Southern Atlantic 
Ken Blankenship 
F all was an active season, both in or- 
nithological and meteorological terms. 
Severe drought conditions were briefly 
alleviated by heavy rains in late August but 
persisted throughout the period in the west- 
ern Carolinas and northeastern Georgia. 
Weather was drier and cooler than average 
across the Region, and the mountains of 
North Carolina experienced their snowiest 
November in decades. Tropical Storm Fay de- 
livered much-needed rain and several inter- 
esting species to Georgia, while Tropical 
Storm Hanna deposited many birds in coastal 
areas of the Carolinas. The latter system also 
displaced a number of seabirds, possibly in- 
cluding several surprises during a September 
pelagic trip to Georgia’s offshore waters. 
Abbreviations: C.M. (The Charleston Muse- 
um, SC); C.R.N.R.A. (Cochran Shoals Unit, 
Chattahoochee River National Recreation 
Area, GA); H.B.S.P. (Huntington Beach S.F, 
Georgetown, SC); L.W.EG. (Lake Walter E 
George, Clay, GA); N.C.M.N.S. (North Car- 
olina Museum of Natural Sciences); S.S.S. 
(Savannah Spoil Site, Jasper, SC). 
WATERFOWL THROUGH WADERS 
The highest count of Black-bellied Whistling- 
Ducks was 68 at Altamaha W.M.A., GA 24 
Nov, a known breeding site QSp). A flock of 
63 migrating Snow Geese was notable off 
Wassaw Island N.W.R., GA 5 Nov (SC, PRa). 
Single Ross’s Geese were found 15 Nov in 
Henry, GA (EB) and Clarke, GA ON), while 4 
were at Pungo N.W.R., NC 23 Nov (RD). A 
single Brant was somewhat early at Pea I., NC 
26 Oct (RD); 2 were present there 9 Nov QL); 
and 2 were near Pelican 1., NC 8 Nov (BB). 
Four Cackling Geese were spotted at L. Mat- 
tamuskeet, NC 11 Nov (CN). A Tundra Swan 
was a good inland find in Chatham, NC 19 
Nov (NA). Eurasian Wigeon is regular at Pea 
1., NC, where the first was observed 22 Oct 
QL) and up to 3 were noted 7-9 Nov (fide JL)-, 
another male was at New Bern, NC 25 Nov-h 
(AG). Two Mottled Ducks returned to Twin 
Lakes, Sunset Beach, NC 20 Sep QE et al.), 
presumably the same pair that provided the 
state’s 2nd documented record last fall. 
A raft of 510 Canvasbacks was a typical 
count at the important wintering site at L. 
Seminole, GA 24 Nov (KB, NF). A slightly in- 
jured male Redhead that summered at Rivers 
I., NC was present through the period (JF). A 
female Common Eider seen briefly at New R. 
Inlet, NC 5 Aug (GM) was very unusual for 
the date. An inland White-winged Scoter was 
spotted at L. Hickory, NC 19 Nov (DM). Very 
early were 16 Black Scoters at New River In- 
let, NC 5 Aug (GM et al). Single Long-tailed 
Ducks were at Jordan L., NC 19-26 Nov (NA) 
and Oregon Inlet, NC 9 Nov (RD). At 
L.W.EG., 10 Common Goldeneyes were a 
nice find 17 Nov (EB). An impressive 2495 
Hooded Mergansers were present at the S.S.S. 
12 Nov (SC), while a female Common Mer- 
ganser was at L. Gaston, NC 22 Nov (RD). 
Three inland Red-throated Loons were typical 
of North Carolina in Nov, but a Pacific Loon 
at L. Townsend, NC 18-30 Nov was quite a 
rarity (acc., HL et al). Among several reports 
of Eared Grebe were high counts of 5 at L. 
Lanier, GA 22 Nov (]S et al.) and 7 at the 
S.S.S. 26 Nov (SC). A Red-necked Grebe at 
Folly Pier, SC 1 Nov (CSn) was the only re- 
port of the period. 
Pelagic birding was slow off Hatteras, NC 
in early Aug due to adverse wind conditions 
and a late Jul Gulf Stream shift; conditions 
and bird diversity improved Aug-Sep. 
Records of Herald Petrel were provided by a 
dark morph 25 Aug and a “dark light morph” 
21 Sep off Hatteras (BPl). Shearwaters were 
well represented in the Region late Aug-Sep, 
including high counts of 114 Cory’s Shearwa- 
ters on a seabirding trip out of Tybee I., GA 14 
Sep (BL et al.) and 102 Greater Shearwaters 
23 Aug off Hatteras (BPI). Also off Hatteras, a 
single Leach’s Storm-Petrel was observed 21 
Sep, and the last Band-rumped Storm-Petrel 
was recorded 24 Aug, which is about average 
(BPI). A single Red-billed Tropicbird ob- 
served off Hatteras 7 Oct was notably late for 
the species (BPI). Single Masked Boobies 
were recorded off Hatteras 23 Aug (BPI) and 
off Tybee I. 14 Sep (BL et al). Notable was a 
juv. Brown Booby near Jekyll L, GA 30 Aug 
(B&TD), but stunning was the discovery of 
13 birds on the offshore Navy towers off Ty- 
bee I., GA 14 Sep (BL et al.) — a new state high 
count and the 9th state record overall. An in- 
jured bird at Surfside Beach, SC 6 Sep (fide 
CH) provided the 6th state record and had 
been banded as a chick 2 Mar 2003 in the U.S. 
Virgin Islands! The latter two 
records may have been tied to 
the passage of Harma. 
A group of 10 American 
White Pelicans in the Pamlico 
R., NC 4 Aug was interesting 
for the date (fide AM); inland 
flocks of this species are occa- 
sionally spotted on lower Chat- 
tahoochee R. reservoirs, thus 
100+ birds soaring over 
L.W.EG. 16 Nov were notable 
(EB). A single Brown Pelican 
was at L.W.EG. 28 Aug+ OFD 
and may have been the same 
individual as discovered here 
in Jun. A Great Cormorant 
was an excellent discovery at 
L.W.EG. 17 Nov+ (EB, m.ob.), providing only 
the 2nd inland state record and 7th overall for 
the state. Other inland sightings included sin- 
gles at L. Mattamuskeet 2 Sep (ph. JL), in 
Stanly, NC 21 Oct (fide NA), and at Falls L., 
NC 26 Nov (BB). Anhingas found in the Pied- 
This Brown Booby photographed on 14 September 2008 dur- 
ing a post-Tropicai Storm Fay pelagic trip to Georgia's off- 
shore waters was one of B found the same day, easily estab- 
lishing a new state high count. Photograph by David Hollie. 
Good fishing at Lake Walter F. George kept this Great Cormorant well fed from 17 
(here 18) November 2008 through month's end. This represented the seventh 
documented Georgia record and remarkably the second inland. Photograph by 
Darlene Moore. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 1 
61 
