Hello GABbers,

While attending the GOS meeting in Statesboro last week-end I made side trips to two state parks in the general area.

Magnolia Springs State Park, October 7, 2000: Located in Jenkins County, this 1071 acre park is located five miles north of Millen on US 25 and about 45 minutes north of Statesboro. We jumped out of the car birding and in our enthusiasm I failed to pick up a map/information sheet about the park. It was not until I accessed the GA DNR website that I learned that during the Civil War the site had been used as a prisoner of war camp. I regret this oversight because this should have been a place of contemplation as well as of birding.

We birded the area around the large (9 million gallons of water per minute) and clear spring and its spring run. Along the boardwalk around the boil and near the entrance to the "Woodpecker Trail" we saw chicadees, titmice, Carolina Wrens, pewees, several sapsuckers, a phoebe, Palm Warblers, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, and the best bird of the day, a Cape May Warbler. About a quarter mile down the spring run where it widens into a shallow reedy stream we saw several Common Moorhens, Great Blue and Little Blue Herons, a Great Egret and a kingfisher. In the nearby pines we saw bluebirds and Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpeckers.

At the fish hatchery adjacent to the park the only species we saw was a Pied-billed Grebe. We concluded that there were't many fish in the hatchery.

George L. Smith State Park, October 8, 2000: The directions to this park say that it is in Emanuel County four miles south of Twin City off GA 23, however once you get there, you learn that if you are coming from Statesboro there is a short cut off US 80. There is something to be gained from going the long way because you get to see Twin City's picturesque, large, rambling, turn-of-the previous century homes.

The outstanding physical feature of this park is a combination dam, covered bridge, and mill preserved from the 1800s. Over the years water from the lake powered a saw mill, a cotton mill and a grist mill.

It was very windy while I was there and I really thought I was going to strike out and not see a single bird, however, on the way out of the park (via the short cut) I came upon a very noisy group of Brown-headed Nuthatches. Thanks to them, I was able to call in chicadees, Carolina Wrens, Pine Warblers, cardinals and towhees, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, and the best bird of this day, Scarlet Tanager.

A nice thing happened at the park office - the ranger offered me a bird checklist. It was the GOS checklist of Georgia birds! Thanks GOS!

Best Wishes, Dot Freeman, Orlando, FL