When I moved to western NC I put together a list of potential new statebirds that could be feasible in the northeast corner of GA – generally within a 2 ½ hour drive of home. Although my GA list was already pretty good at 233, there were still 39 possible targets that were regular in that part of the state. Lots of potential – now I just needed to make it a priority to get there.
My first two trips to northeast GA since moving south were
in winter, but both were brief and as a result netted just one new statebird -
Red-breasted Nuthatch - despite having many possible targets. I kept watching my Needs Alerts in spring but
never found hotspots that seemed to be reliable for many of my target migrants.
Though again I didn’t look too hard –
there were too many good birds in western NC to look for.
As the 2021 summer/breeding season approached I did some
research from previous years’ reports and found 10 potential targets to hope
for. Three seemed to be rather reliable
albeit local – Swainson’s and Canada Warblers, and Willow Flycatcher. Three others were regular though not too reliable
– Broad-winged Hawk, Raven, and Cerulean Warbler. And three more that were seen only
occasionally but were still possible – Ruffed Grouse, Brown Creeper, and Red
Crossbill. Finally, there was Whip-poor-that
was reported occasionally as a nocturnal target. I had hoped to get to GA in late May or early
June at the latest but my plans never came together. So finally, when a cold front was predicted
to pass through on June 22 to cool things down a bit, I decided that this would
be my opportunity. With some last-minute
planning I decided to head there on the 23rd.
The majority of the reports of my targets were coming from
Brasstown Bald. Canada Warbler seemed
regular there though details were a bit sketchy as to which trail(s) to take to
look for them. Broad-winged Hawk and
Raven were reported on some lists. And
one person was lucky enough to run into a couple Grouse. Willow Flycatcher was reported several times
at Dillard Reservoir which is its regular nesting location. But no one had seen them there since early
June. And there were just a couple
reports of Swainson’s Warbler at Hale Ridge Road, though this hotspot is very
underbirded and I assumed they would be regular there. After spending some time mapping out possible
routes I decided to start the morning at Brasstown Bald, then work my way east
first stopping at Dillard Reservoir, and then on to Hale Ridge Rd. I know that meant not getting to the
Swainson’s spot till later in the day, but they are strong singers and I was
still hopeful to hear them there that time of day. I hoped to find maybe 2 of my targets (most
likely the Canada and Swainson’s Warblers).
And if I missed some of my targets because they weren’t singing this
late in the year, the trip would still give me a good introduction to the area.
I left the house bright and early at 6 AM, which had me
rolling into the Brasstown Bald parking lot at 8:45. Temps were in the 50s, with a thick fog and
cool wind. I had hoped to get there even
earlier, but the morning birds should still be singing in these
conditions. And I was just about the
only car in the parking lot, meaning I might be the first to walk some of the
trails enhancing my chances for happening on a Grouse. I decided to head to Jack’s Knob Trail first
since this appeared to be the best spot for Canadas – one was reported near the
picnic tables and one in the first stretch of the trail. I first headed to the picnic tables but could
only find a couple Juncos. Then I
started slowly walking the trail but had almost no song at all. Was I too late in the year? Though I was striking out on the Canada, I
still hoped I’d run into a Grouse. So I continued
to walk about a mile of the trail before I turned around. Right away my thoughts went to what other
trails I could walk to try for my targets.
But then as I neared the car I heard the familiar chattering song of the
Canada Warbler. It eventually came quite
close to me giving some good views. I
wonder where this bird was when I first walked that stretch of the trail.
My statebird map for Canada Warbler is inserted below. I’ve now seen this species in most of its
regular states in the east and Midwest (the blue-shaded states) but still need
it in a number of states in the central US where it is a regular migrant (the
cross-hatched states). Years ago I also
found a Canada Warbler as a rarity in Wyoming (the tan state).
Now that I had my most likely new statebird from this site under my belt, it was time to start focusing on the rarer ones. Recent eBird checklists from the area sometimes included sightings of Broad-winged Hawk and Raven, though no specific trails have been mentioned. I found a trail map at a kiosk and decided to try Wagon Train Trail that headed into a wilderness area. This rustic sign seemed fitting.
I had barely walked a hundred yards down the trail when I heard familiar “jip jip” calls of a flyover Red Crossbill – that was most unexpected. I always feel incredibly lucky when I find Crossbills in the Appalachians. Although they are certainly possible in these high elevation areas, you can go many trips without finding one. GA is now my 4th southeastern state with Red Crossbill as a rarity.
I continued down the trail and soon heard a Canada Warbler singing in the distance. Then a bit farther I heard some chipping and spotted a female Canada carrying food. Then a little later came upon a fledgling being fed by one of its parents. And then another family group. All in all I had 7 Canadas on this section of the trail. I guess I should have come to this trail first.
I decided to turn around after about a mile’s walk, very
happy with my results. But it wasn’t
over yet. As I headed back toward the
parking lot I heard the high-pitched “pee-teee” call of a Broad-winged Hawk
passing overhead. Nice to be able to
shade-in GA in my statebird map – that leaves just 5 more states to go where
Broad-wings are regular.
My last key target for the area was Common Raven, so when I got back to the parking lot I decided to eat my lunch standing in the parking lot allowing me to scan the skies and nearby ridges hoping to see one passing by. But no luck. I assumed this one would have to wait for a later trip, though I kept my eyes open as I drove down the mountain. I then noticed this nice overlook and pulled over to grab this picture.
Not quite ready to throw in the towel I scanned the distant ridges and noticed a couple soaring raptors. Then I spotted a distant all dark soaring bird. It was pretty far away but I could pick out the Corvid shape, eliminating a vulture. And it was too large for a crow, and was mostly soaring. I had myself a distant Raven! That leaves just NJ as the last eastern state where I still need this species in its regular range.
Wow – 4 new statebirds at my first stop - two more than I hoped for in the entire day. And 2 more stops still to go.
The next stop was the Dillard Reservoir area for Willow
Flycatcher, which has bred in this area for a few years. Though I wasn’t too optimistic since they
hadn’t been seen there for a few weeks.
Not to mention that it was now early afternoon on this summer day. I checked out the spots where they had been
seen earlier but came up empty. At least
I’m now familiar with this site for my next trip.
My last stop was along Hale Ridge Road. Posts from this hotspot over the last several
years have included significant numbers of several local breeding warblers,
including numerous Swainson’s and an occasional Cerulean. It was now mid-afternoon so I knew that bird
song would be limited, but I was still hopeful that I’d run into Swainson’s as
they will sing well into the summer. It
took me a little while, but eventually found the perfect habitat for Swainson’s
- large areas of thick rhododendron thickets on hillsides. I drove through at least 2 miles of this
habitat making frequent stops but unfortunately couldn’t come up with my
target. And even though few birds were
singing, I did get an Ovenbird, Worm-eating, 7 Hoodeds, 2 Parulas, and a
Black-throated Green in this 2 mile stretch.
Plus another calling Broad-winged Hawk.
Pretty birdy after all. Just not
my targets.
Although I missed my last couple targets, I’m still very
happy to have added 4 birds to my GA statelist – 2 more than I expected. That brings my list up to 238. Next year I’ll have to schedule a trip to the
area earlier in the breeding season. Though
not too early since Willow Flycatcher is typically late to arrive on its
breeding grounds. And now that I have
the lay of the land, I’ll start in the morning at Hale Ridge Road and head
right to the rhododendron area, followed by a drive to Dillard Reservoir. Can’t wait…
