Finding Winter Birds of North GA
October 25th, 2022 by georgann
Some of the best winter birding in the north Georgia mountains can be found along Appalachian Trail from Spring Mountain, near Amicalola Falls State Park, through approximately 80 miles of the Chattahoochee National Forest, with elevations in excess of 3000 feet. Look for typical winter residents of the cove hardwoods, mixed pine/hardwoods, and spruce/fir forests: Common raven, red-breasted nuthatch, solitary vireo, hermit thrush, winter wren, purple finch, evening grosbeak, brown creeper, ruffed grouse, yellow-bellied sapsucker, pine siskin, orange-crowned warbler, white-throated sparrows, cedar waxwing, ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglets, along with permanent residents such as Carolina chickadee, tufted titmouse, hairy and downy woodpeckers, Eastern towhee, Carolina wren, white-breasted nuthatch, occasional pileated woodpeckers, great horned owl and screech owl, Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks.
Brasstown Bald, 4784 feet and the highest point in Georgia, is good in the winter for common raven, winter wren, brown creeper, ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglet, orange-crowned warbler, hermit thrush, solitary vireo, white-throated sparrow, dark-eyed junco, white-crowned sparrow, and during invasion years, purple finch, red-breasted nuthatch, evening grosbeak, and pine siskin.
Vogel State Park, south of Blairsville, look for white-breasted nuthatch, purple finch, red-breasted nuthatch, evening grosbeak, pine siskin, brown creeper, kinglets, solitary vireo, and woodpeckers-hairy, downy, pileated and yellow-bellied sapsuckers. Check the lake for pied-billed grebe.
Cooper Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) off Mulky Gap road near Blairsville, Lake Winfield Scott, and DeSoto Falls State Park are all good birding for winter wren, brown creeper, solitary vireo, red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches, purple finch, evening grosbeak, yellow-bellied sapsucker, cedar waxwing, and both golden-crowned and ruby-crowned kinglets.
Lookout Plateau and Pigeon Mountain WMA is the site of golden eagle hacking program. In addition to the eagles, look for merlin, horned larks, rough-legged hawks, and northern harrier in the fields and pastures. Other winter residents found here and closer to Cloudland Canyon include white-crowned sparrows, cedar waxwings, solitary vireos, purple finches and evening grosbeaks at feeders.
Fort Mountain State Park east of Chatsworth is good habitat for similar species mentioned above including red-breasted nuthatch, pine siskin, solitary vireo, evening grobeak, and purple finch.
Cohutta Mountains in Fannin county north of Blue Ridge has reported red crossbills, ruffed grouse, white-crowned sparrows, red-breasted nuthatch, evening grobeak, purple finch, dark-eyed junco, brown creeper, ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglets.
Check small lakes in the area including Lake Burton, Nottely Lake, Blue Ridge Lake, and Carter Lake for over-wintering pied-billed grebe, possible common loon, oldsquaw and scoters. Waders and other fish-eating birds incuding great blue heron and belted kingfisher can be seen along the waters edges.
Birding Adventures, Inc.
Georgann Schmalz
Ornithologist
www.birdingadventuresinc.com