Newspaper Page Text
May 9, 2018
Page 3B
H
Exporter
MONROE OUTDOORS by Terry W. Johnson
Hummingbirds make fewer
visits to feeders in May
H
um-
ming-
bird
.watching
definitely has its
ups and downs. As
veteran local hum
mingbird watchers
can attest, during
the local ruby-
throated humming
bird season that
extends from March
through October,
the numbers of
hummers we see in
our backyards vary
dramatically from
month to month.
For example, most
Monroe County
hummingbird en
thusiasts find that
the birds are often
mighty scarce dur
ing the month of May.
On the surface this does
Female ruby-throated hummingbirds like this one are likely to incu
bate eggs in May, spending 70-80 percent of their time on their
nests. (Photo/Terry Johnson)
While we cannot see the
boundaries delineating
these territories, each male
to the arrival
of those hum
mingbirds that
will nest locally as well
as spring migrants that
pass through our county
en route to their breeding
grounds north of Middle
Georgia.
By the end of April the
spring ruby-throated
migration has slowed to
a trickle. As a result, our
backyard hummingbird
feeders host more hum
mers in April than they do
in March and May.
There is another reason
why rubythroat visitations
to our feeders wane in
May. After the rubythroats
that will nest in the county
arrive, the males scatter
across the countryside
looking for suitable nesting
territories. Ideal nesting
territories possess an abun
dance of food and suitable
nest sites.
Once each male finds
what he is looking for, he
will vigorously defend
it from other male ru
bythroats. The breeding
territories can vary from a
quarter acre to two acres in
size. The size of the terri
tory is dictated by the qual
ity of the habitat. In those
areas where nest sites and
food abound, territories are
larger than in those with
less food and nest sites.
TERRY W. JOHNSON
line of defense
is flying at the
interloper.
If this does not work,
he will commence flying
in a pattern known as the
Pendulum - Arc - Flight.
During this flight the male
repeatedly flies in a broad
arc, with the lowest point
of the arc near the ground.
The sides of the arch can
vary from three to forty
feet in length. A distinctive
buzz, created by the birds
wing and tail feathers, can
be heard when the birds
flight reaches the lowest
point on the arch. Often
this sound is accompanied
by squeaks.
As each male is constant
ly trying to thwart other
males from entering his
domain, he is also trying to
entice females to nest in his
kingdom.
By May many of the ru
by-throated hummingbird
nesting territories have
been staked out. As such,
unless a pair of humming
birds is occupying a nest
ing territory that includes
your yard, you may see few,
if any hummers.
In addition, once a
female hummer is incubat
ing her eggs, she will spend
anywhere from 70-80 per
cent of the day incubating
the eggs; this leaves little
time to visit a feeder.
There is yet another
reason why hummingbird
feeders are infrequently
visited in May. A number
of flowering ornamental
and wild plants are bloom
ing in May. One of these
plants is Japanese honey
suckle. This highly invasive
vine has taken over large
swaths of the Monroe
County countryside, and
it is an important winter
food source for white
tailed deer and produces
bountiful supplies of nectar
for ruby-throated hum
mingbirds and other
nectar feeders. When the
creamy white blossoms of
the Japanese honeysuckle
are seemingly everywhere,
there is little incentive for a
hungry hummer to make a
trek to our feeders.
Although you may be
disappointed that you do
not see as many humming
birds as you would like to
this month, keep in mind
better times are just ahead.
On the other side of the
coin, May is a great time to
begin preparing for the ex
plosion of hummingbirds
that will commence in July.
The best way to do this is
to add more hummingbird
nectar plants to your yard.
This will pay huge divi
dends down the road. This
is because homeowners
that routinely attract the
most hummingbirds are
those that combine hum
mingbird feeders with a
variety of nectar plants.
Terry Johnson is retired
Program Manager of the
Georgia Nongame-Endan
gered Wildlife Program. He
has written the informative
column ‘Monroe Outdoors’
for the Reporter for many
years. Email him at tjwood-
duck@bellsouth.net.
HALL OF FAME
Continued from Front
1960s, including the 1968
team that remains the lone
Bulldogs’ squad to reach
the state Final Four.
