Last Monday I travelled down to Macon to give a talk about birding in England and France to the local Audubon chapter. It was well-timed, as a Black-headed Gull showed up in Savannah soon after! After enjoying the hospitality of Jim and Sandy Gilreath, I spent Valentine’s Day morning in the Piedmont NWR. While Bachman’s Sparrow was tricky (only one brief view the whole morning), I heard Red-cockaded Woodpeckers at almost every stop.

This weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count, so I did the rounds in Clarke County. Highlights included an out-in-the-open Wilson’s Snipe and American Pipits at Charlie Bolton Road, 11 Rusty Blackbirds at Sandy Creek Park, and the continuing ‘mega-flock’ of Gadwalls at the Oxbow Lake.

The highlight of my backyard count was the continuing Pine Siskin.

Some other photographic highlights.

Signs of spring included my first singing Song Sparrow and Brown-headed Cowbird. This Red-shouldered Hawk was displaying with its mate, and I suspect it will nest close by.

At the South Milledge fields, this Killdeer was already on a nest.