Brown Pelicans (Inland)

I have found them on the Chattahoochee corridor in the 1990's.
Also, one in 2005 (others were able to relocate shortly afterwards).
Also, one in 2007 (stayed in location into 2008).

Also, one in 2015 at Lake Hartwell (northeast GA).

- Eric Beohm

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I was visiting relatives near Columbus yesterday and had a free moment in the afternoon, so Michael Beohm and I drove over to Lake Walter F. George (GA side) and discovered the following birds 08/25/07:

Brown Pelican (1 in 3 separate locations, so maybe 3 birds total)

Willet (3 or 4)

Short-billed Dowitcher (4)

Stilt Sandpiper (2)

Common Tern (1)

Forster's Tern (4)

Common/Forster's Tern (30+)

Black Tern (50+)

Other things like:

Wood Stork (2), White Ibis (many), Snowy Egrets, Sandpipers, Warblers, Bald Eagle, Ospreys...

Eric Beohm

Update: I've continued to see a Brown Pelican at WFG into 2008. Now in adult plumage.

We discovered this juvenile Brown Pelican at Lake Walter F. George Dam, 11/25/05. The lake is south of the Eufaula NWR Bradley Unit.

The pelican eventually flew north out of sight towards this area.

Update: Apparently, the bird was seen again on 12/04 by other birders.

Interestingly, we also had some American White Pelicans there at the dam also, flying in the distance over the eastern shore. I will try to include a very distant photo of them later.

A Red-throated Loon (listed as rare to accidental inland) was seen flying over the lake and eventually over the dam (heading south).

Sixteen species of duck was quite surprising, especially the numbers of each.

Eric

Michael Beohm and I birded Lake Walter F. George on Friday, 11/25/05. This reservoir is just south of Eufaula NWR. We birded the GA side of the lake with stops at the dam and George T. Bagby State Park. We discovered the following birds:

Brown Pelican (1 juvenile circling near dam and Bagby)

American White Pelican (5 or more, circling near Bagby)

Red-throated Loon (1 flyby near dam)

Canvasback (30+)

Redhead (20+)

Greater Scaup (50+)

Red-breasted Merganser (22)

Lesser Scaup (200+)

Northern Pintail (12)

Gadwall (4)

Northern Shoveled (20+)

Green-winged Teal (14)

Blue-winged Teal (1)

Mallard (5)

Ring-necked Duck (150+)

Wood Duck (8)

Bufflehead (17)

Hooded Merganser (9)

Ruddy Duck (1)

Spotted Sandpiper (3)

Least Sandpiper (15)

Horned Grebe (6)

Common Loon (12)

Bald Eagles

Bonaparte’s Gull (8)

Herring Gull (3)

We couldn’t spend all day birding, but we managed to squeeze in a quick trip to the Bradley Unit to see if the Vermilion Flycatcher was still there. There was no time to look for the Leconte’s Sparrows which winter there.

Vermilion Flycatcher (1 relocated around 1pm)

Sedge Wren (1+)

Marsh Wren (1)

Fox Sparrow (1)

Sandhill Crane

Common Ground-dove

Barn Owl (1)

Eric Beohm

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I was also surprised to find a BROWN PELICAN at LAKE HARTWELL, GA 08/07/2015.

I took video of the bird circling repeatedly over the Big Oaks area of Lake Hartwell.

You can barely see the pelican flying (headed right) over the west side of the dam.

Closer view of said area as pelican continues to circle area.

Another shot from said location.