Harris 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.
Harris County
1) West Point Dam (Harris and Troup Counties) [Oct 2008] 
mid F-mid Sp
See Beaton's Birding Georgia.
[DeLorme pg. 24, E-2 and F-2]
From I-85, get off at Exit 2 (GA Hwy 18) and head west on Hwy 18 for 1.4 miles. Turn right onto US Hwy 29 / GA Hwy 14 and go north for 3.4 miles and turn left at a sign for the lake (PHOTO 1). At 0.3 and 0.7 miles there are day-use areas where you can get views of coves on the lake and the main body of the lake. At 2.0 miles, turn right just before crossing the dam and park in an area where you can scope the main body of the lake and a boom in front of the dam (PHOTO 2) or you can walk out on the dam to view other parts of the lake and the spillway below, which can be great for gulls, waterfowl, and waders (PHOTOS 3-5). One of Georgia's largest reservoirs, it is worth checking in just about any season for gulls, terns, and waterfowl but is especially productive from fall through spring. One interesting phenomena that has been occurring here off-and-on since 2005 is the appearance of a large flock of American White Pelicans that roosts on the lake in fall or winter. They are generally seen at dusk or dawn, and in November 2006 a group of up to 200 individuals was observed! Beaton's book provides a very accurate description of the birding on and around the dam as well. Interesting species seen in recent years include Franklin's Gull, Common Goldeneye, Red-throated Loon, Red-breasted Merganser, Horned Grebe, Canvasback, Redhead, a Jaeger species (Sept 2006), and a first Georgia record Thayer's Gull (Nov 2004). You can continue over the dam for 1.0 miles from where you parked to scope earlier, turn left, then left again at a stop sign to park at the bottom of the dam for more views of the spillway and the river beyond. Typical breeding birds in the area while you scope the lake include Prairie Warbler, Pine Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Cliff Swallows, Indigo Bunting, Wood Thrush, Purple Martin, and Northern Bobwhite (usually heard, not seen).
    
PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2 PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4 PHOTO 5
Text by KB; Photos by KB & RC.
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Copyright 2008 Ken Blankenship. All rights reserved.
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