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CarolinaBirds for Sunday, January 8, 2006
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Subject: HBSP 1/7/06
From: <merlin42(AT)charter.net>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 1:13am
The following was observed by a group from East Tennessee birding at Huntington
Beach State Park on 1/7/06. Highlighted list includes:
Cave Swallows 40+ (along the causeway)
Common Ground Dove 3 ( on ground and in trees around Education Building
Feeders)
Painted Bunting (on Education Building Feeders)
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow 4+ (along the Jetty rock @ high tide)
Harlequin Duck 1 (feeding off the end of the Jetty)
Common Eider 1 (along the right side of the JettY)
Purple Sandpiper 1 (on rocks and end of Jetty)
Marbled Godwit 1 (on beach where Dune trail ends at beach with Red Knots and
Willets)
Good Day. 93 species total. Some pictures can be found at my gallery. The URL
is
http://www.technobohemia.com/beta/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=HuntingtonBeach_SC_Jan2006.
Rob Biller
Elizabethton, TN
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Longtailed duck at Ocracoke
From: Susse Wright <sussew(AT)mindspring.com>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 6:55am
Yesterday, paddling out of from Ocracoke village near Oyster Creek
around 1 PM a female Longtailed duck crossed my path. It came within
20 feet of my kayak and I was worried that it had been shot. However,
short after passing in front of my bow it lifted and flew off looking
perfectly unharmed.
Susse Wright, Ph.D.
Sensible Design
P.O. Box 651
Ocracoke, NC 27960
252-928-6515
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: OLFand NRA
From: Brian Murphy <brianmnc(AT)earthlink.net>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 7:41am
More weight added to OLF resistance.
http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/386143.html
--
Brain Murphy
http://home.earthlink.net/~brianmnc
Durham, NC
Millbrook High School
AP Env. Science / Webmaster
http://mhs.wcpss.net
http://home.earthlink.net/mhsapes
Raleigh, NC
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“…in the wilderness, I find something more dear and connate than in
the streets or villages…in the woods we return to reason and faith.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
----------------------------------------------------------------
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Fotk-tailed Flycatcher continues near Apopka FL
From: "Russ Wigh" <rdwigh(AT)bellsouth.net>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 8:08am
Birders
The Fork-tailed Flycatcher continues at Hooper Farm Road near Apopka
Florida, just NE of Orlando, along with 30-40 Western Kingbirds, and 4
Swallow-tailed Flycatchers. The show is increasingly later according to
locals. Tim Miller and I along with a dozen other people got clear and
distant views of FTFL, but it was only on the wire for less than one minute
at 5:45PM. Several people positioned themselves at another entrance to the
grove and missed the bird. While you are there, look for Ash-throated
Flycatcher and Brown-crested Flycatcher very near by on Lust Road (we missed
these twice), and about 20 minutes away a willing colony of Florida
Scrub-jays will pose for pictures. A large flock of Black-bellied
Whistling-ducks is also supposed to be in the area.
Other good birds for our 650 mile day trip were:
Least Flycatcher
White-crowned Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Sandhill Crane
Check recent January GABO archives for Dot Freeman's excellent directions to
get there. You're the best, Dot.
For Georgia birders willing to cross state lines, CarolinaBirds reports 5
species of geese, including Cackling from Bear Island WMA (Colleton County
on the coast near HH) and Santee NWR. Tundra Swan at Bear Island.
There are at least two Lincoln's Sparrows at SNWR Laurel Hill Drive across
the river from Savannah, and one Fox Sparrow. I found 5 species of
butterflies there on 4 January.
Russ Wigh
Skidaway Island, GA
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Nemesis Be Gone
From: "Richard Carter" <rico(AT)nc.rr.com>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 9:30am
Hello All:
On Saturday (1/7/06) after several misses over the last few years I finally
came face-to-face (so to speak) with my nemesis bird, the Long-tailed Duck
at Fort Fisher. Other notables are as follows:
Surf Scoter (1)
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-throated Loon (also a lifer)
Common Loon
Northern Gannet - 30,000+ (possibly the greatest concentration of a single
species I have ever witnessed)
Great Egret
White Ibis
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Marbled Godwit (8)
Palm Warbler
Looks like 2006 is off the a great start. I hope everyone has a good year as
well.
Richard Carter
Cary, NC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Lincoln's Sparrow in Durham
From: Kent Fiala <fiala(AT)ipass.net>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 11:43am
This morning I observed a Lincoln's Sparrow at Sandy Creek Trail in
Durham--listed as "very rare" for this season on the Triangle checklist.
Too bad I didn't find it on the Christmas Count.
