Jackson 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.
Jackson County
1) Bear Creek Reservoir [Nov 2006]
W for waterfowl
[DeLorme, pg. 22 G-1, 2]
Interesting birds seen over 2005-2006 include Common Loon, Horned Grebe, White-winged Scoter, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, American Wigeon, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, and Hooded Merganser. In fall (especially late fall), scan groups of American Coot and Ring-necked Duck carefully - both Surf Scoter (2003) and White-winged Scoter (Nov 2006) have shown up, but this would certainly be the exception, not the rule! Two areas offer views of the deeper portions of the lake. Unfortunately, on the upper shallow end most of the shoreline is private and good views cannot be had. Approach the reservoir from the north side of Athens, taking US 129 north from the Athens perimeter(Loop 10), then turn left onto GA Hwy 330 (the turn is about 6 miles from the perimeter). It's in Delorme on pg 22, lower left corner of grid F2, near the community marked "Attica". Once on 330 continue southwest. After crossing the Middle Oconee River, look for Savage Rd on the left. (this may be the first paved left after the river...) Drive down Savage Rd and you will come to the lake on the right. Stay on Savage Rd across the dam to the south side of the lake and park on the shoulder - if you can safely make a U-turn, there is a nice spot far off the road just in front of a taxidermy shop. Be sure you are not parked on the dam, and respect the private property along the road. You can walk back out onto the dam to scan the lake from safely beyond the guard rail on the opposite side of the road (PHOTO 1). Be careful crossing as traffic may be fast. A scope is virtually a must here - while some groups of ducks will be within binocular range, many will be spread across the lake and a bird that just "looks different" won't give you the view you need without 20-30x. Stay up near the road, do not walk down to the shoreline. Directly in front of you is a small island, and to your right is the no-access fenced area with reservoir operation structures and offices (PHOTO 2). Looking out across the lake, there's a long rocky berm on the far side. This is the other good viewing location, from the shoulder of GA 330. You can keep going just a little further on Savage Rd and turn right at the first stop sign onto Old Savage Rd, which will take you past a small inlet on the right (PHOTO 3). The road comes to a cul-de-sac, where you can park and see a little of the upper end of the lake through a chain-link fence. This is a residential area, so be polite and don't get in anyone's way. When you've scanned here, double back north across the dam on Savage Rd to GA 330 and turn left. Very soon you'll notice a small public fishing park on the left, which offers a view of a small arm of the lake (PHOTO 4). Less than half a mile further on GA 330, you will see the lake ahead of you to the left and the road swings sharply to the right. Just before this curve there is a wide pull-off on the left side of the road - you may wish to pass it and make a U-turn to park safely on the shoulder, as the curve makes for tricky visibility. This will be at one end of the long berm and a chain-link fence that runs along the edge of the lake (PHOTO 5). This site offers a little more view of the upper end and also the inlet to the left that is not visible from the dam (you saw it from the fishing area). Remember to respect all private property in this area and especially do not enter the fenced areas. So far (as of 2005) the only public park is the little fishing area mentioned above. The water authority has yet to announce whether they will have any other public access areas, and boating of any kind is prohibited for now. [An aside - this lake has been a hot topic in the fishing community for years. Such a large number of folks are chomping at the bit to be the first to hit that lake to see what years of light use have produced as far as large or good numbers of fish, that I hope there is a limit of how many boats can be out there at one time.]
    
PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2 PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4 PHOTO 5
Text by Mark Freeman and KB; Photos by KB
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Copyright 2010 Ken Blankenship. All rights reserved.
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