitored every move.
The weather was cool and overcast, perfect for color perception of our highlight of the trip, Canada Warbler. Other wonderful moments were Blackburnian Warbler and picnicking with Acadian Flycatcher. The canopy was so thick we were happy to have been diligent in listening to our CDs. It really does pay off! And it really does take four hard working pairs of ears to collect all those warbler calls! We ended up with at least twelve!
On to Hale Ridge Road, which we shared with a cloud of goldfinches, Indigo Bunting, Cedar Waxwings, a Red-breasted Nut hatch and Louisiana Waterthrush.
All in all we had a perfectly beautiful day away from daily routine and stress, the chance to catch up with treasured friends, and about 60 species!
The Georgia Chickadees (60 species) Mimi Tesler, Sally Tuohy, and Lisa McNamara are alive to report our AWBB sightings, thanks to a Louisiana Waterthrush.
Our team goal was to improve our species count from our modest 2008 total (42) and to have a fun outing on mountain trails. We began our day in Rabun County, driving from Mimi`s cabin near Clayton to Burrell`s Ford Road, where we spent several hours trying to spot all the warblers we heard. Our most impressive sighting was Swainson`s Warbler, which we tentatively identified after much speculation about its song and then finally saw clearly. We also heard, repeatedly, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green Warbler, Pine Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Ovenbird, and Hooded Warbler, all of which were easy, and possibly Worm-eating Warbler, although that one we don`t know well enough to be sure, since we didn`t see it. When we finally tired of trying to spot the Ovenbird for the hundredth time, we departed to check out Warwoman Dell. There, we were standing by the suspected incinerating toilet when we heard the Louisiana Waterthrush coursing down the stream, so we headed after the bird, hoping for a look. Having failed at that, we were standing by the car discussing where to go next when a huge pine tree on the other side of the stream toppled, for no apparent reason, and crashed onto the interpretive sign about the toilet. That would have been the end of our AWBB effort, and possibly all our future efforts of any kind, had we not been chasing the elusive warbler.
We decided we`d had enough mountain excitement, and enough warblers, so we headed for our old standbys, Sally`s yard, where we checked out the feeders, and Little Mulberry, an amazing Gwinnett County park with miles of trail and almost every habitat the piedmont has to offer. We had scouted it on Brandon Best`s AAS field trip the week before, so we knew where to look for the Great Blue Heron nests, and we found our old favorites, Wood Thrush, Wood Duck, and Orchard Oriole, and Mimi even pointed out the Green Heron as it flew by. We did have one frustrating interval. Sally saw a bird with a blue face and streaky back, but she abandoned it when she spotted our first Scarlet Tanager of the day.
Mimi`s and Lisa`s attempts to find and ID the blue-faced bird yielded a brown bird with a large beak, maybe the same bird, maybe not. The light was poor and the trees had too many leaves, so we`re not sure, but the best we could come up with was Blue Grosbeak. It must have been.
We ended the day with 60 species, if we count the Worm-eating Warbler and the Mystery Bird. And why not, since our total probably only qualifies us for last place anyway. But it was better than last year, the tree missed us, and we had fun. Our list of species is attached.
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Wild Turkey
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Killdeer
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Purple Martin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Northern Parula
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Pine Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Swainson`s Warbler
Ovenbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
American Goldfinch
Toccoa Tattlers (55 species)
Mary Ellen Myers, Francis Bulluck, Barbara Giebelhaus, Robin Peterson
The Tattlers scoured the countryside of Stephens and Habersham counties on a beautiful day in April. Unfortunately, one of our members had time constraints that limited our birding to 6 hours, but we had an enjoyable day and quite a few laughs. The highlights of our trip were an American Bittern and a Green Heron at Little Toccoa Creek. However, in sheer numbers, the Yellow-rumped Warblers took the day. We found a tree by the settling ponds in Toccoa that looked almost alive with Yellow-rumps and Cedar Waxwings. It was great fun and we look forward to next year.
