Whitfield 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.
Whitfield County
1) Dug Gap / Rocky Face Ridge [N/A]
PM, May-June for breeding birds
[DeLorme pg. 13, D-7]
Text by Adam Smith
Dug Gap actually refers to a gap on Rocky Face Ridge where a road crosses (and where a significant Civil War battle ocurred). Many people call it Dug Gap Mountain. There is a small "park" at the gap where the road crosses, with historical signs and a small, gated parking area. This is also an access point to the Pinhoti trail, which runs from the Benton Mckaye Trail on down into Alabama - it cuts through the John's Mountain / Pocket area. To get to Dug Gap, get off I-75 at Exit 333, Walnut Ave., in Dalton. At traffic light at the end of the exit head west on Walnut (taking you back over the interstate if you're coming from points south). You will immediately begin ascending the ridge. After a climb of about 1.5 miles, you will reach the top at Dug Gap. There are a few parallel parking spots along the right side of the road. However, you may want to continue just past the gap to the dirt pull-off on the left side of the road, where the second gated gravel road turns off (not the one in the middle of the powerline cut); be very careful on the blind hill/curve. Once you have parked, walk up the gravel road past the gate, you may encounter migrating birds at any point once you get out of the car. The road goes uphill for a few hundred yards, passing an overlook of Mill Creek on the right. You can see Taylor's Ridge, Lookout Mountain, etc. from here. Just past the overlook, you will pass a radio tower on the left and the road levels out for a few hundred more yards. This level stretch is the best place for the birding. It is along the very top of the ridge, parallel to a very small utility line cleared strip, which allows some good eye level viewing. The road then turns up again and winds for a few hundred more yards to the top at the other radio/cell towers which you can see. From there, the Pinhoti trail continues on down the top of the ridge in timber. All along is nice birding, particularly during migration. Birds you may find include Black-throated Green Warbler, Pine Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Palm Warbler, Cape May Warbler, American Redstart, Cerulean Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, White-eyed, Red-eyed, and Blue-headed Vireo, Scarlet and Summer Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, thrushes, flycatchers, etc. There is a network of trails and old road beds (mostly for mountain biking) from this top area down to a somewhat different habitat at the bottom of the ridge, which includes criss-crossing major powerlines and a small stream. At least some (maybe most) of the land and trails are on National Forest property, and some is apparently on TVA easement. There are private sections, especially at the bottom. However, it all looks the same (mostly mixed woods), and the well-used bike trails provide excellent access to good birding The best trail is the one which begins at the first gated gravel road on the left, right in the bottom of the Dug Gap dip, and in the middle of the powerline. Walk down the side of the main road from the above parking spot, and then on down the gravel which turns into the old roadbed for the original Dug Gap Road, which winds all the way down to the bottom. You can also drive to the bottom: turn right (to head east) off the I-75 Exit 333 ramp onto Walnut Ave. Go through a few traffic lights (about 0.5 miles), past the main "strip" of commercial buildings, to the intersection of Dug Gap/Tibb's Road. Turn right onto Dug Gap Road. Go about a mile through a residential area to the 2nd light (with a convenience store on the corner). Turn right onto East Dug Gap Mountain Road. Go about 0.25 miles over the interstate bridge (no exits) and turn immediately onto Harris Road on the right, which is a small, barely paved road. From here, you will drive along under one of the powerlines for another 0.25 miles to an area where you can park, which is under another powerline, where the TVA sign is. You will be in the middle of habitat and very close to to where a possible Mourning Warbler was detected in spring 2007. This scrubby area may host other birds not found at the top of the ridge, including Blue-winged or Prairie Warbler and Common Yellowthroat.
2) Lake Kathy [Dec 2008] 
W for waterfowl
[DeLorme: pg. 13, grid B-7]
From I-75, take Exit 341(Tunnel Hill). From here take GA Hwy 201 / Tunnel Hill Varnell Rd east. As you notice a small cluster of white mobile homes coming up on the right at 1.5 miles, slow down and here you should see a road on the left marked Lake Kathy Rd (even if the sign is not marked properly, turn left here). After 1.3 miles, turn left onto Peggy Lane. In just 0.25 miles, a convenient gravel parking spot with a single concrete picnic table provides a nice vantage point of the whole lake. It is not a large reservoir, but good numbers of birds, a nice diversity of waterfowl, and interesting rarities turn up here every winter including Canvasback, Redhead, Common Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Hooded Merganser, and more.
Text by Joshua Spence and KB. Photo by KB. |
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Copyright 2010 Ken Blankenship. All rights reserved.
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