SOUTHERN ATLANTIC 
Blown ashore by a powerful gale was this Arctic Tern on 
Cumberland Island, Georgia on 24 May 2009, representing 
the state's ninth record overall aird only its third coastal 
I:' 1 ' ■ ,f. 
A tremendous run of South Polar Skuas was generated by 
strong easterly winds associated with a low-pressure sys- 
tem in the western North Atlantic Ocean in spring 2009. 
This individual was one of 56 or more observed off Hat- 
teras, North Carolina between 20 (here 23) May and 7 June! 
Photograph by Monte M. Taylor. 
GANNET THROUGH SHOREBIRDS 
A count of 25 juv. Northern Gannets at Ocean 
I., NC 25 May (TP) was notable for the date. 
A coastal wintering species, the high count of 
American White Pelicans came predictably 
early in the season, as 60-80 were at Bear Is- 
land W.M.A., SC 6 Mar (BN); notable inland 
records included 12-r on L. Robinson, 
Greenville, SC 18 Apr OBH) and 16 on the 
Yadkin R., NC 26 Mar (PH). A Brown Pelican 
seen again at L.W.RG. 30 May (]Se, CL) may 
be a permanent resident in the area. Georgia’s 
2nd inland Great Cormorant was last ob- 
served at L.W.EG. 7 Mar (PMc et al). Contin- 
uing their inland range expansion were An- 
hingas: one in Clayton, GA 4 Mar (CL), one in 
Cobb, GA 7 Mar (DHe), 5 in Johnston, NC 19 
Apr (MDa), 5 in Halifax, NC 4 May-f- (FE), 
and 4 at Pee Dee N.WR., Anson, NC 10 May 
(MMc). Only one Magnificent Frigatebird 
was reported, a female soaring over Bald Head 
I., NC 23 May (RD). Wandering waders of in- 
terest included one Tricolored Heron at 
P.S.N.P. 2 May (LS et al.) and 2 in Stewart, GA 
9 May (WCh); a wintering juv. Reddish Egret 
at Hilton Head, SC until 24 Apr (DLo); 2 
Black-crowned Night-Herons in Durham, NC 
12 Apr (BM) and one far inland in Murray, 
GA 24 Apr QSp); and a remarkably far inland 
Glossy Ibis in Cabarrus, NC 5-7 May (TP et 
al). Early Roseate Spoonbill arrivals included 
2 juvs. at Bear I., SC 23 Apr (ph. CF) and 2 at 
the S.S.S. 24 Apr (SC). Wood Storks began ap- 
pearing in the Region in late May. 
Swallow-tailed Kite sightings signifying 
possible expansion of breeding range into 
North Carolina included one in Chatham 19 
Apr (PB), one on the Outer Banks 25 Apr 
OL), one in Carteret 28 Apr (BP), and 5 — in- 
cluding two male-female pairs — on the Cape 
Fear R. 23 May-t for the 5th consecutive year 
(RD); nesting is strongly suspected in the area 
but has not been confirmed. A dead, emaciat- 
ed Snail Kite was an extraordinary find near 
L. Waccamaw, NC 10 Apr (tCC, KR, 
*NCMNS). The bird’s leg bands indicated it 
was a male from the Florida population band- 
ed 12 years ago. Incredibly, another Snail Kite 
was reported soaring over Bainbridge, GA 23 
Apr (PR). Both sightings would represent first 
state records if accepted; South Carolina’s first 
record came in spring 2007. In an effort to 
better understand the ecology of the threat- 
ened, non-migratory Southeastern American 
Kestrel (subspecies paulus), 5 were outfitted 
with radio transmitters, including a female 
whose eggs were actively hatching 14 May 
(ph., tNK). Three Black Rails were heard call- 
ing at the rejuvenated marsh in Greene, GA 10 
May (PWS), while a Purple Gallinule was un- 
usually far inland in Muscogee, GA 19-25 Apr 
QMc, m.ob.). A Sandhill Crane was near 
Beaufort, NC 22-23 May (PHo), in an area 
where escaped cranes have been noted since 
at least 1999. 
