2017 Fall Meeting

In 2015, bird nerd Noah Strycker of Oregon became the first human to see more than half of the planet’s bird species in a single, year-long, round-the- world birding trip. Anything could have happened, and a lot did. He was scourged by blood-sucking leeches, suffered fevers and sleep deprivation, survived airline snafus and car breakdowns and mudslides and torrential floods, skirted war zones, and had the time of his life. Birding on seven continents and carrying only a pack on his back, Strycker enlisted the enthusiastic support of local birders to tick more than 6,000 species, including Adelie Penguins in Antarctica, a Harpy Eagle in Brazil, a Spoon-billed Sandpiper in Thailand, and a Green-breasted Pitta in Uganda. He shared the adventure in real time on his daily blog (audubon.org/noah), and now he reveals the inside story. This humorous and inspiring presentation about Strycker’s epic World Big Year will leave you with a new appreciation for the birds and birders of the world.

FRIDAY NIGHT’S PRESENTATION

“A Bird's Eye View of Climate Change: Black-throated Blue Warblers at the

Warm Edge of Their Range”

Ryan Chitwood
M.S. Student
Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources
The University of Georgia

Ryan Chitwood earned his B.S. degree from UGA's Odium Shcool of Ecology and has been working with Black-throated Blue Warblers in western North Carolina for five breeding seasons. In fall of 2015, he elevated his work to the graduate level under the co-direction of Dr. Bob Cooper and Dr. Richard Chandler. His Master's project is part of a long-term study of Black-throated Blue Warblers that began in 2002 at the Coweeta Long Term Ecological Research site in western NC and has been funded by GOS graduate research grants. Mounting evidence suggests that climate change is shifting the ranges of birds and other organisms poleward and to higher elevation, but few studies have been able to describe the population processes driving the shifts. Ryan's work uses a variety of methods in an effort to explain these processes and compares his findings in NC with those of another long-term study in central New Hampshire with the goal of characterizing trailing-edge population dynamics at a broader, range-wide scale.

Registration for GOS Member(s) @ $30.00 per person (Note: Spouse/immediate family may register at the member rate 

Your name will come from your Paypal Acct. If you are registering more than yourself, please indicate those names, separated by a comma in the box to the right. Your mobile phone # will help us reach you for last minute changes in field trips due to weather. (FILL OUT fields before clicking "add to cart") Registration does not include keynote, but banquet does.  If you are NOT going to the banquet but want to see the keynote, please pay for that below. 

OtherNames

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 Non‐GOS Member(s) @ $50.00 per person
(you can become a member for only $25)

Your name will come from your Paypal Acct. If you are registering more than yourself, please indicate those names, separated by a comma in the box to the right. Your mobile phone # will help us reach you for last minute changes in field trips due to weather. (FILL OUT fields before clicking "add to cart")

OtherNames

Mobile Phone #

Reservation(s) for banquet @ $40.00 per person
(banquet price includes keynote speaker)

GOS Member - Registration(s) for Keynote Speaker only (no banquet) @ $10.00 per person 

You do not need to register for this if you are paying for the banquet.

Non-GOS Member - Registration(s) for Keynote Speaker only (no banquet) @ $20.00 per person

If it is after October 1, 2017, add $10 late fee

FIELD TRIPS

Note: All departure/return times are to/from Villas by the Sea Resort and Conference Center, unless otherwise noted. 

For your personal comfort, safety, and enjoyment, always bring your binoculars, spotting scope, sturdy walking shoes, layers of clothing, rain gear, insect repellent, sun screen, water, and a lunch or snacks on all field trips. Be advised that many field trip destinations do not have bathroom facilities, so plan accordingly. 

Directions

WAIVER: You must select this item and add it to your cart.

RELEASE

GOS requires registration for participation in the meeting and field trips, and also requires all registrants to acknowledge the following release.  If the participant is a minor, a parent or legal guardian must acknowledge this release.

