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CarolinaBirds for Thursday, April 6, 2006
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Subject: RE: Carolinas Nature Sound Workshop/Conference in March, May
or June, 2007
From: "Frederick Houk Jr" <woodthrush2263(AT)hotmail.com>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 1:06am
Dook, er Duke (cough) has good birding nearby, as well...Dook, er Duke
Forest, and Jordan Lake spring to mind (Jordan Lake is a bit of a drive, but
Dook, er Duke Forest is proximate, as is the woods around the campus,
itself.)
Fred Houk
Chapel Hill
>From: "Robin Carter" <rcarter(AT)sc.rr.com>
>To: "Doug Pratt" <Doug.Pratt(AT)ncmail.net>, "Chris Hill"
><chill(AT)kingfish.coastal.edu>, "William Majoros" <bmajoros(AT)duke.edu>,
> "John Grego" <jrgrego(AT)mindspring.com>, "Irvin Pitts"
><ipitts(AT)scprt.com>, "Fred Houk" <woodthrush2263(AT)hotmail.com>,
>"David Ross" <dlrossjr(AT)gmail.com>, "Walter Knapp"
><wwknapp(AT)mindspring.com>, "J. M. Lynch" <jmlynch(AT)earthlink.net>,
>"John Cely" <jecely(AT)sc.rr.com>
>CC: "Caroline Eastman" <ceastman(AT)sc.rr.com>,
>"Naturerecordists(AT)Yahoogroups.Com" <naturerecordists(AT)yahoogroups.com>,
> "CarolinaBirds" <carolinabirds(AT)duke.edu>
>Subject: Carolinas Nature Sound Workshop/Conference in March, May or June,
>2007
>Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2006 17:58:11 -0400
>
>Greetings all,
>
>Many emails have been kicking around recently about having a nature sound
>recording workshop or small conference somewhere in the Carolinas as soon
>as
>possible. Several suggestions have been made. Here is my overview of what
>we
>have suggested.
>
>1. The meeting should be technical, but open to beginners. We need some
>hands-on instruction for beginners, but it would also be good to have a
>paper session and perhaps even a guest speaker.
>
>2. It would be good to schedule this meeting sometime when birds and frogs
>are calling, but not during April or early May (since birders are already
>booked solid during those times).
>
>3. It would be good to have a more or less central location in North
>Carolina or South Carolina for this meeting.
>
>4. The meeting should last about two or three days, perhaps over a weekend
>(Friday through Sunday morning).
>
>Various suggestions have been made for time and place. June seems to be the
>preferred month (but late May or March would also work). Two main venues
>have been suggested -- Duke University and Congaree National Park. Duke
>would have good conference facilities, but so would Congaree National Park.
>At Congaree NP the recording practicum could be held only a short walk from
>the meeting place.
>
>I have started preliminary inquiries into having such a workshop at
>Congaree
>National Park in March, late May or early June, 2007. It is far too late to
>get anything organized for this year (2006).
>
>Other times or places might work. There is some appeal in going to the
>mountains. We might be able to schedule something earlier on the coast in
>winter. Even Congaree NP would be good for a winter conference since there
>is quite a nice soundscape in winter in the park.
>
>Now is the time for making your opinions and ideas known. Please feel free
>to forward this to anyone who might be interested.
>
>Robin Carter
>Columbia, SC USA
>mailto:rcarter(AT)sc.rr.com
>
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: RE: Cleaning hummingbird feeders
From: "Frederick Houk Jr" <woodthrush2263(AT)hotmail.com>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 2:31am
There are some cheap, generic brand dish washer tablets that contain no
sheeting action chemicals, perfumes, etc. in their ingredient list, and
that are arguably therefore safe for cleaning hummingbird feeders in a good
dishwasher...provided you go an extra step as I do and thoroughly rinse the
tubes and bases in hot water after the feeders come out of the dishwasher.
(This is an extra step, which I take for precautionary reasons.)
I caught a fair amount of grief for this, last year, but I'm convinced that
a good dishwasher/heat cycle included/no superflous chemicals (check the
label) dishwasher detergent, does a better job of cleaning out a dozen
feeders a day than I ever could, or rather than I ever would. If you are
going to do a dozen or more feeders a day, and do it all by hand, all
summer, more power to you, but the couple of hundred hummingbirds I send to
Latin America every year seem to like what I do, or so they tell me.
Until somebody shows me scientific arguments to the contrary, I'm going to
continue to "cheat".
(INCOMING!!!)