Species List:
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Ruby-throated Hummingbird
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Blue Jay
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White-breasted Nuthatch
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Downy Woodpecker
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Red-bellied Woodpecker
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American Goldfinch
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Northern Mockingbird
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House Finch
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Barn Swallow
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White-throated Sparrow
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Carolina Chickadee
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Mourning Dove
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Northern Cardinal
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American Robin
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Brown-headed Nuthatch
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Tufted Titmouse
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Eastern Towhee
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Song Sparrow
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Eastern Bluebird
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American Crow
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European Starling
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Brown Thrasher
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Eastern Phoebe
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Common Yellowthroat
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Tree Swallow
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Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
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Chipping Sparrow
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Eastern Meadowlark
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Carolina Wren
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Turkey Vulture
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White-eyed Vireo
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Northern rough-winged Swallow
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Killdeer
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Wood Duck
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Spotted Sandpiper
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Cedar Waxwing
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Yellow-rumped Warbler
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Fish Crow
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Common Grackle
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Northern Parula
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Red-shouldered Hawk
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Red-tailed Hawk
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Purple Martin
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House Sparrow
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Rock Pigeon
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Black Vulture
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Wild Turkey
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American Bittern
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Northern Harrier
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Green Heron
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Canada Goose
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Cooper`s Hawk
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Pine Siskin
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Team Vogel (46 Species)
Members: Connie Head (Commerce) and Marianne Happek (Athens)
Birding Locations: The woods around Connie`s house; Sandy Creek Nature Center--bottomland at the beginning of Cook`s Trail and the Hooded Warbler Trail; and the woods around Marianne`s house. We birded from 6:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
The morning began early with the sounds of a chuck-will`s-widow at Connie`s house and coffee in the garden. There we heard and recorded many birds by sound, but especially enjoyed the wood thrush`s morning song. We heard a Great-crested Flycatcher, American crow, Northern parula, and Carolina wren, and yellow-billed cuckoo. We moved down to the deck for mimosas, fruit smoothies, sweet potato pancakes, and eggs, eating while we watched and listened. One of the highlights of this part of the morning was a visit by 3 male rose-breasted grosbeaks just off the deck. They stayed around for quite a while. Another highlight was a black-throated blue warbler.
The ruby-throated hummingbirds were also visiting the feeder on the deck.
We heard and saw a white-breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker, red-eyed vireos, bluejays, pine siskins, American goldfinches, Northern cardinals, Carolina chickadees, red-bellied woodpeckers, and tufted titmice.
A walk in the woods after breakfast brought hermit thrush and Louisiana waterthrush.
Around noon we left for Marianne`s house located adjacent to the Oconee River, but first stopped at Sandy Creek Nature Center, walked to the bottomland at the beginning of Cook`s Trail and then walked the Hooded Warbler Trail. Here we recorded white-throated sparrow and black-and-white warbler.
At Marianne`s house we birded on her deck and front porch and added palm warbler, scarlet tanager (male and female), summer tanager, hairy woodpecker, and blue-gray gnatcatcher. It was getting warm, and other commitments caused us to finish the day at 3:00 p.m.
It was a lovely day spent exploring our own, and each other`s, home birding territories. It was also good practice for our birding-by-ear skills.
Our complete list is below:
GREAT BLUE HERON 1
TURKEY VULTURE 1
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK 1
MOURNING DOVE 2
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO 1
BARRED OWL 2
CHUCK-WILL`S WIDOW 1
CHIMNEY SWIFT 3
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD 2
BELTED KINGFISHER 1
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER 4
DOWNY WOODPECKER 2
HAIRY WOODPECKER 1
GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER 1
WHITE-EYED VIREO 1
RED-EYED VIREO 3
BLUE JAY 4
AMERICAN CROW 1
BARN SWALLOW 4
CAROLINA CHICKADEE 4
TUFTED TITMOUSE 5
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH 1
CAROLINA WREN 2
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER 1
HERMIT THRUSH 1
WOOD THRUSH 4
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD 3
EUROPEAN STARLING 1
NORTHERN PARULA 1
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER 1
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER 9
PINE WARBLER 1
PALM WARBLER 1
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER 1
LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH 1
SUMMER TANAGER 1
SCARLET TANAGER 2
EASTERN TOWHEE 1
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW 3
NORTHERN CARDINAL 4
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK 3
INDIGO BUNTING 2
EASTERN MEADOWLARK 1
PINE SISKIN 7
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH 2
HOUSE SPARROW 2
Connie Head
Commerce, Jackson County
and
Marianne Happek
Athens-Clarke County
SWAMP WOMAN Sheila Willis (68 species)
Here are the results of my participation in the All Women`s Birding Bust on 4/30 in the northern parts of Ware County. Waycross was the only large town in the vicinity. I also included Laura S. Walker State Park (which had a small portion in Brantley Co.) and parts of Dixon Memorial State Forest/aka Dixon Memorial Wildlife Management Area & King Track Wildlife Management Area. I was able to record 68 species, the totals for which will be at the end. Some misses were very surprising: NO Great Blue Heron, Brown-headed Nuthatch, or Blue-gray Gnatcatcher!!