American Golden-Plovers were reported in 
above-average numbers Regionwide, while im- 
pressive counts of Semipalmat- 
ed Plovers included 940 at L. 
Mattamuskeet, NC 8 May (RD) 
and 819 at the S.S.S. 9 May 
(SC). Wilson’s Plovers and 
American Oystercatchers were 
among Georgia’s breeding birds 
whose first beach-nesting at- 
tempts were destroyed by high 
water generated by the mid- 
May storm (BW). Rare inland 
Black-necked Stilts were spot- 
ted at ES.N.E 19 Apr (GZ) and 
in Bostwick, GA 7 May QSe, 
ph. VL), while the high count of 240 was at the 
S.S.S. 21 May (SC); the S.S.S. also provided the 
high count of 537 American Avocets 27 Apr 
(SC). Other notable shorebird counts at the 
S.S.S. included 60 Solitary Sandpipers 27 Apr 
and an astounding 3075 Lesser Yellowlegs 24 
Apr (SC). Upland Sandpipers were reported in j 
average numbers but in some locally unusual ^ 
places: on Sapelo L, GA 3 Apr (fide DCo), at a | 
former landfill site in downtown Charleston, ' 
SC the week of 16 Apr (BD), and at A.W.M.A. j 
18 Apr (PBr, HG). An impressive staging of mi- 
grating Whimbrels was observed at St. Simons 
1., GA 25 Apr (SW et al), as 500-1- were resting 
on the beach and flying northward offshore. 
The Marbled Godwit satellite-tagging project 
in coastal Georgia quickly yielded useful re- 1 
suits: 3 out of 6 tagged birds departed in Apr, ! 
arriving in the Dakotas by early May for the 
breeding season; 2 did not migrate and split i 
time between Georgia and South Carolina, j 
while the 6th stopped transmitting 20 Apr i, 
(BW, <www.seaturtle.org>). A rare inland Rud- j' 
dy Turnstone was spotted in Northampton, NC ij 
9 May (RD), while encouraging Red Knot ij 
sightings included flocks of 400+ at St. Simons 1 
1., GA 20 Apr (BS) and Sunset Beach, NC 5 
May (RCl). Quite unusual was a flock of 25 j| 
White-rumped Sandpipers that took refuge |: 
from a storm in the mts. of Henderson, NC 24 ( 
May (WF, MW); single Baird’s Sandpipers were | 
reported from Georgetown, SC 9 May (ND) and ii 
Bartow, GA 24 May (CT). A lingering Purple. j. 
Sandpiper at Tybee I., GA 15 May represented f 
a new state late date (GB). While a count of j, 
4310 Dunlins was impressive at the S.S.S. 13 | 
Mar (SC), two tallies of Stilt Sandpiper were ( 
extraordinary: 860 at the S.S.S. 2 May (SC) and 
130 inland at L. Mattamuskeet, NC 8 May 
(RD). There were three sightings of Ruff this j 
spring, all in coastal South Carolina: at Don- ! 
nelley W.M.A. 25 Apr (ND) and at Tom ' 
Yawkey W.A. 27 Apr and 9-10 May (ND). The i 
S.S.S. furnished the most impressive counts of j: 
both dowitchers: 1591 Short-billed 9 May and 
599 Long-billed 24 Apr (SC). Wilson’s i 
Phalaropes were noted at South L, SC 11 Apr 
(ND) and at the S.S.S. 2 & 9 May (SC). Rare 
onshore sightings of Red-necked Phalaropes 
included 7 on the beach at Core Banks, NC 15 
May (fide JF, ph. PBl) and 10 flying past Long 
Beach, NC 23 May (RD); among inland reports 
were singles in Greensboro, NC 28 Apr (SD, 
One of several unusual northerly sightings of the species in spring 2009 was this 
Gray Kingbird on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina 24-28 (here 28) April. Photo- 
graph by Harry D. Sell. 
410 
HORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