Fred Houk
Chapel Hill
>From: "Michael C. Parrish" <pendragon1998(AT)yahoo.com>
>To: Birds Carolina <carolinabirds(AT)duke.edu>
>Subject: Cleaning hummingbird feeders
>Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2006 21:35:18 -0700 (PDT)
>
>Now that the RTHUs -- not RTHBs or RTHs! -- are coming back, I've got a
>question for you wise carolinabirders:
>
>The general advice I've always heard is "don't use detergents to clean
>your hummingbird feeders." I'll buy the arguments against consumer
>detergents, but has anyone considered a labware cleaner like liqui-nox?
>(not to be confused with liquinox, the fertilizer) I have easy access
>to the stuff at the lab I work at, where it is used because it doesn't
>leave any residues which would interfere with the chemistry we do.
>
>I was reviewing the "Inhibitory Residue Test of LIQUI-NOX on
>Glassware", which basically compared how many bacterial colonies will
>grow on liqui-nox cleaned glassware vs on a sterile petri dish. There
>was a <15% difference between liqui-nox cleaned glassware vs the
>sterile glassware. This would lead me to think that using liqui-nox and
>rinsing thoroughly should be safe for hummingbirds, since it has little
>impact on microbes.
>
>The report and other information is available at:
>
>http://www.alconox.com/
>
>Just select the cleaner from the pull-down menu at the top, and select
>the report from the box next to it.
>
>What do y'all think about this?
>
>Michael C. Parrish
>Watkinsville, GA (Oconee Co.)
>http://www.arches.uga.edu/~parrishm/
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Coastal SC migrants 4/5
From: "Dennis Forsythe" <dennis.forsythe(AT)citadel.edu>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 8:48am
Hi All,
Yesterday at 2PM I had a calling Great Crested Flycatcher in my yard on James
Is, SC. Earlier in the day I heard an Ovenbird in Williamsburg Co., SC.
Dennis
Dennis M. Forsythe PhD, PA
Emeritus Professor of Biology
The Citadel
171 Moultrie St
Charleston, SC 29409
843-795-3996 Home
843-953-7264 Fax
843-708-1605 Cell
dennis.forsythe(AT)citadel.edu
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re:mosquitoes and dragonflies and Martins
From: Guy <guymcgrane(AT)wilkes.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 8:58am
Rather than simply controlling the numbers of their prey, as is
presented in many basic ecology texts, much evidence suggests a more
important control; i.e. predators control the character of their
prey. Most predators eliminate the sick, weak, and old, leaving
those which are healthy, fast, and of reproductive age. If true,
this can reduce feeding interference for the prey population at
large, and leave a set of animals better equipped to focus on their
task.
So when martins take dragonflies, they aren't necessarily doing the
mosquitoes any favors. They may be indirectly eating the mosquitoes.
A large body of evidence points to feedback existing at each level of
the food chain. The predators have some beneficial influence on the
prey that supports them. This is the main difference between
healthy, working systems, and those that have been likened to
"cancer", where one part is not feeding back to aid its own support
system.
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Chimney Shifts
From: John Connors <John.Connors(AT)ncmail.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 10:05am
Hi all. Chimney Swifts gather to 'roost' during migration and in
post-breeding aggregations, but for nesting they are highly territorial,
so there is only one active nest per chimney. The spring migration is
much faster than the fall migration, so we don't find the typical large
roosts lingering for weeks around any given chimney. I have found one
summer roost here in Raleigh and the speculation is that these birds,
several 100 in number, were unattached males, fledglings and post
breeding adults...but honestly I don't think anyone actually knows.
I usually find the 1st Swifts of the year in downtown Raleigh during the
first week of April- but I haven't seen them yet.
John Connors @ NC Museum of Natural Sciences.
Frederick Houk Jr wrote:
> Could you please enlighten us chimney swift lovers who aren't up to
> speed on their yearly migration/summer nesting habits?
>
> When they return (presumably from Latin America?), do they "split up" to
> breed? I remember hearing that only one nest was present per "chimney",
> regardless of the size of the swarm. If so, is there still a chimney
> swift dance at sunset around your chimney during the spring, or does
> that only occur later in the summer, post-breeding?
>
> Thanks a lot.