My team name was "Swamp Woman" (just me). The weather was o.k. with temperatures ranging from 60 to 87 degrees F. and wind as 4-16 mph, SSE.
There were partly-cloudy skies with just a touch of early morning fog. I counted from 6:15 a.m. until 9:15 p.m.
My traditional starting point was at my home in northern Waycross. Happily, my first bird was a BARRED OWL when one "who-ahed" a few times to the north.
Later, one called "who-cooks-for-youall" from the south & was answered in-kind by the bird to the north. Nearly beating the owl for "first-bird-of-the-day" was a WOOD THRUSH. It would have been nice to have stayed & listened to that sweet song, but the clock was ticking.
Interestingly, the many NORTHERN CARDINALs here produced about every song in their repertoire: "whoit-whoit-whoit", "what-cheer, what-cheer", "pretty-pretty-pretty", and "peetoo-peetoo". Talk about drowning out the others!!
While driving to get HOUSE SPARROW at the nearby Satilla Regional Medical Center, I saw a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE attack a FISH CROW in my neighborhood. At Oakland Cemetery I heard more LOGGERHEAD SHRIKEs near the water tower where they usually breed and then saw 2 NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDs chasing a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE from a bush that had a nest with at least one egg (unknown species).
A KILLDEER called as a representative of the shorebird family. The roads I typically take to go east out of town during this event produced their usual smattering of EUROPEAN STARLINGs, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVEs, and PURPLE MARTINs (2 females).
At Laura S. Walker State Park I visited several of the distinct parts of that site. Starting from the small parking lot east of GA Hwy #177 that is adjacent to the back part of the Big Creek Nature Trail loop, I picked up my usual EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE there. As usual, the bench at a curve of the boardwalk along the creek was the spot to be at for the 2 ACADIAN FLYCATCHERs that summer in the bottomland forest. I was fortunate to see one singing, its tail moving with the effort. Later I saw it flycatching too.
Note, this bench area appears to be in Brantley Co.
While traveling south along GA Hwy #177, I stopped at the entrance to the Lion`s Camp for the Blind which is next to the state park. This is always an excellent spot for a variety of species. A YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER popped out & sang, a male NORTHERN PARULA appeared, a PINE WARBLER made its presence known, and from the deeper woods a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO called-out its odd sounds.
Entering Pioneer Campground #2, I stayed for a while at the Wildlife Observation Deck, a covered platform that extends out over the western section of the lake. A wading bird rookery & roost has been here for years.
In 2007 the Georgia Forestry cut through the middle of this active site in order to create a firebreak during that wildfire season, & thus they removed/altered many of the shrubs that were used by the birds. So the egrets, herons, & ibis are now using mostly the trees at the back of the site, and I could not see any nests. It was very active, however, with a minimum of 91 CATTLE EGRETs, 5 GREAT EGRETs, 5 LITTLE BLUE HERONs, 1 GREEN HERON, and 7 ANHINGA seen there in flight.
Also, a beautiful pair of WOOD DUCKs swam along at close range. A GRAY CATBIRD called from the upland thickets and a YELLOW-THROATED VIREO sang briefly from vegetation at the water`s edge. Later, a vivid yellow PROTHONOTARY WARBLER darted by as did a BELTED KINGFISHER. Two RED-SHOULDERED HAWKs called & flew out together from the rookery area.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDs sang from the grasses & shrubbery. An EASTERN KINGBIRD that often resides there during the summer proceeded to do some flycatching.
Before I left, an ORCHARD ORIOLE put in an appearance at the campground`s edge and so did EASTERN TOWHEEs from other parts of the adjacent woods. At the gate, two WHITE-EYED VIREOs and RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERs were added to the morning`s tally.
Riding back past the bridges, I was now able to count several BARN SWALLOWs resting on the wires there. In the vicinity of the Park Superintendent`s house another EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE called as it has done in the past.
