Fayette 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.
Fayette County
1) Lake Horton [Jan 2007]
W for waterfowl, PM
See Beaton's Birding Georgia.
[DeLorme: pg. 26, H-2]
The directions and description in Birding Georgia are very accurate. Since the publication of Beaton's book, there is now a required fee of $10 to enter the park. It is not a parking fee, nor a fishing fee - it is just... a fee. Obviously, this is frustrating for birders who may be there as few as 15 minutes or over an hour. Some birders have reported "risking it" and birding only from their car while darting around the parking areas... I can't endorse this, but $10 sure is a lot of money to pay for such light use. Fayette County residents need not pay the fee. See Beaton's book for details on a couple vantage points you can get of the lake without entering the fee area. The problem is, it seems like the majority of the ducks in recent years primarily like congregating in the eastern arm of the lake (PHOTO 1), which is not clearly visible anywhere as well as it is from inside the fee area. After you enter the fee area, note a road to your right, then park at the first available parking lot on your left. From here, you can walk around the edge of the eastern side of the lake through a powerline cut to view the upper portion of this arm of the lake and the eastern part of the main body of the lake. When finished here, drive to the end of Antioch Rd and park. Scan the deep portion of the lake along the dam for Horned Grebe, Common Loons, or gulls (PHOTO 2). Turn around and head back the way you came. Just before leaving the fee area, take a left on the road you saw earlier. This will take you around to a boat ramp and a good view of the western part of the main body of the lake. A little walking around will provide views up into the shallower western arm, where a pair of Mute Swans has taken up residence since 2005. The lake hosted Georgia's only record Yellow-billed Loon 2003-2004. Recent interesting birds (since 2006) include Redheads, Hooded Merganser, Lesser Scaup, Common Loon, Northern Pintail, Ruddy Duck, Ring-necked Duck, American Pipit, and Horned Grebe.
 
Text and photos by KB.
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Copyright 2008 Ken Blankenship. All rights reserved.
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