Birdingonthe.Net Recent Postings from Georgia Birding > Home > Mail > Alerts Updated on Friday, February 3 at 10:25 PM EST The most recently received Mail is at the top.	Spragues Pipit,©Dan Lane

3 Feb BROWN PELICAN! Crisp County Power Dam (Lee), Lee, US-GA [Wayne Schaffner ] 3 Feb owls, Northern Bobwhite & Bachman's Sparrows Old Thompson Road (Dougherty) [Wayne Schaffner ] 3 Feb Tybee oystercatchers, NO bun1ing [Mark Freeman ] 4 Feb email address [Ann Stewart ] 4 Feb email address request [Ann Stewart ] 3 Feb A Little Pelagic Information ["Dr. Eugene and Charisie Keferi" ] 3 Feb Sandhilll Cranes, Tyrone, Fayette Cty., GA 30290 @2pm [Steve Mitchell ] 2 Feb Sandhill Crane, alone and booking it [marion m dobbs ] 2 Feb Rose-breasted Grosbeak not relocated - Centennial Olympic Park, 2 Feb 2012 [Nathan Farnau ] 2 Feb Re: Peregrine falcons (in Buckhead/ Lenox Square area of Atlanta) -- January 2012 sightings and recent article [Carl Crowley ] 2 Feb Two AAS Field Trips this Saturday [Rebecca Kerimbaev ] 1 Feb more Rusty Blackbirds - Georgia Power Dam- Lake Worth Recreation Area, Dougherty, US-GA [Wayne Schaffner ] 1 Feb GA RBA, 1/30/2012 [Mark McShane ] 1 Feb [BRDBRAIN] F**k-tailed Flycatcher - Hillsborough County, FL continues [Nancy Crosby ] 1 Feb Re: Rabun County Raven, 01/31/12 [Rebecca Kerimbaev ] 1 Feb Rabun County Raven, 01/31/12 [Rebecca Kerimbaev ] 1 Feb Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Centennial Olympic Park, 1 Feb 2012 [Nathan Farnau ] 1 Feb Florida [BRDBRAIN] Fo**rk-tailed Flycatcher - Hillsborough County- Continues [Nancy Crosby ] 1 Feb Snowy Owl feature [Joel Hitt ] 1 Feb 1 more Colquitt County location Sun 29JAN [Wayne Schaffner ] 1 Feb Re: Bunting on Tybee - NO on 1/31 [ellery404 ] 1 Feb Brown creeper at Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve in Decatur [Stan ] 31 Jan GA State Botanical Garden - Great Horned Owl and A. Woodcocks [Jim Hanna ] 31 Jan Bunting on Tybee - NO on 1/31 [Grant McCreary ] 31 Jan Mockingbird [Linda FreedomBird ] 1 Feb Gordon & Floyd Counties [Ann Stewart ] 31 Jan 3 Colquitt County locations and 1 Cook County location Sun 29JAN (long) [Wayne Schaffner ] 31 Jan The rest of the story.... ["Eugenia R. Thompson" ] 31 Jan Woodpecker drama ["Eugenia R. Thompson" ] 31 Jan January nesting doves [Vicki DeLoach ] 30 Jan R0ss's Geese, Rare bird alerts, and Random birding [Joel McNeal ] 30 Jan Flickers and owl boxes ["Ralph H. Henderson, M.D." ] 30 Jan Re: Ross's Geese-Mashburn Road, Gordon County [Rebecca Kerimbaev ] 30 Jan Re: Ross's Geese-Mashburn Road, Gordon County [Rebecca Kerimbaev ] 30 Jan Weekend Coast Report [Trey Mccuen ] 30 Jan Saturday (1/28) Field Trip Report - Newman Wetlands Center/E.L. Huie [Iris Schumacher ] 30 Jan ORAS monthly meeting this Thursday, Feb 2nd: Pine Plantation Management and its Effects on Wildlife [Richard Hall ] 29 Jan American Tree Sparrow, Quitman County, 1130 today [Donald Ware ] 29 Jan Barred Owl pair [Sheila Willis ] 29 Jan test- ignore [Sheila Willis ] 29 Jan Small and Big Water - Carroll and Troup Counties - 1/28/12 [Mark McShane ] 29 Jan White Ibis - Richmond County [Lois Stacey ] 29 Jan More Hooded Mergansers & possible Prairie Warbler @ Emory (Dekalb Co) [james gibson ] 29 Jan Heath Lake - Columbus [Don L Williams ] 29 Jan Chicopee Lake, Jan 29, 2012 [Karen Henman ] 29 Jan Fwd: eBird Report - Nash Farm (Henry Co.), Jan 29, 2012 Loggerhead Shrike [Allison & Johnnie Greene ] 29 Jan Fwd: eBird Report - Newman Wetlands Ctr/E.L. Huie Ponds, Jan 29, 2012 Brown Creepers [Allison & Johnnie Greene ] 29 Jan Fwd: eBird Report - Clayton County Water Authority--E.L. Huie Ponds, Jan 29, 2012 Buffleheads [Allison & Johnnie Greene ] 29 Jan Re: Is it spring yet? [Leon Galis ] 29 Jan Ross's Geese-Mashburn Road, Gordon County [Dan Vickers ] 29 Jan Is it spring yet? [Clint Trammel ] 29 Jan Re: The Near Georgia Report - Rare Bird Alert (RBA) Portion - In Retirement [james gibson ] 29 Jan Snow Bunting on Tybee [Diana Churchill ] 29 Jan Oxbow Meadows - 1/28 [Walt Chambers ] 29 Jan Re: The Near Georgia Report - Rare Bird Alert (RBA) Portion - In Retirement [Mark McShane ] 29 Jan The Near Georgia Report - Rare Bird Alert (RBA) Portion - In Retirement [Mark McShane ] 29 Jan Bear Creek Reservoir [John Mark Simmons ] 29 Jan Newly ID'd Yardbird, Lilburn GA ["William A. Boyd" ] 29 Jan Panola Mountain - Rockdale County cranes, woodcock... [Charlie ] 29 Jan GA RBA, 1/26/2012 [Mark McShane ] 28 Jan First Purple Martin of the year!!! [Larry Gridley ] 28 Jan Sandhills [Hal Massie ] 28 Jan Snow Goose, Brewer's Blackbird, Walton, Morgan counties. 1/28/12 [Carol Lambert or Jeff Sewell ] 28 Jan Candler Park Pond birds [C VANDERSCHAAF ] 28 Jan Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve Trip [Marshall Weber ] 28 Jan Sandhills [John Mark Simmons ] 28 Jan Northern Flicker nesting/roosting behavior ponderings [mary kimberly ] 28 Jan Pine Siskins in Ellijay, GA [Bill Schmid ] 27 Jan Vesper Sparrows Thu Jan 26 - Old Thompson Road (Dougherty) [Wayne Schaffner ] 27 Jan Greater White-fronted Goose, Rusty Blackbirds - Gordon County [Joshua Spence ] 27 Jan 28 Hooded Mergansers, Emory U. Lake ["gkaufmanjr AT aol.com" ] 27 Jan Owls - eBird Report - Swamp of Toa IBA--Albany Nursery WMA (Dougherty) [Wayne Schaffner ] 27 Jan Re: Shrike cache [Sheila Willis ] 27 Jan Sandhill Cranes, Clayton County, 1/27/12 [Carol Lambert or Jeff Sewell ] 27 Jan housesparrow rehabber contacts. Wow that was fast! Thanks. [Sue Aughey ] 27 Jan Re: need someone/contact to care for injured house sparrow ["mimbrava AT mindspring.com" ] Subject: BROWN PELICAN! Crisp County Power Dam (Lee), Lee, US-GA From: Wayne Schaffner <wayne.schaffner AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2012 19:15:08 -0800 Intially seen through binoculars at a considerable distance, it took some re-contorting of its neck and stretching out of a tuck to show us it was not a Great Blue Heron imitating a BROWN PELICAN! DELORME 50; D2 Photos and eBird report by Tod. Crisp County Power Dam (Lee), Lee, US-GA Feb 3, 2012 3:00 PM - 3:15 PM Protocol: Traveling 0.1 mile(s) Comments: Observers: Wayne Schaffner and Tod Lanier. Intended as a quick stop to check out gulls (there was only one). The Brown Pelican was a great surprise. 8 species Double-crested Cormorant 7 Brown Pelican 1 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 1 Ring-billed Gull 1 Rock Pigeon 20 Belted Kingfisher 1 American Crow 3 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Wayne Schaffner Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: owls, Northern Bobwhite & Bachman's Sparrows Old Thompson Road (Dougherty) From: Wayne Schaffner <wayne.schaffner AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2012 19:07:23 -0800 The Northern Bobwhite call Tod mentions in his report was new to me also.  I'm a little ashamed to admit this down here in the heart of NOBO country.  I won't forget this one. The call is the "...loud, harshly squealed "Queeak!" (Pete Dunne's Field Guide Companion) and the "...loud, harshquaysh or quEEEak" (Sibley App text and Sibley App "calls #1_FL).  I also heard several soft "hoy" calls which I was familiar with.   The Bachman's Sparrows calling and singing and popping up and down was just plain delightful.  It was like Dave trying to get Alvin and the Chipmunks organized in the studio and then it all justs comes together in a wonderful song.   Old Thompson Road (Dougherty), Dougherty, US-GA Feb 3, 2012 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM Protocol: Traveling 0.1 mile(s) Comments:    Observers: Wayne Schaffner and Tod Lanier. 10 species Northern Bobwhite  5    Vocalizing with a call which was unfamiliar to me. Mourning Dove  3 Great Horned Owl  1 Barred Owl  1 Carolina Wren  X Hermit Thrush  1 Eastern Towhee  1 Bachman's Sparrow  4    Mostly calls. One singing. Song Sparrow  1 Northern Cardinal  X This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Wayne Schaffner Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Tybee oystercatchers, NO bun1ing From: Mark Freeman <roam4birds AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2012 21:17:55 -0500 At 6:10 this evening In fading light and strong winds I made a desperate late second attempt for the Sn*w Bun1ing at the north end of Tybee Island. No luck on that bird, and will try again tomorrow, but among the other birds gathered for the evening roost were 62 American Oystercatcher. This is the by far the most I've ever seen of this species in one location. In the poor light and bracing winds I confess to not checking for bands, perhaps most will still be there in the morning when I revisit. Mark Freeman Watkinsville, GA ( Oconee County ) roam4birds AT yahoo.com You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: email address From: Ann Stewart <annhstewart AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2012 01:45:47 +0000 Thanks everyone- I got it!!!! Ann Stewart Rome,Ga. Floyd Co. You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: email address request From: Ann Stewart <annhstewart AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2012 01:16:22 +0000 this is a "little off" bird reporting but didn't know how else do do it! I was viewing DAVID HOLLIE'S  bird photos on Flicker and would like his email address - does anyone have it- if so please contact me off GABO. Thanks Ann - annhstewart AT comcast.net Ann Stewart Rome,Ga. Floyd Co. You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: A Little Pelagic Information From: "Dr. Eugene and Charisie Keferi" <epkeferl AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2012 23:29:26 +0000 Dear GABbers, Buddy Campbell and I spent 10 days on the R/V Savannah from 1/25/12 (2:00 pm) through 2/2/12 (11: 45 pm). Most of our sightings were in South Carolina, however I just wanted give you a little information about what we observed in Georgia waters. Enroute to South Carolina we have no report for Georgia birds. However, when we left the last station in Long Bay, South Carolina we followed the shelf break south to 31 02 N, 79 55 W,(81 miles off LSSI), the site of some research instrument deployments and then straight back to Wassaw Sound. While traveling along the shelf break, as expected, we observed very few birds. We did observe the following: 4 Common Loons, 5 Herring Gulls, 1 Red Phalarope, and 1 Northern Gannet, thats all. The shelf break depth was variable but mostly around 70 to 80 meters. On our trip back to Wassaw Sound from the shelf we did observed a few birds, 15 Red Phalaropes, 1 Herring Gull, 2 Northern Gannets and 1 Common Loon at various locations. Observations stopped at about the 30 meter mark because of darkness. Not many birds far off shore now, most are much closer to shore. The upcoming pelagic trip should see some nice birds. Side Note: We did see a few Manx Shearwaters in Long Bay in South Carolina, however most(3)were at the end of the Cape Fear Channel which is in North Carolina. Gene Eugene P. Keferl 5280 East Glynn Ave. Brunswick, Georgia 31523 Glynn Co. (912) 265-0143 You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Sandhilll Cranes, Tyrone, Fayette Cty., GA 30290 @2pm From: Steve Mitchell <mitc4110 AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2012 14:17:16 -0500 While unloading my car the sound of Sandhills led to spotting a hundred plus cranes in strings, moving northwest rapidly and very high. Never tire of that sound. Steven Mitchell Tyrone, GA Fayette County mitc4110 AT bellsouth.net You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Sandhill Crane, alone and booking it From: marion m dobbs <catbird500 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2012 23:01:39 -0500 For the second time ever, I had a "yard" Sandhill Crane today here in Floyd Co. A single bird flew directly over my house in late morning calling continuously and flapping a fast and steady course due north. Trying to catch up with buddies? Hoping to be the first returnee to the breeding grounds? Or just a loner? Marion M Dobbs Rome (Floyd County) GA http://www.mamomi.net http://mamomi.smugmug.com You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Rose-breasted Grosbeak not relocated - Centennial Olympic Park, 2 Feb 2012 From: Nathan Farnau <natwan AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2012 19:10:55 -0500 I looked for about two hours this afternoon, but was unable to relocate the female ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK in Centennial Olympic Park. At some point during the afternoon yesterday, landscapers buried the area used by the bird with fresh mulch. These workmen may have both forced the bird from its spot and covered whatever forage the grosbeak and the other species were exploiting (the mulch was applied extensively, all over the park). It's conventional wisdom that an overwintering bird would show some site fidelity, but due to the limited nature of the habitat in COP, I'm not sure a bird would stick around after a disturbance like this one. It just doesn't have many (food) options in a place like this. I'll keep checking for the next few days to see if it turns back up. Nathan Farnau East Atlanta (Dekalb County) You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Re: Peregrine falcons (in Buckhead/ Lenox Square area of Atlanta) -- January 2012 sightings and recent article From: Carl Crowley <cacrowley AT GEORGIALAW.ORG> Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2012 16:14:57 -0500 [Note: This is was originally submitted on 2/1/11. Since it didn't appear on the 2/1/11 digest, I've removed a potentially incompatible image and am trying again; sorry if this results in a double post.] Activity seems to have picked up in January. Two sightings of a second bird last month. Also, Lisa Frank, writing for the Buckhead Patch (a national news site owned by AOL) has just published a story about these "Buckhead peregrines" here: http://buckhead.patch.com/articles/buckhead-attorney-tracks-rare-falcons-fro m-the-perfect-perch Thanks to the suggestion of GABO member "Charlie), I signed up with eBird last month and have found that it's a very easy and convenient way to report and keep track of sightings. Not sure if this will work here, but below is a screencap of all the sightings I've reported on eBird through yesterday (when I first signed up I entered some of my December sightings as well). Thanks for the suggestion, Charlie. Here's a link to the eBird site. http://ebird.org/content/ebird . If you run a search for "Peregrine Falcon (North American)" it will produce a map showing sites from which sightings of peregrine falcons have been reported to eBird. Zoom into the Atlanta area and you will see "my" site at "Tower Place/Buckhead 30326". Alternatively (and actually much easier) you can just search by location [e.g., enter "Atlanta GA 30326"] and it will take you there. Click on the icon at "Atlanta GA 