Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:03:46 EDT
Reply-To: Bgbrannen@AOL.COM
Sender: Georgia Birders Online <GABO-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From: Brenda Brannen <Bgbrannen@AOL.COM>
Subject: Birding Bulloch, Evans, Tattnall, and Long Counties
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Sandy Beasley and I had a grand time finding and enjoying 58 species of
birds in 4 southeastern Georgia counties today. The most exciting moments came
as we were awed by 32 SWALLOW-TAILED KITES and 2 MISSISSIPPI KITES circling,
swooping, and diving for June bugs in a pasture on private property in Long
County. Ken described their antics well in a recent post, but I was most taken
by the way they bent their heads back towards their feet to retrieve the
bugs held in their claws--all this in flight!! This wonderful display went on
as YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS, and
INDIGO BUNTINGS called; 70 WHITE IBIS foraged on the edge of a pond, 55 FISH CROWS
squawked and played, and 4 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES sat on the wires in this
beautiful area!! The 64 CATTLE EGRETS we counted in this spot were only a part of
the astounding numbers we saw all day in various pastures and rural ponds in
these counties.
In Tattnall County, we saw a COMMON MOORHEN, 3 ANHINGA, and a WOOD DUCK in
Anderson Pond near Glennville; numbers of BARN SWALLOWS over a small pond on
Watermelon Creek Road; and 4 SNOWY EGRETS, 100 CATTLE EGRETS, and a
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK in or near a pond on Hwy 178 near the GA State Prison. Also,
around the waste water treatment pools on Hwy 178 near the prison, we counted 14
LEAST SANDPIPERS and a SPOTTED SANDPIPER along with several GREAT EGRETS. A
quick stop at the pond at Gordonia Alatamaha State Park yielded ANHINGA and a
GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER.
In Evans County we visited the public fishing area where we enjoyed many of
our usual birds and had a worthwhile "bird moment" when 15 or more PINE
WARBLERS (many immature), an EASTERN WOOD PEWEE, TUFTED TITMOUSE, and BLUE-GRAY
GNATCATCHER flitted through trees and surrounding shrubs.
Back in Bulloch County where we had started early in the foggy morn, we
checked the small pond on Hawkshaw Road off Hwy 46 and counted 11 WOODSTORKS, 9
GREAT EGRETS, 2 KILLDEER, CATTLE EGRETS (again!), and heard a NORTHERN
BOBWHITE. We checked Titan Turf for the second time today and were rewarded with 6
PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and a BARRED OWL calling (it was about suppertime,
afterall).
Really worth mentioning, also, are the 2 PAINTED BUNTINGS (young, we
thought) we saw in the early morning's dripping fog on Melrose Road along with
RED-EYED VIREO, BLUE GROSBEAK, and INDIGO BUNTING. With the 2 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES
we saw on C. Brown Rd. behind Titan Turf, we had a total of 6 shrikes for the
day.
I would say that a day starting with a NORTHERN BOBWHITE'S call (in my yard)
and ending with the BARRED OWL calling is a great one. No contradiction to
that, I'm sure.
BRENDA BRANNEN
STATESBORO, GA
BULLOCH COUNTY
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