Waterfowl through ibises

An American Flamingo was seen as late as 12 Oct along the Jekyll Island Causeway in Glynn Co, GA (Josie Scordato), one of a handful of observations since the first Georgia state record this summer.

An Upland Sandpiper and four Buff-breasted Sandpipers were seen at Juice Plant Rd in Macon Co, GA on 1 Sep (Bibi Pritchard), and an Upland Sandpiper was spotted along Nimmer Turf Rd in Jasper Co, SC on 3 Aug (Jim Asmuth). Both species appeared often in North Carolina. A pair of Baird’s Sandpipers visited near Myrtle Beach in Horry, SC on 13 Aug (Chris Huffstickler) and more at Lake Brandt in Guilford Co, NC on 30 Aug (Matt Wangerin).

A Hudsonian Godwit was spotted on Onslow Island in Chatham Co, GA on 25 Sep (Mark McShane). A surprising flock of 39 were also seen flying off the coast of Dare Co, NC on 24 Aug (Doug Godwit, et al). Others came in to forage at Pea Island NWR in Dare Co, NC on 13 Sep (Daniel Irons) and Fort Fisher in New Hanover Co, NC on 20 Sep (Jamie Adams). A Bar-tailed Godwit appeared at Kiawah Island in Charleston Co, SC on 17 Aug (Nicole-Marie Pettinelli).

Several White-faced Ibises joined a big flock of Glossy and White ibises at Phillips St. Ponds in Miller Co, GA on 4 Aug (Mark McShane).

Skuas and jaegers through frigatebirds

A Pomarine Jaeger was seen at Lake Hartwell Overlook in Anderson Co, SC on 27 Sep (Steve Patterson).

A Sargasso Shearwater was photographed off the beach at Waties Island in Horry Co, SC on 8 Aug (Chris Hill), and a Great Shearwater was photographed two days later at Bushy Park Landing in Berkeley Co, SC (James Porter).

Among the many pelagic birds seen far off the coast of Dare Co, NC were a Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, a Trindade Petrel, Scopoli’s Shearwaters, Sargasso Shearwaters, Great Shearwaters and Fea’s Petrel on 16 Aug; Bermuda Petrel on 21 Aug; a South Polar Skua on 20 Sep; and a Leach’s Storm-Petrel off the coast of Currituck Co, NC on 7 Sep (Mario Balitbit, June McDaniels).

A Sabine’s Gull was seen inland on Lake Lanier on 29 Sep (Rusty Trump), along with several off the coast of Dare Co, NC around the same time. A Franklin’s Gull rested near the water near Jekyll Island’s South Beach in Glynn Co, GA on Oct 14 (Lisa Rose).

An Arctic Tern was found sitting among a big mixed tern flock at the Oregon Inlet South Rock Jetty in Dare Co, NC on 17 Sep (Andrew Thornton).

Other pelagic rarities included two White-tailed Tropicbirds on 24 Aug (Kate Sutherland, et al.) and a Red-billed Tropicbird on 19 Sep (Daniel Irons).

A Wilson’s Storm-Petrel was seen at Breach Inlet in Charleston Co, SC on 7 Aug (Michael Gamble) and many more were seen off the coast of North Carolina. A Black-capped Petrel was identified flying over Herrin Pond in Ware Co, GA on 27 Sep (Allan Muise).

Magnificent Frigatebirds were found at Lake Seminole in Seminole and Decatur Cos on 27 Sep and Lake Lanier in Hall Co on 29 Sep after Hurricane Helene passed through Georgia.

A Masked Booby was seen off the coast of Dare Co, NC on 29 Aug (Kate Sutherland) and another off the coast of Glynn Co, GA on 28 Sep (Brendan Murtha).

Hawks through owls

A Golden Eagle was seen in Menlo in Walker Co, GA on 20 Oct (Joshua Spence).

A Northern Saw-whet Owl was recorded calling at Clayhole Swamp WMA in Glynn Co, GA on 25 Oct (Eliot Van Otteran).

Flycatchers through blackbirds

Say’s Phoebes were found in Hyde Co, NC on 22 Sep (Matthew Jackson), Dare Co, NC on 12 Oct (Raymund Geroso), and along Mays Rd in Lee Co, GA on 26 Oct (Sam Jones).

A Hammond’s Flycatcher was identified at the Andrew’s Picnic Area on Jekyll in Co, GA on 12 Oct (Nate Swick). South Carolina’s first Dusky Flycatcher was banded at Kiawah Island Banding Station in Charleston Co, SC on 17 Sep (Aaron Given). Vermillion Flycatchers were seen along Mays Rd in Lee Co, GA and at Santee NWR in Clarendon Co, SC on 23 Oct (Irvin Pitts), sticking around to the last day of that month.

A Warbling Vireo visited the backyard of avid birder Richard Hall in Clarke Co, GA on 25 Aug and was photographed by many. This makes every Georgia vireo visiting Hall’s native gardens.

A Bicknell’s Thrush was banded at Kiawah Island Banding Station in Charleston Co, SC on 8 Oct (Aaron Given)—a first state record. A female Varied Thrush was a Dare Co, NC first at Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve on 28 Oct (Jeff Lewis).

Lark Buntings were found in Ft. Moultrie National Monument in Charleston Co, SC on 20 Aug (Craig Watson) and Eufaula NWR in Stewart Co, GA on 28 Sep (John McMahan), and at Waves Soundfort on 11 Sep (Keren Lebing) and at Bonner Bridge Pier (Paul Laurent)—both in Dare Co, NC.

Several Nelson’s Sparrows were seen in all three states, including one banded at the Panola Mountain Banding Station in Rockdale Co, GA on 5 Oct (Charlie Muise). Henslow’s Sparrows were seen in three metro Atlanta counties beginning 8 Oct at the Chattahoochee River NRA Cochran Shoals Unit in Cobb Co (Sam Jones).

A Yellow-headed Blackbird was photographed foraging at Cape Hatteras NS Salt Pond in Dare Co, NC on 31 Aug (Travis Carroll).

Report processed by Eric DeFonso, 10 Feb 2025.