30326" and it will take you to my reports (called "checklists" on eBird). In case my eBird screencap paste job cannot be seen in this format, here are the dates of my January, 2012 sightings: January 11 January 12 January 16 January 18 - two birds January 24 January 25 January 28 - two birds January 31 Screencap from http://ebird.org/content/ebird removed due to possible incompatibility with GABO Listserv format] Final note: It looks like my law form may be moving this Spring. I would therefore really like to make contact with someone in the area - with a "perch" similar to mine - who can continue to observe these rare birds. I would especially like to make contact with someone whose office is on the north side of the Tower Place office building. To anyone who is interested or who might have a lead for me re this, my email address is cacrowley AT georgialaw.org . Thanks. - Carl Crowley Atlanta (Buckhead/ Lenox Square area of Atlanta GA 30326) You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Two AAS Field Trips this Saturday From: Rebecca Kerimbaev <rebecca.kerimbaev AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2012 16:04:58 -0500 Just a reminder of two AAS bird walks coming up this weekend: Saturday, February 4, 2012: (Murray County) Carter's Lake, Re-regulation Lake, & Hidden Pond Trail, led by Max Medley from 8 a.m. to noon (Fulton County) Piedmont Park, led by Coralee Kight & Steve Tillander (standing in for Rob McDonough) from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. For full details including GPS coordinates, directions, birding focus, and venue information, go to: http://www.atlantaaudubon.org/aaswww/indexsupport/fieldtrips.htm Please also check back here soon for upcoming March field trips. Thanks, Rebecca Kerimbaev Field Trip Director Atlanta Audubon Society rebecca.kerimbaev AT gmail.com cell: 770-369-5710 You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: more Rusty Blackbirds - Georgia Power Dam- Lake Worth Recreation Area, Dougherty, US-GA From: Wayne Schaffner <wayne.schaffner AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 19:53:21 -0800 Georgia Power Dam- Lake Worth Recreation Area, Dougherty, US-GA Feb 1, 2012 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM Protocol: Traveling 0.3 mile(s) Comments: Observers: Wayne Schaffner and Tod Lanier. ebird report by Tod and links added by Wayne 30 species Pied-billed Grebe 4 Double-crested Cormorant 7 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 1 Turkey Vulture 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Common Gallinule 4 American Coot 34 Mourning Dove 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2 Eastern Phoebe 1 Blue Jay 1 American Crow 1 Tufted Titmouse 2 Brown-headed Nuthatch 2 Carolina Wren 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Eastern Bluebird 2 Common Yellowthroat 1 Palm Warbler (Western) 1 Pine Warbler 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler 3 Eastern Towhee 2 Chipping Sparrow 8 Northern Cardinal 1 Red-winged Blackbird 1 Rusty Blackbird 46 Vocal today. (Heard initially from 200-yards away as we got out of the truck. [wcs]) Spent part of time in and under oaks on high ground. Remainder in wet bottom. This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Wayne Schaffner Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: GA RBA, 1/30/2012 From: Mark McShane <eagleeyed AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 22:02:25 -0500 - RBA * Georgia * Georgia Statewide * January 30, 2012 * GAGA1201.30 - Birds Reported Snow Goose ROSS'S GOOSE SNOW BUNTING AMERICAN TREE SPARROW (possible) (Review and Provisional species are listed in upper case in the Birds Reported section, all species are capitalized in the Transcript section) - Transcript hotline: Georgia Rare Bird Alert date: February 1, 2012 number: 770-493-8862 to report: 770-493-8862 or lambertsewell AT att.net coverage: Statewide compiled: January 30, 2012 (6:28 PM) compiler: Jeff Sewell transcriber: Mark McShane On 1/28 a dark morph SNOW GOOSE was seen at the farm ponds on Braswell Church Road in Walton County. Another SNOW GOOSE was observed at Panola Mountain State Park in Rockdale County on 1/28 as well. 1/28 Walton County: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R14034 1/28 Rockdale County: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R14312 Two ROSS'S GEESE were found at the Mashburn Road Pond just north of GA Hwy 136 in Gordon County on 1/29. The geese were also relocated on 1/30. 1/29: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R14883 1/30: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R15817 The SNOW BUNTING first found on the north tip of Tybee Island in Chatham County on 1/11, and fairly consistently relocated since, was seen and reported on 1/22 and 1/29 as well. Original post by the finder: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R5840 GPS: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R6322 Photos (and in flight too): http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R7026 Video: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R8993 1/22: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R12060 1/29: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R14651 An AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was reported on 1/29 from Quitman County, the bird was not described in the report and was not photographed during the session. http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R15452 Giff Beaton's book "Birding Georgia" (http://www.gos.org/publications/publications.html#bg) and Ken Blankenship's web site "Wings Over Georgia" (http://www.wingsoverga.com/) contain directions to some of these sites and to many other great birding locations in Georgia. This concludes the current edition of the Georgia Rare Bird Alert. For information about the Georgia Ornithological Society, see www.gos.org, or email us at information AT gos.org. Detailed membership information is available at http://www.gos.org/membership/membership.html To join GOS at the annual individual membership level, send a check or money order for $25 to: Georgia Ornithological Society 108 W. 8th St. Louisville, GA 30434 - End transcript Mark McShane Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia http://www.gos.org You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: [BRDBRAIN] F**k-tailed Flycatcher - Hillsborough County, FL continues From: Nancy Crosby <ncrosbyrd AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 16:28:24 -0500 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Nancy Crosby Date: Wed, Feb 1, 2012 at 4:18 PM Subject: [BRDBRAIN] F**k-tailed Flycatcher - Hillsborough County, FL continues To: GABO-L-request AT listserv.uga.edu, John & Nancy Crosby < ncrosbyrd AT gmail.com> On Wed, Feb 1, 2012 at 11:59 AM, Dave Goodwin wrote: > Hi all, > > The Hillsborough County FL Fork-tailed Flycatcher was seen again on > Wednesday morning at the usual location. The bird was perched on the fences > of the strawberry farm east of the cul-de-sac across the pond. > > Dave > > Dave Goodwin > Brandon FL > dave.goodwin AT aol.com > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv > list, please visit us on the web at: > http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: > send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDUReport any problems to the listserv administrator: > listadmin AT admin.usf.edu____________________________________________________________________________ -- Nancy Crosby 1308 Sea Way NE Shellman Bluff, GA 31331 912 832 2797 -- Nancy Crosby 1308 Sea Way NE Shellman Bluff, GA 31331 912 832 2797 You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Re: Rabun County Raven, 01/31/12 From: Rebecca Kerimbaev <rebecca.kerimbaev AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 16:02:25 -0500 Darn it! I keep forgetting that as of late 2009, it's now Lithobates sylvaticus, not Rana sylvatica. http://srelherp.uga.edu/ needs to update their website! I always mess up something! Rebecca K. Decatur, GA (DeKalb Co.) You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Rabun County Raven, 01/31/12 From: Rebecca Kerimbaev <rebecca.kerimbaev AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 15:20:36 -0500 I spent an impromptu night on Jan 30-31 in the Chattahoochee National Forest in Rabun County on Glade Road, less than 0.5 mile from NC and 0.2 mile west of the Ellicott Rock Wilderness. I was up in the area hoping to chance upon Ruf*ed Gr0use, R*d Cr0ssbill, N0rthern S AT w Wh*t 0wl, or Common Raven, and was scouting for off-the-beaten-path places to bird the Rabun mountains during spring/summer. Some good under-birded habitat around Ellicott Rock that I'm sure is birded sometimes but probably not that often exists there, especially within the Wilderness. At my "campsite" yesterday morning at 7:05 a.m. as I got out of my truck, I was treated to the sound of an aerial AMERICAN WOODCOCK display in the woods at 2880 fasl. At 7:35 a.m. I heard croaking and then saw clearly the large dark form and wedge-shaped tail of a COMMON RAVEN flying north toward NC. Speaking of croaking, an adult and active Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica) was hopping around my truck the night before, with its dark brown mask and bright white lip. I took photos of this "state frog" for me. With overnight temps of 33F, he was very cold but getting out there and meeting other frogs. For the next 2.5 hours I took a semi-leisurely 3.7 mile hike southwest along Glade back towards civilization, during which time I heard and saw mostly chickadees, golden-crowned kinglets, and a few tufted titmice. At 8:38 a.m. however, I caught the spring song of a BROWN CREEPER. It sang its song, not its call, about four times before falling silent. At the same time farther in the distance, a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH called repeatedly. During the hike I heard an additional RBNU south along the road, and then hit the RBNU jackpot at the home of a WW II combat engineer veteran who'd served in France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, and Italy for 31 months when he was 18-20 years old. He kindly let me use his landline and talked to me about his service in the European Theatre for an hour as I intermittently watched three different RBNU feasting and yapping at his feeder just feet from the window. I told him of my love of Band of Brothers and past adventures exploring Currahee Mtn and Camp Toccoa, but he'd trained at Ft. McPherson instead. I asked if he'd ever noticed anything looking like cr0ssbill at his feeders lately and he said no. He'd lived there 87 years and over that time had noticed a decline in the number and variety of songbirds on his property, mentioning that years ago he could hear ten m0ckingbirds singing at once in spring, but now he was lucky to hear even one (there were some huge, open fields surrounding his and his brother's houses). He lamented that "something's been happening to all the birds." By that time my four wheel drive wrecker had arrived and my birding and visiting for the morning were over. All those cool birds I saw and heard yesterday morning, including the year bird raven, were well worth getting my truck stuck in the mud for over 12 hours and hiking two hours back to Edgar's house (we're good friends now). With the raven my January tally finishes at 194, six birds short of my original goal, but I'm still happy with that. As was reinforced to me over the past two days, the journey matters more than the destination. Similarly, chasing, twitching, whatever you want to call it, is a means to an end rather than the end itself -- the end being fun and having a good time. Mission accomplished. Don't let anyone tell you differently. If you ever bird up to the north end of Glade Road near the NC border, do so only with a four wheel drive vehicle, even if you have a huge heavy truck with rear diff lock and a full heavy tank of gas riding on your tires. Rebecca Kerimbaev Decatur, GA (DeKalb Co.) You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Centennial Olympic Park, 1 Feb 2012 From: Nathan Farnau <natwan AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 13:18:09 -0500 Centennial Olympic Park has delivered another gift. At about 12:15pm, during my lunch break, I stumbled upon a female ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK picking through the mulch across from Subway (northwest corner of the park). I've been checking COP about once a week through the winter, but today's walk was simply a whim, so I had no optics (binoculars and camera at home). The breast was finely streaked with an essentially white base color; large bill, boldly framed auriculars, broad supercilium; bold white wing-bars. I did not see the bird in flight, so underwings weren't visible; the bird did not vocalize. Female Pheucticus grosbeaks can be an ID challenge (as we've seen from the bird found at Savannah NWR this winter). So if anyone looks for this bird, (since my visual evidence was derived only from naked eye views) please feel free to offer any details that might suggest an alternate ID. I'll be back after work to try for photographs. Nathan Farnau East Atlanta (Dekalb County) You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Florida [BRDBRAIN] Fo**rk-tailed Flycatcher - Hillsborough County- Continues From: Nancy Crosby <ncrosbyrd AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 12:21:42 -0500 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Dave Goodwin Date: Wed, Feb 1, 2012 at 11:59 AM Subject: [BRDBRAIN] Fork-tailed Flycatcher - Hillsborough County To: BRDBRAIN AT listserv.admin.usf.edu Hi all, The Hillsborough County FL Fork-tailed Flycatcher was seen again on Wednesday morning at the usual location. The bird was perched on the fences of the strawberry farm east of the cul-de-sac across the pond. Dave Dave Goodwin Brandon FL dave.goodwin AT aol.com To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives of the brdbrain listserv list, please visit us on the web at: http://listserv.admin.usf.edu/archives/brdbrain.html To set to no mail: send a message "SET BRDBRAIN NOMAIL" to LISTSERV AT LISTSERV.ADMIN.USF.EDUReport any problems to the listserv administrator: listadmin AT admin.usf.edu____________________________________________________________________________ -- Nancy Crosby 1308 Sea Way NE Shellman Bluff, GA 31331 912 832 2797 You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Snowy Owl feature From: Joel Hitt <joelhitt AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 06:02:39 -0800 On this evening's NBC Nightly News Brian Williams will feature a spot on this winter's Snowy Owl invasion. 6:30 EST. Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: 1 more Colquitt County location Sun 29JAN From: Wayne Schaffner <wayne.schaffner AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 05:24:05 -0800 Ellenton Fish Pond, Colquitt, US-GA Jan 29, 2012 5:55 PM - 6:10 PM Protocol: Stationary Comments:  Access to the property is not permitted on Sunday so I observed from the shoulder of the Ellenton-Omega Road. DELORME grid and lat and long and description of site provided at Wings Over Georgia webpage. http://www.wingsoverga.com/ColquittCoBirdingSites.html Ken has a link to Google Maps street view at the gate 2 species Canada Goose 78  grazing in cow pasture Osprey 1  perched atop cypress tree at north end of pond; no discerned activity around the nest at the south end of the pond. This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Close up of the gate with access instructions http://www.flickr.com/photos/44510955 AT N05/5355497325/in/set-72157625700064763/  I arrived at this site just before sunset Sunday 29JAN12. Unfortunately, I don’t often enough make this a primary destination. Its a good place for Wood Ducks. Some past observations of note:  May 7, 2011 Northern Rough-winged Swallow breeding pair and nest burrows in vertical bank of excavated earthen spillway at south end of the lake. http://www.flickr.com/photos/44510955 AT N05/sets/72157626545904915/with/5697410923/  Osprey nestlings http://www.flickr.com/photos/44510955 AT N05/5697762354/in/photostream/  Spotted Sandpiper http://www.flickr.com/photos/44510955 AT N05/sets/72157626546093979/with/5698186374/  Great Blue Heron nest with juvenile http://www.flickr.com/photos/44510955 AT N05/sets/72157626546132711/with/5697646017/  November 14, 2010 Wood Storks at unidentified nests http://www.flickr.com/photos/44510955 AT N05/sets/72157625970718388/with/5356177516/  November 20, 201 Hooded Mergansers http://www.flickr.com/photos/44510955 AT N05/5356084106/in/photostream/ Wayne Schaffner Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Re: Bunting on Tybee - NO on 1/31 From: ellery404 <ellery404 AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 07:25:07 -0500 I was at the point from about 11 am to 2 pm on Monday and didn't see it either Ellery McClintock Atlanta ----- Original Message ----- From: "Grant McCreary" To: Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 10:25 PM Subject: [GABO-L] Bunting on Tybee - NO on 1/31 > Several birders tried for the Sn0w Bunting on Tybee today, but as far as I > know it was not seen. Someone was watching the birds gathered at the point > from 12-3, with high tide around 1:45. One of the hopefuls told me that > she did not see it yesterday, either. > > In way of consolation, the Northern Gannets put on a show that was worth > way more than the parking fee. All afternoon gannets were diving and > sitting on the water very close to shore. And at one point there had to > have been over 100 of them (mostly adults) flying and diving in a tight > mass approximately 150 yards offshore. I have no idea how they managed not > to impale any of the even greater number of Double-crested Cormorants on > the water. There were also 10+ Red-throated Loons, 3 Purple Sandpipers, > and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls among the expected birds. > > I guess I waited too long to try for it. But I just had an incredible week > at the Space Coast Birding Festival in FL, including two lifers (Eurasian > Wigeon and the surprisingly accommodating Fork-tailed Flycatcher). So I'm > not complaining. Too much. > > Grant McCreary > Cumming, GA > > You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. > Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: > http://www.gos.org/gabo.html. Please read the guidelines before posting. > > Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu > > To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to > http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html > > To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Brown creeper at Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve in Decatur From: Stan <stancha AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 06:42:30 -0500 Hello birders, I birded at Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve in Decatur (DeKalb County) yesterday for 2-3 hours and was pleased to find a brown creeper along the Meadow Trail. Other highlights were a couple of pileated woodpeckers and a hermit thrush (Beaver Pond Trail), and great looks at golden-crowned warblers, which were numerous along the Meadow Trail. I did get a couple of pictures of the golden-crowned kinglet, which I put on my flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanchap I am in accord with Marshall Weber's post from Saturday, January 28, about this Clyde Shepherd's being a great place to listen for bird songs and calls, which were almost continuous during my morning walk. It is an excellent spot to bird, especially considering that it is surrounded by urban-suburban development. The pond now is full, after being dry for much of the fall and early winter. My e-bird list follows. Stan Chapman DeKalb County Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve, DeKalb, US-GA Jan 31, 2012 7:40 AM - 10:25 AM Protocol: Traveling 2.0 mile(s) 30 species Mallard 3 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 Mourning Dove 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 4 Downy Woodpecker 3 Pileated Woodpecker 2 Blue Jay 5 American Crow 13 Carolina Chickadee 19 Tufted Titmouse 14 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Brown-headed Nuthatch 2 Brown Creeper 1 Carolina Wren 22 Golden-crowned Kinglet 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6 Eastern Bluebird 1 Hermit Thrush 1 American Robin 45 Brown Thrasher 1 Pine Warbler 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 Eastern Towhee 4 Song Sparrow 3 White-throated Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 8 Red-winged Blackbird 4 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 House Finch 2 American Goldfinch 3 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: GA State Botanical Garden - Great Horned Owl and A. Woodcocks From: Jim Hanna <gabirder300 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:12:29 -0500 This evening between 5:30 and 6:45 we (Mark McShane and I) waited for dark to see the American Woodcocks fly in from up river. They started coming in about 6:25. We had at least 4 Woodcocks but there may have more. They were flying all around the woods, the power cut, and over and back across the river. We also had 1 (maybe 2) Great Horned Owls calling and flying back and forth across the river. We got 2 great looks at the bird perched on the other side of the river. In addition, we had 4 Wood Ducks and 42 Canada Geese flying over. Jim Hanna Athens, GA You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Bunting on Tybee - NO on 1/31 From: Grant McCreary <jedigrant AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:25:37 -0800 Several birders tried for the Sn0w Bunting on Tybee today, but as far as I know it was not seen. Someone was watching the birds gathered at the point from 12-3, with high tide around 1:45. One of the hopefuls told me that she did not see it yesterday, either. In way of consolation, the Northern Gannets put on a show that was worth way more than the parking fee. All afternoon gannets were diving and sitting on the water very close to shore. And at one point there had to have been over 100 of them (mostly adults) flying and diving in a tight mass approximately 150 yards offshore. I have no idea how they managed not to impale any of the even greater number of Double-crested Cormorants on the water. There were also 10+ Red-throated Loons, 3 Purple Sandpipers, and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls among the expected birds. I guess I waited too long to try for it. But I just had an incredible week at the Space Coast Birding Festival in FL, including two lifers (Eurasian Wigeon and the surprisingly accommodating Fork-tailed Flycatcher). So I'm not complaining. Too much. Grant McCreary Cumming, GA You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Mockingbird From: Linda FreedomBird <hummingbird888 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:10:55 -0500 Dear birders: While running a quick errand, I saw this mockingbird non-stopping singing. I recorded a short clip and hoped you would enjoy his solo performance ... from a bird who loves melody! Northern Mockingbird Happy birding! Linda Liu Atlanta, GA http://www.wingsspirit.com You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Gordon & Floyd Counties From: Ann Stewart <annhstewart AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 02:26:31 +0000 Checked  Mashburn Road in Gordon County around mid morning and then again after lunch and was not able to locate the Ross's Geese. There were only about 10 Canada Geese and one barnyard goose there along with several ducks in the lake.(didn't get scope out to ID them). WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS: Also checked Pine Chapel Road and it was "bare of birds". I noticed that the land owner has done alot of brush cutting along the fence lines that run parallel with the road and this has destroyed some of our WHITE CROWNED SPARROW habitat. The one reliable place that I always always find White Crowned was bare and I couldn't locate a single bird.   So sad!! AMERICAN WOODCOCK: About 9pm Stephen (son) called and said as he was bringing wood into his carport he heard a AMERICAN WOODCOCK calling close to the entrance of his driveway at the road. I went to check it out and I also heard it calling but as I got closer it stopped and didn't start back.  Great yard bird!!!! WOOD DUCKS; Checked boxes yesterday and NO EGGS YET! Ann Stewart Rome,Ga. Floyd Co. You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: 3 Colquitt County locations and 1 Cook County location Sun 29JAN (long) From: Wayne Schaffner <wayne.schaffner AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:28:28 -0800 On Sunday I birded Doerun Pitcherplant Bog Natural Area, Moultrie Technical College campus and three stops at Reed Bingham State Park. One report is from the Nature Trails on the Cook County side of the Park. Doerun Pitcherplant Bog Natural Area (Colquitt Co.), Colquitt, US-GA Jan 29, 2012 10:23 AM - 11:43 AM Protocol: Traveling 0.75 mile(s) Comments: 47 degrees; clear; wind 10 NNW 26 species Turkey Vulture 1 Mourning Dove 2 Red-headed Woodpecker 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Blue Jay 2 American Crow 2 Carolina Chickadee 1 Tufted Titmouse 1 Brown-headed Nuthatch 9 Observed 2 individuals on different charred pine snags hammering out nest cavities. One snag was about 5-feet high and I was able to approach to within a foot of it as I was listening to the hammering. I could not find the bird on the outside of the snag. Eventually the bird popped out of the hole and flew to a nearby pine tree and fussed a bit. Carolina Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 Eastern Bluebird 3 Common Yellowthroat 4 Palm Warbler 11 Pine Warbler 4 Yellow-rumped Warbler 6 Eastern Towhee 4 Chipping Sparrow 4 Field Sparrow 8 Song Sparrow 2 Swamp Sparrow 3 White-throated Sparrow 4 Northern Cardinal 3 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Moultrie Technical College, Colquitt, US-GA Jan 29, 2012 12:00 PM - 1:17 PM Protocol: Traveling 0.6 mile(s) 22 species Ring-necked Duck 3 all 3 were male photo is of 3-RNDU and 3-LESC Lesser Scaup 3 1 male and 2 female Pied-billed Grebe 4 2 in the lake on campus and 2 in pond on SW side of highway Black Vulture 1 Turkey Vulture 1 American Coot 83 Killdeer 14 Greater Yellowlegs 3 Wilson's Snipe 9 7 flushed from grassy meadow/bog on the SE side of the south entrance drive. 2 were flushed from boggy shoreline between the lake and the spillway at the south corner of the lake. Mourning Dove 2 Eastern Phoebe 1 Loggerhead Shrike 4 2 along the entrance drive on the NW side of the lake and two along the entrance drive on the SE side of the lake. I have observed 1 pair here for several years. along north entrance drive along south entrance drive in meadow/bog American Crow 2 Fish Crow 4 House Wren 1 Northern Mockingbird 6 European Starling 2 Common Yellowthroat 1 Palm Warbler 3 Yellow-rumped Warbler 10 Eastern Meadowlark 14 in meadow/bog on SE side of south entrance drive Boat-tailed Grackle 1 1-adult male This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Reed Bingham SP (Colquitt), Colquitt, US-GA Jan 29, 2012 1:45 PM - 2:30 PM Protocol: Traveling 0.75 mile(s) 28 species Canada Goose 14 Redhead 4 Pied-billed Grebe 5 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 1 Black Vulture 2 Turkey Vulture 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 American Coot 300 Estimate. Will be examining some photos for possible closer determination. The large raft was at the north end of the lake in the no wake zone and visible from the dam at the south end. I have photos of the large raft in the main body of the lake near the dam earlier this season. Killdeer 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Northern Flicker 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 American Crow 2 Brown-headed Nuthatch 1 Eastern Bluebird 2 Northern Mockingbird 1 Palm Warbler 2 Pine Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler 2 Eastern Towhee 1 Chipping Sparrow 2 Savannah Sparrow 3 Song Sparrow 1 Swamp Sparrow 1 White-throated Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 2 Red-winged Blackbird 10 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) ReedBinghamState Park, Cook, US-GA Jan 29, 2012 2:40 PM - 4:00 PM Protocol: Traveling 1.0 mile(s) Comments: CookCounty side of the park Nature Trails. Little River Trail, Bird Walk Trail and Turkey Oak Trail. Generally very quiet. Nesting Bald Eagles not observed driving to the trails and departing the trails. 