A swing by the Interpretive Center and the Main Campground netted a NORTHERN FLICKER which was inspecting one of the old Red-cockaded Woodpecker cavities (that endangered species no longer nests in the park). A pair of noisy EASTERN KINGBIRDs began chasing a crow. Another EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE called from the pines. A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD did parts of the calls of Summer Tanager and Northern Flicker. Unfortunately, I got skunked at the hummingbird feeders of the campground host & main office. Just before I took leave of the Park Office, an adult MISSISSIPPI KITE flew overhead to make up for that.
My last section to visit in this park was the Golf Course. The current manager of the Golf Course is very much interested in protecting the native plants & animals there, and I was able to hitch a ride with a worker in his electric golf cart as he made his rounds and thus save my arthritic knees some torture for most of the period. My favorite bird --NORTHERN BOBWHITE-- was one of the first birds I heard here. A NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW was seen near the maintenance shed & club house where I got it last year. Near one pond 2 CANADA GEESE were observed resting & a GREEN HERON was noted feeding at another. EASTERN KINGBIRDs were found in several locations as were RED-HEADED WOODPECKERs. A golfer had donated a few bird houses in the past and presto!, an EASTERN BLUEBIRD was seen eating a bug near one. A BROWN THRASHER was seen scooting along near the club house as usual and multiple PINE WARBLERs were heard singing from the trees.
The section of the Dixon Memorial State Forest that lies south of U.S. #1 off the Okefenokee Swamp Park entrance road (GA Hwy #177) provided a few more species. A WILD TURKEY was spooked off its anthill bath and grayish sand just fell off its feathers in a cloud when it took to flight. You could still see the depressions where its body had been. While going to & coming from Camp Island Rd I was able to see several RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS with at least 1 pair leaving from a cavity tree. Lots of GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHERs were calling in the same areas. The forest is recovering from the 2007 wildfires and there are still lots of dead standing trees. The Pond Cypress, which often appears to be dead during the Winter, had lots of lovely green needles now. Broomsedge had filled in the gaps of the cleared areas and some spots were drying out slightly from early Spring`s rains. Many MOURNING DOVEs were flushed as pairs while they sat together in the sandy roads.
A male INDIGO BUNTING was seen as it sang from some small pines along Crews Boulevard. This road is on the eastern side of GA Hwy #177 in the forest.
NOTE: there IS a dirt road that goes from GA Hwy #177 east to connect with Crews Blvd; DeLorme & some other map sites are in ERROR there; this road has been there for ages, so I don`t know why it isn`t shown on these. Also on that east side in its usual haunts, I saw a probable BACHMAN`S SPARROW just as it dove down into the sparse ground cover of scattered Saw Palmetto. It could not be flushed. As I started to drive off, I heard a partial song of that species on the other side of the road. I am amazed at the times I have found them in cut-over or burnt areas near parts of standing woods, still singing along. In yet another section of the forest, closer to the Hunter Check Station, I barely heard one more on Darbey Rd. Lastly, I spied another WILD TURKEY near a small creek`s bridge. It was running away as fast as it could along a narrow path, its head held down & forward, giving me only the butt-end view.
The remainder of the day was spent going around in the countryside & in some residential areas of Waycross. Strickland Road, a wonderful long stretch near Laura S. Walker State Park, gave me SUMMER TANAGER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, another EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE, & a preening female PURPLE MARTIN. A Driggers Road horse stables produced a single WHITE IBIS feeding with the horses. My father`s house on Danora Drive served as the home for some COMMON GRACKLEs and a male RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD that perched on the smallest of Longleaf Pine branches. The Sunnyside Drive Satilla River overlook had a CANADA GOOSE sitting by itself in the cow pasture while several BLUE JAYs fussed noisily at some unknown threat in the woods. Near Kettle Creek in Jamestown a MISSISSIPPI KITE darted by.
While checking at one of the Satilla River boat launch areas near the eastern end of Pebble Hill Rd, I was able to hear a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO.
