Turkey Pond is a historic carolina bay now used as a private lake for fishing and duck hunting. The pond is host to a plethora of waterfowl in the fall and winter. Huge numbers (5,000+) of ducks, cormorants, and coots are seen here nearly annually. Grebes, loons, geese, terns, and gulls are regular here, as are sandpipers, plovers, herons and egrets, osprey and bald eagle, and fish crow. The surrounding county-maintained roads (Magruder and Cobb) jut against excellent farmland for pasture birds such as harriers, sparrows, larks, and pipits.
The owners of the club are welcoming to birders, but considering most of the pond is private, birding viewpoints of the pond are restricted to the southern end of the pond along Magruder Rd. Birding by car or foot is welcome on Magruder and Cobb Rds.
The property owners or club members are sometimes, though rarely, invited to the back of the property to get closer views of birds.
Birders can expect many American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Ruddy Duck, and Hooded Merganser in the winter, but frequently seen waterfowl include American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Bufflehead, Gadwall, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, Red-breasted Grebe, and Horned Grebe. Along Cobb Rd. look for Vesper Sparrow and White-crowned Sparrow, Common Ground-Dove, Horned Lark, American Pipit, and Northern Harrier.
Rarities include: Brant, Tundra Swan, Franklin's Gull, Common Merganser, Surf, White-winged and Black Scoter, Lark Sparrow, Brown Pelican, Vermilion Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, and Ross's Goose.
