November 4, 2008
Georgia Botanical Garden
This excellent site is about a 20 minute cycle ride from where I'll be living next year, and along with Memorial Park (less good for birding but on my doorstep) looks set to become a regular haunt of mine. I encountered a few very confiding Red-shouldered Hawks.
This Hermit Thrush, freshly arrived for the winter, showed well in the parking lot.
As usual, the Beaverpond Wetland provided much interest over my 3 visits to the site, with winter visitors including Swamp Sparrow and a single Palm Warbler. Both Winter and Carolina Wren were present.
A pond turtle basking in the late morning sunlight.
The real treat, however, was watching this River Otter fishing and grooming for a good 30 minutes.
Other birds seen along the river trails included Myrtle, Pine and a late Magnolia Warbler. The power line cut-through yielded a Field Sparrow among the Song and White-throated Sparrows, plus numerous Eastern Bluebirds and Northern Mockingbirds.
