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PAGE 2B
November 30, 2016
Exporter
Monroe Outdoors
Watching for Thanksgiving visitors brings rewards
BY TERRY W.
JOHNSON
T he last time
that my wife
and I saw a
ruby-
throated
hummingbird in
our backyard was
Oct. 13. As always,
we were filled with
mixed emotions
when it became evi
dent that we would
not see another
rubythroat until
next March.
On one hand, we
knew that the bird’s
backyard visitors autumn
would bring.
Even though humming
bird season had come
to a close, we continued
to keep two
feeders half
full of fresh
sugar water
as Georgia’s
second hum
mingbird
season (also
called the
winter hum
mingbird sea
son) was but
Terry W. Johnson days away.
This special
departure signaled the
end of summer and the
joy we experienced watch
ing the birds John James
Audubon called “glittering
fragments of the rainbow”
was over. On the other
hand, we were looking
forward to the changing
of the seasons and the
beauty and new cast of
time of the year extends
from November through
the middle of March.
Although rubythroats
are rarely seen in our
backyards during this
time, no less than 11 spe
cies of hummingbirds
make annual visits to
the Peach State during
this chilly time of the
Blessed Trinity vs MP
TEAM STATS
BT
MP
First Downs
13
13
Rushing yds.
133
237
Passing yds.
206
186
Total yards
339
423
Att-Comp-Int
22-13-2
16-10-0
Fumbles-Lost
0-0
2-1
Penalties
10-71
10-110
1
2 3 4
T
H 7
6 8 6
27
MP 0
14 7 7
28
BULLDOG SCORING
First Quarter
Second Quarter
• Zach Harvey 2-yard run (Daniel kick)
• Quen Wilson 9-yard run (Davis kick)
Third Quarter
• Zach Harvey 1-yard run (Daniel kick)
Fourth Quarter
• Roger Akins 69-yard reception (Davis kick)
INDIVIDUAL MP STATS
OFFENSE
RUSHING
Player
Carries
Yards
Zach Harvey
18
80
Quen Wilson
12
152
Jatori Sims
1
27
Caleb Speir
5
-22
PASSING
Comp. Att.
Yards
Caleb Speir
10
16
186
RECEIVING
Roger Akins
Rec.
3
Yards
100
Tre Howard
2
40
Jomari Jackson 1
25
Jatori Sims
3
22
Quen Wilson
1
-1
DEFENSE AND SPECIAL TEAMS
Tackles Assists
Malik Herring
11
0
Tay Jarrell
6
4
Vic Henderson
6
0
Bralen Harvey
5
3
Dan O’Neal
5
1
Tre Slaton
5
0
Dalon Edge
4
1
Jatorian Hansford
4
0
Tyricus Danielly
3
0
Quan Davis
2
0
PUNTS
Punts
Yards
Avg.
Alex Rivera 6
148
24.6
FIELD GOALS
FG Att. FG M
Distance
Alex Rivera 1
0
INTERCEPTIONS
No.
Yards
Avg.
Quan Davis 1
17
17.0
Tyricus Danielly 1
12
12.0
FUMBLES RECOVERED
No.
None
Yards
Avg.
KICKOFF RETURNS
No.
Yards
Avg.
Jatori Sims 1
24
24.0
PUNT RETURNS
No.
Yards
Avg.
Tre Slaton 1
0
0.0
This female rufous hummingbird stopped by
Terry Johnson’s Monroe County yard to wish him
a “Happy Thanksgiving.” (Photo/Terry Johnson)
year. This list of visi
tors includes the rufous,
Allen’s, black-chinned,
broad-billed, broad-tailed,
calliope, Anna’s, mag
nificent, buff-bellied, and
green-breasted mango.
The days passed by,
and, despite the fact that
no wintering humming
bird made an appear
ance in our backyard, we
watched as our perma
nent resident birds shared
their domain with the
first of the winter visitors,
such as the dark-eyed
junco, white-throated
sparrow, ruby-crowned
kinglet, and yellow-
rumped warbler.
In addition, our excep
tionally warm fall allowed
many of our flowers
to continue blooming.
Consequently this fall our
yard has been enhanced
with the beauty of a num
ber of butterflies, like the
cloudless sulphur, gulf
fritillary, American lady,
sleepy orange, common
buckeye, and even a few
monarchs.
When I sat down on our
deck late Thanksgiving
morning to wait for din
ner to finish cooking, I
was struck with the odd
combination color sup
plied by summer flow
ers such as Turk’s cap,
cleome, cosmos, lantana,
butterfly bush, cone flow
er, and forget-me-nots and
the brilliant fall foliage of
sassafras, maple, oak leaf
hydrangea, and blueber
ries. I could not remem
ber ever seeing such an
unusual and colorful
natural mural.