--
Kent Fiala
Chapel Hill Township, NC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Hummers in the Clemson area
From: Tim Fenlon <tfenlon(AT)CLEMSON.EDU>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 2:57pm
We had a Christmas surprise on the 28th when we returned from a family trip
to Ohio.. an immature male hummer that was very skittish. I first believed
it was probably a Rufous, but he showed very little rust on his sides and
mostly a green back. I tried very hard to get some photos (even set up a
blind) , but if I blinked an eye he was gone! I was also thinking
possibly a Broad-tailed. I'll probably never know for sure now. My next
door neighbors also have feeders out and they last saw him then too. I was
wondering if he moved down from the Ashville area because I heard 4
hummers left that area over Christmas. He had very distinct throat
markings with red feathers centralized and scattered and also 2 or 3 on
the right side. Also, the green feathers from the back of the right side of
his neck wrapped around much further to the front than on the
left. Probably too vague of a description for anyone, but thought it might
be worth a try. Hopefully he is at another hummer friendly house!
The good news is...we now have a female Rufous that came late yesterday and
again appeared at my feeders at 7:35 and fed all morning. She is not very
shy and will hopefully stay longer! I apologize for not posting the first
one sooner, but last week was very hectic and I have a Black Lab that barks
if any one comes around and the hummer would have disappeared
anyway. Rusty Trump will be coming up from Atlanta to band her . If
anyone wants to come and see it, please contact me so I can keep my dog in
the house.
Katie Fenlon
Clemson, SC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: A reminder at the Florida kingbird roost.
From: "Russ Wigh" <rdwigh(AT)bellsouth.net>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 3:37pm
Birders
I just heard from a birder whose experience at the kingbird roost in Apopka
was the same as mine.
There are two entrances, one gated, one not, which doesn't matter. This is
all private property, and we are simply not to go in there without
permission. Some birders did this last evening, through the open gate,
hoping to get closer looks and they were unfortunately skunked. My
correspondent witnessed the same thing, and at least some of those people
were from Georgia.
Wait at the gated entrance across the road from Hooper Farm Road - also
private and gated. The Orlando area birders were understandably all pretty
firm on this point, not wanting any privileges revoked from them. You will
not only be respecting someone's property, you will have a better chance to
see the bird.
By-the-way, Cassin's Kingbird was a no-show on Saturday.
Russ Wigh
Skidaway Island, GA
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Yard Birds, Screech Owl
From: "Holly Powell" <hpowell48(AT)ec.rr.com>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 3:59pm
Neatest yard bird I've had so far this year was an Eastern Screech Owl. It
was roosting Friday evening in the opening to a bird house in direct sight
from the recliner in my sunroom. Was really hoping it would stick around,
but didn't appear to be there last evening.
Do they move around a lot? Anything I can do to make the sight more
attractive to it? (You know, like maybe a plate of dead mice?)
Also, I've heard Screech Owls from my yard, but not sighted one from or in
the yard before. Wondering if folks count birds as "yard birds" when they
are only heard and not seen.
Holly Powell
Hummingbird Hideaway (currently humless despite flowering plants and
feeders)
On Adams Creek, Intracoastal Waterway
15 miles north of Beaufort, NC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Falls Lake eagle count; Eno River Ravens
From: "birdranger" <cbockhahn4(AT)earthlink.net>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 5:23pm
Had a great morning at Falls Lake watching a total of seven different eagles
at one time from Sandling Beach. Only one was an adult and it spooked the
5500 Ring-billeds of which I had picked out 3 Greater Black-backed Gulls.
As the flock stirred and left, the eagle picked out a juvenile ring-billed
and began to give chase. It was joined by two juveniles and the three
eagles harrassed the gull onto the water. Two more juveniles showed up and
a total of five eagles swooped at the gull. At least three of them
connected with talons and gave the gull a good twirl but would not scoop it
up. After a good ten minutes they left the gull gimping along on the water.
It was almost as if the gull was target practice for all the juvies!? Maybe
they were stuffed as the lakeshore abounds with gull feather piles! Not
much else on the lake except some Grebes.
Hiking Laurel Ridge Trail at Eno River SP this afternoon saw and heard two
Common Ravens and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, both would have been nice birds
for the Durham CBC, the Raven a first.
Falls and Kerr CBC's totals are looking average, high 80's and low 90's
respectively, will post totals.
Brian Bockhahn
Falls Lake State Park Ranger
Falls & Kerr Lake CBC Compiler
cbockhahn4(AT)earthlink.net
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Is this a tick?