>
> Fred Houk
> Chapel Hill
>
>
>> From: "Keith Camburn" <camburn(AT)earthlink.net>
>> Reply-To: camburn(AT)earthlink.net
>> To: "Carolinabirds: Post" <carolinabirds(AT)duke.edu>
>> Subject: Chimney Shifts
>> Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2006 20:27:27 -0400
>>
>> Over the last 14 years the chimney shifts have usually returned to my
>> Gaston County, NC, chimney on April 12th or 13th. They must be in a
>> hurry
>> this year as they arrived tonight (April 3rd) at 8:03 p.m. Keith
>> Camburn
>>
>> Keith E. Camburn
>> 4435 Huntington Drive
>> Gastonia, North Carolina 28056-8276
>> 704 824-0626
>> camburn AT earthlink.net
>> Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
>>
>>
>>
>
>
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Hummer
From: Luanne Blankenship <blblank(AT)charter.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 10:28am
C-Birders,
A male RTHU showed up for brief visits to the feeder yesterday. (April
5th) The azaleas, apple trees, red honeysuckle and some sages are
blooming. He has much to dine from throughout the yard.
A male and female hummer were seen visiting the feeder at my parents
home near Hartwell, Georgia on April 4th.
Friends, living about 7 miles (west) away had a male March 31st.
Hummers are definitely back!
Happy Spring!
Luanne Blankenship
Columbus, NC (foothills, down the mountain from Hendersonville)
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: First Hummer, Raleigh
From: Birdladypat(AT)aol.com
Date: 6 Apr 2006 10:59am
Had my first male hummer last night. He was 3 or 4 days earlier than usual.
So glad they're back!
Patty Tice
Raleigh
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Raven in Person County, NC
From: "Will Cook" <cwcook(AT)duke.edu>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 10:55am
On April 1 Randy Emmitt and I visited the spot in the Hyco Game Land
that Harry visited two days before. It's a wonderful wildflower
spot, though, like Harry, we didn't find many new arrivals. No Raven,
but Harry's Blue-headed Vireo sang along the way. The highlight for
me: in the hardwood bottomlands along the Hyco River I flushed up and
American Woodcock. It flew about 50 yards through the woods and I
was able to spot where it landed. Walking slowly closer, I was
eventually able to pick out the well-camouflaged bird shape amongst
the leaves. I even managed to get a photo before it flushed again:
http://www.carolinanature.com/birds/americanwoodcock.html
On the way back from the game land, as I was driving on Edwin
Robertson Road in Person County, I spotted a raptor gliding in the
distance over a large field. With my naked eye I could tell it had a
long-winged and crooked-winged shape with a whitish and blackish
pattern beneath, so I immediately called out "Osprey!" However,
something about this bird didn't click, so I pulled over to check it
out with binoculars. To our surprise, it wasn't an Osprey at all.
Though it had long, narrow wings like an Osprey, the wingtips were
more pointed than "fingered", the shape was overall Buteo-like, and
the pattern of white and dark gray was wrong. The bird was too
distant for my 8x32 butterfly binoculars to resolve a lot of detail,
but I could see that the underwing coverts were whitish and all the
flight feathers were blackish. One time when it banked I got a good
look at the upper side and noted that it was entirely dark -- the
head/upper wing coverts/back/rump/tail a brownish-gray and all the
flight feathers a darker gray. To me the wings looked like they were
held at a slight dihedral. We lost track of the bird after a minute
or less. As we were watching it disappear I mentioned to Randy I
thought it was a Swainson's Hawk. I'm fairly confident that it was a
light-morph Swainson's, though I'm not sure I got a good enough look
to fill out a report for the bird records committee. I didn't note,
for example, whether or not it had a dark bib, or details about the
tail from below (other than it was not boldly banded). If I'd seen a
Swainson's at this distance in Texas or Panama, I'd feel confident
calling it, as I've seen large numbers there, but it's just a little
bit rarer in NC!
(P.S. No, not an April Fool's joke)
On 31 Mar 2006 at 9:53, Harry LeGrand wrote:
> Yesterday, while working the Hyco River section of Person County, NC,
> for a natural area inventory, I heard a Common Raven calling several
> times around After Bay Reservoir. Unfortunately, I never saw the bird.
> I've spent lots of time working the county since last May without any
> previous records, so I will assume this was a vagrant/migrant.
>
> I was disappointed in the lack of new arrivals in the floodplain. I had
> Gnatcatcher, but no La. Waterthrush, Yellow-throated Warbler, etc. The
> Great Blue Heron colony is still active. I heard a singing Blue-headed
> Vireo in pines in the uplands, but it's too early in the season to know
> if it is a breeder or not.
--
Charles W. "Will" Cook w 919-660-5144
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook cwcook(AT)duke.edu
Box 90340, Biology Dept., Duke Univ., Durham, NC 27708
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: 1st BTGWs
From: "Kevin Caldwell" <kevin(AT)equinoxenvironmental.com>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 2:36pm
Saw / heard the 1st black-throated greens yesterday evening on the Ivy Creek
@ Arrowwood Rd in Barnardsville. Welcome back fellas...
Kevin Caldwell
B'ville, NC (Mtns)
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Broad-winged, 751
From: Sandy Cash <lcashjr(AT)nc.rr.com>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 4:24pm
Hi all,
I took a brief break from work to drive down NC 751 and see if I could,
among other things, relocate Andrei's pelicans. I didn't hike out to
the observation platform, since I really didn't have the time, but I
scanned the lake from the bridge (there was a huge raft of
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS and gulls - everything that flew by was a
RING-BILLED, but I was looking almost directly into the sun, so id was
by silhouette) - nothing remotely like a pelican of any sort, sadly.
The 751 bridge is usually pretty reliable for cliff swallows, once
they've arrived, as well as barns, but I found neither to be there yet.
I did find, on my way down, an adult BROAD-WINGED HAWK perched on a
wire at the intersection with O'Kelly Church Road, which made the drive
worth it. He let me creep close for some really great looks, so I
returned to work just now a happy camper.
Yesterday, I found three NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS hawking over the
Southpointe Mall parking lot.
I still have no Hummers, despite having two very large Trumpet
Honeysuckles in full flower.
Good Birding,
-Sandy
--
Sandy Cash
Durham, NC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Congaree National Park (Richland Co., SC) on 6 April 2006
From: "Robin Carter" <rcarter(AT)sc.rr.com>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 4:47pm
Hi C-Birders,
Today I got up at oh-dark thirty and was able to get to the US 601 boat
launch area by 6:10 AM, a full hour before sunrise. I hiked in to the Bates
Fork Tract of Congaree National Park in the morning twilight. I was hoping
to record gobbling by Wild Turkeys in the national park. I heard only one
gobble and later saw two hen turkeys, but I did not find the dawn
gobble-fest that I was hoping for.
I hiked in along the main jeep road until I reached a slough with no bridge
and with water deeper than I wanted to wade. This was next to a nice oxbow
lake, about 3 miles in from US 601. Along the way I checked the marshy area
in the big clear cut just south of Sampson's Island. There was still a small
amount of water. There were a lot of Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, and a
few White Ibis. I also found one Wilson's Snipe and a good number of singing
Swamp Sparrows.
The birding was pretty good, with a nice mixture of lingering winter
residents and newly-arrived summer residents. Here is my day list (from
eBird):
Wood Duck 10
Wild Turkey 3
Anhinga 1
Great Blue Heron 12
Great Egret 30
White Ibis 7
Black Vulture 15
Turkey Vulture 6
Red-shouldered Hawk 6
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Wilson's Snipe 1
Mourning Dove 2
Barred Owl 6
Chimney Swift 10
Red-headed Woodpecker 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 8
Pileated Woodpecker 3
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
White-eyed Vireo 25
Yellow-throated Vireo 4
Blue-headed Vireo 5
Red-eyed Vireo 12
American Crow 4
Fish Crow 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Barn Swallow s6
Carolina Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 12
Carolina Wren 12
House Wren 4
Winter Wren 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 40
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 40
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 3
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Parula 25
Yellow-rumped Warbler 8
Yellow-throated Warbler 6
Pine Warbler 2
Prothonotary Warbler 6
Common Yellowthroat 5
Hooded Warbler 5
Eastern Towhee 4
Song Sparrow 1
Swamp Sparrow 25
White-throated Sparrow 12
Northern Cardinal 30
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Common Grackle 25
Brown-headed Cowbird 4
American Goldfinch 10
54 species!
Robin Carter
Columbia, SC USA
mailto:rcarter(AT)sc.rr.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Hummer in the mtns
From: "Stu" <sgibeau(AT)bellsouth.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 5:12pm
Just had my first Ruby throated hummingbird! Thats 12 days earlier than last
year!
Stu Gibeau
Black Mountain, NC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Hummingbird Wars
From: "John Ennis" <swampwolf(AT)thebusinessbirder.com>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 5:40pm
Drama from the backyard:
Episode 2: Return of the Hummer - a male RT showed up last Sunday within 12
hours of me hanging my feeder
Episode 3: Storm Trooper - on Monday, the RT rode out the storm that had 50+
mph wind and quarter-sized hail
Episode 4: The Empire Strikes Back - on Tuesday, the evil Empire (my
across-the-fence neighbor) hangs her feeder. She had not cleaned her feeder
since last fall and the stuff inside was slightly darker than bituminous
coal; I had an advantage but lost it.