Streets off the Pebble Hill Road go through relatively new subdivisions that sit in large grassy pastures tinged pale red with Sour Grass. A NORTHERN BOBWHITE flew by here, an EASTERN MEADOWLARK called, and more EASTERN KINGBIRDs were seen on the wires. As I exited Pebble Hill Road at its western end, I heard the call of a BROAD-WINGED HAWK and luckily I was able to pull off the road for a check. As I stopped, I saw it fly to a large pine & apparently eat something before it moved to another perch. This species has been gradually increasing in this part of the state. A PILEATED WOODPECKER flew grandly across the road there, going from pine woods to pecan orchard.
Another good route for birding in Ware Co. is Devandrene Avenue which runs west to east through more hayfields and pastures. There I picked up several more LOGGERHEAD SHRIKEs including a pair perched together. A large pond that is situated near the road was a serene spot to park at while checking for other local birds. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDs were quite evident and a female kept fussing near a small bush. An ORCHARD ORIOLE sang in one distant spot while an immature male one, complete with black bib, sang in a Sycamore Tree just a few feet away. It dropped to the bushes next to me & the late afternoon sun just lit-up its greenish-yellow feathers!! As luck would have it, a small group of male & female BOBOLINKs came to rest in the adjacent field and two EASTERN MEADOWLARKs sang repeatedly. Driving back over this road, I saw a chattering RED-HEADED WOODPECKER while another called from the woods there. A pasture`s feed lot had attracted a few WHITE IBIS, a single EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, 2 ROCK PIGEONs, and many EUROPEAN STARLINGs.
As the day was ending, I drove north along U.S. #1 & turned off onto Bickley Hwy which would lead me towards the road that passes through the former town of Beach. Near that main junction I was able to find a COMMON NIGHTHAWK calling & flying above a new blueberry field. As the sun was starting to set, I got my only RED-TAILED HAWK of the day a little west of that old logging community. One more COMMON NIGHTHAWK called over a clear-cut. At Beach I took the Crawley Road back south. This dirt road leads through pinelands and some of those acres are now being used for the harvesting of pinestraw. It also passes along the back/upper side of the King Track Wildlife Management Area. It was now getting quite dusky, mosquitoes were getting bad, and about all I could hear now were frogs calling. At one stop, I found the skeleton of a large snake whose remnant skin seemed to indicate it had been a Cottonmouth Moccasin. This certainly made one think about where you put your foot down in the dark, especially when you went looking for that convenient bush, if you catch my drift.
However, Lady Luck would smile on me for the Grand Finale as several miles down I suddenly came across a CHUCK-WILL`S-WIDOW sitting in the middle of the road!! It was calling its characteristic song and as I looked at its orangish eyes shining in my car`s headlights, he began doing a funky wing
dance-- hopping & flapping its wings & showing the white in its tail. Very strange. Then it flew off to the adjacent woods, still calling, but now doing it much faster. How cool!! This was at 8:30 p.m. Farther down, another Chuck (#2) was seen calling in the road as well. Another one (#3) answered to the right and the one on the left, now in the woods, made a strange "auk"
sound. Continuing, yet another Chuck (#4) was heard calling and then down a bit more, another (#5). I passed under the U.S. #1 railroad overpass which detoured the old U.S. #1 here to the west of its original route, and farther on, I came to the paved section of the road near the Crawley railroad crossing that was closed for construction (the original section of U.S. #1).
I guess people don`t want to wait for trains even out in the boondocks.
Finally reaching the intersection with the new part of U.S. #1 that would take me back home, it was readily apparent that the access point there was not yet ready for regular travel. While walking around checking the road`s surface in the dark & trying to figure out if my car would make it through, I heard 2 more CHUCK-WILL`S-WIDOWs calling (#6 & #7) and saw a COMMON NIGHTHAWK coursing around as well. The mosquitoes were getting worse, and it was now black-dark, so I took a chance, gunned my car up the steep clay ramp like Evel Knievel, went through the sand, and popped out onto the paved road, safe & sound. It was time to head home. The day had been a long but productive one, and participating in the All Women`s Birding Bust had left me with more wonderful memories. As others have said, "many thanks" go to Georgann Schmalz for creating this super event!!
