Date:         Mon, 14 Jul 2003 17:54:41 -0400
Reply-To:     Bill & Condit Lotz <blotz@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender:       Georgia Birders Online <GABO-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Bill & Condit Lotz <blotz@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      Red-breasted Mergansers in Richmond County
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hi all,

Dan Vickers and I birded in Augusta Friday afternoon and Saturday
morning (11-12 JUL 03).  We spent most of our time at Phinizy Swamp
Nature Park.  The highlights were 2 Black Terns feeding over one of the
back ponds Friday afternoon; 2 Greater Yellowlegs in the first pond near
the new Visitor's Center Friday afternoon; numerous sightings of Least
Bittern both days; 2 Pied-billed Grebes; an adult Yellow-crowned
Night-Heron in the swamp area early Saturday morning; and a Wild Turkey
that flushed as we walked the very back ponds later that morning.

We left Phinizy about 10:00 AM on Saturday and stopped by the Savannah
Lock and Dam Park, just down the road from Phinizy.  We were hoping for
kites over the river, but were very surprised to find 3 Red-breasted
Mergansers feeding along the near shore of the river.  There was one
male in breeding plumage and two females.  After a bit of research
(thanks Giff!), there seem to be no inland records of this species in
July in Georgia, and very few in neighboring states.  We did find one
record from Tennessee in July, but it's from some years back.  We really
don't know whether to call these birds extremely late or extremely
early!

Bill Lotz
Chastain Park area of Atlanta

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