13 species Wood Duck 2 Little River Trail first overlook Turkey Vulture 2 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 Tufted Titmouse 2 Brown Creeper 1 This bird was solo lead vocal before I pished up a small mixed group. I heard this bird and stopped, located it and a quiet Carolina Chickadee. I then pished up Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Orange-crowned Warbler and Titmouse. At one point I thought I heard 2 Creepers but never could find 2. Carolina Wren 3 Golden-crowned Kinglet 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5 Orange-crowned Warbler 1 Common Yellowthroat 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler 3 Northern Cardinal 2 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Reed Bingham SP (Colquitt), Colquitt, US-GA Jan 29, 2012 4:18 PM - 5:48 PM Protocol: Traveling 0.5 mile(s) Comments: I stayed below the dam on the CookCounty side of the Park. 19 species Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 1 Black Vulture 100 In one large kettle and two small kettles at north end of the lake with TUVU Turkey Vulture 200 In one large kettle and two small kettles at north end of the lake with BLVU Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Brown-headed Nuthatch 2 House Wren 1 Sedge Wren 2 At this stop I first walked the dried maiden cane patch below the dam and didn't flush one or hear one. At 5:12 PM at the west end of the concrete dam at the toe of the earthen dam I heard one buzz calling and then another about 50-feet east. I heard them and photographed them at similar time of day on 11-26-2011. The photographs were taken after official sunset that day. November 26, 2011 Eastern Bluebird 3 Common Yellowthroat 2 Palm Warbler 11 Pine Warbler 2 Chipping Sparrow 30 Savannah Sparrow 5 Song Sparrow 2 Swamp Sparrow 6 Red-winged Blackbird 50 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Wayne Schaffner Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: The rest of the story.... From: "Eugenia R. Thompson" <eroberthom AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:55:34 -0500 About 15-20 minutes after I sent the earlier message about the RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, the male flew a short distance away, and out of the hole popped a....yep, you guessed it, EUROPEAN STARLING. The woodpecker returned quickly and the starling popped back into the hole. This continued and is still going on. At some point the starling was joined by a second one that sits nearby and makes starling noises to accompany the drama. Eugenia Thompson Athens GA (Clarke Co.) You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Woodpecker drama From: "Eugenia R. Thompson" <eroberthom AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:02:24 -0500 The RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS have readied a nice nesting hole about 4 or 5 down from the top of a snag in our front yard. This morning they are all in a tizzy, calling their alarm call over and over as they go up and down the top 6 feet or so of the snag. The male is especially perturbed, sticking his head in the hole repeatedly but not going in. He hasn't even come to the back deck for fresh peanuts that I just put out, and she's only come once, and they are usually the first ones at the plate. I wonder if perhaps a flying squirrel has bedded down for the day in their hole. No sign of starlings and they have been the biggest pest in the past. Eugenia Thompson Athens GA (Clarke Co.) You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: January nesting doves From: Vicki DeLoach <VLDELOACH AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:52:06 -0500 I know it's not a news bulletin that our Mourning doves are frisky year-round, but it was still odd to see a pair on a nest in a bare winter tree this weekend, after a 23o morning. You'd think they'd at least nest in an evergreen for protection. It's a particularly well-structured nest for doves (photo below). This beats the Carolina wrens that nested on our front door one February. And ... our Eastern bluebirds keep adding to their winter nest in their favorite box. More pine needles were sticking out so I checked out the nest and it's taller than ever. It's so clean I'm just going to leave it for them to nest in. They may be early this year since so many other things are. The Upland chorus frogs are in a roar up here in Cherokee County - if you've never heard them you should come check them out. Vicki DeLoach Bradshaw Farm/Cherokee Co. doves nesting: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vickisnature/6785043421/in/photostream You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: R0ss's Geese, Rare bird alerts, and Random birding From: Joel McNeal <joelmcneal AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:35:15 -0500 Hi everybody, First, a quick note on the R0ss's Geese at Mashburn Rd. (Gordon Co.); although I've submitted a rare bird report to the Georgia Checklist & Records Committee (GCRC), I would urge anyone who goes to see them to A) try your best to photograph or otherwise document them and B) submit your own independent rare bird report for them. Eliminating hybrids isn't a trifling matter with these guys, and my photos turned out much crappier than I expected. There's no such thing as overdocumenting them (well, shooting them and submitting the dead specimens might be overdoing it a tad in this day and age), so give it a go if you have the opportunity. To find details on writing up review species for the GCRC, go to http://www.gos.org/brc.html . Second, to piggyback on Mark's post about eBird rarity alerts yesterday, you can enjoy this wonderful eBird feature even if you aren't signed up for eBird (or if you are signed up to eBird but just don't want any more emails in your inbox). To see the Georgia rare bird alerts, you can go directly to the following url: http://ebird.org/ebird/alert/summary?sid=SN35569 . ABA alerts can be viewed at: http://ebird.org/ebird/alert/summary?sid=SN10489 . Embedding photos in checklists (see http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/embed-photos-in-your-checklists for instructions) makes looking at the alerts even more fun and informative. Of course, if you do have an eBird account you have the benefit of signing up to get those alerts via email as well as other optional email alerts for species you need for the state or for any county you choose. More importantly having your own account means you can report your own rarities! Finally, I tried out eBird's random county birding protocol ( http://ebird.org/content/ebird/about/county_birding ) yesterday in Chattooga Co. since I knew it currently had no January eBird checklists. I have to say it was more fun and challenging than I had anticipated. Finding a safe and unobtrusive place to pull off the road and do a bird count turned out to be harder than I thought in the vicinity of many of my prescribed stops (lots of ditches, lots of houses, lots of dogs), but overall I ended up entering 16 complete checklists from around the county while adding incidental counts for new species I tallied en route between points (51 species total in a little over 3 hrs). I currently am king of Chattooga Co. for 2012: http://tinyurl.com/eBird-Chattooga2012 ! Going to places that look great or are already proven to be great for birds is certainly a quicker way to get a higher species total, but random counts give a much better picture of what the overall bird composition and abundance of an area is once you get enough data points (e.g. your Cobb Co. list will grow much faster if you hit Kennesaw Mountain, Johnson Ferry, and Cochran Shoals with high frequency, but all the awesome lists coming in from those spots probably don't give an accurate picture of bird density and distribution of Cobb Co.'s considerably urban land area as a whole). Birding at random stops certainly made that one stop out of 16 that had Red-headed Woodpeckers seem particularly awesome, and made that one stop out of 16 that didn't have an American Crow in earshot seem perplexing. Anything that makes intently listening for crows that much fun has to be worth a shot, right? If anybody wants to give it a try in the next month, the counties that currently don't have any complete eBird lists for February are Atkinson, Banks, Benny Hill, Coffee, Echols, Glascock, Haralson, Irwin, Marion, Montgomery, Paulding, Polk, Schley, Stephens, Taliaferro, Taylor, Telfair, Treutlan, Warren, Wheeler, Wilcox, and Wilkes. I'm already thinking about what Saturday morning I might have free for a Paulding/Polk/Haralson random count... Good random birding, Joel McNeal Cartersville, Bartow Co., GA http://www.pbase.com/joelmcneal You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Flickers and owl boxes From: "Ralph H. Henderson, M.D." <rafeh AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:22:32 -0500 This is a belated follow-up to the post by Mary Kimberly of 28 January. We live close by (within a mile or two) and could have written a very similar story. We have several Screech Owl boxes and at least two have been inhabited from sometime in October through sometime in April. But nobody showed up this year. Instead, a male/female pair of flickers appeared a couple of months ago and each chose its own box. One was good enough to throw out leaves which a squirrel had deposited. We did not notice a deformed bill. They left about 3 weeks ago. Rafe and Ilze Henderson, near Toco Hills, Decatur. You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Re: Ross's Geese-Mashburn Road, Gordon County From: Rebecca Kerimbaev <rebecca.kerimbaev AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:32:38 -0500 Oops, it's 12:15 pm not 2:15. Woo hoo, I just gained two extra hours of birding. Yes! Rebecca K. Decatur, Ga Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message: > From: Rebecca Kerimbaev > Date: January 30, 2012 12:24:12 PM EST > To: "GABO-L AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU" > Subject: Re: [GABO-L] Ross's Geese-Mashburn Road, Gordon County > > The two Ross's Geese reported yesterday are still present as of 2:15 pm at the Anderson farm pond on Mashburn Rd in Gordon co. They're grazing in the field by the pond with 82 Canada geese and in good view at the moment. They roosted here last night and were extremely talented at hiding their bright white selves for an entire morning. > > Rebecca Kerimbaev > Decatur, GA DeKalb co. > > Sent from my iPad > > On Jan 29, 2012, at 2:11 PM, Dan Vickers wrote: > >> Joel McNeal has two Ross's Geese at the Mashburn Road pond off GA136 in Gordon County. The Greater White-fronted Goose was not seen. >> >> Dan Vickers >> Lilburn >> Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T >> >> You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. >> Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: >> http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.� Please read the guidelines before posting. >> >> Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu >> >> To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to >> http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html >> >> To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Re: Ross's Geese-Mashburn Road, Gordon County From: Rebecca Kerimbaev <rebecca.kerimbaev AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:24:12 -0500 The two Ross's Geese reported yesterday are still present as of 2:15 pm at the Anderson farm pond on Mashburn Rd in Gordon co. They're grazing in the field by the pond with 82 Canada geese and in good view at the moment. They roosted here last night and were extremely talented at hiding their bright white selves for an entire morning. Rebecca Kerimbaev Decatur, GA DeKalb co. Sent from my iPad On Jan 29, 2012, at 2:11 PM, Dan Vickers wrote: > Joel McNeal has two Ross's Geese at the Mashburn Road pond off GA136 in Gordon County. The Greater White-fronted Goose was not seen. > > Dan Vickers > Lilburn > Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T > > You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. > Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: > http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.� Please read the guidelines before posting. > > Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu > > To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to > http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html > > To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Weekend Coast Report From: Trey Mccuen <trey.mccuen AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:20:49 -0500 James Fleullan and I decide to spend the weekend on the coast filling in blanks on the year list. Check my blog for a post of the year birds I got. We started out in Statesboro Saturday morning looking for a Lincoln's Sparrow that was seen, but we struck out on that. We then made several other stops in Statesboro and continued down to Fort Pulaski and Tybee Island. On Sunday we birded Jekyll, Saint Simons, Altamaha and Harris Neck. We saw a probable FRANKLIN'S GULL on the south beach of Jekyll and got photos of it, but we are waiting on confirmation of the bird, therefore I will do a follow up post on the bird later. Black bellied whistling Duck- Altamaha Red throated Loon- Tybee Pier Northern Gannet- Tybee Pier American white Pelican- Jekyll North End Black crowned night Heron- Jekyll Amphitheater Pond Yellow crowned night Heron- Jekyll Amphitheater Pond Wood Stork- Jekyll North End American black Duck- Altamaha Mottled Duck- Altamaha Redhead- Altamaha Greater Scaup- Harris Neck and Jekyll Amphitheater Wild Turkey- Lakeview Road in Statesboro Virginia Rail- Great looks at Altamaha Wilson's Plover- Jekyll South Beach Piping Plover- Saint Simons East Beach American Avocet- Jekyll Causeway Whimbrel- Jekyll Causeway Red Knot- Tybee South Beach Least Sandpiper- Jekyll South Beach Short billed Dowitcher- Jekyll North End Barred Owl- Harris Neck Common ground Dove- Burkhalter Road in Statesboro Loggerhead Shrike- Titan Turf Farm Brown Creeper- Burkhalter Road Sedge Wren- Harris Neck at Greenhead Pond Blue gray Gnatcatcher- Altamaha Hermit Thrush- Jekyll Amphitheater Orange crowned Warbler- Altamaha Nelson's Sparrow- Fort Pulaski Saltmarsh Sparrow- Fort Pulaski Seaside Sparrow- Fort Pulaski Le Conte's Sparrow- Great looks at Harris Neck by Greenhead Pond Rusty Blackbird- Harris Neck Baltimore Oriole- Burkhalter Road Trey McCuen Macon, GA You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Saturday (1/28) Field Trip Report - Newman Wetlands Center/E.L. Huie From: Iris Schumacher <irisschumacher AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:50:59 -0500 First let me start by apologizing to the folks on the walk on Saturday as my day of adventure was followed by a day in bed feeling very under the weather and it has taken me longer to do this post than I had anticipated. It was a gorgeous blue sky morning on Saturday, January 28. The temperatures were definitely cool (mid 40s) and the wind was holding off ... at first. By the time I arrived with my car passengers and walk participants (Mari Schuyler, my coworker, and Nikki Belmonte, Education Coordinator at Atlanta Audubon Society), there was already a good crowd of people waiting with Anne McCallum. Anne offered to lead this walk and I offered to colead with her. It was a good thing we decided on the two of us since there were 30 participants (6 youth and 24 adults). We heard that Fox 5 mentioned our walk on the Friday morning news and believe this may have peaked interest. Thank you Fox 5! While there were familiar faces (including another coworker, Sarah Danielson) and some I have not seen in many months (JoAnn King, who traveled VERY far to join us -- THANK YOU!). We were very excited to see the newcomers and we sure hope they will consider