Each registrant named, both adult and minor, desires to participate in the field trips and other activities at this meeting of the Georgia Ornithological Society (GOS).  Therefore, each registrant knowingly and voluntarily grants to the GOS and its officers, committee members, and any other persons engaged in activities in connection with this meeting, a full release from any claim, liability, or cost of any nature on account of personal illness or bodily injury, loss of life, or loss or damage to property directly or indirectly arising out of the registrant’s participation in this meeting.

FRIDAY  OCTOBER 6, 2017

ANDREWS ISLAND CAUSEWAY AND DISPOSAL SITE  - MEET AT FIELD TRIP SITE
 

Leader: Nathan Farnau
Depart: Meet Nathan at the intersection of the Andrews Island Causeway and US Highway 341 at 11:00 AM. Trip ends at 3:00 PM.
Limit: 20
Cost: $0.01 (for Paypal Reasons)
GPS Coordinates:  N 31.16365 W 81.50087

Trip Description: Andrews Island is currently managed by the Department of Transportation and access is restricted, so take advantage of this rare opportunity. The causeway leading to the Disposal Site is a special treat with frequent sightings of Roseate Spoonbills, Clapper Rails, American White Pelicans, American Avocets, and sparrows. The Disposal Site serves as a depository for dredged spoil from nearby waterways and attracts a wide range of migrating, breeding, and wintering birds. When water is plentiful, shorebirds, wading birds, and ducks are present in large numbers. At high tide, many shorebirds use it as a resting site when their usual feeding areas in the surrounding channels are flooded. We are seeking permission to carpool into the Disposal Site, but walking may be necessary. Come prepared.
Trip rigor: Easy

GLENNVILLE WATER TREATMENT FACILITY- MEET AT FIELD TRIP SITE

Leader: Gene Wilkinson.

Meet Gene at the water treatment facility  at 9:00 AM. 

Trip ends at 1:00 PM.
Limit: None.
Cost: $0.01.

Join Glennville resident Gene Wilkinson for a two-mile hike around the impoundments of this wonderful birding site for waterfowl, rails, waders, raptors, and songbirds. Trip rigor: Easy, with quite a bit of walking.

GPS Coordinates:  

JEKYLL ISLAND BANDING STATION (JIBS)- MEET AT FIELD TRIP SITE

Leader: Evan Pittman.
Meet Evan at JIBS at 7:30 AM.
Trip ends at 11:30 AM.
Limit: 20 participants.
Cost: $0.01, but donations to keep JIBS up and running are much appreciated.

The Jekyll Island Banding Station is a non-profit all volunteer bird banding station operating on the south end of Jekyll Island since 1978. Dedicated licensed banders and bird enthusiasts band Neotropical passerines during fall migration for scientific study and education. Visitors will have excellent photo opportunities and will be given a tour  of mist netting operations. Trip rigor: Easy. Note: If you can’t attend one of the “official” trips to JIBS, Evan says, “Drop by any time!”

SAPELO ISLAND- MEET AT FIELD TRIP SITE

Leaders: Malcolm Hodges and Bob Sargent.
Meet Malcolm and Bob at the Meridian dock 7:45 AM.
Ferry departs dock at 8:30 AM and returns to Meridian dock at 5:00 PM.
Limit: 15 participants.
Cost: $5.00 ferry fee (paid at the dock).

Although this island is known to birders as the only Georgia location for the much sought after (and elusive) Plain Chachalaca, this 16,000 acre, 11-mile long island has a rich history and a diverse assemblage of birds within its pristine maritime forests, marshes, and beaches. Trip rigor: Moderate, with quite a bit of walking.

ST. CATHERINES ISLAND- MEET AT FIELD TRIP SITE

Leaders: Bill Lotz and Dan Vickers.
Assemble at the Dock at 7:15 AM.
Return: 5:00 PM.
Limit: 9 participants.
Cost: $50.00

The St. Catherines Island Foundation owns the island and operates it for charitable, scientific, literary, and educational purposes. The Foundation aims to promote conservation of natural resources, the preservation of historic sites, and to expand human knowledge in the fields of ecology, botany, zoology, natural history, archaeology, and other scientific and educational disciplines. Wildlife abounds due to miles of unspoiled beaches, dense maritime forest, and interior wetlands. You'll tour most habitats on the island including beach, pine flatwoods, maritime forest, and salt marsh. Trip rigor: Moderate, with quite a bit of walking.