From: "KC Foggin" <KCFoggin(AT)sc.rr.com>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 7:46pm
This poor Junco seemed to be having a hard time today and was all by its
lonesome. Is this a tick on the side of its face?
http://www.pbase.com/kcfoggin/image/54591771
KC Foggin
Socastee
Myrtle Beach SC
www.birdforum.net
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Is this a tick?
From: BILL HILTON JR The Piedmont Naturalist <hilton(AT)hiltonpond.org>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 8:00pm
KC . . .
Indeed, it's a tick, fully engorged.
See http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek021208.html
Happy Birding,
BILL
>This poor Junco seemed to be having a hard time today and was all by
>its lonesome. Is this a tick on the side o f its face?
>
>http://www.pbase.com/kcfoggin/image/54591771
>
>KC Foggin
>Socastee
>Myrtle Beach SC
>www.birdforum.net
--
BILL HILTON JR., Executive Director
Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History
1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA
hilton(AT)hiltonpond.org, (803) 684-5852, eFax: (503) 218-0845
The mission of Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History is "to
conserve plants, animals, habitats, and other natural components of
the Piedmont Region of the eastern United States through observation,
scientific study, and education for students of all ages." Please
visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net) at
http://www.hiltonpond.org and http://www.rubythroat.org ("Operation
RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project").
"Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to
watch the sunset." BHjr.
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Snow Geese at Hooper Lane
From: Jon Smith <jon49(AT)bellsouth.net>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 8:06pm
Glenda and I saw three snow geese at Hooper Lane this evening. Two were
blue-phase. They landed on the sod farm portion of the fields closest to
Jeffries Rd. There were also three Northern Harriers and a Kestrel.
Good Birding,
Jon Smith
Fletcher, N.C.
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Feeder Birds
From: StevePath1(AT)aol.com
Date: 8 Jan 2006 8:31pm
I have had relatively abysmal FeederWatch counts so far this season
(2005-2006). However, this weekend I had pretty good biodiversity with 32
species, but
only a total of 103 birds. Unusual birds for this time of the year included 1
Orange-crowned Warbler (Is that worth reporting to the Chat, as an unusual
winter bird for the Piedmont of NC?) and 1 House Wren. I also saw the
Orange-crowned Warbler in the yard on Dec 28, 2005 and on Jan. 4, 2006. It
actually fed
on both the sunflower chips and homemade gorp. Perhaps it will stay to spice up
an otherwise dull FeederWatch season. Cheers.
Steve Tracy
Gastonia, NC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Cackling Goose at Bear Island, Colleton Co., SC
From: "Steve" <scompton(AT)sc.rr.com>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 9:05pm
Birders,
After an 1 1/2 hour wait at Mary's House Pond at Bear
Island, a pair of geese came in together. They were
alone at first but seemed short-necked. A Wigeon hen
swam near, seemingly only a bit smaller. After about 20 minutes Canada Geese
started to fly in. The two smaller "Canada" geese swam over and joned them.
They were clearly about half the size of the smaller geese. Obviously,
the Cacking Geese! It was cool to be able to identify them without the
Canada Geese nearby. The Tundra
and two Mute Swans were present in abundance.
Please note that the Bear Island GMA is closed until
February 1. The refuge manager and one of his staff
came up while I was there, and complained that some birders had been going
into closed areas. Please do not
go any area other than the observation parking lot area and Mary's House
Pond. Do not park on the side of the road anywhere else.
Steve Compton
Summerville,SC
<scompton(AT)sc.rr.com>
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robin Carter" <rcarter(AT)sc.rr.com>
To: "CarolinaBirds" <carolinabirds(AT)duke.edu>
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 9:08 PM
Subject: Cackling Goose at Bear Island, Colleton Co., SC
> Hi C-Birders,
>
> I just got a phone call from Roger Smith. He says that he had a Cackling
> Goose at Mary's House Pond, Bear Island WMA today. Other species of
> interest
> there included a Mute Swan in with the numerous Tundra Swans.
>
> Mary's House Pond is the pond right by the residences at Bear Island WMA.
> You can park before the locked gate and bird this pond even when the rest
> of
> the wildlife management area is closed. The rest of Bear Island WMA is
> closed until 1 February 2006.
>
> Caroline Eastman and I plan to drive down to Bear Island tomorrow and
> check
> this out.
>
> Robin Carter
> Columbia, SC USA
> mailto:rcarter(AT)sc.rr.com
>
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Henderson County Update
From: "Wayne K. Forsythe" <wforsythe(AT)mchsi.com>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 10:13pm
Folks,
At about 1:15 PM today, I observed a MERLIN at the intersection of
Hooper Lane and Jeffress Road. I was 95% sure I saw a Merlin at this
location last week but could never get a really good look at the bird to
confirm it's ID. There is a very large flock of Starlings, etc. that hang
out in this area, and the Merlin wreaks havoc on this flock. Today, I was
able to get distant scope views of this bird to confirm it's ID.