Suddenly, out of the
comer of my eye, I spotted
a hummingbird zip into
view and begin feeding at
the shiny red blossoms of
Turk’s cap. The bird vis
ited half a dozen or more
blooms and then darted
out of sight.
As soon as
the bird disap
peared into the
trees bordering
the yard, my
thoughts imme
diately turned to
a hummingbird
feeder hanging
from a nearby
shepherd’s hook.
I wondered if
it contained
enough nectar
to satisfy the
hummingbird’s
hunger.
A quick check
revealed that it
contained only
a smidgeon of
food. I promptly
remedied this
situation, went
inside, grabbed
my camera, and
returned to my
chair to await
the return of the
unidentified humming
bird.
After waiting for approx
imately 20 minutes, the
bird landed on the feeder
and began drinking.
Before it left, I was able to
snap four pictures of the
new arrival. Later, look
ing at the pictures, I was
able to identify the bird
as a female rufous hum
mingbird.
The rufous humming
bird breeds from the
Pacific Northwest north
ward to southern Alaska.
In spite of the fact that
it primarily winters in
Mexico, each year untold
numbers of these long
distance migrants winter
throughout the Southeast.
The rufous humming
bird is the hummingbird
most commonly seen in
Georgia during the win
ter. It is estimated some
50 to 100 rufous hum
mingbirds winter in the
Peach State annually.
After having captured
and banded humming
birds for well more than
two decades, I have
learned winter humming
birds can appear here
anytime from August to
late winter. My banding
activities have also taught
me these birds move
around a lot. A winter
hummingbird might stay
in a backyard until spring
or leave in a day to two
and then show up again
in a backyard 50 miles
away.
If you are interested in
trying to attract a winter
ing hummingbird to your
yard, here are a few tips
that may help you be
successful. Maintain at
least one feeder in your
backyard throughout the
entire winter. Don’t fill it
up with sugar water; if
you do, you will be wast
ing sugar. Keep the feeder
only one-third to one-half
full. Since winter tem
peratures are cool, you do
not need to change the
nectar as often as you do
during the sum
mer. However,
don’t let the
fluid become
cloudy. This is
a sure sign that
harmful bacteria
and mold are
multiplying in
the food.
If the weather
forecast calls for
temperatures to
plummet below
25°F, you might
want to take the
feeder inside to
keep the fluid
from freezing
and breaking
the feeder. Then
put it back out
when tempera
tures warm up
again.
Since so few
hummingbird
fly about the
state during the
fall and winter, chances
are you will not be lucky
enough to host one of
these special birds this
year. If you are unsuc
cessful, do not become
discouraged; my wife and
I went years before a
rufous showed up in our
yard. Since then we have
hosted wintering hum
mingbirds several times.
This year having a
rufous hummingbird
miraculously show up just
before I sat down with my
family to give thanks for
all of our blessings and
enjoy a wonderful meal
made Thanksgiving 2016
extra special and a time I
will never forget.
Terry Johnson is the
retired Program Manager
of the Georgia Nongame-
Endangered Wildlife
Program. Pie has written
an informative column
for the Reporter for many
years.
Preview
continued from page IB
tough contest on the road before
falling 35-21 on Oct. 14. Then, last
Friday, Cartersville outlasted a
talented Woodward Academy team
on the road 26-15 in the AAAA
state quarterfinals. Cartersville’s
other 11 victories have all come
by at least 28 points, including
a 31-0 blanking on Sept. 9 of a
Westlake team that has reached
the AAAAAAA state semifinals
and a 68-0 thumping on Nov. 4 of
a Troup squad that finished the
regular season 8-2. On defense,
Cartersville has only given up
more than 15 points in a game
once all year, the aforementioned
win over Sandy Creek.
The Purple Hurricanes have put
six players in the NFL in their
program’s history, including star
running backs Robert Lavette of
Georgia Tech, Keith Henderson
of Georgia and Ronnie Brown of
Auburn.
Against Woodward last Friday,
Cartersville jumped out to a 16-0
first-quarter lead, scoring first on
a special teams safety and then
on a pair of offensive touchdowns,
a five-yard run by Lawrence and
a four-yard pass from Lawrence
to T.J. Horton, according to the
Atlanta Journal- Constitution
(AJC). After Woodward cut its
deficit to seven points, 16-9, at
halftime, Cartersville opened the
second half with a six-minute drive
that ended with a 19-yard field
goal by Jonathan Cruz. Jefferson
then ran for another touchdown
with 1:52 left in the game to put
the Purple Hurricanes in front
26-9 before Woodward added a
garbage-time score for the final
margin.
