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.

White County
1) Wilks Rd / Poplar Stump Rd                 [May 2007]
PM, May-June for breeding birds
[DeLorme pg. 15, D-9]
This is an area of good diverse habitat in the mountains that has produced up to 13 breeding species of wood warbler in a day, along with many other interesting mountain birds. From the town of Cleveland, head north on US Hwy 129 for a short distance, and just after passing a Dairy Queen on your left, you'll come to a light at the top of a small rise - turn right here to head north on GA Hwy 75. In about 6-7 miles, note GA Hwy 17 on your right; reset your odometer at this intersection. GA Hwy 17/75 will go through the downtown area of the somewhat cheesy but nonetheless interesting tourist town of Helen (PHOTOS 1 & 2). The town is designed to "look" like a Bavarian mountain village, and has lots of shops and some good food along with several lodging options; they have a very popular Oktoberfest celebration every year in October and November. Keep heading north on Hwy 17/75 through the community of Robertstown, making note of a couple tubing companies operating on the Chattahoochee River in the area (great for kids!) and also note GA Hwy 356 on your right, which will take you to Unicoi State Park. This is a nice full-service facility with a lodge, electric/water camping, cottages, a lake, and plenty to do including birding. As you continue north, the highway will start to gain elevation via several tight switchbacks - you will start to hear birds singing around you but do not attempt to stop on this road! Exactly 11 miles from the intersection of Hwy 75 and Hwy 17, you'll see a tempting view of the mountains to your left (PHOTO 3) - let your passengers enjoy it for a second, but drivers pay attention because just around this curve on your left is your turn onto Wilks Rd (PHOTO 4) with a few Forest Service signs; if you cross the county line into Towns County at the top of the hill you've missed it. This is a gravel Forest Service road, which can actually take you all the way back down to Robertstown at Alt Hwy 75 if you so desire (PHOTO 5), but this description will focus on the first 6 miles only, which offer the greatest variety of birding opportunities. As soon as you turn off the highway, make sure all your windows are down and start listening for high elevation specialties like American Redstart, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Ovenbird, and Blackburnian Warbler. You may also hear Black-throated Green Warblers, Hooded Warblers, Black-and-white Warblers, Worm-eating Warblers, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Wood Pewee, and both Blue-headed and Red-eyed Vireos. The high-pitched calls of Broad-winged Hawks may be heard overhead but views are tricky through the trees. Ruffed Grouse are present in the area but are rarely seen. The first mile or so of this road hugs the side of a mountain so drive with caution and be very careful passing other vehicles; it is narrow but there are pull-outs where you can park and walk along the road to bird. Eventually the road will gain the top of the ridge in a small open area that has a good spot to park (PHOTO 6). This is the highest point the road reaches (3,250 feet) and is the best spot for Blackburnian Warblers. From here, the road follows the ridge for a while, and then starts to descend into the valley that is the first watershed of the Chattahoochee River. In this area, especially in coves with lots of deciduous trees, you will start to hear Black-throated Blue Warblers singing. In areas of conifers, listen for Yellow-throated Warblers or Pine Warblers. The road will meander down into the valley along a couple feeder creeks of the river, where there are many nice "unofficial" primitive campsites. Acadian Flycatcher and Louisiana Waterthrush breed along these creeks and can be heard singing - the flycatchers all day, but the waterthrush more often early morning or at dusk. At the bottom of the valley exactly 4.7 miles from Hwy 17/75 is a very large "official" campground, the Upper Chattahoochee River Campground (PHOTO 7). This area is better for family camping because there is room for bikes, badminton, frisbee, etc. and there are several chemical toilet facilities for privacy. Drive through the campground to the very end where there is a day use parking area along a loop. The campground is a good area to listen for Northern Parulas, and there are plenty of Louisiana Waterthrush and Acadian Flycatchers on the Chattahoochee River, which flows through the campground and is really just a pretty mountain stream at this point. The river here is stocked with Rainbow Trout for fishing opportunities. If you are up for a hike with your fishing gear, following a gated dirt road that is on the right in the middle of the campground will take you up to the highest tributaries of the Chattahoochee River where Brook Trout may be found; this is one of only a handful of creeks in Georgia with this species so catch and release is required. Back at the day use parking area on the loop, take a short trail to enjoy a view of Horsetrough Falls (PHOTO 8). When you're done at the campground, turn right back onto Wilks Rd and you'll soon cross the river on a little concrete bridge (PHOTO 9). The road will start back up the other side of the valley, and you will come into an open meadow area on your left where the road makes a long, tight curve into a creek valley. I think this area looks good for Black-billed Cuckoo but have never found one here. There are also a lot more "unofficial" primitive campsites in this area. At the tight curve, park at a gated road that is labeled as Poplar Stump Rd in the DeLorme Atlas (PHOTO 10). In the thickets in this area you may hear Kentucky Warblers mixing in with the species already mentioned. Poplar Stump Rd is a very interesting area that needs more exploration. Rachel and I hiked in about 2 miles (PHOTO 11) and found some good habitat and some cool birds but never gained the highest point on the ridge because it was getting late in the day. If you look in the DeLorme Atlas (or Google Earth), it appears that you can access a very high point called Horsetrough Mountain (4,045 feet), so who knows what could be up there - Canada Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Winter Wren are all possibilities but it's not clear how close to the summit the road bed goes and it may require some bushwhacking. When you're finished exploring Poplar Stump Rd, you can either continue birding on Wilks Rd all the way back down to Robertstown, or leave the area the way you came in, coming back out on GA Hwy 17/75.
                     
  PHOTO 1           PHOTO 2             PHOTO 3        PHOTO 4      PHOTO 5        PHOTO 6

                 
   PHOTO 7         PHOTO 8      PHOTO 9       PHOTO 10      PHOTO 11
Text by KB; photos by KB & RC

2) Smithgall Woods Conservation Area                 [Sept 2007]
PM, May-June for breeding birds
[DeLorme pg. 15, E-9]
This beautiful multi-use area encompasses 5,664 acres of mixed habitat and is dominated by Dukes Creek, its tributaries, and the surrounding mountains. The property features good mountain birding for typical higher-elevation breeding birds as well as open wildlife plots, two ponds, riparian habitat, and a wetlands and related scrubby habitat that can be very productive in migration. Though a good-quality gravel road (paved in several areas) runs throughout the property, all birding must be done on foot or bike; in fact, this is a great bike-birding destination to cover the most ground. From downtown Helen, GA (from the bridge over the Chattahoochee River), head north on GA Hwy 17-75 for 1.4 miles, and turn left (SW) onto ALT 75; there is a brown sign for the area pointing to this turn. In 2.4 miles you will come to the main entrance to the visitor center (PHOTO 1) on your left, with stone entrance walls. Park here and go in to pay a $3.00 vehicle fee, and check out the gift shop and a few cages with re-habilitated raptors and owls behind the building. Bird your way through the open areas on the road that accesses the property beyond the visitor's center. You will enter a hardwood-dominated area on the road, with Duke's Creek running along to your right. The birding may be slow here; some flocks may be working the high canopy above but viewing is difficult. You may have Hooded Warbler, Acadian Flycatcher, or (rarely) Swainson's Warbler in the thick undergrowth; Louisiana Waterthrush may be seen at tributary crossings. 1.5 miles from the visitor's center you will reach the best birding area on the property, an open valley dominated by a wetlands, open fields, and scrubby alder and willow habitat. You will see a picnic pavillion on the right and a covered bridge just past it (PHOTO 2). Bird the edges of a large open field (PHOTO 3), looking for birds like Chestnut-sided Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Canada Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Indigo Bunting, Ruby-throated Hummingbird (especially fall), White-eyed Vireo, and (more rarely) Golden-winged Warbler. From the field, follow a boardwalk (PHOTO 4) through a good area of river birch and willows to a platform that overlooks the wetlands and more alders (PHOTO 5). The woods in this area can produce several species of Empidonax flycatcher, including Acadian, Least, and the rarer Yellow-bellied; do your research or try to get a photo of these tricky guys to help make that 99% call turn into a definite ID, but this is not to be expected. Make your way back to the field, and cross the road near the picnic shelter to a nice view across Duke's Creek into the canopy (PHOTO 6); there are several trees here with productive virginia creeper vines that may attract a variety of thrushes (Swainson's, Wood, Hermit, Veery) and vireos (Red-eyed or Blue-headed, others possible). Almost directly across the street from the picnic shelter, you'll find a path that will take you through the wetlands to a smaller field that is planted will all sorts of flowering and seeding plants for wildlife, bordered by more great alder and willow-dominated scrubby habitat (PHOTO 7). When you're done chasing flocks in these areas, you may wish to backtrack and walk the Wetlands Loop, which will take you around the area but higher up on a ridge. There are many trails on the property to explore which access higher elevations, where you may find a different mix of wood warblers in migration and a few breeding species; a few possibilities include Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue, Pine, Blackburnian, Black-and-white, Northern Parula, Blackpoll, Ovenbird, or (rarely) Cerulean Warbler. Ruffed Grouse is a rarely-seen permanent resident, and sometimes the escaped exotic Golden Pheasant is spotted wandering around, especially in an area called Laurel Ridge near the visitor's center. While birding the property, keep an eye overhead for Broad-winged Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, or (rarely) Common Raven soaring. When you're done exploring the wetlands area and surrounding trails, you may wish to extend your visit by hiking or biking all the way to the end of the road (3.5 miles from the visitor's center), where there is a youth group-only camping area called Fish Camp. This area has a nice mix of open scrubby habitat, a powerline cut, and two ponds that can be very productive as well (PHOTOS 8 & 9). When you're done, you must leave the way you came by heading back to the visitor's center. IMPORTANT: You must call ahead to see if a quota deer, turkey, or small game hunt is being conducted on the day you plan to visit. During these hunts the property cannot be accessed, and some birders have arrived simply to be turned away. In addition to the birding, Duke's Creek offers some of the best trophy Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout fishing in the state, and is agressively managed for this purpose. This being said, fishing access is limited and by reservation only, with several strict regulations that you must read up on before you put together your gear collection and hit the stream. Visit the area website.
                
PHOTO 1     PHOTO 2   PHOTO 3   PHOTO 4      PHOTO 5       PHOTO 6     PHOTO 7         PHOTO 8         PHOTO 9
Text and photos by KB.