Richard's post made me think of Mulberry trees. They should have ripening berries on them now and will attract all kinds of birds, esp. thrushes and tanagers. There's one at Sandy Creek Nature Center near the end of the pavement down by the old building (Walker Hall). There's one on campus as you are coming around the curve up from the stadium. And I just discovered one by the parking lot in back of the pink house at the corner of Milledge and Springdale.

The Gray-cheeked Thrush continues at the botgarden in the same spot as posted yesterday. A late Blackburnian Warbler and a Red-shouldered Hawk attacking (and missing) a Yellow-billed Cuckoo were the other highlights this morning.

Cross-posted to GABO-L

We continue to have PINE SISKINS at our feeders, though in dramatically reduced numbers. Yesterday we had a high count of four and today we have had two (so far), a new "late date" for our yard. (Previous "late date" was a single bird on 5/12/2006.) We had double-digit counts through May 7 and have had PISIs daily since then, but no more than seven at a time.

It has been a fabulous year for them and we've enjoyed them immensely.

Bill

Red-Shouldered Hawk attacking a Yellow-billed Cuckoo!! aren't there enough Robins around. Strange how migratory birds either end up in the foodchain early on or get hit by cars. Glad the cuckoo made it out alive though, even if being eaten is nature.

A female Rose-breasted Grosbeak visited my feeder this morning. Feeder tick!

I made a brief visit to the botgarden with 2 French birders this morning, and we were lucky enough to get great views of a Barred Owl on the river section of white trail, ruffling its feathers after a bath. Photos here:

http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/rjhall/11009/Bathed+Owl.html

Also of note was a (the?) singing Magnolia Warbler on the Blue Trail between the power line and the clearing.

I am at the Big Catch on Highway 44 on Lake Oconee. There is a Red-Headed Wood Pecker in the mullberry tree dropping fruit for the carp.

I enjoyed a cool, relatively mosquito-free walk along Cook's Trail early this morning. The Swainson's Warbler is still singing, and I was able to get scope views again today. On the down side, I'm now starting to think that there may be just one singing bird, as I first heard the bird doing its unusual 'Richard-Richard' song just south of the Oxbow Lake, and it continued singing and moving south as far as the bridge across the creek. I then picked up a bird singing the same unusual song from south of the wetland, and it again continued to move in a southwards direction towards the end of the boardwalk.

Other highlights included a late Black-throated Blue Warbler, a male Scarlet Tanager, 2 singing Yellow-breasted Chats, a mother Wood Duck swimming with 8 tiny ducklings, and a huge Snapping Turtle.

(cross-posted to GABO-L)

Late this afternoon we were driving by a field that contained grass and weeds about a foot or a foot and a half high. A crow, which I presumed to be American since I've never seen Fish Crows doing anything but flying over out here in the country, was flapping around in the grass, jumping up, then flapping around some more. We pulled over to watch. It continued the same behavior; then suddenly a quite small mammal, probably a mouse or vole, ran out into the shorter roadside grass, made a immediate U-turn, and went back into the taller grass. The crow did not seize the moment! A noisy truck came by and caused the crow to fly a few yards back into the field. When it returned to the original spot, it seemed unable to relocate the animal.

I know crows will eat carrion but I have never seen one actively hunting prey before.

During a lovely 9:00 stroll around our Oconee county neighborhood this evening, my wife and I came across a runoff area with a sizable pool of water hosting numerous singing Eastern Narrowmouth Toads and Cope's Gray Treefrogs. I got to finally see an ENT in-hand; very fun. The herp viewing can be great after heavy summer downpours like the one we had this afternoon.

Karla O'Grady, Richard Hall, and Bill O'Grady joined me for a dreary, buggy morning at the botgarden. Migration is waning quickly as the only species we had that don't breed around here were a lingering Swainson's Thrush on the white trail just in from the entrance road and a Canada Warbler singing from across the river on the orange trail. But it's never a bad day when you see 2 Barred Owls as we did along the blue trail descending to the river. Nor is it ever a bad day when you hear a Swainson's Warbler at the botanical garden. Nor is it ever a bad day when you get great looks at a singing Kentucky Warbler, or see 3 baby White-eyed Vireos in a nest with no cowbirds. Nor is it a bad day when you get 15 different Acadian Flycatchers (no double-counting!) without even walking most of the upland trails. Nor is it a bad day when you see a huge Snapping Turtle laying eggs (next to the artificial beaverdam). And it's REALLY not a bad day when you see your first Georgia COPPERHEAD hunting frogs on the white trail. What an absolutely beautiful snake (Richard should have some great photos posted to his blog later; wish I had brought my camera!).

In the realm of not-so-fabulous things, we also came across a patch of vegetation on the orange trail alongside the beaverpond that was teeming with adult Lone Star Ticks waiting with open arms at the tips of grasses and other leaves. Although I have to admit, they are my favorite tick species (which isn't saying much). Full ebird list below:

Location: State Botanical Garden of Georgia
Observation date: 5/17/09
Notes: BIOG, RIHA, KAOG, & JOMC.
Number of species: 60

Canada Goose 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Rock Pigeon 1
Mourning Dove 6
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2
Barred Owl 2
Chimney Swift 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 5
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 7
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 3
Acadian Flycatcher 15
Eastern Phoebe 4
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
White-eyed Vireo 11
Yellow-throated Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 10
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 7
Fish Crow 2
Carolina Chickadee 11
Tufted Titmouse 17
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
Brown-headed Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 10
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 14
Eastern Bluebird 3
Swainson's Thrush 1
American Robin 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
Brown Thrasher 6
Northern Parula 4
Yellow-throated Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 7
Black-and-white Warbler 1
American Redstart 4
Swainson's Warbler 1
Louisiana Waterthrush 2
Kentucky Warbler 4
Common Yellowthroat 3
Hooded Warbler 4
Canada Warbler 1
Summer Tanager 3
Scarlet Tanager 1
Eastern Towhee 4
Chipping Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 33
Blue Grosbeak 6
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Common Grackle 9
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
Orchard Oriole 1
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 2

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Copperhead and baby Vireo photos are here:
http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/rjhall/

yes the copperhead was gorgeous i must admit, bright red tongue and all. It was under the bridge by the time i got there.

I stopped at Lake Herrick on this refreshingly cool morning, and enjoyed the spectacle of Chimney Swifts and Barn and Rough-winged Swallows zipping around my ears. Also present were 2 Eastern Kingbirds, an American Redstart, 1 Spotted Sandpiper and a displaying Red-winged Blackbird.

one other sighting that i keep forgetting to post here, was from a year ago, just before the big loop bridge on the Oconee Nature trail heading north. I encountered a mammal that i strongly believe was a badger. Has anyone else seen anything like this on the trails?

Badgers aren't found in GA (they are native further west). The closest thing I can think of is a large opossum.