Directions to the Dock: From I-95 N take Exit 76 (GA-84, Midway). Drive east on US-84 for approx. 7.5 miles. Turn right onto Kings Rd. Continue on Kings Rd for 0.9 miles, then turn right onto Camellia Rd. Continue on Camellia Rd. for 0.2 miles, then turn left into a dirt driveway.  There are two mailboxes, one large one that looks like a small log cabin, and a small one with a small St. Catherines sticker at this intersection. Park anywhere, remembering to stay off the road which circles the parking lot.  If using a smartphone GPS app, enter grid coordinates “31.701, -81.275”.

 SATURDAY OCTOBER 7, 2017

JEKYLL ISLAND BIRD SANCTUARY FEEDER WATCH- MEET AT FIELD TRIP SITE

Leader: Lydia Thompson.
Start   at 8:00 AM and goes all day.
Limit: none.
Cost: $0.00.

Meet Lydia at the Jekyll Island Campground Bird Sanctuary. She will be conducting an all-day- long feeder watch for passerines. Drop in for a few minutes or a few hours. Trip rigor: Easy.

ALTAMAHA SOUND BOAT TRIP- MEET AT FIELD TRIP SITE

Leaders: Tim Keyes and Captain Phillip.
Meet at the McKay boat landing (Torras Causeway near Morningside Marina) no later than 7:30 AM. Return: 3:00 PM.
Limit: 35. Cost: $65.00.

Join Tim and Capt. Phillips as you cruise around Wolf, Little Egg, and Little St. Simons Islands looking through flocks of shorebirds that roost in the Altamaha Sound. Trip rigor: Easy, but be prepared for rough water. Note: The boat will depart from the dock promptly at 7:30 am.

ALTAMAHA WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT AREA - MEET AT VILLAS BY THE SEA

Leader: Ed Maioriello.
Depart: 7:00 AM.
Return: 1:00 PM.
Limit: 20 participants.
Cost: $0.01.

The 27,000 acre Altamaha Waterfowl Management Area near Darien consists of 3,154 acres of managed freshwater and brackish waterfowl impoundments, bottomland hardwoods, and cypress-tupelo swamps. It is one of the premier waterfowl migration areas in Georgia. It also provides habitat for a tremendous diversity of other birds including Wilson’s Snipe, Common and Purple Gallinules, White and Glossy Ibises, numerous species of egrets and herons, Black-necked Stilts, migratory shorebirds, and a wide range of raptors, falcon, and owls. Birding is from the dikes or observation towers. Trip rigor: Easy, with quite a bit of walking. Note: You must possess a hunting or fishing license, or lands pass.

www.georgiawildlife.com.

ALTAMA PLANTATION WILDIFE MANAGEMENT AREA- MEET AT VILLAS BY THE SEA

Leader: Gene Keferl.
Depart: 7:00 AM.
Return 2:00 PM.
Limit: 20 participants.
Cost: $0.01.

Join Gene at this brand new state-owned 3,986-acre Wildlife Management Area situated on a tributary of the Altamaha River and adjacent to the Altamaha Waterfowl Management Area. Formerly a rice plantation, the property has maritime forest, tidal creeks, old rice paddies and dykes, ponds, and managed pine plantations.

Trip rigor: Moderate, with quite a bit of walking.

JEKYLL ISLAND BANDING STATION (JIBS)- MEET AT FIELD TRIP SITE

Leader: Evan Pittman.
Meet Evan at JIBS at 7:30 AM.
Trip ends at 11:30 AM.
Limit: 20 participants.
Cost: $0.01, but donations to keep JIBS up and running are much appreciated.