Wayne
Wayne K. Forsythe
Hendersonville, N. C.
828-697-6628
wforsythe AT mchsi dot com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Is this a tick?
From: mike <lists(AT)webfargo.com>
Date: 8 Jan 2006 10:51pm
Its interesting this is brought up now.
I have a Towhee that was fine a couple weeks ago, however now the bird is
missing an eye and has what appears to be a tick on its side.
Here are a couple pics.
http://www.reddrum.com/_MG_6856.jpg
http://www.reddrum.com/_MG_6861.jpg
mike
At 07:59 PM 1/8/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>KC . . .
>
>Indeed, it's a tick, fully engorged.
>
>See http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek021208.html
>
>Happy Birding,
>
>BILL
>
>
>>This poor Junco seemed to be having a hard time today and was all by its
>>lonesome. Is this a tick on the side o f its face?
>>
>>http://www.pbase.com/kcfoggin/image/54591771
>>
>>KC Foggin
>>Socastee
>>Myrtle Beach SC
>>www.birdforum.net
>
>
>--
>
>BILL HILTON JR., Executive Director
>Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History
>1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA
>hilton(AT)hiltonpond.org, (803) 684-5852, eFax: (503) 218-0845
>
>The mission of Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History is "to
>conserve plants, animals, habitats, and other natural components of the
>Piedmont Region of the eastern United States through observation,
>scientific study, and education for students of all ages." Please visit
>our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net) at http://www.hiltonpond.org
>and http://www.rubythroat.org ("Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird
>Project").
>
>"Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to
>watch the sunset." BHjr.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
www.webfargo.com
CCDA CCNA CCSA CCSE MCP+I MCSE
PGP key available
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: good birds at Mattamuskeet; Franklin's Gull YES; ARNWR birds
From: jspippen(AT)duke.edu
Date: 8 Jan 2006 10:50pm
Birders,
Today (Sunday 8 Jan 2006), Harry LeGrand, Geoff & Kristen Sinclair, and I
birded Lake Mattamuskeet, Mann's Harbor, and Alligator River NWR in
eastern NC. The weather forecast was for highs around 60, but if it
indeed got that warm, it was the coldest 60 degrees we've ever
experienced! Skies were indeed mostly sunny all day with a sw wind maybe
10mph, and we enjoyed a great day of birding:
Yellow Warbler: we found 1 imm. female along the causeway just north of
the second culvert from the north end. Very rare in January!
Black-headed Gull: did NOT see
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: we found one along the causeway south of the
platform
Mute Swan: 2 were seen from the causeway
Common Goldeneye: one female was with a mix of waterfowl against the
vegetation along the edge on the southwestern side of the causeway
Blue-winged Teal: 20-25 were in the "pond" area south and west of the
entrance to the wildlife drive (on the western side of the causeway and
south of the main lake)
American White Pelican: 5 were seen flying over the lake from the first
blind off the wildlife drive (Cackling Goose Point, it should be called,
although we did NOT see Cackling Geese).
Glossy Ibis: 10 were in a small impoundment along the wildlife drive
Cattle Egret: we saw at least 8 in a few scattered locations
Common Moorehen: one imm. was in the first impoundment just west of the
parking area at Lake Landing
Canvasback: several were seen from the Kuralt platform along the
causeway to "Cackling Goose Point"
Redhead: at least a couple hundred were seen (most were a long way off)
from "Cackling Goose Point"
Franklin's Gull: the injured bird was resting (alertly) on the dock at the
old marina site in Mann's Harbor where it's been reported for a few weeks.
As has been previously reported, this bird clearly has an injured leg.
Bald Eagle: we did not keep an accurate count, but we probably saw at
least 40 for the day - the most I've ever seen in NC in one day.
Merlin: 3 were at Alligator River NWR
Short-eared Owl: we tallied at least 6 at Alligator River NWR from
Milltail Rd at dusk.
Eurasian Collared-Dove: one was in Columbia at the first intersection east
of the bridge (right where Ricky said he regularly sees 'em!)
There were still thousands of Tundra Swans. We saw all the expected ducks
plus a flock of a thousand + Snow Geese with an unusually high number of
Blues (maybe 30% or more). All in all, despite dipping on the Cackling
Geese, we saw about 90 species, and it was a very fun day of birding!
Good Birding,
Jeff
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jeffrey S. Pippen
Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences
Rm A-241 LSRC Bldg, Box 90328
Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
PH: (919) 660-7278
http://www.duke.edu/~jspippen/nature.htm
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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