SOUTHERN ATLANTIC 
Feasting on a massire hatch of june bugs, this elegant Swallow-tailed Kite was part of an amazing flock of 64 birds obserwd 
over a single field on 16 August 2008 in Long County, Georgia. Photograph by Rachel Cass. 
mont region included 2 in Barrow, GA 17 Aug 
(JFl) and singles 4 Aug in Guilford, NC (HL) 
and 1 Sep in Henry, GA (PR), providing fur- 
ther evidence of inland expansion. Tropical 
Storm Fay produced four late Aug sightings 
of Magnificent Frigatebirds in coastal Geor- 
gia, including 3 on Jekyll I. 22 Aug (fide LT). 
Tropical Storm Hanna delivered a single bird 
to Beaufort, NC 6 Sep (AGo). A Great White 
Fleron was hundreds of miles out of range in 
Asheville, NC 7 Aug QO); what may have 
been the same bird was observed sporadically 
in Avery, NC as late as 7 Oct (ph. CSm). Out 
of the ordinary was a Tricolored Heron far in- 
land in Cabarrus, NC 14 Aug (ph. AK). 
Among many reports during post-breeding 
dispersal, 4 Reddish Egrets provided an excel- 
lent count at Shackleford Banks, NC 1 Sep 
(WFu); a rare white morph graced Little St. 
Simons 1., GA 15 Oct (TD); and a bird on 
Portsmouth I., NC 11 Nov (MJ) was quite far 
n. for such a late date. An impressive 500-i- 
Cattle Egrets were observed in Robeson, NC 
18 Sep (HL). A late juv. Yellow-crowned 
Night-Heron was present 30 Nov in Carteret, 
NC 0F)> 3nd a count of 136 Black-crowned 
Night-Herons was notable at the S.S.S. 26 
Nov (SC). The highest count of Roseate 
Spoonbills was a remarkable 78 at the S.S.S. 8 
Aug (SC). Interesting reports of post-breeding 
Wood Storks included a large inland group of 
62 birds in Laurens, SC 31 Aug QB) and 4 that 
remained in Henry, GA 1 Oct (PR), notably 
late for the Piedmont. 
RAPTORS THROUGH MEGERS 
An incredible sight to behold were two flocks 
of Swallow-tailed Kites totaling 90-100+ indi- 
viduals in Long, GA 14 Aug (GW, PM); by 16 
Aug, one flock had “diminished” to 64 birds 
hawking insects over a single field (GW, 
m.ob.). Significant for the nw. Piedmont, 2 
were in Lincoln, NC 9-12 Aug (m.ob.). The 
highest count of post-breeding-dispersal Mis- 
sissippi Kites was 75 in Muscogee, GA 17 Aug 
(TT). Intriguing were single Northern 
Goshawks reported on consecutive days in 
Georgia, at Eufaula N.W.R. 21 Oct (WC) and 
at the C.R.N.R.A. 22 Oct (CS); an imm. was 
observed in Durham, NC 15 Oct (MT); and an 
ad. was a backyard surprise in Beaufort, NC 
28 Nov (R&SBb An astonishing 6269 migrat- 
ing Broad-winged Hawks passed over Caesars 
Head, SC 21 Sep, establishing a new state high 
count (]C et al.). Rare visitors to the Region 
were a Swainson’s Hawk soaring over Wilm- 
ington, NC 25 Oct (SCo) and single light- 
morph Rough-legged Hawks over Carteret, 
NC 26 Oct (JF et al.) and Gordon, GA 29 Oct 
(JSp). Among a number of Golden Eagle sight- 
ings were several away from strongholds in 
nw. North Carolina; singles were seen over 
Caesars Head, SC 20 Sep 
QC et al.), at Sneads Fer- 
ry, NC 19 Oct (GG), at 
Botany Bay W.M.A., SC 
19 Oct (MB), on James I., 
SC 28 Oct (DF),and at L. 
Mattamuskeet, NC 23 
Nov (RD). 
A Yellow Rail was seen 
in flight in a rice field in 
Washington, NC 11 Oct 
(DR); 3 Black Rails were 
at the regular site in n. 
Greene, GA 10 Aug 
(PWS). Far n. of its typi- 
cal range was a Purple 
Gallinule in Tyrrell, NC 
17 Aug (fide JP), while 
the high count was 20 birds at Savannah 
N.W.R., SC 16 Aug (SB et al). American Gold- 
en-Plovers were widely reported this fall, in- 
cluding high counts of 6 at L. Mattamuskeet 
31 Aug (RD) and 4 in Bartow, GA 19 Sep, one 
still sporting breeding attire (KB, NF). Pre- 
sumably the same Snowy Plovers from sum- 
mer were again reported in North Carolina, 
one at Hammocks Beach S.E 22-28 Sep (acc., 
AH, m.ob.) and one at Ocracoke Inlet 17 Sep 
(acc., ph. SM). An inland Piping Plover in 
Washington, GA 23 Aug (JFl) was one of sev- 
eral atypical shorebird sightings associated 
vrith the passage of Fay. A Black-necked Stilt 
in Bartow, GA 31 Aug represented the farthest 
inland record in the state (KB et al). Highly 
unusual was a group of 14 American Avocets 
that took refuge at a pond in the Appalachians 
in Union, GA 25 Aug (BBe et al); an extraor- 
dinary non-storm-related count of 1120 birds 
was recorded at the S.S.S. 12 Nov (SC). Single 
inland Willets were spotted in Bartow, GA 25 
Aug (KB) and in Peach, GA 26 Aug (WC). Up- 
land Sandpiper sightings were relatively 
sparse, the highest count being only 8 in 
Carteret, NC 17 Aug QF et al). Single Hud- 
sonian Godwits were present at L. Mattamus- 
keet 31 Aug-28 Sep (RD) and in Bladen, NC 6 
Sep (GM), while 3 separate birds — all with in- 
jured legs — were present at different locations 
on the Outer Banks, NC 1-9 Nov (m.ob.). 
White-rumped Sandpipers were noted across 
the Region, the highest count being 22 at L. 
Mattamuskeet, NC 31 Aug (RD). There were 
about a dozen sightings of Baird’s Sandpipers, 
with 3 at Falls L., NC 26 Aug (DL) the most 
noteworthy. A very early Purple Sandpiper 
was at H.B.S.P 2 Oct (ph. D&SD), while 23 
were tallied at Tybee I., GA 28 Nov (BZ). Buff- 
breasted Sandpiper sightings were below aver- 
age, with a high count of 7 in jasper, SC 21 
Sep (RH). Typical of late summer birds, a Ruff 
with vestiges of breeding plumage was discov- 
ered at the S.S.S. 1 Aug (ph. SC); presumably 
the same bird was relocated 27 Aug (SC). In- 
teresting was a good count of 207 Short-billed 
Dowitchers at Kiawah I., SC 13 Sep (ND), but 
unprecedented was a new fall high count of 
555 Long-billed Dowitchers at the S.S.S. 29 
Oct (SC); notably, a historic Regional high 
count of 910 was recorded there 27 Apr 2003 
(unpubl, SC). Tropical Storm Fay delivered 
Wilson’s Phalaropes to Peach, GA 24 Aug 
Typical of late summer birds, this Ruff was still molting when photographed at the 
Savannah Spoil Site, South Caroiina 1 August 2008. What was presumably the same 
bird was still present on 27 August. Photograph by Steve Calver. 
62 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
