Clayton County
Birding Locations |
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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.
Clayton County
1) E.L. Huie Land Application Facility and Newman Wetlands Center [Jan 2008]  
YR
See Beaton's Birding Georgia.
[DeLorme pg. 26, F-3]
A special thanks to Carol Lambert, who manages the Newman Wetlands Center and regularly leads field trips and reports birds from several area locations to the online ListServ GABO-L. This area is a must-visit for Atlanta area birders, especially from mid-fall to mid-spring when a vast array of migrants may be seen along with great numbers of wintering waterfowl within easy driving distance of the city. It's a great place to get practice with waterfowl identification, with large numbers of birds out on open water to scope at your leisure - regulars include Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Ring-necked Duck, Northern Shoveler, Lesser Scaup, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, American Coot, Mallard, Pied-billed Grebe, etc. The Newman Wetlands Center offers a great Waterfowl Workshop every winter. In winter you can also expect American Pipit, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Least Sandpiper; of course rarities will show up as well. Since 2004, the ponds at E.L. Huie have hosted Long-tailed Duck, Eared Grebe, Greater White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, Willet, Mottled Duck, Vesper Sparrow, White-rumped Sandpiper, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and much more. The nearby Newman Wetlands Center has a nice variety of habitat with a trail and boardwalk through wet swamps and surrounding woodlands, which offer great birding - especially in migration. Depending on season, you may see Louisiana Waterthrush, Scarlet Tanager, Winter Wren, flycatchers, several species of vireo and thrush, along with a rainbow of wood warblers in migration. Always check the feeders around the nature center building, too. Here is an alternative way to get to the area from points south on I-75, from James Brooks (in other words, may be better for folks not coming from near the Tara Blvd exit as described in Beaton's book). I-75 north or south to Exit 221 at Jonesboro Rd, west of McDonough GA. Travel due west on Jonesboro Rd approx 6.3 miles, then turn right at the light onto Freeman Road. Travel 1.3 miles to the Wetlands Center on the left; be aware that there is a very sharp bend in the road just past that point. Proceed past the bend and Shamrock Rd (which goes to Lakes Shamrock and Blalock), and continue another 1.9 miles to Dixon Industrial, turn right and you should see the gate about 1/4 mile on the left. Enter the E L Huie pond complex. As you drive over the top of the ramp, the pump house pond is immediately visible; the south pond is up the slight rise to the left, and the two north ponds are off to the right past the pump house building. Visit the area website.
    
Mid-west Pond NE Pond NW Pond Pumphouse Pond South Pond
Text and photos by KB.
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Copyright 2008 Ken Blankenship. All rights reserved.
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