Monroe 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.
Monroe County
1) Lake Juliette, Rum Creek WMA [Sept 2007]
IBA, W for waterfowl, PM
See Beaton's Birding Georgia.
[DeLorme pg. 34, D-4]
Interesting species seen since 2005 include Red-throated Loon, Eared Grebe, Horned Grebe, Redhead, and Canvasback. You can get a good vantage point of the lake by using the campground/boat ramp on the east end of the lake on US Hwy 23, but the best publicly accessible point for viewing the largest area of the lake is just west of here, off GA Hwy 18, on Rum Creek Dr. This is the same road where the Georgia DNR non-game division office is located; always stop to check the feeders and mist station here for interesting birds. If you look in your DeLorme on pg. 34, it is the first road that heads north from Hwy 18 from the left side of grid D-4. It looks like it goes through the lake itself, but in fact you will come to a clearing where you can park by a sign blocking all but foot travel. From here, walk the road out to a long peninsula into the main body of the lake. You'll notice as you walk along that a brief foray through some trees will give you nice looks at coves on the east and west side of the road. At land's end on the tip of the narrow peninsula, you can really scope a great deal of open water for loons, grebes, and other waterfowl. A couple challenges include a) the gate at the DNR office blocking this road is sometimes closed, and I have no idea what the reasons are for this or when it is consistently open and b) if it's really cold and the wind is blowing, the peninsula is extremely exposed and not only will you be chilled to the bone but the vibration of your scope and the chop on the water may make positive ID's impossible. Note Georgia Power’s Plant Scherer looming across the lake, which was actually built to supply cooling water to this coal-burning electric generation facility. On plant property is more nice habitat, including a large ash pond that is known to host rare Eared Grebes annually in winter. Other rarities have shown up on this pond as well, such as Pacific Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Canvasback, Redhead, and lots of other waterfowl. Sometimes helpful biologists from the DNR will set up special field trips onto the plant property to visit this pond, but otherwise it is strictly off-limits to the public. There is a newer spot nearby that has been burned and is being managed for Bachman's Sparrows. From the DNR office, turn right onto Hwy 18 (heading west), and continue a few miles until you see Maynard Church Rd and turn right. You'll pass a field on your left, and at the first intersection, turn right onto Ebenezer Rd. Be careful, because this road may also be signed as Colvin Rd. In about 1/2 mile, watch carefully and bear left at a fork. You'll come through some woods and the road will turn to gravel. You will pass through a shallow arm of Lake Juliette on a dike; look for swallows, waders, or raptors here. Keep going, and you'll deadend into Holly Grove Rd (also gravel) - turn right here. Watch carefully on your right; as soon as you pass a spot where you are right on Lake Juliette (a cove with some power lines over it is easily visible through the trees) you are almost there. Park at the next gate you come to, up an embankment on your right. Walk around it into an open area surrounded by pines. Listen for Bachman's Sparrows singing in April and May, but do NOT play audio here. You may also encounter Prairie Warblers, Pine Warblers, Yellow-throated Warblers, Field Sparrows, Blue Grosbeak, White-eyed Vireo, or Yellow-breasted Chat. Cape May Warblers, Magnolia Warblers, American Redstart, Palm Warblers, tanagers, flycatchers, and other neotropical migrants may be found in migration.
  
Text and photos by KB.
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Copyright 2009 Ken Blankenship. All rights reserved.
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