Morgan 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.
Morgan County
1) Bostwick Sod Farm [June 2007]
SBM
[DeLorme pg. 28, B-1]
Read about Birding Georgia's Sod Farms
Migrating shorebirds; Upland Sandpiper, American Golden Plover & Long-billed Dowitcher (early Sept 2006); Baird's Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, Horned Lark, Mississippi Kite. Located just north of the town of Bostwick on the west side of Hwy 83 at Gilbert Rd. (Bostwick is about 20 miles SW of Athens, GA) Coming north from Bostwick, turn left onto Gilbert Rd and you can scan the south sod fields on both sides of the road (PHOTO 1); sometimes there will be a wet area near the pivot point of the watering boom on the south side of the road, which may attract shorebirds. You will come to a stop sign with Nunn Ln. If you turn left, you can continue scanning the south field. Turning right, the road turns to dirt and you'll notice a small pond in a pasture to your left (PHOTO 2). Look in this area for Loggerhead Shrike, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Mississippi Kite (July-Aug) and swallows like Northern Rough-winged, Barn, or (rarely) Bank in migration. Just down the road, the north sod field will appear on your right. When you dead-end into Hardeman Rd, turn right and you can continue scanning the north fields (PHOTO 3) until you come back to Hwy 83, where you can turn right for more views of the north field and/or to return to Gilbert Rd for more scanning of the area.
  
PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2 PHOTO 3
Text and photos by KB.
2) Dyar Pasture WMA ( also Greene County) [Aug 2006]
PM, late Sp-Su for breeding birds
[DeLorme pg. 28, D-3, 4 and E-3, 4]
See Beaton's Birding Georgia.
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Copyright 2008 Ken Blankenship. All rights reserved.
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