attending more Atlanta Audubon field trips in the future! Before we began the walk at 8:30am, Anne provided all with a little history behind the Wetlands Center and E.L. Huie (thank you Anne!). She lead the group through Newman Wetlands Center and I kept to the back of the group. We really wanted to make sure everyone had a good time and had the opportunity to see and hear as many birds as were present that morning. We were greeted by many of the wetlands regulars like the Carolina Chickadee, American Robin, Tufted Titmouse, and while we waited for a few people to arrive, we got some great looks at a pine warbler singing atop a bare tree as we was singing his trilly song. Among other highlights just before we began were the many "gulps" of Double Crested Cormorants flying in V formation. We had to see at least 100 Double Crested Cormorants before the end of our field trip! Many other species were heard and not seen, so we tried concentrating on some of the songs and calls, like "the squeaky toy" sound of the Brown Headed Nuthatch, the descending trill on the Downy Woodpecker, the "chup" "chup" chip notes of the song sparrow, and the "pretty" "pretty" "pretty" song on the Northern Cardinal. So many more birds were singing, and I hope we were able to help many of you pick up on a few new songs and calls for viewing in your own backyards! We can't help but mention how beautiful the wetlands looked with the sun shining and the mist rising. Breathtaking view! At approximately 10:00am, we all jumped in our cars to head to E.L. Huie water treatment facility about 2.5 miles away from the Wetlands Center. Our first sighting was of Eastern Bluebirds perched on a wire as we're headed into the gated area. Our first pond boasted some gorgeous Northern Shovelers (approximately 45) behaving in their normal fashion -- head down and swimming in a circular fashion. It's hard to get a glimpse of their common feature (the wide, shovel looking bill) when their head is constantly underwater, but a few popped up in our view. The males are stunning in their rust, green and white plumage! I think we had a good show of waterfowl turnout at Huie, and the list (including those seen at the Wetlands Center, are listed below), totaling 51 species: Canada Goose (6) (Huie) Wood Duck (1 flyby) (Wetlands) Gadwall (15) (Huie) Mallard (40) (Huie) Northern Shoveler (45) (Huie) Green-Winged Teal (40) (Huie) Ring-Necked Duck (35) (Huie) Bufflehead (3 Female and 3 Male) (Huie) Hooded Merganser (1) (Huie) Ruddy Duck (9) (Huie) Pied Billed Grebe (3) (Huie) Great Blue Heron (2) (Huie) Great Egret (1) (Huie) Turkey Vulture (3) (1-Wetlands/2-Huie) Red-Shouldered Hawk (3) (2-Wetlands/1-Huie) American Coot (12) (Huie) Kildeer (9) (Huie) Ring-Billed Gull (2) (Huie) Rock Pigeon (3... flyover) (Huie) Mourning Dove (7) (5-Wetlands/2-Huie) Belted Kingfisher (heard not seen at Wetlands) Red-Bellied Woodpecker (2) (Wetlands) Yellow-Bellied Woodpecker (1) (Wetlands) Downy Woodpecker (3) (Wetlands) Hair Woodpecker (1) (Wetlands) Northern Flicker (5) (Wetlands...one heard across road from Huie ponds) Eastern Phoebe (Wetlands) Blue Jay (3) (Wetlands) American Crow (14) (5-Wetlands/9-Huie) Crow Sp. (3) Tree Swallow (this was our last find, and it was first sighted by a VERY talented, young man (wish I could give you credit by name but I forgot to get your name before I left!), who happened to win YBC last year!! WAY TO GO! This was a GREAT find!!) Carolina Chickadee (18) (Wetlands) Tufted Titmouse (15) (Wetlands) Brown-Headed Nuthatch (4)... saw two, heard more than two (Wetlands) Carolina Wren (5) (Wetlands) Golden-Crowned Kinglet (1 heard, not seen) (Wetlands) Ruby Crowned Kinglet (1 seen, 2 more heard) (Wetlands) Eastern Bluebird (9) (5-Wetlands/4-Huie) American Robin (1) (Wetlands) American Pipit (1) (Huie) (good looks in spotting scope too!) Yellow-Rumped Warbler (2) (Wetlands) Pine Warbler (3) (Wetlands) Eastern Towhee (2) (Wetlands) Field Sparrow (1) (Huie) Savannah Sparrow (3) (Huie) Song Sparrow (10) (Wetlands/Huie) Swamp Sparrow (15) (Wetlands/Huie) White-Throated Sparrow (3) (1-Wetlands/2-Huie) Northern Cardinal (9) (Wetlands) Red-Winged Blackbird (110) (Wetlands) (some larger groups flying over, so the count may be low) Starling (6) (Huie) American Goldfinch (1 calling in flight) (Wetlands) I wanted to thank you all for coming out to participate on our walk. Anne and I had a great time and we hope you did too. Please don't forgot to visit the Atlanta Audubon website for other great field trips and classes they offer (www.atlantaaudubon.org), and please consider becoming a member. Your donations help Atlanta Audubon Society offer great programs to the surrounding communities as well as continue to offer these free fields trips to the public (via our volunteer field trip leaders). Thanks. Iris Schumacher Anne McCallum You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: ORAS monthly meeting this Thursday, Feb 2nd: Pine Plantation Management and its Effects on Wildlife From: Richard Hall <dr.richard.hall AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:16:29 -0500 Please join us for a talk from our very own vice president, Dr. Vanessa Lane, as she discusses the effects of southern pine plantation management on birds and other wildlife. Pine plantations are becoming an increasingly common feature of southeastern landscapes for a variety of reasons. Increasing land values and associated taxes have forced timber companies to sell the majority of their land holdings in Georgia and elsewhere in the southeast, which also increases the need to improve lumber production on remaining silvicultural lands. Pine plantations provide an efficient means to establish, maintain, and harvest lumber, but how does this increased efficiency affect wildlife living within these forests, particularly when the majority of these plantations are harvested through clearcutting? Vanessa will discuss the pros and cons of pine plantation management not only on a local scale, but also within the context of southeastern landscapes. We meet on the first Thursday of every month, September-June, 7:00PM at Sandy Creek Nature Center, just north of Athens on the 441. Richard Hall President, Oconee Rivers Audubon Society Athens GA (currently Oxford UK) You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: American Tree Sparrow, Quitman County, 1130 today From: Donald Ware <donware AT PARKSPRINGS.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:27:52 -0500 Today, 29 Jan 2012, while participating in the AOS winter meeting at Eufaula NWR I was returning from the Bradley section in Georgia for the tally and found an American Tree Sparrow. It was seen at 1130 from the east side of the Soapstone Creek Bridge on GA 39 five miles north of GA 27, Quitman County. It responded to a spish from the center of the bridge on the east side and watched me for about 30 seconds before going back into the brush near the creek. I think it is re-findable, but I now live at Stone Mountain. It might provide a good photo opportunity. Don Ware, donware AT parksprings.net, 678-684-3932 You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Barred Owl pair From: Sheila Willis <swillis AT WAYXCABLE.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:26:30 -0500 Hey folks, Hope you are fine. I certainly am today because I just heard & then saw both of the BARRED OWLs that live around my house!! They called to each other "Who-who-cooks-for-you-all" a few times. Then I stepped outside & saw one of them just a few yards away up in the trees of my old back yard which I had let grow wild & luckily the various new neighbors had not changed. It looked straight at me--sooo pretty!! Once or twice it blinked. It was being harassed by other smaller birds & shortly flew away but just for a short distance. Its apparent mate then flew past & landed a little farther away at the back of the yard which borders on a canal & a wood lot. Once there, a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD dive-bombed at its head & retreated to an adjacent branch. This owl was first looking in my direction but then turned its head around towards the canal/woodlot where I guess other birds were fussing at it too. Both birds were so beautiful--one sitting in the shadows of the trees & the other in the full sunlight!! Of course, I had to tell both of them how pretty they were. I have seen them many times before, but that doesn't matter. Seeing them again still makes me very happy, just as if it were the first time. A pair has raised a family annually here & I have seen their young in the past. So I hope they will be successful again in 2012. They call almost every day. Take care. Sincerely, Sheila Willis Native American-Naturalist Talks & Tours Waycross, Ware Co., GA You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: test- ignore From: Sheila Willis <swillis AT WAYXCABLE.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:32:34 -0500 this is just a test for delayed mail delivery problems Sheila Willis Waycross, Ware Co., GA You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Small and Big Water - Carroll and Troup Counties - 1/28/12 From: Mark McShane <eagleeyed AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:43:33 -0500 Hi All, Yesterday Max Medley and I made some stops in west central Georgia to include SouthWire/Richards Lake in Carrollton in Carroll County, the part of the front reservoir at Plant Wansley in Carroll County that can be birded (scoped) from Liberty Church Road, and the dam at West Point Lake in Troup County. Highlight was a female Common Goldeneye just before dusk at West Point far out from the dam. We were expecting a lot more goldeneyes there as this has been a wintering hotspot for the species for many years. We saw the female once and then did not see her again so maybe she was moving further up one of the arms of the lake to where hopefully more of her kind might have been roosting on the water for the night. Richards Lake (Carrollton), Carroll, US-GA Canada Goose 12 Mallard 1 Ring-necked Duck 35 Lesser Scaup 11 Plant Wansley, Carroll County, Carroll, US-GA GPS: N 33 26.459 W 85 01.540 Common Loon 1 Pied-billed Grebe 1 West Point Dam, Troup, US-GA Canada Goose 32 Mallard 5 Bufflehead 11 Came in at dusk out from the dam. Common Goldeneye 1 1 female came in directly out from the dam before sunset, we were expecting many more for a January visit at dusk. Red-breasted Merganser 1 Common Loon 11 Pied-billed Grebe 7 Horned Grebe 94 Pretty good count. Double-crested Cormorant 275 Great Blue Heron 1 Black Vulture 12 Turkey Vulture 21 Bald Eagle 3 American Coot 5 Ring-billed Gull 3000 Coalesced into 4-5 tight rafts by dusk. Herring Gull 3 Forster's Tern 5 Many times alighting on the left side of the boom in front of the dam. Belted Kingfisher 1 Fish Crow 1 crow sp. 12 Good Birding All! Mark Mark McShane Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia www.neargareport.com You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: White Ibis - Richmond County From: Lois Stacey <croakie AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:36:27 -0500 There are at least 9 White Ibis at Phinizy Swamp NP in Augusta. We occasionally see one or two, but this is an unusually high number for winter here. Also, there were two Black-bellied Whistling Ducks at Merry Brother's Ponds yesterday. Still one Canvasback hanging around but not a lot of ducks overall. -- Lois Stacey North Augusta, SC (Aiken Cnty) www.augustaaikenaudubon.org http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v299/croakie/Moths/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/48760528 AT N02/ You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: More Hooded Mergansers & possible Prairie Warbler @ Emory (Dekalb Co) From: james gibson <jamesgibson38 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:57:13 +0000 Today at 4:15 PM there were at least 21 Hooded Mergansers, including three males, on the lake at Emory University just east of Clifton Road. They were mostly at the northeast corner of the lake. At the west end by the main walkway there were several mixed flocks including a few Pine Warblers and a brightly colored possible Prairie Warbler. I cannot confirm it as it was only in view for a few seconds but it had all the expected markings. There were also at least three bluebirds in that area. James Gibson Silver Spring MD I You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Heath Lake - Columbus From: Don L Williams <don AT DLWILLIAMS.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:03:18 -0500 Took a late afternoon walk around Heath Lake Park yesterday and besides the usual, saw a single Redhead. I know it has been there since at least Wednesday afternoon but I haven't had time to post it. Don L Williams Muscogee County You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Chicopee Lake, Jan 29, 2012 From: Karen Henman <henmank AT INDIANAAUDUBON.ORG> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:54:31 -0500 Began my hike at the Elachee Nature Center, took the Dunlap - East Lake Trail around Chicopee Lake and back on the West Lake Trail to the nature center. I was greatly entertained by all the Golden Crowned Kinglets. Below you will find my complete ebird report. Cordially, Karen Hall County Karen Henman, Ph. D. henmank AT indianaaudubon.org Those who dwell among the beauty and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. - Rachel Carson Chicopee Lake, Hall, US-GAJan 29, 2012 10:20 AM - 2:35 PM Protocol: Traveling 5.4 mile(s) Comments: 39 degrees to 55 degrees F, wind 6 to 12 MPH, and continuously sunny 18 species Mallard 1 Turkey Vulture 5 Red-tailed Hawk 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 3 Downy Woodpecker 11 Pileated Woodpecker 2 Blue Jay 5 Carolina Chickadee 15 Tufted Titmouse 23 White-breasted Nuthatch 4 Carolina Wren 4 Golden-crowned Kinglet 14 Hermit Thrush 1 Eastern Towhee 4 White-throated Sparrow 7 Northern Cardinal 6 American Goldfinch 1 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Fwd: eBird Report - Nash Farm (Henry Co.), Jan 29, 2012 Loggerhead Shrike From: Allison & Johnnie Greene <johnniegreene AT ROADRUNNER.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:44:57 +0000 Nash Farm (Henry Co.), Henry, US-GA Jan 29, 2012 8:40 AM - 9:30 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.5 mile(s) Comments: Second stop of the day; the highlight here were the Eastern Meadowlarks and the Loggerhead Shrike. This is the first time I have seen a Shrike since I moved to Georgia which is 5 years now. I used to see them all the time in Texas. On site 8:40 - 9:30. 