Date:         Sat, 1 Feb 2003 13:32:22 -0500
Reply-To:     Jim and Melissa Pappas <pappasj@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender:       Georgia Birders Online <GABO-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Jim and Melissa Pappas <pappasj@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      In Buckhead?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Interesting bird on a "pond" (water feature in front of Monarch Towers -
Lenox Road & Phipps Drive), yesterday.

As I was leaving my office in Alliance Center (across from Monarch
Towers), I heard the unmistakable rattle of a Belted Kingfisher. Sure
enough, in one of the trees around this fountain sat a male Belted
Kingfisher. He was intently watching the water and dove on something. I
guess they must've stocked the pond with goldfish, because that bird
wasn't passing through. Earlier in the year, there were a couple of
mallards on the pond, so it shows that birds will find the water. I'm
starting to take my lunch over to see what other birds show up. There
are islands of shrubs and grasses in the pond which also have lights
which are trained on features of the building at night and a large
grassy knoll. It might be a very good place to find some interesting
birds in the middle of Buckhead.

I've become the resident "bird person" in our office. We inhabit three
floors of the office tower, and I've been called from all three floors
on all sides to come explain what kind of "bird," "eagle," "hawk" people
are seeing. It does my heart good that people are actually beginning to
care about what they're seeing. Before anyone gets excited, I've never
seen any kind of eagle in the area. Most of the time the mystery turns
out to be Red-tailed Hawks that are resident in the area. This is mating
season and they sure have been showing off in front of the windows. They
seem to take great delight in the updrafts close to the building. I
often wonder if they know they're being watched and give a little extra
exuberance to their soaring flights.

I've had to promise to leave one of my bird books when I head for
Michigan. I'm scouting out a new "bird person" for that part of my job.

Melissa
--
Jim & Melissa Pappas
Marietta, GA

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