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

[July 2005] = Most recently checked by KB
[N/A] = Not yet checked by KB

  = 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 a quick birding fix. This is also helpful for birders planning a "Big Day," where staying close to a major interstate corridor is essential for covering the greatest diversity of habitats in 24 hours.

   = 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 incredible, productive birding virtually year-round (Jekyll Island), while the best birding of the year may be more seasonal at others (Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park).

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. Fall migration is more spread out; fall wood warblers can be notoriously difficult to identify (or even 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.

  
1) Boat Ramp Road / Pet Cemetery Area         [June 2007]              
PM, late Sp-Su for breeding birds
[DeLorme: pg. 40, E-2]
Reported from often by experienced west Georgia birder Walt Chambers, this area can be great for migrating woodland species, and is also noted for bottomland breeding birds - Swainson's Warblers, Prothonotary Warblers, Hooded Warblers, Acadian Flycatcher, etc. From I-85 (west of Atlanta), take 185 south towards Columbus. Get off at Exit 1B which will automatically put you on US Hwy 27 / 280 west. From the point where you merge onto this road, continue for 1.3 miles to a light where you will turn left onto Ft. Benning Rd. In 2.3 miles, you will need to check in at the Ft. Benning Office on your left. Take your driver's license and vehicle registration and tell them you plan to do some birdwatching along the river where local folks often go to fish - the Birding Community knows it as Boat Ramp Rd but it seems the fort calls the area "Pet Cemetery" because there may be one at the end of one of the muddy roads in the area; either way, it is no big deal and you will usually get a full day or even 24-hour pass that you will need to present to the guard at the checkpoint just beyond the office along with your driver's license. Just beyond the checkpoint, reset your odometer at a light with Custer Rd and go straight, crossing Upatoi Creek on a bridge. Exactly 0.6 miles after the light, take the first available right onto 10th Mountain Division Rd, which is not marked. Continue 0.9 miles down this road to a wide asphalt turn on your right and turn here; it is pretty steep. Very soon the road will turn to gravel/dirt, take the fork to the left - this is known as Boat Ramp Rd. You can drive along with windows down in this good bottomland habitat (PHOTOS 1-2), parking on the side to walk around, listening and looking for birds. One of the best ways to locate either Prothonotary or Swainson's Warbler is to familiarize yourself with their song and listen carefully for them along the road. Swainson's Warblers can be found in the dense thickets which border the road, while the Prothonotary Warblers will be back in the sloughs and swampy areas (PHOTO 2); please do not use any audio recordings here - if you arrive early in May or early June you will hear birds singing on territory with no problem. The road deadends at a boat ramp (PHOTO 3) and a fishing area that offers a nice view of the river (PHOTO 4). When you're done here, backtrack to the fork in the asphalt section and turn left. You can take the first fork on the left to more similar habitat and another more open view of the river to watch for Mississippi Kites in season (PHOTO 5) but be very careful because the road quality is much worse here. The roads beyond this point merit more exploration on foot or with a mountain bike to see just how many Swainson's Warblers may breed here. The whole area may be tough going in a passenger car after heavy rain - use your best judgement!
       
PHOTO 1      PHOTO 2         PHOTO 3        PHOTO 4        PHOTO 5
Text by Walt Chambers and KB; photos by KB