11 species Canada Goose 8 Bufflehead 2 Killdeer 6 Mourning Dove 3 Loggerhead Shrike 1 Blue Jay 5 Eastern Bluebird 7 Northern Mockingbird 1 European Starling 16 Eastern Towhee 1 Eastern Meadowlark 18 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) -- Johnnie Greene Canton, Cherokee County, GA You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Fwd: eBird Report - Newman Wetlands Ctr/E.L. Huie Ponds, Jan 29, 2012 Brown Creepers From: Allison & Johnnie Greene <johnniegreene AT ROADRUNNER.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:44:01 -0500 Newman Wetlands Ctr/E.L. Huie Ponds, Clayton, US-GA Jan 29, 2012 9:35 AM - 10:45 AM Protocol: Traveling 0.5 mile(s) Comments: This was our third and final stop for the day; it was slower than I thought it might be but we did several species for the day total. Onsite from 9:35 - 10:45. 27 species Double-crested Cormorant 1 Great Blue Heron 1 Turkey Vulture 1 Mourning Dove 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 Downy Woodpecker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 2 Eastern Phoebe 2 American Crow 2 Fish Crow 2 Carolina Chickadee 7 Tufted Titmouse 4 White-breasted Nuthatch 4 Brown Creeper 2 Carolina Wren 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Eastern Bluebird 4 Brown Thrasher 1 Pine Warbler 3 Yellow-rumped Warbler 2 Eastern Towhee 1 Song Sparrow 10 Swamp Sparrow 7 White-throated Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 5 Red-winged Blackbird 6 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) -- Johnnie Greene Canton, Cherokee County, GA You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Fwd: eBird Report - Clayton County Water Authority--E.L. Huie Ponds, Jan 29, 2012 Buffleheads From: Allison & Johnnie Greene <johnniegreene AT ROADRUNNER.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:42:51 -0500 Clayton County Water Authority--E.L. Huie Ponds, Clayton, US-GA Jan 29, 2012 7:45 AM - 8:25 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.0 mile(s) Comments: Allison and I were onsite from 7:45 - 8:25 and were not disappointed with the ducks which is why we made the trip The highlights were the Buffleheads; Allison has not seen them in quite a while. Initial temperature was 31.9 degrees with a wind chill of 25.7 degrees. 24 species Canada Goose 23 Gadwall 2 Mallard 62 Northern Shoveler 88 The 3 ponds that had water in them had NOSH present. Green-winged Teal 54 Ring-necked Duck 24 Bufflehead 2 Hooded Merganser 1 Ruddy Duck 7 Pied-billed Grebe 4 Double-crested Cormorant 2 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 1 Black Vulture 1 Turkey Vulture 3 American Coot 35 Killdeer 11 Belted Kingfisher 1 Blue Jay 1 American Crow 6 Eastern Bluebird 8 Chipping Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Red-winged Blackbird 7 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) -- Johnnie Greene Canton, Cherokee County, GA You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Re: Is it spring yet? From: Leon Galis <lgalis AT CHARTER.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:35:33 -0500 I've had bluebirds around my house all winter long. Leon Galis Athens-Clarke County -----Original Message----- From: Clint Trammel Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 2:10 PM To: GABO-L AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: [GABO-L] Is it spring yet? This morning I had a couple of pairs of Bluebirds and two ro three singles. Also heard Morning Doves calling. Maybe spring isn't so far away. Clint Trammel McDonough, GA You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html. Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Ross's Geese-Mashburn Road, Gordon County From: Dan Vickers <dvickers AT MINDSPRING.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:11:03 +0000 Joel McNeal has two Ross's Geese at the Mashburn Road pond off GA136 in Gordon County. The Greater White-fronted Goose was not seen. Dan Vickers Lilburn Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Is it spring yet? From: Clint Trammel <clinttrammel AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:10:28 -0500 This morning I had a couple of pairs of Bluebirds and two ro three singles. Also heard Morning Doves calling. Maybe spring isn't so far away. Clint Trammel McDonough, GA You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Re: The Near Georgia Report - Rare Bird Alert (RBA) Portion - In Retirement From: james gibson <jamesgibson38 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:19:16 +0000 Congratulations on a great job and thanks for all the reports and all of your efforts! James GibsonSilver Spring, MD > Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:14:48 -0500 > From: eagleeyed AT BELLSOUTH.NET > Subject: [GABO-L] The Near Georgia Report - Rare Bird Alert (RBA) Portion - In Retirement > To: GABO-L AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU > > Hi All, > > After 3 years and about 2500 posts the Rare Bird Alert (RBA) portion of > The Near Georgia Report is now in retirement for states and locations > outside of Georgia. The best birds of the year for Georgia will continue > to be posted (annual Georgia Alert posts) for my record keeping. > > ----- > > The site will remain open and the Sidebar and Pages 1-10 (Georgia Birding > Information and Resources) content will continue to be updated and > expanded. Eventually a new website or blog, with a new form factor, may be > built for them (and other new sections as well): > > Cable-Tie Sight Guide, Georgia RUFF and STKI Watches, > General and Regional Information, > Georgia Information, > Georgia Birding on My Mind, > Seawatching, Pelagics, Tides/Marine Forecasts, > Weather, Navigation and GPS, > Field Guides, References, Books, > Birding by Ear, and Tech, > Optics, Videos, and Phonescoping > > ----- > > Among the factors contributing to me considering and taking this course > there is one that stands out: eBird!!! > (what follows here is well known to dedicated eBirders!) > > Besides much overall enthusiasm and love for the reporting of the rare, > casual, and accidental birds in the region, one reason that I started The > Near Georgia Report in 2009 was that I knew that many, many great birds > that were being reported on the birding listservs and email groups in the > near Georgia region were not being posted to eBird, and that I could > provide a service to Georgia birders and others (and myself) who were > interested in learning more about them by tracking them all down as > possible and posting them all in one place. > > That is no longer the case! Currently in 2012, and commensurate with the > huge growth of both the use of eBird by birders, and the further > refinement and enhancement of the technical power and ability of eBird to > manage and present bird sighting data to birders in the past several > years, I feel that virtually every rare, casual, and accidental bird of > significance found in the 7 southeasternmost states that The Near Georgia > Report has covered is now posted to eBird in a fairly timely manner. I am > sure that there are still some great birds which are only posted to > listservs and birding email groups but I think that these are now more the > rarer exception rather than the rule. > > Most birders that find and/or chase rare, casual, and accidental birds are > very serious and successful in the effort, there is a good number of them > out there, and most of them are very serious also in reporting these birds > to eBird in a timely manner. So things continue to evolve. > > Now, with enhanced eBird Alerts, notifications of reports of all of the > rare, casual, and accidental species sightings that many of us are > interested in can be made to us hourly or daily on smartphones or to our > computers. This is a very fast, easy, efficient, and comprehensive way to > learn of the great birds in our region. This way there are hundreds, if > not thousands, of reporters contributing and distributing reports, many > actually in real time, and most at least same day, to us all if we desire > it! An amazing resource and tool indeed! > > Setting up and managing these notifications is fast and easy with eBird: > > 1. Register and become an eBird user at ebird.org > 2. Once in eBird go to My eBird > 3. Go to Manage My Alerts > 4. Subscribe to the ABA Rarities alert (Email alerts for observations of > rare birds, ABA code 3 and above, for the entire ABA Area) as desired. > 5. Subscribe to additional Rare Bird Alerts (Email alerts for rare birds > in a particular area, which you specify) as desired. > > You can then set these alerts to notify you hourly or daily. > > For example my eBird alerts for the ABA Area and the near Georgia region > are set as follows: > > ABA Rarities - Daily > > Rare Birds - Alabama, Daily > Rare Birds - Florida, Daily > Rare Birds - Georgia, Hourly > Rare Birds - Mississippi, Daily > Rare Birds - North Carolina, Daily > Rare Birds - South Carolina, Daily > Rare Birds - Tennessee, Daily > > ----- > > I would strongly encourage all birders who are interested in keeping up > with reports of rare, casual, and accidental species sightings in our > region, or any region, in the best way possible to register as a user with > eBird, and set up and use eBird's rare bird alerts in order to obtain the > latest notifications regarding rare bird reports! > > ----- > > Thanks to All for your reading and support of the RBA at The Near Georgia > Report over the past 3 years! > > Hopefully mandatory RBA Blogger Rehab won't be too lengthy, withdrawal too > severe, and relapses few and far between! > > Good Near Georgia Birding! > > Mark > > You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. > Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: > http://www.gos.org/gabo.html. Please read the guidelines before posting. > > Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu > > To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to > http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html > > To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Snow Bunting on Tybee From: Diana Churchill <dichurch AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:43:58 -0500 Dear All, Was on Tybee North Beach this morning leading a program and ran into a couple from Blairsville on the beach, carrying Giff Beaton's "Birding Georgia." As we were studying the shorebirds, the woman said "there's a strange bird hopping around back there, sort of like a sparrow." Sure enough, it was our friendly Snow Bunting. It was high tide about noon today and though only a 6 ft high tide, there were still Black-bellied Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones, Purple Sandpipers, Dunlins, Am. Oystercatchers, Western Sandpipers, Sanderlings, gulls, terns and skimmers hanging out on the beach on a windy coldish day. So if anyone is still needing to see the Snow Bunting, it seems to be hanging around! Cheers, Diana Diana Churchill Tybee Island, GA dichurch AT bellsouth.net www.dianachurchillbirds.com You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Oxbow Meadows - 1/28 From: Walt Chambers <chambersw AT LIVE.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:26:50 -0500 Bill Birkhead, Mason Jarrett, and I did our annual winter survey at Oxbow Meadows yesterday. Started around 6am...missed on 2 owls species, but did get woodcocks. Despite missing several relatively easy targets during the day (ie sapsucker???), we had a pretty good tally of 84 spp. Not alot of waterfowl.... and no 'non-Canada' geese today. Raptors made a decent showing, including a Merlin and 2 Bald Eagles. Rusty Blackbirds were present, but no big flocks. Anyway, here are some notables: Canada Goose - 40 Wood Duck - 20 Gadwall - 26 Mallard - 1 Blue-winged Teal - 1 Pied-billed Grebe - 3 Double-crested Cormorant - 150 Anhinga - 4 Bald Eagle – 2 adult Northern Harrier - 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 3 Cooper’s Hawk - 1 Red-shouldered Hawk - 4 Red-tailed Hawk - 4 American Kestrel - 2 Merlin - 1 (one has overwintered in most years over the last decade) Virginia Rail - 1 Sora - 2 Sandhill Crane - heard only in the early fog Least Sandpiper - 16 Wilson’s Snipe - 20 American Woodcock – 4 (“peent”ing) Barred Owl - 7 Red-headed Woodpecker - 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 1 Orange-crowned Warbler - 8 Black-and-white Warbler - 2 Vesper Sparrow - 3 (low for OM) Fox Sparrow - 3 Rusty Blackbird - 60 (low for OM) Baltimore Oriole - 1 Walt Chambers Columbus You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Re: The Near Georgia Report - Rare Bird Alert (RBA) Portion - In Retirement From: Mark McShane <eagleeyed AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:24:52 -0500 Hi All, Oops, forgot to sign my last post! Good Birding All! Mark Mark McShane Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia www.neargareport.com You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: The Near Georgia Report - Rare Bird Alert (RBA) Portion - In Retirement From: Mark McShane <eagleeyed AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:14:48 -0500 Hi All, After 3 years and about 2500 posts the Rare Bird Alert (RBA) portion of The Near Georgia Report is now in retirement for states and locations outside of Georgia. The best birds of the year for Georgia will continue to be posted (annual Georgia Alert posts) for my record keeping. ----- The site will remain open and the Sidebar and Pages 1-10 (Georgia Birding Information and Resources) content will continue to be updated and expanded. Eventually a new website or blog, with a new form factor, may be built for them (and other new sections as well): Cable-Tie Sight Guide, Georgia RUFF and STKI Watches, General and Regional Information, Georgia Information, Georgia Birding on My Mind, Seawatching, Pelagics, Tides/Marine Forecasts, Weather, Navigation and GPS, Field Guides, References, Books, Birding by Ear, and Tech, Optics, Videos, and Phonescoping ----- Among the factors contributing to me considering and taking this course there is one that stands out: eBird!!! (what follows here is well known to dedicated eBirders!) Besides much overall enthusiasm and love for the reporting of the rare, casual, and accidental birds in the region, one reason that I started The Near Georgia Report in 2009 was that I knew that many, many great birds that were being reported on the birding listservs and email groups in the near Georgia region were not being posted to eBird, and that I could provide a service to Georgia birders and others (and myself) who were interested in learning more about them by tracking them all down as possible and posting them all in one place. That is no longer the case! Currently in 2012, and commensurate with the huge growth of both the use of eBird by birders, and the further refinement and enhancement of the technical power and ability of eBird to manage and present bird sighting data to birders in the past several years, I feel that virtually every rare, casual, and accidental bird of significance found in the 7 southeasternmost states that The Near Georgia Report has covered is now posted to eBird in a fairly timely manner. I am sure that there are still some great birds which are only posted to listservs and birding email groups but I think that these are now more the rarer exception rather than the rule. Most birders that find and/or chase rare, casual, and accidental birds are very serious and successful in the effort, there is a good number of them out there, and most of them are very serious also in reporting these birds to eBird in a timely manner. So things continue to evolve. Now, with enhanced eBird Alerts, notifications of reports of all of the rare, casual, and accidental species sightings that many of us are interested in can be made to us hourly or daily on smartphones or to our computers. This is a very fast, easy, efficient, and comprehensive way to learn of the great birds in our region. This way there are hundreds, if not thousands, of reporters contributing and distributing reports, many actually in real time, and most at least same day, to us all if we desire it! An amazing resource and tool indeed! Setting up and managing these notifications is fast and easy with eBird: 1. Register and become an eBird user at ebird.org 2. Once in eBird go to My eBird 3. Go to Manage My Alerts 4. Subscribe to the ABA Rarities alert (Email alerts for observations of rare birds, ABA code 3 and above, for the entire ABA Area) as desired. 