The Bulldogs will be competing
in just their lOth-ever state semi
final and first since a 33-7 loss
to Early County in the Georgia
Dome in 1998. MP has previously
reached the state semis in 1975,
1979, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985,
1991, 1993 and 1998, compiling a
4-5 mark in semifinal games.
In the only previous meeting
between MP and Cartersville in
1991, the Bulldogs sprinted out
to a 17-7 halftime lead on a pair
of rushing touchdowns by junior
quarterback Stacey Penamon from
17 and 65 yards out, respectively.
However, Cartersville answered
back with two second-half touch
downs, including the game-winner,
a 20-yard pass from Cartersville
QB John Woodard to star running
back Lashon Darby, the AA Player
of the Year that season. Two late
MP fumbles, the only turnovers in
an otherwise clean contest, proved
the difference in Cartersville’s
21-17 victory.
The 2016 Bulldogs, 11-2 overall
(5-0 in Region 2-AAAA), will have
to be stout on defense to have any
chance to pull the upset. MP star
senior defensive end Malik Herring
is coming off perhaps his best-ever
game as a Bulldog in a 28-27 quar
terfinal win over Blessed Trinity
with 11 solo tackles, including
four tackles-for-a-loss and a sack.
Herring, who will decide at sea
son’s end between a host of SEC
and ACC powers, leads MP with
81 tackles, 27 tackles-for-a-loss
and 9 sacks. Herring and defensive
linemates Tre Howard and Dan
O’Neal, who have combined for 10
more sacks, will have to put relent
less pressure on Lawrence for MP’s
secondary to hold up.
However, despite MP’s inexperi
ence in the defensive backfield
entering the season, several play
ers have grown up over the course
of the long year. Senior cornerback
Tyricus Danielly leads MP with
six interceptions, including five
in the past four games. Opposite
Danielly, senior cornerback Quan
Davis has intercepted a pair
of passes, including a key pick
against Blessed Trinity. Another
senior cornerback, Trayon King,
also has a pair of interceptions
this year, and all three comers
are expected to be on the field
on virtually every down against
Carterville’s multiple receiver
packages.
On offense, MP quarterback
Caleb Speir has come on strong
in the second half of the season,
passing for 1,478 yards and 13
touchdowns on 55 percent comple
tion percentage. Speir, a first-year
starter, is only 98 yards away from
setting a new school record for
passing yards in a single season.
Speir’s top two targets are a pair
of seniors, Jatori Sims and Roger
Akins, who have combined for 52
receptions for 958 yards and nine
touchdowns. It was Akins who
scored the game-winning touch
down against Blessed Trinity,
hauling in a 69-yard bomb from
Speir in the fourth quarter to put
MP ahead to stay.
On the ground, MP is led by the
explosive thunder-and-lightning
combination of 6’1”, 205-pound
senior Zach Harvey and 5’9”, 175-
pound sophomore Quen Wilson.
Harvey has rushed for a team-best
1,395 yards and 24 touchdowns
while averaging 6.1 yards-per-
carry. Wilson, who has led MP in
rushing in each of the past two
games, has recovered from a mid
season injury to run for 866 yards
and six touchdowns while averag
ing 8.2 yards per carry. Sims, who
typically lines up in the slot, is
also a threat on the ground on jet
sweeps, averaging 11.9 yards-per-
carry while rushing for 548 yards
and four touchdowns.
MP opened its season on Aug. 18
by facing one of the state’s top two
senior quarterbacks in Houston
County’s Jake Fromm. Fromm, a
Georgia signee, carved up MP’s
secondary, throwing for 416 yards
and four touchdowns in a 26-14
victory. MP’s fifth-year head coach
Brian Nelson said he’ll find out
Friday if his defense has matured
since then.
Nelson said of facing Fromm
and Lawrence in the same year:
“Lucky us, right? I think we
learned some things from playing
Houston County, but we’ll see. It’s
a whole different animal I think.
I haven’t really seen them (Purple
Hurricanes) or watched them, but
I’ve heard about them. They’re
really, really good. We’re just glad
and fortunate and blessed, so to
speak, that we even get to play
another week. We’ll prepare like
we have all year and go play and
see what happens.”
The winner of Friday’s show
down will advance to the AAAA
state championship game in the
Georgia Dome at 4:30 p.m. on
Saturday, Dec. 10. Jefferson, the
No. 1 seed from Region 8-AAAA,
and Thomson, the No. 1 seed from
Region 3-AAAA, will face off in the
other AAAA semifinal.