Summers, a former
Hubbard High School
standout, competed in
several sports at Hubbard,
including basketball, and
is widely considered one of
the school’s finest athletes.
Summers, who now lives
in Maryland, has numer
ous successful children and
grandchildren.
Walker, a former Mary
Persons head football
coach, was one of the most
successful football coaches
in Georgia High School
Association (GHSA) his
tory. Walker, who captured
his lone state title at West
Rome in 1984, won ex
actly 300 games in Georgia,
making him one of just 13
head coaches who have
achieved the feat. A former
MP letterman, Walker
returned to his alma mater
as athletic director in 2005
and served as head coach
from 2006-11.
Zellner, a former Mary
Persons football star, was
the top player on MP’s state
runner-up 1993 squad.
Zellner, who went on to
star in college at Fort Valley
State, is one of just four MP
alums to reach the NFL.
A member of the Dallas
Cowboys, Washington
Redskins and Arizona
Cardinals, respectively,
Zellner played 89 games
in the NFL as a defensive
lineman, registering 107
tackles and 9 sacks.
For more information
about the Forsyth-Monroe
County Sports Hall of
Fame induction ceremony,
contact one of the Hall of
Fame committee members:
Mary Frances Chambliss,
Gaylyn Cole, Richard
Dumas, Keith Edge, Her
bert Gantt, Chairman Jim
Hardin, Bob Harris, Nolen
Howard, Vice Chairman
Bobby Melton, Secretary/
Treasurer Penny Pitts or
Marcus Whitehead. Inter
ested persons can also visit
the Hall of Fame’s website
at forsyth-monroecountys-
STARR
Heating & A/C, Inc.
We Service All Brands of Heating
& Air Conditioning Units
Serving Monroe County &
Surrounding Areas for over 40 years
Free Estimates
Financing Available
Juliette Rd. • Forsyth, GA
478-994-6127
Ga. Reg.CU 401419
turn to the experts"
NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION
GEORGIA, MONROE
Monroe County Board of Elections, SUPERINTENDENT OF ELECTIONS for the above State
and County, DO HEREBY CERTIFY THAT:
WHEREAS, in the 2010 Georgia General Assembly, the House and Senate passed
House Bill 277, known as the Transportation Investment Act of 2010, to provide 12 special tax
districts across the State and to provide for a special district transportation sales and use tax in
such special districts; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Code Section 48-8-243 of the Transportation Invest
ment Act of 2010, the Middle Georgia special district Roundtable, of which Monroe County is a
part, officially approved a Final Investment List to be funded through the special district transporta
tion sales and use tax; and
WHEREAS, the special one percent (1%) sales and use tax will not exceed a projected
revenue generation amount of $637,746,847 for the Middle Georgia special district, and shall not
exceed ten (10) years in duration commencing October 1,2018; and
WHEREAS, Seventy-Five percent (75%) of the projected revenue generation amount
will fund the approved Final Investment List of the Middle Georgia special tax district and Twenty-
Five percent (25%) of the projected revenue generation amount will be directly distributed to the
cities and counties of the Middle Georgia special tax district by formula for local transportation
uses; and
WHEREAS, the Middle Georgia Roundtable has made a resolution to the Superin
tendents of Election of the Middle Georgia special tax district, as specified in the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated 48-8-244, to notify the election superintendent to issue the call for election for
the purpose of submitting to the electors of the county the question of whether such sales and use
tax shall be granted for approval or rejection; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Code Section 48-8-244, the election results will be
tabulated per district and if more than one-half of the votes cast throughout the special district are
in favor of levying the tax, then the tax will be levied in said special district as specified; and
WHEREAS, the Final Investment List to be undertaken and completed utilizing 75% of
the projected revenue generation amount in the Middle Georgia special tax district are as follows:
County
