Date:         Sun, 17 Jun 2007 10:51:23 -0400
Reply-To:     Ramona Bartos <rmbartos@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Georgia Birders Online <GABO-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Ramona Bartos <rmbartos@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Savannah National Wildlife Refuge (Laurel Hill drive) and Rincon,
              GA

I did the wildlife drive at Laurel Hill at the Savannah Wildlife Refuge
yesterday afternoon.  The hazy humidity of the afternoon and the mid-day
timing were a bit of a deterrent for birding, but it was still a good day.

Here's what I saw (and this was mostly from the car, although I got out
and stayed out to observe the Tern):

RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER (right above my head in one of the oak trees at the
entrance parking lot)

SNOWY EGRET

REDWINGED BLACKBIRD (copious amounts)

GREAT EGRET

TURKEY VULTURE

AMERICAN CARDINAL

REDDISH EGRET

ANHINGA

SWALLOWTAIL KITE (solitary among about a dozen other circling birds of
prey which I couldn't precisely identify...because of the haze and angle
of the sun, I don't feel confident in making a call on what they were;
identification not a problem, though, with the Swallowtail)

COMMON TERN (although this fellow and his compatriots seemed to have more
a yellowish bill like a Least Tern -- but that may have been because of
the haze and me looking towards the west and the sun-- I believe it was a
Common Tern because I did not see any white between the top of its beak
and forehead.  Also, these birds were regularly plunging into the rice
canals, which suggested to me more the behavior of a Common Tern.  I
counted 4 altogether.  I would appreciate it if someone would go out and
check my sighting on this bird; I first spotted them about 1 mile to 1 1/2
mile in near the first large canal gate that is a favorite spot for
fishing.)

BROWN THRASHER


BARN SWALLOW (flying out from under the last bridge headed out of South
Carolina before the Houlihan Bridge); I was traveling at about 45 mph when
I saw a few of the Barn Swallows.  It might be worth checking to see if
any Cliff Swallows have followed the advice of their fellows who are
nesting at the Ogeechee River, and have settled for the summer here as
well.

When I got home, I replenished the feeders, and had visits from PAINTED
BUNTINGS (1 male and 1 female), BROWN HEADED NUTHATCH (2), mini-flock of
MOURNING DOVES, and a papa AMERICAN CARDINAL and his three (3) fledglings
(very cute as he taught them feeder skills).

Cheers,

Ramona Bartos
Rincon (Effingham County), Georgia

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