Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 17:31:44 -0800
Reply-To: Charlie <cmmbirds@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Georgia Birders Online <GABO-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From: Charlie <cmmbirds@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: a day along the coast
In-Reply-To: <200611141731.kAEFedrj026961@malibu.cc.uga.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Hi folks,
This past Saturday I finally got to the GA coast. It was a great
day, with nice weather, good birds, and some neat non-avian
sightings. All told, I had 105 species.
I was able to spot a couple interesting birds during my early morning
drive from Lamar County. First an Osprey over a pond in Vidalia
caught my eye, so I stopped. Also at the pond were a Great Egret,
Eurasian Collared Dove and Great Blue Heron. Less than a mile down
the street was a Northern Harrier. Not bad for an unplanned stop!
In Wayne County, I stopped at a little pond off of Alex Creek, where
I spotted my first Wood Stork of the day, another Osprey, and an
American Kestrel.
Paulk’s Pasture WMA was a bit disappointing, with no more than 40
sparrows. The 2 American Kestrels actively hunting from the
powerlines may have had something to do with it… I did see one
Ammodramus sp, but couldn’t get close enough to ID it. I suspect it
was a Nelson’s Sharp-tailed, and not the hoped-for Henslow’s. The
best bird I was able to ID was a Winter Wren.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
White-throated Sparrow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Cedar Waxwing
Carolina Wren
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Eastern Meadowlark
Along the Jekyl Island Causeway I was able to find:
Wood Storks – 8 or 9, with many more to come
Little Blue Herons – I was surprised as this was easily the most
common heron on the day
Palm Warbler – at least 20
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-rumped Warbler – more of these than mosquitos!
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle – at least 2 immatures and one adult
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Spotted Sandpiper – at the bridge 1.4 miles down the road
White Ibis – but I never saw a Glossy all day
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Red-winged Blackbird
American Crow
Fish Crow
Marsh Wren
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Seaside Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Tree Swallow
Song Sparrow
Ring-billed Gull
Caspian Tern
Belted Kingfisher
Tri-colored Heron
Double-crested Cormorant
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
On Jekyl Island, I drove around a bit, unsuccessfully seeking a Gray
Kingbird. But I did find a Loggerhead Shrike – right at the first
hole at the mini-golf. Also saw:
Northern Mockingbird
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Canada Goose
White Pelican
Blue Jay
At the entrance to the aircraft control structures, just past the
visitor center, I found what must be a VERY late Swainson’s Thrush.
Had I not had an excellent look, I wouldn’t have believed it. I
don’t have access yet to early and late dates for GA…
At the causeway to Andrews Island:
Hooded Mergansers
Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow – at least 3
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow – 1
Seaside Sparrow - 1
Then at South Beach:
White-winged Dove (best bird of the day, for me)
Black Skimmer
Piping Plover (just 1)
Semipalmated Plover – at least 150!
Laughing Gull
Herring Gull
Whimbrel
Willet
Greater Yellowlegs (but never got a lesser?!?)
Short-billed Dowitcher
Ruddy Turnstone
Purple Sandpiper
Clapper Rail (heard only)
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Marbeled Godwit – 4
Red Knot
House Finch
Dunlin
Sandwich Tern
Forster’s Tern
Sanderling
Orange Crowned Warbler
White-throated Sparrow
At the north end of St. Simons Island, I added:
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Brown Pelican
I ended the day with a beautiful sunset at Altamaha WMA:
Green-winged Teal
Blue-winged Teal
Wilson’s Snipe
American Goldfinch
Sora
Wood Duck
Snowy Egret
Mallard
Cooper’s Hawk
American Bittern
Black-crowned Night-heron
Common Moorhen
American Coot
But the very last bird of the day was a Great Horned Owl that skimmed
very low over I-16 about 20 miles east of Macon.
Other critters:
2 very bold mink at St Simons Island
several deer
MANY dragonflies, of at least 6 species at South Beach. I believe I
had all 3 saddlebags, which would be a first for me! There were a
number of Common Green Darners in tandem, and even a teneral of that
species. I saw at least 2 species of damselflies (I didn’t ID
either).
Also lots of butterflies at various locations.
Charlie Muise
Lamar County, GA
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