Project Name
Baldwin
Kings Road Safety Enhancements
Baldwin
Log Cabin Road Widening
Baldwin
Widen and Resurface North Jefferson Street
Baldwin
Widen and Resurface Dunlap Road
Crawford
East Agency Street Resurfacing
Crawford
Construct Passing Lanes on US Highway 80 E
Crawford
Pave Matthews Road
Crawford
Sandy Point Resurfacing
Houston
Collins Avenue Sidewalk Addition
Houston
Perry Houston County Airport Terminal Expansion
Houston
Perry Houston County Airport Hangers
Houston
SR 247 widening from SR96 to the SR 247 Spur
Houston
St. Patrick’s Drive Extension
Houston
US 41/SR 11 widening from SR96 to SR 247C
Houston
247C widening and operational inprovements from US 41 to Carl Vinson parkway
Jones
Bridge Replacement on Folendore Road at Comissioner Creek
Jones
Chehaw Creek Bridge Replacement
Jones
Pave Old Highway 18
Jones
Construct Griswoldville Industrial Park Rail Spur
Jones
Henderson Road Resurfacing
Jones
Safety Improvements to SR 49 rail road Crossing (733415H)
Macon-Bibb
Tucker Road Bridge Replacement
Macon-Bibb
Construct 7th Street Truck Route
Macon-Bibb
Design and Right of Way Acquisition of Sardis Church Road Extension to 1-16
Macon-Bibb
Resurface Riggins Mill Road from Emery Highway to the Twiggs County Line
Macon-Bibb
Resurface Upper River Road from the Jones County Line to Clinton Road
Macon-Bibb
Wesleyan Drive, Bowman Boulevard and Bowman Road Intersection Improvements
Macon-Bibb
Transit Capital Acquisition
Macon-Bibb
Bass Road Widening: I-75, Bowman Road to New Forsyth Road
Macon-Bibb
Bass Road Widening: Bowman Road to near Westchester Drive
Monroe
Bridge Replacement on Johnstonville Road at Rocky
Monroe
West Main Sidewalk connection
Monroe
Study of Forsyth truck bypass
Monroe
Indian Springs/L.Carey Bittick Drive/GPSTC Intersection Improvement
Monroe
Widening and Resurfacing Montipelier Road and Thornton Road
Peach
Woodland Drive Radius Improvement
Peach
Chapman Road Widening
Peach
Taylors Mill Road Resurfacing
Peach
Construction of SR 49 Conn. Extension to SR96
Peach
SR 96 Widening from CR 107/Fire Tower Rd to CR 83/Housers Mill Road
Pulaski
Passing Lanes SR 247
Pulaski
Sidewalk construction on SR24
Putnam
Sidewalk construction on SR24
Putnam
Harmony Road Safety Improvements
Putnam
Eatonton NE Bypass and Roundabout
Twiggs
Williams Road Widening and Paving
Twiggs
Sidewalk Construction on Highway 80
Twiggs
SR 96 Widening (1-16 to SR 87/US 231
Twiggs
SR 96 Widening (Thompson Mill Road to SR 87/US 23
Wilkinson
Resurface Allen Avenue
Wilkinson
Hwy 57/Old 441 Intersection Improvements
Wilkinson
Resurface Pinebluff Drive
Wilkinson
Resurface Vinson Road
Wilkinson
Resurface Shepherd Street
Wilkinson
Resurface Papermill Road
Wilkinson
Gordon McIntyre Road Full Depth Base Reclamation
NOW, THEREFORE, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME BY VIRTUE OF
O.C.GA48-8-244 AND O.C.GA21-2-540, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:
(1) That a call for a special one percent (1%) sales and use tax in the Middle
Georgia special tax district, of which Monroe County is a part, in an amount not
to exceed $637,746,847 and for a period of time not to exceed ten (10) years
duration commencing October 1, 2018 subject to the approval of the voters of
said special tax district is hereby issued.
(2) That said Special Election shall be held on May 22,2018, between the hours
of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; that all persons who are not registered to vote and
who desire to register to vote in the special election may register to vote through
the close of business on April 24,2018.
(3) That the question to be put before the voters of Monroe County, as part of the
middle Georgia special tax district, shall be placed on the ballot and read as
follows:
SAMPLE BALLOT
Shall Monroe County’s transportation system and the transportation network in this region and the
state be improved by providing for a 1 percent special district transportation sales and use tax for
the purpose of transportation projects and programs fora period often years?
(YES)
(NO)
I hereunto set my hand and affix the seal of this office at the Monroe County Board of Elections,
38 W. Main Street, February 2,2018.