5. Subscribe to additional Rare Bird Alerts (Email alerts for rare birds in a particular area, which you specify) as desired. You can then set these alerts to notify you hourly or daily. For example my eBird alerts for the ABA Area and the near Georgia region are set as follows: ABA Rarities - Daily Rare Birds - Alabama, Daily Rare Birds - Florida, Daily Rare Birds - Georgia, Hourly Rare Birds - Mississippi, Daily Rare Birds - North Carolina, Daily Rare Birds - South Carolina, Daily Rare Birds - Tennessee, Daily ----- I would strongly encourage all birders who are interested in keeping up with reports of rare, casual, and accidental species sightings in our region, or any region, in the best way possible to register as a user with eBird, and set up and use eBird's rare bird alerts in order to obtain the latest notifications regarding rare bird reports! ----- Thanks to All for your reading and support of the RBA at The Near Georgia Report over the past 3 years! Hopefully mandatory RBA Blogger Rehab won't be too lengthy, withdrawal too severe, and relapses few and far between! Good Near Georgia Birding! Mark You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Bear Creek Reservoir From: John Mark Simmons <jmbirdingandphoto AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 09:27:39 -0500 Hi all, Yesterday I visited Bear Creek to try and find the GWFG that was reported earlier. I had no luck with the goose but did find some other cool birds. I found a single HORNED GREBE out pretty far in the lake. Here is the complete list of waterbirds. Horned Grebe 1 Am Coot 100+ Redhead 3 ( At the spillway right after you cross the large dam.) Bufflehead 2 Flock of 150+ ducks that were on a private area of the lake so I couldn't get close enough to ID them. :( John Mark Simmons Oconee County, Watkinsville, 30677 Birding for 11 years. http://twobirdersandbinoculars.blogspot.com/ You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Newly ID'd Yardbird, Lilburn GA From: "William A. Boyd" <theboyds10 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:47:00 +0000 GABO-istas, I'd like to believe that the backyard habitat is ever more bird-friendly--that's been the mission for our >17 years. Who knows for sure? But, spotting a male golden-crowned kinglet 3 minutes ago (yeah, he sported the requisite face-striped and a nifty golden skullcap) adds one more to the list of known winter denizens. That was very nice indeed. Bill ~1 mile SW of Mt. Park Park, Lilburn, GA You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Panola Mountain - Rockdale County cranes, woodcock... From: Charlie <cmmbirds AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:52:15 -0800 Hi folks, It was beautiful weather at Panola Mountain State Park yesterday, and we were serenaded by Chorus Frogs all day.  Started off with at least 7 American Woodcock displaying. Not included in my list are a Snow Goose and Hairy Woodpecker that I missed but others saw.  I think I was the only person to miss the fly-over goose.  Grumble grumble! Cheers, Charlie Muise Lamar County Panola Mountain SP, Rockdale, US-GA Jan 28, 2012 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM Protocol: Area 30.0 ac 42 species Canada Goose  20 Great Blue Heron  1 Black Vulture  30 Turkey Vulture  12 Cooper's Hawk  1 Red-shouldered Hawk  1 Red-tailed Hawk  3 American Kestrel  1 Sandhill Crane  30 Killdeer  1 American Woodcock  7    all displaying, some quite close to us while we set up nets Rock Pigeon  2 Belted Kingfisher  1 Red-headed Woodpecker  1 Red-bellied Woodpecker  2 Downy Woodpecker  1 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  1 Pileated Woodpecker  1 Eastern Phoebe  2 Blue Jay  2 American Crow  6 Carolina Chickadee  4 Tufted Titmouse  7 Carolina Wren  6    Captured 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet  1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1    banded 1 Eastern Bluebird  12 American Robin  8 Northern Mockingbird  3    captured 1 Brown Thrasher  1    captured 1 Cedar Waxwing  18 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  5    banded 1 Eastern Towhee  2 Chipping Sparrow  60 Field Sparrow  5    banded 1 Savannah Sparrow (Eastern)  30    banded 1 Song Sparrow  30    captured 5 Swamp Sparrow  30    captured 6 White-throated Sparrow  6 Northern Cardinal  3 Red-winged Blackbird  50 Eastern Meadowlark  31 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)  You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: GA RBA, 1/26/2012 From: Mark McShane <eagleeyed AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:08:04 -0500 - RBA * Georgia * Georgia Statewide * January 26, 2012 * GAGA1201.26 - Birds Reported Greater White-fronted Goose ROSS'S GOOSE MANX SHEARWATER GREAT CORMORANT Sandhill Crane RAZORBILL BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD Brewer's Blackbird BULLOCK'S ORIOLE (Possible) Pine Siskin (Review and Provisional species are listed in upper case in the Birds Reported section, all species are capitalized in the Transcript section) - Transcript hotline: Georgia Rare Bird Alert date: January 29, 2012 number: 770-493-8862 to report: 770-493-8862 or lambertsewell AT att.net coverage: Statewide compiled: January 26, 2012 (11:51 AM) compiler: Jeff Sewell transcriber: Mark McShane GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE have been seen at several locations around the state. Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center/South Columbus Water Resource Facility in Muscogee County on 1/15 and 1/23: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R7834 http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R11944 Bear Creek Reservoir in Jackson County on 1/22 and 1/25: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R11865 http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R12986 Apalachee Road farm pond in Morgan County on 1/24 (on the east side of Apalachee Road just south of Sweetbriar Trace): http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R12338 A ROSS'S GOOSE was found at the Braswell Church Road farm ponds in Walton County on 1/22 and seen daily through the 25th so far. 1/22: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R11805 1/23: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R11887 1/24 with videos: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R12574 1/25: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R12724 During a whale survey on 1/25 28 MANX SHEARWATERS and 72 RAZORBILLS were seen in an area about 12 miles offshore from Sapelo and Blackbeard Islands (McIntosh County). http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R13062 On 1/18 a GREAT CORMORANT was seen below the dam at Walter F. George Lake in Clay County. A GREAT CORMORANT was first seen at the site on 17 November 2008 and one has been wintering there yearly since, presumably it is the same bird every winter, this is a very rare event in Georgia. 1/18 Photo post, last two photo links are for the cormorant: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R9923 Northbound Sandhill Cranes were seen in Bartow County and also just north of Tifton (Tift County) on 1/25: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R12847 http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R12868 A banded BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD, probably a returning bird, has been visiting a feeder at a private residence on Jekyll Island in Glynn County since October 12th 2011, the bird was reported last seen by the property owner on 1/21/2012. Public access to try to visit the hummingbird is not currently available. 15 BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS were reported from the Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center/South Columbus Water Resource Facility in Muscogee County on 1/15: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R7834 BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS were seen from 1/23 through 1/25 at the Apalachee Road farm pond in Morgan County (on the east side of Apalachee Road just south of Sweetbriar Trace): http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R11887 http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R12338 http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R12986 A possible BULLOCK'S ORIOLE in Walton County was reported coming to feeders at the Georgia Forestry Commission station on GA Hwy 83 at the Walton/Morgan county line on 1/23. The bird had been seen at the feeders daily the week before but has not been seen since 1/23. http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R11997 PINE SISKINS have been reported from various sites around the state. Musella in Crawford County on 1/15: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R7733 Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center/South Columbus Water Resource Facility in Muscogee County on 1/15: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R7834 Washington County on 1/20: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R10626 Big Canoe in Dawson County on 1/22: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201&L=gabo-l&P=R11414 Giff Beaton's book "Birding Georgia" (http://www.gos.org/publications/publications.html#bg) and Ken Blankenship's web site "Wings Over Georgia" (http://www.wingsoverga.com/) contain directions to some of these sites and to many other great birding locations in Georgia. This concludes the current edition of the Georgia Rare Bird Alert. For information about the Georgia Ornithological Society, see www.gos.org, or email us at information AT gos.org. Detailed membership information is available at http://www.gos.org/membership/membership.html To join GOS at the annual individual membership level, send a check or money order for $25 to: Georgia Ornithological Society 108 W. 8th St. Louisville, GA 30434 - End transcript Mark McShane Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia http://www.gos.org You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: First Purple Martin of the year!!! From: Larry Gridley <eelriver05 AT MCHSI.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:31:18 -0600 I pulled into my driveway today around noon and could believe my eyes. A Purple Martin was calling loudly and circling my yard. He was probably upset because both of my Martin poles were lowered as I had cleaned and repaired all my gourds last week. My Martins usually start arriving at my house around the 3rd week of February so I thought I had plenty of time. This guy was over three weeks early. So I ran to my poles and hoisted both of them up and before I got to my back porch he had already went into a gourd. And this evening as I was sitting in my rocking chair on the back porch I could hear him circling the yard again right before he went in for the night. This is my fourth year as a Purple Martin landlord and I have two poles up with a total of 35 gourds. My first year I was lucky and had two pair that nested. Every year since they have increased and last year I had 20 pairs that nested and successfully fledged offspring. Bird on, my friends.. Larry Gridley Albany, Georgia Dougherty County You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Sandhills From: Hal Massie <Swallowtailfarms AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:32:49 -0500 We also had sandhill cranes flying over today...about 1300 hrs (er...that is about 1:00 for you civilians, I think). I heard my wife shouting, but by the time I got to the door, all I could see were tiny dots heading away to the north. Hal Massie Musella, Georgia Crawford County Within spittin' distance of the Fall Line In a message dated 1/28/2012 1:25:29 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, jmbirdingandphoto AT GMAIL.COM writes: Hi everybody, A flock of 11 Sandhill Cranes flew over my house today at 11:55 A.M. flying North. Oddly, they were not calling. John Mark Simmons Oconee County,Watkinsville, 30677 Birding for 11 years. http://twobirdersandbinoculars.blogspot.com/ You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html. Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Snow Goose, Brewer's Blackbird, Walton, Morgan counties. 1/28/12 From: Carol Lambert or Jeff Sewell <lambertsewell AT ATT.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:18:51 -0800 This morning we saw one blue phase Snow Goose in the pond on Braswell Church Road, Walton County and 6 Brewer's Blackbirds at the farm pond on Apalachee Road southeast of Bostwick in Morgan County, as previously reported.   We did not find the Greater White-fronted G00se that was recently seen at the Bear Creek Reservoir in south Jackson County although two male Redhead remain. I don't think I've ever seen so few ducks this time of year at Lake Varner in the area of the dam (Newton County), but we did see a pair of Northern Pintails on Lake Varner from Cornish Mountain Road midway up the reservoir. These two were in Walton County. Nothing much else to write home about.   