Late in December 2022 I noticed a post from a local birder where he mentioned he had just seen a White Wagtail in FL. That would be a lifebird, one I missed back in 2016 practically in my backyard in NH because I was out of town. Although I’ve had the eBird ABA Rarities alert turned on for years, I haven’t been checking it lately since I’m not doing much traveling during Covid. So a Wagtail in FL wasn’t exactly on my radar. But with some quick eBird searches I found out that the White Wagtail was being seen nearly daily in Tallahassee. That seemed pretty far away, but with a drive time of “only” 7 1/2 hours, it was actually about the same amount of time it takes to drive to the NC Outer Banks. The hunt was on!
In theory I could drive down to Tallahassee in one day,
hopefully see the bird, and drive back the next day. But why not add a couple days to the trip and
look for some statebirds in the FL panhandle and in southern and central GA on
the drive back. So I started planning
for a 4-day trip to try for the Wagtail as a lifebird and a number of
statebirds in both states.
I first focused on potential statebirds in FL within a
couple hours of Tallahassee. All told I found
a possible 14 targets in FL (including the Wagtail), which was a surprisingly
high number given that my FL list was already at 320. I realistically hoped to find perhaps 8 of
them.
Then it was time to research targets in GA. My statelist was only 258, so there would be
lots of possible statebirds. My route to
and from Tallahassee would go through much of GA, way too much to bird
effectively on this short trip. Plus all
my GA stops would have to be just on the way back home since I wanted to make a
beeline for Tallahassee on the first day of the trip in search of my key
target, the Wagtail. So I needed to
focus on potential targets that might be closer to my direct route home, thus minimizing
drive times for side-trips. That meant I
wouldn’t be able to get to the coast, which was unfortunate since there were a
number of my targets there. And north of
Atlanta would be out of bounds as well. Despite
all those constraints, I was still able to map out a route back taking me
through the center of the state then heading northeast to Augusta that would give
me 12 possible statebird targets. I
figured if I could find 6 of them that would make for a successful GA portion
of the trip.
This post covers the GA portion of my trip, on Days 3 and 4
of the trek. The previous blog post summarized
the FL half of the trip.
Day 3 - January 7
The first stop of the day was the last one in FL – agricultural
fields in the panhandle close to where AL, GA, and FL come together. Luckily it didn’t take long to find my target
Horned Lark there since I had a full day of GA birding (and driving!)
planned. In fact, I probably had more
stops planned than I could bird successfully.
So soon after seeing the Larks I was back on the road heading northeast
through southern GA.
My first GA stop was an eBird hotspot called Standard
Elevator Rd. in Sumter County. The key
target here was Say’s Phoebe that had been reported there twice in late
December, though the most recent report was now 10 days old. And complicating the issue was that no
details on the location of the bird were provided. This was a 3-mile-long road, and the hotspot
was apparently the entire road.
Certainly lots of territory a single flycatcher could hide in. The only clues were that the one checklist
included photos of the bird on the ground on a dirt road, on a telephone wire,
and on a telephone pole. Recent reports
from the hotspot also included a Pectoral Sandpiper, though ID details were
limited on this species that would typically be in South America this time of
year. Plus there were occasional reports
of 3 of my other targets, Sandhill Crane, and White-crowned and Vesper Sparrows,
which were also seen at a number of other sites in this part of the state. Lots of opportunity, though with limited time
and directions, I wasn’t too overly optimistic.
As I pulled into the eastern end of the road I noticed a
small roadside farm pond with mudflats.
I broke out the scope and picked up 15 Least Sandpipers, both Yellowlegs,
and a Snipe, but no Pectoral. That is
assuming that this was the pond where the Pectoral had been spotted in the
first place.
Then I turned my attention to my key target, the Say’s
Phoebe. My first strategy was to try to
find the area where the photos had been taken.
But the road was paved instead of dirt, and it was lined with 3 miles of
telephone wires and poles. This would be
next to impossible. I drove along a
short distance and briefly got excited when I found a couple Phoebes but they
turned out to be Eastern. I had
basically given up on the Phoebe and turned my attention to my Sparrow
targets. There was some nice brush along
the roadside and I played some White-crowned tape to see if I could get
lucky. Amazingly an immature White-crowned
almost instantly popped up – it was the first sparrow I saw along the road (GA
statebird #1).
My statebird map for White-crowned Sparrow is inserted
below. The blue-shaded states are those
where I’ve seen this species in its regular range, which is basically the
entire US. The one cross-hatched location,
Washington, D.C., is the last jurisdiction where I have not yet seen this
species.
A short distance farther ahead I left the brushy area behind and came upon a dirt agricultural field. I noticed some movement at the muddy edge and it was a Vesper Sparrow. And then I realized there were actually 3 Vesper Sparrows foraging together (GA statebird #2). Remarkably the first 4 sparrows that I saw along the road were a White-crowned and 3 Vespers. Can’t ask for anything better than that. Well I guess unless I saw the Say’s Phoebe too.
Like White-crowned, Vesper is seen across the Lower 48
states, though I still need this one in 5 states plus DC. (There aren’t too many good sparrow spots in
DC I guess.)
I drove along a bit farther down the road and spotted a Phoebe flying nearby. I quickly got out but it was just another Eastern. But before I could return to the car I heard the bugling of a Sandhill Crane. I looked up and there was a flock of 8 birds flying low overhead (GA statebird #3). In my statebird map for this species that tan-shaded states are those eastern states where I’ve seen this species as a rarity.
The 2 Sparrows and the Crane had been reported at a number of my planned stops, so seeing them all so quickly meant I could spend less time looking for them on upcoming stops. Plus 1 upcoming stop solely for Cranes could be eliminated altogether. This gave me more time for my other targets.
And speaking of other targets, my thoughts came back to the
Say’s Phoebe. The place where I had
parked was close to where farmer’s equipment had driven from the fields to the
paved road, covering the road with large amounts of dirt. Could this be what I thought was a dirt road
in one of the pictures? Then I started
thinking about Say’s Phoebe’s preferred microhabitat – they especially like to
forage and perch around farm buildings. I
could see a group of farm buildings up ahead near the western end of Standard
Elevator Rd. – maybe I could re-find the bird after all. I spent some time wandering around the buildings,
seeing a number of perched birds like Mourning Doves and a Mockingbird, but not
my target.
Then I remembered there were old farm buildings at the other
end of the road as well. I drove back
there and just as I was getting out of the car noticed a telephone pole covered
in poison ivy vines. That reminded me
that in the photo showing the Phoebe perched on a telephone pole the pole was
also covered in vines. Had I found the
correct spot?
Just when I started walking around the area near the pole a small flycatcher flew by and perched most cooperatively in a low tree – I had my Say’s Phoebe.
GA was my 3rd eastern state finding this species as a rarity.
It’s most satisfying when my research and detective work lead
to a successful chase! And with 4
targets at my first stop I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my day.
Next I was off to the Dooly County Road Farm Pond hotspot where
2 Canvasbacks had been reported intermittently.
When I pulled up and did my first scan I didn’t see a single duck. That wasn’t looking good. But part of the pond was obscured by a small
hill so I adjusted my viewing angle and noticed a group of 5 Hooded Mergansers actively
diving. And then 4 Cormorants swam into view. But still no Canvasbacks though I picked out
2 rare continuing Long-billed Dowitchers.
I was now convinced that I could see the entire pond, and the Canvasbacks
just weren’t there no matter how hard I tried.
But I had another spot for Canvasback on the next day so I wasn’t throwing
in the towel on this species just yet.
My next target was a Ross’s Goose reported twice in a small
runoff retention pond in a suburban subdivision in Warner Robins. Photos and a GoogleEarth view of this spot
suggested the habitat was marginal, so I wasn’t too optimistic on this
one. But it was just a few miles off my
route so worth the try. When I arrived I
realized that the pond was inside a gated community. I tried driving around the outside of the
community but fencing blocked my views. I
was tempted to just give up, but decided to try to talk my way into the
neighborhood. Luckily there was someone
manning the gate, and they let me in to survey the waterfowl at the pond. Just as I pulled in I spotted a couple
Canadas - this was looking good. But
when I got a better view of the pond a small flock of Canadas were the only
geese there. In hindsight, with limited
time available and more spots to bird yet that day, it would have been better
to skip this spot altogether.
After a quick break to gas up, I was back on the road
heading north to the Piedmont NWR to look for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. This one had not been on my radar screen
until the night before when a report came through on my Needs Alert. Then with some additional historical research
I found out that Red-cockaded was actually regular on the refuge, presumably
with active management for this endangered species. If it hadn’t been for the previous day’s
report I would have driven right past this spot. But “shoe-horning” this additional spot in an
otherwise already full schedule meant I had maybe just 90 minutes of birding
time there.
After arriving at the refuge I went right to the location of
yesterday’s report at the Wildlife Drive hoping the birds were still in the
vicinity. Foraging birds are often quite
vocal, so I listened and watched intently. I walked and drove along that section of the
road, finding excellent managed habitat for Red-cockaded, but didn’t find my
target bird. Though I did see several marked
trees the Red-cockaded was using for feeding or nesting.
I then went to nearby Cut-through Road where they had also been reported recently. As before, I walked along the road through excellent habitat. Several times I heard tapping but it turned out to be Red-bellies and Sapsuckers. Then I heard more tapping and finally heard the characteristic “seep” calls of a Red-cockaded Woodpecker in the distance (GA statebird #5). I briefly tried to track it down but realized the bird was pretty far away and my time was limited. Not the most satisfying observation I’m afraid.
After I got home, I realized that I could also have searched for Bachman’s Sparrow in this same habitat. Although they are easier to find in spring and summer while singing on territory, they are still present in the winter months. If I go back for the sparrow hopefully I’ll get some nice views of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers as well.
My last stop of the day was the Augusta regional airport
where there had been recent sightings of both LeConte’s and Henslow’s Sparrows. But those birds would have to wait till the next
morning. Today I wasn’t arriving at the
airport until sunset when my targets would be Woodcock and Short-eared
Owl. Both species were only reported there
once, and it was more than 2 weeks ago, but I was hopeful that the Woodcocks were
local breeders and would be calling each evening. I was a bit less optimistic for the Owl, but still
worth the try.
I arrived at the end of General Perry Smith Parkway at the
edge of the airport property at 5:34, one minute before sunset. Skies were clear and there was no wind - excellent
conditions to see or hear both species. From
my vantage point I could see most of the airport property as I hoped to see a
Short-ear either sitting on a low perch, or flying low over the ground. My initial scans came up empty, though a flyover
late Bald Eagle was interesting. As it
got darker, I scanned even more intently but couldn’t come up with an Owl. There’s a rule of thumb that Woodcocks start
calling 20 minutes after sunset, so at 5:55 I crossed my fingers that the “timberdoodles”
would soon start their courtship. But at
6:00 there were still no calling Woodcocks and it was almost too dark to see a
Short-ear even if it was there. My hopes
were waning. Then finally at 6:02 I heard
the first of 2 Woodcocks calling a short distance away (GA statebird #6). It’s nice to shade in GA in my statebird map,
but I still need this species in a number of states especially in the western
portion of its range.
At 6:10 it was now too dark to try to see a Short-eared Owl, so I gave up on my nocturnal search and called it a day.
Day 4 - January 8
At sunrise on the 8th I was back at the airport to try for
the LeConte’s and Henslow’s Sparrows.
Both species had been found in a very small grassy area with some
standing water and clumps of broomsedge a short distance from the spot where I
had the Woodcocks the prior evening. Although
I had excellent directions to the wet area where the sparrows were found, I
wasn’t too overly optimistic since the LeConte’s was last seen nearly 2 weeks
ago, and the Henslow’s was last seen 5 days earlier. I spent a fair amount of time trudging
through the area but only found Songs and Fields. I spotted similar habitat across the road at
a retention pond and gave that a try too but only found Songs and Savannahs
there. It looks like I was too late for
these little skulking targets.
My next stop was the Brickyard Ponds hotspot a short
distance away where Canvasback was quite reliable and Black Duck was seen
occasionally. And there was even a
recent report of Neotropic Cormorant there.
I traded e-mails with local birders who shared advice how to bird this
spot, and they suggested that Canvasback was most likely to be seen in the Garden
Pond. After paying the small entrance
fee at the bait shop I began the drive into the large complex of lakes of various
sizes and shapes. The first couple lakes
had few waterfowl, but quite a number of Double-crested Cormorants. I checked each one but couldn’t come up with the
smaller Neotropic. There were also multiple
Anhingas nicely perched around the perimeter of each of the lakes.
Then I reached the Garden Pond and it was absolutely covered in waterbirds. Closest to the road were large numbers of Coots, perhaps 400 of them. Then I looked farther out on the lake and the water was covered in diving ducks – certainly critical mass to find a Canvasback. The flock was dominated by at least 500 Ring-necked Ducks. Some of the closest Ring-necks flew off when I drove up; I just hoped the Canvasbacks weren’t with them. Now it was time for a closer look to see what other species might be mixed in. With a more methodical scan I was able to pick out 15 Redheads, 10 Buffleheads, and 15 Ruddy Ducks in with the Ring-necks. I was starting to get worried until I finally found a pair of female Canvasbacks swimming far in the distance among the other ducks (GA statebird #7). I just need Canvasback in 1 more state in the continental US.
With the Canvasback behind me, it was time to get back to looking for Black Duck and Neotropic Cormorant. I birded the remaining lakes but unfortunately couldn’t come up with either of those long-shot targets. Although I only got 1 of my targets, the Brickyard Ponds hotspot sure looked like a great birding site.
My last stop of the trip was Lake Olmstead on the northern
side of Augusta where a pair of Long-tailed Ducks were first spotted 2 weeks
ago and were being seen almost daily. It’s
a small lake so I was cautiously optimistic.
The reports often mentioned that they were being seen off the boat ramp,
though they were diving frequently. I
pulled into the parking lot at the boat ramp and instantly noticed movement out
on the lake – it was the pair of Long-tailed Ducks! (GA statebird #8) That was easy. They were indeed diving frequently, but I was
able to get this passable phone-scoped photo.
Long-tailed duck 2 pic
Two days earlier I also added Long-tailed Duck to my FL list
– nice to get this rarity back-to-back in these 2 southeastern states.
What a great way to end the trip! My 8 new GA statebirds were 2 more than I hoped for, and it brings my statelist to 265. And along with 10 new statebirds in FL (including a Lifer!), it was a great start to the 2023 birding year.
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