Читать книгу Afoot & Afield: Atlanta. 108 Spectacular Outings in North-Central Georgia онлайн

28 страница из 110

BIRDS

The state of Georgia is home to more than 300 species of birds, and several spots are considered good birding areas, such as F. D. Roosevelt State Park southwest of Atlanta, Kennesaw Mountain slightly northwest of the city, the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, and the state’s northeast mountains.

The mountains in northeast Georgia are especially interesting because this is the southern terminus for some birds typically seen in more northern areas and not found elsewhere in Georgia. Georgia birding expert Giff Beaton identifies the trail up to the summit of Brasstown Bald as a great place to look for some of Georgia’s highest-elevation breeders. “Here you might see veery and rose-breasted grosbeak, along with the more typical mountain species,” he says. “Watch and listen above for the croaking of common ravens, which have a nest near here, and always watch above for hawks as well, since broad-winged hawks nest here too.”

President Franklin D. Roosevelt was a birding enthusiast all his life, so it’s fitting that the National Audubon Society has declared Pine Mountain (the location of F. D. Roosevelt State Park) a place of importance for birding. Beaton suspects that this high mountain range might also have northern species like scarlet tanager and ovenbird. Hardwood forests have other interesting species, such as summer tanager, wood thrush, great crested flycatcher, yellow-throated warbler, and black-and-white warbler, plus red-eyed and yellow-throated vireo.