Jeff Sewell with Patrick Brisse and Hugh Garrett     GOS Rare Bird Alert 770-493-8862 Tucker, DeKalb Co., GA lambertsewell AT att.net You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Candler Park Pond birds From: C VANDERSCHAAF <cvanderschaaf AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:55:23 -0800 A nice little wildlife habitat has formed in a gully on the Candler Park Golf course in Atlanta. Some time ago residents removed a concrete drainage ditch and replaced it with native plants. Later beavers built a dam across the gully and a small pond formed. In addition to beavers there have been otters and muskrats and some fine birding on occasion. This morning neighbor Meta Larsson, along with teacher Tom Painting, led the Paideia School Bird Club around the pond. Birds seen: Belted Kingfisher Red-headed Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Phoebe Blue Jay American Robin Brown Thrasher Northern Cardinal Song Sparrow Field Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Rusty Blackbird (spotted and photographed by student Nick Sink) Last year a Green Heron pair raised 3 young on the pond. Carol Vanderschaaf Lake Claire neighborhood Atlanta, GA You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve Trip From: Marshall Weber <cardinalsandgoldfinches AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:15:43 -0500 Hi Everyone, This morning my dad and I went alone to the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve in Dekalb County and saw a fairly decent amount of birds. The highlight of the trip was definitely the lonely but compliant Golden-Crowned Kinglet that we got AMAZING looks at and heard as well. Normally Golden-Crowned Kinglets flitter around in the canopy of forests only allowing themselves to be heard and not seen for longer than a split second. While walking along the trail today, my dad and I both saw this evasive species land on a branch off to the side of the trail about 5-10 ft in front of us!! We got some good looks at him too because it stayed in place for longer than a few seconds before hopping to the next branch, and stayed within the same general area throughout the whole 3 minutes we observed it. Later, we saw another one and heard yet another's faint but high-pitched zee-zee-zee in the trees above. Here is a list of the total of 19 species we saw (none were lifers): Rock Pigeon American Robin (lots of them)* Mourning Dove* American Crow* Carolina Wren* Northern Cardinal* Song Sparrow Brown-Headed Cowbird^ Red-Winged Blackbird* Mallard* Downy Woodpecker^ Brown Thrasher Golden-Crowned Kinglet* Tufted Titmouse* Carolina Chickadee* Yellow-Rumped Warbler Blue Jay* Red-Shouldered Hawk* Fish Crow^ ^ Means heard only * Means heard and saw If there is anyone living in Atlanta who feels that they have good ID skills by sight but not by sound, I would highly recommend visiting the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve because of the multiple song variations and variety of species' songs that we heard in only a two hour trip. I cannot remember walking for 1 minute straight without hearing a beautiful chorus of bird songs! I will also be writing a blog post about both the peculiar behavior of the Mallard and the Golden-Crowned Kinglet. Marshall Weber Dunwoody, GA cardinalsandgoldfinches AT gmail.com Blogger at naturephotogallery.webs.com You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Sandhills From: John Mark Simmons <jmbirdingandphoto AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:25:14 -0500 Hi everybody, A flock of 11 Sandhill Cranes flew over my house today at 11:55 A.M. flying North. Oddly, they were not calling. John Mark Simmons Oconee County,Watkinsville, 30677 Birding for 11 years. http://twobirdersandbinoculars.blogspot.com/ You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Northern Flicker nesting/roosting behavior ponderings From: mary kimberly <kimberlm AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:39:43 -0800 For a number of years, we have had a screech owl nest box mounted on a pine tree in our back garden. For several years, we had Eastern Screech Owls nesting. Then the gray squirrels took over and no matter how often my husband removed the squirrels' nesting material, they came back. Then, a few months ago, we saw Northern Flickers entering and leaving the box. A few weeks ago, Bill Hilton (http://www.hiltonpond.org/), came to visit and he noticed that a female flicker hanging out in the box entryway had a deformed bill. He wrote about this in his blog at http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek120101.html. We continued to see the female with the deformed beak until the last week or so. More recently, we've been seeing a male (normal bill) hanging out in the entryway. I was in the garden yesterday and heard tapping/hammering from inside the box. Eventually, the male appeared in the entryway and stayed there or in neighboring trees for the entire time I was in the garden (about 45 minutes). I was able to get some good photos during this time. Here is a link to a photo of the male: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gavnmary/6775969215/in/photostream Here is a link to a photo of the female that I took a few weeks ago (with incorrect white balance setting!): http://www.flickr.com/photos/gavnmary/6775958751/in/photostream Gavin and I have several questions we are pondering: Are these two birds a pair and could they be nesting already? Or is this male just roosting in the box, having usurped the female's space? Or did the female meet an untimely demise? Any thoughts? Mary Kimberly (and Gavin MacDonald) Unincorporated DeKalb County, near Toco Hill You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Pine Siskins in Ellijay, GA From: Bill Schmid <mountainbirder AT ETCMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:36:46 -0500 Just had my first observation of Pine Siskins this season with the appearance of two at my nyjer feeders this morning. Bill Schmid Walnut Mountain Ellijay, Gilmer County __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 6834 (20120128) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Vesper Sparrows Thu Jan 26 - Old Thompson Road (Dougherty) From: Wayne Schaffner <wayne.schaffner AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:53:49 -0800 DELORME 49; H7 & H8 The field is underneath the words "Thompson Road" on H8 (coordinates at north end of the field 31°33'29.27"N, 84°24'38.48"W) Intersection of Old Thompson Road and Gillionville Road on H7 at "Gillionville" city/town symbol (there is nothing there but the road to the south and the gate to Southern Heritage Plantation to the north. Intersection of Old Thompson Road and Mud Creek Road on 57; A8 Old Thompson Road (Dougherty), Dougherty, US-GA Jan 26, 2012 12:45 PM - 1:15 PM Protocol: Traveling 1.0 mile(s) Comments:    75 degrees; cloudy; windy I drove directly to the field I wanted to check for Vesper Sparrows.  On the east side of Old Thompson Road, the field begins 2.8 miles southeast of the intersection of Gillionville Road (SR 234) and Old Thompson Road and continues southeast for another mile. 1 species Vesper Sparrow  13    They were skittish this day.  Flying quickly or running away upon my approach and hiding in furrows of recently harrowed field. This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Delete ReplyReply ForwardSpamMovePrint Actions NextPrevious Wayne Schaffner Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Greater White-fronted Goose, Rusty Blackbirds - Gordon County From: Joshua Spence <spencejoshua AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:28:11 -0500 This evening, the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was present at the Mashburn Rd pond in Gordon County. See prior posts for directions. Also, a nice flock of RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were observed a few miles down the road. At least 120 individuals. This was at the corner of Hwy 136 & Mt Zion Church Rd. This is a few miles east of the community of Resaca. Joshua Spence, Murray County You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: 28 Hooded Mergansers, Emory U. Lake From: "gkaufmanjr AT aol.com" <gkaufmanjr@AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:09:12 -0500 & a hermit thrush... Gus Kaufman, Jr., Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist 317 West Hill St., Suite 101 Decatur, GA 30030 www.oakhurstpsychotherapy.com 404-371-9171, extension 2 You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Owls - eBird Report - Swamp of Toa IBA--Albany Nursery WMA (Dougherty) From: Wayne Schaffner <wayne.schaffner AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:00:22 -0800 Swamp of Toa IBA--Albany Nursery WMA, Dougherty, US-GA Jan 27, 2012 5:32 PM - 8:22 PM Protocol: Traveling 0.5 mile(s) Comments: very clear; calm; started at 60 degrees down to 55; WAXING crescent moon This evening I drove out to Albany Nursery to try for American Woodcock. In years past I have flushed AMWO at the southeast and northeast corner of the field I started in this evening. From my first position I saw one fly by about 10-feet off the ground and 30-feet away at the closest point at 6:31 PM . Luckily, they don't fly very fast. I did not hear any peent calls or twittering this evening. I did have a great evening with owls. Approximate locations of these birds is on the map included. I am familiar with all of these owl holes with the exception of BADO 1-2 furthest NW on the west side of Tallhasse Road. Position 1 in SW corner of field south of entrance grass parking area. GHOW 1-1 5:51 Great Horned Owl GHOW 1-2 6:05 Great Horned Owl BADO 1-1 6:20 Barred Owl (who cooks for you) BADO 1-2 6:59 Barred Owl (hoooaaaw) BADO 1-3 7:00 Barred Owl (who cooks for you) BADO 1-4 7:03 Barred Owl (who cooks for you & hoooaaaw) Position 2 inside hunter parking gate on road to maintenance area BADO 2-1 7:36 & 7:43 Barred Owl (who cooks for you & hoooaaaw) BADO 2-2 8:09 Barred Owl (who cooks for you & hoooaaaw) Google Earth Owl locations 18 species American Woodcock 1 Great Horned Owl 2 Barred Owl 6 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Carolina Wren 1 House Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Eastern Bluebird 1 Hermit Thrush 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 1 Eastern Towhee 8 Chipping Sparrow 3 Field Sparrow 2 Song Sparrow 4 Swamp Sparrow 3 White-throated Sparrow 6 Northern Cardinal X abundant This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Wayne Schaffner Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Re: Shrike cache From: Sheila Willis <swillis AT WAYXCABLE.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:05:12 -0500 Hey folks, Hope you are fine. In reference to the recent posts about LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE food caches, I recall watching a GREEN ANOLE being impaled in a tree branch just e. of Old Swamp Rd, s. of Waycross, Ware Co. Also I have seen a BUMBLEBEE impaled in a barb wire fence around pastures on Nunns Lane, Bostwick Sod Farm, Morgan Co. And many years back, I've seen other small invertebrate prey on twigs, other wire, etc. in Pierce Co. farmland nw of Blackshear. Lastly, I recall finding impaled dragonflies and a small mouse-type, but I don't recall the details at this moment. Paul Schoenfeld, Biologist for Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in St. Marys (Camden Co.), told one of his Cumberland Island Christmas Bird Count team mates in Dec. 2009 that he had found several caches on that base that year & showed her one during the CBC itself. The base has a nice population of those birds there. There are lots of good fences that are around the base's perimeter roads as well as different sections within the base that they use for perching, etc. Incidentally, I just saw 2 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKEs this afternoon behind the Wal-Mart in s. Waycross (Ware Co.). This is their usual location. One was on the wire & the other in a tree. This was near a grassy-shore pond & a cattail pond. The one that haunts the nearby Fairgrounds was missing-in-action today. Take care. Sincerely, Sheila Willis Native American-Naturalist Talks & Tours Waycross, Ware Co., GA You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Sandhill Cranes, Clayton County, 1/27/12 From: Carol Lambert or Jeff Sewell <lambertsewell AT ATT.NET> Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:21:02 -0800 I saw 35 Sandhill Cranes headed north at 3:45pm this afternoon while I was birding the ponds at E.L. Huie Land Application Facility, Clayton County.   Jeff Sewell       GOS Rare Bird Alert 770-493-8862 Tucker, DeKalb Co., GA lambertsewell AT att.net You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: housesparrow rehabber contacts. Wow that was fast! Thanks. From: Sue Aughey <seaughey AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:05:21 -0500 Thank you to all the people who have emailed me about rehabbers in Cobb, Co for an injured House Sparrow. I have made a few phone calls and I am awaiting to hear back. What a great network! You all rock! Sue Aughey Marietta, Ga You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Re: need someone/contact to care for injured house sparrow From: "mimbrava AT mindspring.com" <mimbrava@MINDSPRING.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:17:49 -0500 Contact the Chattahoochee Nature Center. If they can't help directly, they can probably refer you elsewhere. http://chattnaturecenter.org/ 770-992-2055 Mim Eisenberg Roswell On Jan 27, 2012, at 5:56 PM, Sue Aughey wrote: > Hi, > > A HS student brought to me an injured female house sparrow that she found at > our school. I placed it in a box with holes and some soft material to > minimize movement. It looked like it was stunned from flying into wall. I > monitored it for about two hours. Initially, it hopped in counter-clockwise > circles and the tail feathers were bent at a 90* angle in the same > direction. After some time, it preened itself and seemed to gain strength > and better orientation. I allowed it to fly when it was ready and it did > finally leave the box only to fly-shakily about 15 feet away and bounce into > two more walls :( Because it is still circle-hopping, I feel that its > injuries are more serious than I can care for... Please contact me with a > rehab person who I can make arrangements to have a trained person provide > the necessary care. Thank you, > > Sue Aughey > Marietta, GA 30066 near Woodstock, GA > seaughey AT hotmail.com > > You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. > Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: > http://www.gos.org/gabo.html. Please read the guidelines before posting. > > Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu > > To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to > http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html > > To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU You must be a subscriber to post to GABO-L. Instructions for subscribing (and the guidelines) are found here: http://www.gos.org/gabo.html.  Please read the guidelines before posting. Send regular postings to gabo-l AT listserv.uga.edu To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU