GA RBA, 30 October 2009


Tree Swallows,©Chris Kerrigan

RBA

* Georgia
* Georgia statewide
* October 30, 2009
* GAGA0910.30


- Birds Reported

American White Pelican
Nelson's Sparrow
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Henslow's Sparrow
Dunlin
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Cave Swallow


hotline:     Georgia Rare Bird Alert
date:        October 30, 2009, 8:52 pm
number:      770-493-8862
to report:   770-493-8862 or lambertsewell AT mindspring.com
coverage:    Statewide
compiled:    October 30, 2009
compiler:    Jeff Sewell
transcriber:    Larry Russell


The following is a summary of the Georgia Rare Bird Alert (RBA) Friday
evening telephone report, October 30, 2009.  The RBA is a service of the
Georgia Ornithological Society.  Jeff Sewell is the voice of the RBA.

[Transcriber's note: Most, if not all of the sites mentioned in this report 
can be found in two excellent resources for birders, Giff Beaton's book 
"Birding Georgia", and Ken Blankenship's web site "Wings Over Georgia", 
http://www.wingsoverga.com.]


A NELSON'S SPARROW (the former Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow) was seen off 
of Powerhouse Rd. at Carter's Lake on October 30th.  [Transcriber note:  If 
this name change information is incorrect, please let me know.  It is based 
on the best information I have available, including internet searches, as I 
am out of town.]
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0910&L=gabo-l&F=&S=&P=38774
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0910&L=gabo-l&F=&S=&P=38915

Six AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, 3 BROWN PELICANS, a sub-adult BALD EAGLE, 2 
LAUGHING GULLS, a couple of RING-BILLED GULLS, and a HERRING GULL were seen 
from the Alabama side of the Lake Walter F. George Dam in west Georgia on 
October 29th.
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0910&L=gabo-l&F=&S=&P=37341

YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS have been seen at two locations in Georgia 
recently.  One in Greene Co. on October on October 30th, and another in 
Valdosta on October 29th.
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0910&L=gabo-l&F=&S=&P=38536
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0910&L=gabo-l&F=&S=&P=37022

A large group of 80 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS was seen over US17 north of 
Brunswick in Glynn Co. on October 27th.
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0910&L=gabo-l&F=&S=&P=34791

A HENSLOW'S SPARROW was seen at the Cochran Shoals Unit of the Chattahoochee 
River National Recreation Area in Cobb Co. on October 25th and 29th. Other 
good birds seen there recently include SEDGE WRENS, WINTER WRENS, a MARSH 
WREN, and a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW.  If you go to CS, please stay on the 
established trails through the sparrow fields and do not venture into the 
fields off of the trails, as this area is under much stress from heavy 
birding.  Tramping through the hinterland there destroys the habitat for 
these birds, scares them off, and is bad birding form to boot.  Speaking of 
boots, you're probably going to need them here, as this area is very wet. 
But stay on the trails, please.  Read that again.  This is very important 
for this location.
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0910&L=gabo-l&F=&S=&P=32399
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0910&L=gabo-l&F=&S=&P=37484

A DUNLIN was seen at the Taff Rd. mudhole in Bartow Co. on October 28th. 
Three more were seen from the Champney Island Ansley-Hodges Marsh Project 
tower on
October 29th.
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0910&L=gabo-l&F=&S=&P=36097
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0910&L=gabo-l&F=&S=&P=37737

RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES have been seen in several areas of North Georgia 
during the past week, including Carrollton, GA.  This =may= be indicative of 
another irruption year for this species.
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0910&L=gabo-l&F=&S=&P=35130
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0910&L=gabo-l&F=&S=&P=35552

A CAVE SWALLOW was seen at the Merry Brothers Brickyard Ponds on October 
24th in a flock sitting on wires amongst the Tree, Rough-winged, Barn, Cliff 
and Bank Swallows seen.  I'd say it was a pretty good swallow day there.
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0910&L=gabo-l&F=&S=&P=30527


Georgia Birders Online (GABO) is a =great= resource for timely reports on 
state-wide sightings.  Some reports on GABO are not included in the periodic 
RBAs.  This site can be found at 
http://listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html.  If you're reading this, 
chances are you already know about it!  Please contribute your sightings to 
one of our state's best birding resources.

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. To join GOS, send a
check for $20 to GOS, P.O. Box 181, High Shoals, GA 30645.

- End transcript

====================================================
Good Birding!

Larry Russell
Roswell
Fulton County
Georgia
USA 

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