AWBB 4/30 (Laura S. Walker State Park: LWSP; Dixon Memorial State Forest:
DMSF; King Tract WMA)
Ware Co. unless otherwise noted
CANADA GOOSE: 5 w/ 2 LWSP
WOOD DUCK: 2 LWSP, a pair
WILD TURKEY: 2 DMSF
NORTHERN BOBWHITE: 2 w/ 1 LWSP
ANHINGA: 7 LWSP at rookery
GREAT EGRET: 5 LWSP at rookery
LITTLE BLUE HERON: 5 LWSP at rookery
CATTLE EGRET: 97+ w/ 92 LWSP at rookery, 1 golf course GREEN HERON: 2 LWSP at rookery & golf course WHITE IBIS: 4 BLACK VULTURE: 1 DMSF TURKEY VULTURE: 8 w/ 5 DMSF, 2 LWSP MISSISSIPPI KITE: 2 w/ 1 LWSP flying east towards Big Creek, 1 U.S. #1 at Kettle Cr. flying east towards Satilla R.
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK: 2 LWSP
BROAD-WINGED HAWK: 1 Pebble Hill area at U.S. #1 RED-TAILED HAWK: 1
KILLDEER: 3
ROCK PIGEON: 2
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: 4 w/ 1 LWSP
MOURNING DOVE: 60 w/ 19 DMSF, 11 LWSP, 1 Lions Camp YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO: 2 w/ 1 Lions Camp, 1 at Satilla R. e. of Waltertown BARRED OWL: 2 COMMON NIGHTHAWK: 3 w/ 1 KT
CHUCK-WILL`S-WIDOW: 7 KT
CHIMNEY SWIFT: 4
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD: 1
BELTED KINGFISHER: 1 LWSP
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER: 12 w/ 6 DMSF, 3 LWSP RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 8 w/ 1 DMSF, 4 LWSP, 1 Lions Camp NORTHERN FLICKER: 1 LWSP PILEATED WOODPECKER: 5 w/ 1 DMSF; 1 LWSP (Brantley Co.) EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE: 4 w/ 3 LWSP ACADIAN FLYCATCHER: 2 LWSP (Brantley Co.) on Big Creek Nature Trail GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER: 34 w/ 6 DMSF, 9 LWSP, 2 Lions Camp EASTERN KINGBIRD: 12 w/ 1 DMSF, 8 LWSP LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE: 8 (4 Waycross: 1 Alice St., 2 Oakland Cemetery, 1 Knight Ave.; n. of Jamestown: 4 Devandrene Ave.) WHITE-EYED VIREO: 3 w/ 1 DMSF, 2 LWSP YELLOW-THROATED VIREO: 1 LWSP BLUE JAY: 11 w/ 2 LWSP, 1 Lions Camp AMERICAN CROW: 1 FISH CROW: 14 w/ 2 LWSP crow species: 17 w/ 1 DMSF, 3 LWSP PURPLE MARTIN: 4 NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW: 1 LWSP BARN SWALLOW: 8 w/ 6 LWSP TUFTED TITMOUSE: 4 w/ 1 DMSF, 1 LWSP CAROLINA WREN: 17 w/ 1 DMSF, 6 LWSP (w/ 2 Brantley Co.) EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 20 w/ 2 DMSF, 4 LWSP WOOD THRUSH: 1 Waycross btwn Pineview Dr & Plant Ave GRAY CATBIRD: 1 LWSP NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD: 63 w/ 3 DMSF, 10 LWSP, 1 Lions Camp, 1 KT BROWN THRASHER: 5 w/ 2 DMSF, 2 LWSP EUROPEAN STARLING: 47 w/ 3 LWSP NORTHERN PARULA: 1 Lions Camp YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER: 2 w/ 1 LWSP, 1 Lions Camp PINE WARBLER: 13 w/ 5 DMSF, 4 LWSP, 1 Lions Camp, 1 KT PROTHONOTARY WARBLER: 1 LWSP SUMMER TANAGER: 1 EASTERN TOWHEE: 27 w/ 9 DMSF, 8 LWSP, 1 KT BACHMAN`S SPARROW: 3 DMSF (2 Crews Blvd, 1 Darby Rd) NORTHERN CARDINAL: 27 w/ 3 DMSF, 5 LWSP (w/ 2 Brantley Co.), 1 KT INDIGO BUNTING: 1 DMSF
BOBOLINK: 6
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 8 w/ 5 LWSP
EASTERN MEADOWLARK: 3
COMMON GRACKLE: 9 w/ 4 LWSP
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 1 LWSP
ORCHARD ORIOLE: 3 w/ 1 LWSP
HOUSE SPARROW: 5