BleckleyCoBirdingSites

A Guide to Birding in Georgia

Bleckley County
Birding Locations

Legend
Su = summer
F = fall
W = winter
Sp = spring
YR = year-round

[Sept 2009] = Most recently checked by Ken Blankenship (webmaster)
[N/A] = Not yet checked by Ken Blankenship

= Location is within +/- 10 miles of the indicated interstate highway. This is especially helpful for out-of-town birders who may be passing through Georgia while travelling and would like to get out in the field.

= Location is a "Georgia Birding Hotspot." Though this designation is subjective, it generally means that the area should be given high priority when planning a birding trip to a region. Some Hotspots offer productive birding virtually year-round (Jekyll Island, Phinizy Swamp Nature Park), while the best birding of the year may be seasonal at others (Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park).

= Habitat and/or access at location is subject to change according to mixed land use or changes in ownership, such as cattle operations, agricultural fields, pine plantations (logging), and so on. Always adhere to good birding ethics concerning private property, and if the habitat at a location has experienced major changes or is no longer accessible, please email the webmaster.

SBM = Shorebird Migration; this very generally refers to mid-March thru May in spring and mid-July thru mid-October in fall. Fall is the prime shorebird season. Baird's and Buff-breasted Sandpipers likely only in fall. Peak passage of specific species is quite variable.

PM = Passerine Migration; this very generally refers to April and May in spring and August thru mid-October in fall. This includes all songbirds - wood warblers, vireos, tanagers, thrushes, flycatchers, etc. Peak passage of specific species is quite variable. Spring migration is much more concentrated and birds are often in colorful breeding plumage and singing. Fall migration is more spread out; fall wood warblers can be notoriously difficult to identify (or impossible to determine sex), with numerous juveniles which do not exhibit the same obvious field marks as adults.

IBA = Important Bird Area; the aim of the IBA Program is to identify and conserve key breeding and feeding sites for birds. An Important Bird Area is a place that provides essential habitat for one or more species of bird, whether in breeding season, winter, or during migration. These sites are considered to be exceptionally important for bird conservation; see Georgia's IBA Webpage.

Bleckley County
'width' is a duplicate attribute name. Line 1, position 37.1) Ocmulgee Public Fishing Area [Feb 2007]
W for waterfowl, PM
[DeLorme pg. 43, E-7]
Georgia's newest PFA located in this tiny rural county in the center of the state just opened to the public in June 2006. It remains to be seen how productive it will be for birding, but the potential is very high as it lies right on the Ocmulgee River. The lakes seem to be drawn down in winter, as the photos below indicate. In mid-Feb 2007 species seen included Great Egret, Double-crested Cormorant, Purple Martin, Swamp Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Bobwhite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Hermit Thrush, etc. The cluster of lakes, totalling 106 acres, should host some interesting winter waterfowl in years to come and the surrounding open pine-dominated woods offer good opportunities for passerine migrants in spring and fall. The fishing is already great; you can read an article about opening day HERE. From the town of Hawkinsville, take US Hwy 341 towards Eastman, then turn left on GA Hwy 26 towards Cochran. Travel only approximately 0.25 miles, then turn left on Upper River Road, go about 6 miles and make a left onto Allison's Landing Road, then make a right into the PFA at the sign. The area can also be accessed via several exits off of I-16 about 20 miles east of Macon, use your DeLorme Atlas to create a convenient route; note that Albert Jenkins Rd is accurately drawn on the map, but is not passable in a passenger vehicle (the northern and southern portions are paved, but there is a long stretch of this road that is clay and very rutted). NOTE: For you "county birders," it is notable that while the DNR literature states that the PFA is located in Bleckley County, satellite images refute this and show that the lakes lie inside Pulaski County; perhaps Bleckley County manages the property or something, but unless the county lines have been re-drawn you are "technically" birding in Pulaski.

Text and photos by KB.