Birds of Kennesaw Mountain Update Page
SBa Steve Barlow
NK Noah Kahn
NKl Nathan Klaus
CS Chuck Saleeby
IS Iain Stephenson
2004
Fall: 10 Jul-6 Nov (19+31+28+25+3=106)
Another fall of excellent coverage, although we lost several days due to
tropical storms and associated multiple days of heavy rain (at least four
days in mid-Sep).
2005
Spring: 13 Mar-21 May (14+30+18=62)
Fall: 14 Jul-4 Nov (6+24+30+18+1=79)
Spring coverage was about average, only falling off in late May. For fall, Jul was very light and Aug was a little light on coverage, and Oct was thinly covered late as well. There was almost no weather all season, so many of the numbers were very low.
2006
Spring: 18 Mar-28 May (10+29+15=54)
Fall: 9 Jul-12 Oct (8+23+27+6+0=64)
Spring coverage was pretty low, as was fall. May was particularly poorly covered, and as a result many late arriving species are undercounted. For fall, Jul was light, Aug and Sep were pretty good but less than average, and Oct was miserable. There was almost no weather in both seasons, so between that and the coverage many of the numbers are very low.
Accidental fall migrant, with one bird flying past the summit on 16 Sep 2005 (WC et al).
Accidental spring and fall migrant, or possibly local resident soaring from nearby Lake Allatoona, eight records. The first spring record is a subadult of unknown age on 7 May 2005 (BZ, SB). During 2006, three were seen between 25 Mar and 10 may. In fall, one adult was seen soaring over KMT on 17 Sep 1997 (PR), one subadult II or III was overhead on 29 Sep 1997 (GB, BBe, photo), and another adult was seen 27 Oct 2004 (PH). One more adult was seen on 21 Sep 2006 (BZ et al).
Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes
Accidental spring and fall migrant, two records in spring and one record in fall.
Spring:
30 Apr 1998: a bird perched in a tree on top of KMT, calling in the fog (BD)
5 Apr 2001: a bird that flew calling over the VC parking lot on 5 Apr 2001
(GB, KT, DZ).
Fall:
9 Sep 2004: flew overhead calling (GB, WB, PH, DZ)
Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon
Accidental spring and fall migrant, one record in spring and four records in fall.
Spring:
27 Mar 2006: a bird that flew calling through the saddle
(GB).
Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis
Accidental spring and fall migrant, 11 May and 13 Aug-22 Sep.
There is 1 record in spring and 4 records in fall, all on or near the top of the mountain. Surprisingly none of them have been at the two tiny sources of water at the bottom of KMT, where they would be expected. All have occurred during bad weather, or as close to “fallout” conditions as we get at KMT.
Spring record:
11 May 2005: 40’ up in a tree at the first big open area, GB, DZ
Fall records:
13 Aug 1995: on downed tree above road in first big open area during fallout
in fog, GB, BD
18 Sep 1995: 2 birds in upper snag area in fog, GB, PH
22 Sep 1996: at saddle stairs, on the uphill side, BZ
22 Sep 2000: on top at the upper snag area sign looking down in rain, EH
Connecticut Warbler Oporornis agilis
Accidental spring and fall migrant, 8 May-29 May and 22 Aug 2004.
There are 9 spring and 1 fall records. Several of the spring records involved the same bird (all males) seen or heard in the same spot on successive days. I don’t think any of these birds would have been found unless they were singing, so it’s no surprise that we have only the one female in fall, although I’m sure they are occurring here as often as males.
Spring records:
10 May 1994: partially up the mountain road, singing up the hill in a
scrubby area at dawn after a thrush count, immediately flew in to a
recording of its song, GB, KD
22-23 May 1995: heard singing a whisper song on very top on 22nd
(GB, BHa) and again on 23rd (PH, JS)
18 May 1998: heard singing at bottom of the first big open area, GB, KD, PH
8-11 May 1999: seen and singing near base of stairs to top at saddle, KD,
multiple others
26-29 May 2001: seen and heard below road just below saddle area, DZ,
multiple others
9 May 2003: where the Cape May trail hits the trail to the CCC Loop, PH
16-17 May 2003: downhill side of mountain road near marker #2, GB, DZ, JG
11 May 2005: heard at the saddle at 0630 and then again on top at
0945, GB, DZ, CS
16 May 2005: unk location, DZ, BZ
Fall record:
22 Aug 2004: adult female at marker #7, IS
MacGillivray’s Warbler Oporornis tolmiei
Accidental fall migrant, 4 Sep 2005.
There is one fall record, a bird seen by dozens of birders and photographed. Either an adult female or immature male, the bird was found at the saddle stairs initially, but wandered up and down the side of KMT and on both sides of the saddle trail (GB, MD, BZ, DZ, PH et al). It was seen on and off all day, but not on subsequent days. This record has been submitted to the GCRC but that committee has not yet decided on this record. If accepted, it will be Georgia’s third accepted record and the second for the Atlanta area.
Bachman’s Sparrow Aimophila aestivalis
Accidental spring migrant, one record of one bird in the first big snag area on 6 May 2005 (GB). The bird was first seen low in shrub, flew up into one of the large trees, and then took off for the top of the mountain. It was not relocated.
Dickcissel Spiza americana
Accidental fall migrant, 30 Sep.
There is one record of a bird seen and heard in the big open area on 30 Sep 2004, which then flew up toward the summit and was seen again there (MD, GB, DZ, et al).