2018 Fall Meeting

FRIDAY NIGHT’S PRESENTATION

“Shorebirds and the Importance of Georgia’s Coast”
Tim Keyes, GA DNR & Dr. Abby Sterling, Manomet Observatory

Tim Keyes is a wildlife biologist with the nongame conservation section. After getting hooked on birds during a trip to Newfoundland during college, he has worked with birds in one capacity on another for 23 years. Tim completed his master’s degree at the University of Georgia in 1999 studying forest songbirds in the southern Appalachians. While living in Atlanta Tim was on the board of the Atlanta Audubon Society, organizing field trips, an annual Birdathon fundraiser and helping start a Master Birder class. Tim has worked for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources since 2000, at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center, the Forsyth nongame office, and currently works on the Georgia coast as the nongame bird biologist.  He established and continues to organize the Youth Birding Competition and was an editor on Georgia’s Breeding Bird Atlas, and currently coordinates the Georgia Shorebird Alliance. Tim’s research interests and publications have covered topics such as bird collisions in Atlanta, bird response to prescribed fire, Red Knot populations in the southeast, migratory connectivity of shorebirds and the role of predators on shorebird nesting success. Tim’s current responsibilities include management, monitoring and education primarily relating to shorebirds, seabirds, swallow-tailed kites and wood stork. Tim lives in Brunswick with his family, including wife Alice, and children Molly, Walker, Willow and Isla.

Abby recently earned her doctorate from the University of Georgia, where she studied how habitat and landscape features influence beach nesting shorebirds and chick survival. Prior to working on her degree, she lived on Little St. Simons Island in Georgia, where she worked as a naturalist guide and assisted on a variety of environmental projects, educated visitors about coastal ecology, and explored the Southeastern coast. Before migrating south, Abby grew up in Western New York and attended SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry for her B.S. in environmental biology. This spring, Abby began working for Manomet, a non-profit based in Massachusetts with conservation projects throughout the hemisphere. She is located in Brunswick, Georgia as a shorebird biologist on Manomet’s Georgia Bight Shorebird Conservation Initiative, which focuses on sustaining shorebird populations within the Atlantic Flyway by increasing attention to the Southeast. By working with the stakeholders actively involved in shorebird conservation, identifying research and management objectives, building education and outreach efforts, and increasing partnerships, we hope to achieve measurable progress for shorebird conservation along the South Carolina, Georgia and Northern Florida coasts.

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. 

 Non‐GOS Member(s) @ $50.00 per person
(you can become a member for only $35)

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, 2018, 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 5, 2018

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

For all Friday field trips: meet your Field Trip Leader at the location at the designated start time.

For your personal comfort, safety, and enjoyment, always bring 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.

ANDREWS ISLAND CAUSEWAY AND DISPOSAL SITE 

Leader: Nathan Farnau.
Meet Nathan at the intersection of the Andrews Island Causeway and US Highway 341.
Leave Jekyll Island at 7: 00 AM for the drive to the meet up location.
Trip ends at approximately 1:00 PM.
Limit: 20 participants.
Cost: $0.01.

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

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, waders, raptors, and songbirds.
Trip rigor: Easy, with quite a bit of walking.

JEKYLL ISLAND BANDING STATION (JIBS)

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!”

ST. CATHERINES ISLAND

Leaders: Bill Lotz and Dan Vickers.
Assemble at the Halfmoon Marina dock at 7:15 AM.
Return: 5:00 PM.
Limit: 8 participants.
Cost: $50.00 (all funds will be transferred to the SCI Foundation). 

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. Walking boots recommended.

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 6, 2018

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 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.

 
JEKYLL ISLAND BIRD SANCTUARY FEEDER WATCH

Leader: Lydia Thompson.
Start at 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
No limit.
Cost: $0.01.

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

ALTAMAHA WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT AREA

Leader: Andrew Theus.
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 

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.

 
ANDREWS ISLAND CAUSEWAY AND DISPOSAL SITE

Leader: Adam Betuel and John Mark Simmons.
Depart: 7:00 AM.
Return: approximately 1:00 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. We are seeking permission to carpool into the Disposal Site, but walking may be necessary. Come prepared.

 
JEKYLL ISLAND BANDING STATION (JIBS)

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

Leaders: Malcolm Hodges and Nathan Farnau.
Ferry leaves the Meridian dock promptly at 9:00AM, arrive at the dock no later than 8:30AM.
Depart 6:45 AM from hotel.
Return to Meridian dock 5:00 PM.
Limit: 15 participants.
Cost: $25.00 plus $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 a few short hikes. 

 SUNDAY OCTOBER 7, 2018

For all Sunday and Monday field trips: there will be no escorted return trips to Villas by the Sea Resort and Conference Center.

For your personal comfort, safety, and enjoyment, always bring 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.

CANNON’S POINT, ST SIMONS ISLAND

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. 

 
CUMBERLAND ISLAND

Leader: Bill Lotz and Adam Betuel.
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 and Adam 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. Walking boots recommended.

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)

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!”

 
JEKYLL ISLAND HOT SPOTS

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

Leader: Lydia Thompson.
Start at 6:00 AM
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

Leaders: Malcolm Hodges and Dan Vickers.
Depart Meridian dock promptly at 9:00AM, arrive at the dock no later than 8:30AM.
Leave the hotel at 6:45 AM.
Ferry returns to Meridian dock at 4:30 PM.
Limit: 15 participants.
Cost: $25.00 plus $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 a few short hikes.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2018

For all Sunday and Monday field trips: there will be no escorted return trips to Villas by the Sea Resort and Conference Center.

For your personal comfort, safety, and enjoyment, always bring 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.

 
ALTAMAHA SOUND BOAT TRIP

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.

 
HARRIS NECK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Leader: Larry Carlile.
Depart 7:30 AM.
No Return to Hotel.
Limit: 20 people.
Cost: $0.01

Meet Larry at the Harris Neck NWR gate at 9:00 AM.  Harris Neck’s 2,762 acres consists of saltwater marsh, grassland, and mixed deciduous woods. Because of this great variety of habitats, many different species of birds are attracted to the refuge throughout the year. Large concentrations of ducks gather in the marshland and freshwater pools. Over 15 miles of paved roads and trails provide easy access to the many different habitats. Chosen for its accessibility and bird diversity, Harris Neck is one of 18 sites forming the Colonial Coast Birding Trail, inaugurated in 2000.
Trip rigor: Easy.

 
GLENNVILLE WATER TREATMENT FACILITY

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)

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!”

 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.