SOUTHERN ATLANTIC 
This juvenile Sabine's Gull discovered on 12 September 2008 at Lake Norman, North Carolina provided 
the third record of the species in Mecklenburg County in the past 13 years. Photograph by Jeff Lemons. 
(TM) and Henderson, NC 26 
Aug (WF), while 23 v/ere typi- 
cal at the S.S.S. 15 Aug (SC); 
Fay was also the likely source of 
3 inland Georgia Red-necked 
Phalaropes 23-27 Aug. Also 
among Hanna-related reports 
were counts of 51 Red-necked 
and 2 Red Phalaropes at Buck- 
hom Res., NC 6 Sep (RD) and 
41 of the former and one of the 
latter species at L. Waccamaw, 
NC the same day (CM et al.). 
A first-year Sabine’s Gull was 
found on L. Norman, NC 12 Sep 
(DW et al), the 3rd record of 
this rarity for the area! An imm. 
Black-headed Gull was an excel- 
lent find in Goldsboro, NC 1-3 
Nov (ED, GH), and represented 
only the 2nd inland record for 
the state. A new state high count was provided 
by 6050 Laughing Gulls at Jekyll I., GA 12 Oct 
(PWS), while 30+ birds at L.WEG. 28 Aug 
were likely Fay leftovers. Single Franklin’s 
Gulls were noted at Buckhorn Res., NC 14 Oct 
(RD) and at L.WEG. 9 (MMc) & 24 Nov 
(MMc, MM); 7 cruising over L. Junaluska, NC 
9 Nov (ph. C&SW) were quite unusual and es- 
tablished a new state high count. Inland Less- 
er Black-backed Gulls were found at L. 
Hartwell, GA 2 Sep OFl) and at West Point L., 
GA 8 Oct (WC). A third- winter 
Glaucous Gull was present in 
Brunswick, GA 9-18 Nov (NF, 
m.ob.), the state’s first since 
2005 and nearly two months 
earlier than any previous record. 
An inland Great Black-backed 
Gull visited Falls L., NC 26-28 
Nov (BB). 
Another remarkable discov- 
ery off Tybee L, GA 14 Sep was 
a new state high count of 6 
Brown Noddies (BL et al.), pos- 
sibly brought in by Tropical 
Storm Hanna. Sooty Terns asso- 
ciated with Fay were an ex- 
hausted bird at Jekyll I., GA 22 
Aug (LT), one at Little St. Si- 
mons 1., GA 22-23 Aug (TD), 3 
at L. Oliver, GA 24 Aug (WC), 2 
at L.WEG. 28 Aug 0^1). one at 
West Point L., GA 2 Sep (WC) and 2 at J. 
Strom Thurmond L., GA 2 Sep (IFl). Hanna 
also brought Sooty Terns to the Region, with 4 
over jekyll I., GA 5 Sep (GK) and many in 
North Carolina 6 Sep, including 12 at Atlantic 
Beach QF), 3 at Jordan L. (MS et al), 3 at 
Buckhorn Res. (RD), an injured bird at Sneads 
Ferry (GG), a juv. at Hubert (BBy), and a 
moribund juv. at Calabash 8 Sep (MER, 
*NCMNS). Storm-blown Bridled Tern sight- 
ings included 7 at Jekyll I., GA 22 Aug (LT), a 
moribund bird there 23 Aug (ph. SS) that suc- 
cumbed the following day 0^0, and one at 
Bald Head 1., NC 27 Aug (ph. MD); in North 
Carolina 6 Sep were 2 at Jordan L. (MS et al.), 
3 at Atlantic Beach QF), and 3 at L. Wacca- 
maw (GM et al). A group of 9 Caspian Terns 
was interesting at Carter’s L., GA 26 Aug 
QSp). Notable sightings of Black Terns includ- 
ed 477 at the S.S.S. 27 Aug (SC), 130 at L. 
Seminole, GA 28 Aug QFl), 50+ at West Point 
L., GA 2 Sep (WC), and 391 at Buckhorn Res., 
NC 6 Sep (RD). A single Black Skimmer was 
deposited by Hanna in Goldsboro, NC (GH et 
al.). There were a number of Long-tailed 
Jaeger sightings in the Region, with one bird 
26 Aug and 2 on 21 Sep off Hatteras (BPl), a 
juv. at L. Seminole, GA 28 Aug 
(JFl), a moribund imm. bird on 
Kiawah I., SC 30 Aug (ND; 
*CM), the state’s first specimen, 
and an imm. bird off Tybee 1.14 
Sep (ph. BZ). 
D0¥ES THROUGH 
FINCHES 
White-winged Doves have been 
slowly increasing in recent years 
along the s. Atlantic coast, illus- 
trated this season by singles on 
N. Topsail Beach, NC 1 Aug 
(CSh), Jekyll I., GA 17 Aug 
(MMc et al), and at Ft. Fisher, 
NC 29 Oct-1 Nov (DC). A 
Monk Parakeet was at a nest in 
Davie, NC 6 Aug (PD, RM). 
Normally a scarce and elusive 
species, 5 Black-billed Cuckoos 
were observed 10 Aug in Piney Creek, NC 
(JCo); also feasting on a webworm infestation 
that day were an impressive 17 Yellow-billed 
Cuckoos. A male Broad-billed Hummingbird 
returned to the Region in New Bern, NC 1 
Aug+ (SCa) for a 3rd state record, after winter- 
ing last year in Charleston, SC! Among several 
returning Rufous Hummingbirds was a male in 
Dawson, GA 7 Aug+ (GS) for his 3rd consecu- 
tive year in the state. Rare and notoriously dif- 
ficult to identify when not vocalizing, an Alder 
Flycatcher was in Habersham, 
GA 1 Sep (ph. JFl), and one was 
reported at West Point L., GA 6 
Oct (EB). An Ash-throated Fly- 
catcher was a nice find at L. 
Mattamuskeet, NC 11 Nov 
(CN). Single Western Kingbirds 
were spotted in Tyrrell, NC 19 
Oct (DC) and Charleston, SC 27 
Oct (ND), while 2 were in Fair- 
field, NC 7 Nov (ph. BC). Gray 
Kingbirds were reported from 
several annual breeding sites in 
Georgia, including a high count 
of 8 in Glynn, GA 13 Aug (BBr); 
a single bird at Bear Island 
W.M.A., SC 30 Aug (ND) was 
notable for that site. 
A Bell’s Vireo at Ft. Fisher, 
NC 1 Oct provided the 4th state 
record (ph. JPa), and another 
on Jekyll 1., GA 5 Oct (b., CP) was only the 
3rd documented in that state. Philadelphia 
Vireos were reported in good numbers across 
the Region, with counts of 6 at Carter’s Lake, 
GA 27 Sep (RW), 5 at C.R.N.R.A. 28 Sep (KB 
et al), and 6 at Jackson Park, NC 30 Sep 
(WF). Common Ravens have been increasing 
locally in recent years e. of the North Carolina 
The first for Georgia in several years, this third-cycle Glaucous Gulf was present in Brunswick 9-18 
(here 14) November 2008. Photograph by Bill Flatau. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 1 
63 