The Jekyll Island Banding Station is a non-profit all volunteer bird banding station operating on the south end of Jekyll Island since 1978. Dedicated licensed banders and bird enthusiasts band Neotropical passerines during fall migration for scientific study and education. Visitors will have excellent photo opportunities and will be given a tour

of mist netting operations. Trip rigor: Easy. Note: If you can’t attend one of the “official” trips to JIBS, Evan says, “Drop by any time!”

SAPELO ISLAND- MEET AT VILLAS BY THE SEA

Leaders: Malcolm Hodges and Bob Sargent.
Depart 6:45am
Return 6:15pm.

 Ferry departs dock at 8:30 AM and returns to Meridian dock at 5:00 PM. 

Limit: 15 participants.
Cost: $5.00 ferry fee (paid at the dock).

Although this island is known to birders as the only Georgia location for the much sought after (and elusive) Plain Chachalaca, this 16,000 acre, 11-mile long island has a rich history and a diverse assemblage of birds within its pristine maritime forests, marshes, and beaches. Trip rigor: Moderate, with quite a bit of walking.

LITTLE ST. SIMONS ISLAND- MEET AT VILLAS BY THE SEA

Leader: Nathan Farnau.
Depart at 7:30 AM.
Return at 4:30 PM.
Limit: 9 people.
Cost: $60.00 (all funds will be transferred to LSSI).

You’ll be delivered by boat to the island and then climb aboard a truck equipped with benches and set off to explore the island's maritime forests, diverse wetlands, and beaches. This is one of the very best birding destinations on the Georgia coast. Trip rigor: Moderate, with quite a bit of walking.

 SUNDAY OCTOBER 8, 2017

ANDREWS ISLAND CAUSEWAY AND DISPOSAL SITE / GOULD’S INLET- MEET AT VILLAS BY THE SEA

Leader: Patty McLean.
Depart: 11:00 AM.
Return: 3:00 PM.
Limit: 20 participants.
Cost: $0.01.

Andrews Island is currently managed by the Department of Transportation and access is restricted, so take advantage of this opportunity. The causeway leading to the Spoils Site is a special treat with frequent sightings of Roseate Spoonbills, Clapper Rails, American White Pelicans, American Avocets, and sparrows. The Spoils Site serves as a depository for dredged spoil from nearby waterways and attracts a wide range of migrating, breeding, and wintering birds. When water is plentiful, shorebirds, wading birds, and ducks are present in large numbers. At high tide, many shorebirds use it as a resting site when their usual feeding areas in the surrounding channels are flooded.

After Andrews Island, Patty will lead you to Gould’s Inlet on St. Simons Island to look for shorebirds, gulls, terns, and herons. We are seeking permission to carpool into the Disposal Site, but walking may be necessary. Come prepared.

CANNON’S POINT, ST SIMONS ISLAND- MEET AT VILLAS BY THE SEA

Leader: Bob Sattelmeyer.
Depart 7:00 AM.
Return: 1:00 PM.
Limit: 20 participants.
Cost: $0.01.

Join Bob at this conservation area owned by the St. Simons Land Trust. This 608-acre nature preserve comprises maritime forest, salt marsh, and tidal creeks. Trip rigor: Easy, with quite a bit of walking.

 CLAYHOLE SWAMP WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA- MEET AT FIELD TRIP SITE

Leader: Mike Chapman.
Meet at the Winn Dixie on US HWY 314 N (5420 New Jesup HWY) at 7:30 AM. 
Return: 2:00 PM. 
Limit: 20 participants. 
Cost: $0.01.

Mike will lead you to this 5,242-acre Wildlife Management Area. Like many Georgia WMAs, it is manage for fiber production, but also contains extensive bottomland hardwoods swamps and maritime forest likely to harbor migrating fall warblers. Trip rigor: Moderate, with quite a bit of walking

CUMBERLAND ISLAND- MEET AT VILLAS BY THE SEA

Leader: Bill Lotz.
Depart: 7:00 AM.
Return: 5:30 PM.
Limit: 20 participants, minimum of 8.
Cost: $32.00 ($28.00 ferry fee + $4.00 day use fee). This trip will be cancelled if fewer than 8 sign up.

Join Bill on Georgia’s largest and southernmost barrier island to bird pristine forests, undeveloped beaches, and expansive marshes. The island has one of the largest remaining coastal maritime forests and 9,800 acres of the island have been designated by Congress as a Wilderness Area. Moderate, with considerable walking. Note: Advanced reservation for the ferry is required. Call (877) 860-6787 or visit  http://www.cumberlandislandferry.com to make and pay for ferry reservations in advance. Plan to pay the day use fee of $4.00 at the Mainland Visitor Center at check-in.

JEKYLL ISLAND BANDING STATION (JIBS)- MEET AT FIELD TRIP SITE

Leader: Evan Pittman.
Meet Evan at JIBS at 7:30 AM. Trip ends at 11:30 AM.
Limit: 20 participants.
Cost: $0.00, but donations to keep JIBS up and running are much appreciated.

The Jekyll Island Banding Station is a non-profit all volunteer bird banding station operating on the south end of Jekyll Island since 1978. Dedicated licensed banders and bird enthusiasts band Neotropical passerines during fall migration for scientific study and education. Visitors will have excellent photo opportunities and will be given a tour  of mist netting operations. Trip rigor: Easy. Note: If you can’t attend one of the “official” trips to JIBS, Evan says, “Drop by any time!”

JEKYLL ISLAND HOT SPOTS- MEET AT VILLAS BY THE SEA

Leader: Diana Churchill.
Depart 7:00 AM. Finish about noon.
Limit: 15 participants.
Cost: $0.01.

Join Diana as you visit the many hot spots of Jekyll Island. The tides will determine the order of places you visit. You’ll trek out to South Beach hoping for that stray rarity among the terns, gulls and other shorebirds and maybe some cute plovers along the rack line. Hopefully you’ll pick up a few migrants on the way to and from the beach. The amphitheater will be checked for night herons, waders, and passerine migrants. The group will hit Clam Creek looking for more luck with migrants and maybe a couple of raptors. You’ll head out the Jekyll Island Causeway to the Visitor's Center to check the mudflats and saltmarsh for shorebirds and sparrows respectively. The trip should end by lunchtime. Trip rigor: Easy.

JEKYLL ISLAND WELCOME CENTER BIG SIT- MEET AT FIELD TRIP SITE

Leader: Lydia Thompson.
Start at 6:00 AM
Limit: no limit. Cost: $0.01

Meet Lydia at the Jekyll Island Welcome Center observation tower. She will be there all day scanning for shorebirds, waders, gulls, terns, and songbirds. Drop in for a few minutes or a few hours. Trip rigor: Easy.

SAPELO ISLAND- MEET AT VILLAS BY THE SEA

Leaders: Malcolm Hodges and Bob Sargent.
Depart: 6:45 AM.
Ferry returns to Meridian dock at 5:00 PM.
Limit: 15 participants. Cost: $5.00 ferry fee (paid at the dock).

Although this island is known to birders as the only Georgia location for the much sought after (and elusive) Plain Chachalaca, this 16,000 acre, 11-mile long island has a rich history and a diverse assemblage of birds within its pristine maritime forests, marshes, and beaches. Trip rigor: Moderate, with quite a bit of walking.

LITTLE ST. SIMONS ISLAND- MEET AT VILLAS BY THE SEA

Leader: Larry Carlile.
Depart at 7:30 AM.
Return at 3:30 PM.
Limit: 9 people.
Cost: $60.00 (all funds will be transferred to LSSI).

You’ll be delivered by boat to the island and then climb aboard a truck equipped with benches and set off to explore the island's maritime forests, diverse wetlands, and beaches. This is one of the very best birding destinations on the Georgia coast. Trip rigor: Moderate, with quite a bit of walking.

MONDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2017

ANDREWS ISLAND CAUSEWAY - MEET AT VILLAS BY THE SEA

(no access to the disposal site on this trip)
Leader: Larry Carlile.
Depart 7:00 AM. No return trip to hotel.
Limit: 20 participants.
Cost: $0.01 

Join Larry for a trip down the Andrews Island Causeway. The causeway is a special treat with frequent sightings of roseate spoonbills, clapper rails, American white pelicans, American avocets, shorebirds, and sparrows. Trip rigor: Easy

GLENNVILLE WATER TREATMENT FACILITY- MEET AT FIELD TRIP SITE

Leader: Gene Wilkinson.
Meet Gene at the water treatment facility at 9:00 AM (it will take you ~1.5 hours to drive there from Jekyll Island).
Trip ends at 1:00 PM.
Limit: None.
Cost: $0.01 

Join Glennville resident Gene Wilkinson for a two-mile hike around the impoundments of this wonderful birding site for waterfowl, rails, waders, raptors, and songbirds. Trip rigor: Easy, with quite a bit of walking.

JEKYLL ISLAND BANDING STATION (JIBS)- MEET AT FIELD TRIP SITE

Leader: Evan Pittman.
Meet Evan at JIBS at 7:30 AM.
Trip ends at 11:30 AM.
Limit: 20 participants.
Cost: $0.01, but donations to keep JIBS up and running are much appreciated.

The Jekyll Island Banding Station is a non-profit all-volunteer bird banding station operating on the south end of Jekyll Island since 1978. Dedicated licensed banders and bird enthusiasts will band Neotropical passerines during fall migration for scientific study and education. Visitors will have excellent photo opportunities and will be given a tour of mist netting operations. Trip rigor: Easy. Note: If you can’t attend one of the “official” trips to JIBS, Evan says, “Drop by any time!”

PAULK’S PASTURE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA- MEET AT FIELD TRIP SITE

Leader: Mike Chapman.

Meet at the Winn Dixie on US HWY 341 N (5420 New Jesup HWY) at 7:30 AM. No return trip to the hotel. Limit: 20 participants.

Cost: $0.01

This WMA has bottomland hardwoods and early successional habitats (clear-cuts and a powerline right-of-way). Join Mike as you comb the area for fall migrants. Trip rigor: Easy.

JEKYLL ISLAND HOT SPOTS- MEET AT VILLAS BY THE SEA

Leader: Diana Churchill.
Depart at 7:00 AM.
Finish about noon.
Limit: 15.
Cost: $0.01.

Join Diana as you visit the many hot spots of Jekyll Island. The tides will determine the order of places you visit. You’ll trek out to South Beach hoping for that stray rarity among the terns, gulls and other shorebirds and maybe some cute plovers along the rack line. Hopefully you’ll pick up a few migrants on the way to and from the beach. The amphitheater will be checked for night herons, waders, and passerine migrants. The group will hit Clam Creek looking for more luck with migrants and maybe a couple of raptors.  You’ll head out the Jekyll Island Causeway to the Visitor's Center to check the mudflats and saltmarsh for shorebirds and sparrows respectively.

The trip should end by lunchtime.
Trip rigor: Easy.

 Release and Waiver (if you didn't click it up above)

WAIVER: You must select this item and add it to your cart.

RELEASE

GOS requires registration for participation in the meeting and field trips, and also requires all registrants to acknowledge the following release.  If the participant is a minor, a parent or legal guardian must acknowledge this release.

Each registrant named, both adult and minor, desires to participate in the field trips and other activities at this meeting of the Georgia Ornithological Society (GOS).  Therefore, each registrant knowingly and voluntarily grants to the GOS and its officers, committee members, and any other persons engaged in activities in connection with this meeting, a full release from any claim, liability, or cost of any nature on account of personal illness or bodily injury, loss of life, or loss or damage to property directly or indirectly arising out of the registrant’s participation in this meeting.