Episode 5: The Revenge of the Jedi - on Wednesday, the Jedi (namely me) hung
another feeder and a second male showed up and engaged in a light saber
battle with the first.
Episode 6: Preemptive Strike - today I hung a third feeder!
Episode 7: New Hope - to be released as soon as the females arrive!
A prequel will also be released soon: Episode 1: Hummingbirds Gone Wild -
this, of course, is the story of hummingbirds cavorting in South Florida on
Spring Break before coming back to the Carolinas.
John Ennis
Leland, NC
910-371-9729
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Flock of ?
From: Brian Murphy <brianmnc(AT)earthlink.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 7:33pm
I hope this is not too vague.
This afternoon I observed a small flock of birds off to my left while
driving I540. They caught my eye becasue they flew in tight formation,
flew quickly, swirled, dipped and climbed. The flock was tight, and
reminded me of the flight of weaver birds in Africa(?).
Birds the size of finch or sparrow, numbering about 40-60. It looked
like a swarm of large bees.
I have also seen similar flocks over RDU airport near Brier Creek resevoir
So, is that enough information for an ID guess. I had binoculars but
wanted to live to write this email.
Brian
--
Brian 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: Falls and Kerr Lake SBC's
From: "birdranger" <cbockhahn4(AT)earthlink.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 8:30pm
It's that time of year again. We still could use some help with these
weekday counts.
Falls Lake - Monday May 1st, 2006.
Kerr Lake - Tuesday May 2nd, 2006.
NEW WEB SITE: www.bwwells.org/CBC
Brian Bockhahn
Falls Lake State Park Ranger
Falls & Kerr Lake CBC Compiler
cbockhahn4(AT)earthlink.net
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Falls Lake - Common Tern and more
From: "birdranger" <cbockhahn4(AT)earthlink.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 8:29pm
Falls Lake north of Raleigh, NC
http://www.geocities.com/birdrangerbb/falabirdingtrail.html
Flying over the Highway 50 bridge this evening was a Common Tern. Commons
and Royals are usually sited early and late in the migration at Falls (no
not regularly), next comes Forster's and in a few weeks more Caspians than
you can shake your bins at. Check the buoys at Highway 50 boat ramp,
Sandling Beach and Rollingview.
This evening two breeding plumage Common Loons were out towards Rollingview,
admist the mass of gulls. There is still several hundred Ring-billeds, a
few Herrings and a couple hundred Bonaparte's Gulls, most of which are in
their pretty summer dress.
Cliff Swallows are already looking at nests under the bridges, I saw several
the other day under the Highway 50 bridge.
The woods are very alive, YTWarblers, NOPA, BGGN and BHVireos singing.
During a nature hike Sunday we saw a very gray Catharus Thrush, but I had
the snake stick instead of binoculars and had better luck with herps finding
several Ringneck snakes, a worm snake and a Mole Kingsnake.
I think I'll go check out the impoundments tomorrow, great time of year to
be birding! Where are all the Egrets.
Brian Bockhahn
Falls Lake State Park Ranger
Falls & Kerr Lake CBC Compiler
cbockhahn4(AT)earthlink.net
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Chimney Shifts
From: "Frederick Houk Jr" <woodthrush2263(AT)hotmail.com>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 8:57pm
Thanks a lot, John...I was wondering whether or not to suggest a sunset at
the Grove Park Inn chimney swift soiree during the CBC event. I guess
not...
Fred Houk
Chapel Hill
>From: John Connors <John.Connors(AT)ncmail.net>
>To: Frederick Houk Jr <woodthrush2263(AT)hotmail.com>
>CC: camburn(AT)earthlink.net, carolinabirds(AT)duke.edu
>Subject: Re: Chimney Shifts
>Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2006 10:03:42 -0400
>
>Hi all. Chimney Swifts gather to 'roost' during migration and in
>post-breeding aggregations, but for nesting they are highly territorial, so
>there is only one active nest per chimney. The spring migration is much
>faster than the fall migration, so we don't find the typical large roosts
>lingering for weeks around any given chimney. I have found one summer roost
>here in Raleigh and the speculation is that these birds, several 100 in
>number, were unattached males, fledglings and post breeding adults...but
>honestly I don't think anyone actually knows.
>I usually find the 1st Swifts of the year in downtown Raleigh during the
>first week of April- but I haven't seen them yet.
>John Connors @ NC Museum of Natural Sciences.
>
>Frederick Houk Jr wrote:
>
>>Could you please enlighten us chimney swift lovers who aren't up to speed
>>on their yearly migration/summer nesting habits?
>>
>>When they return (presumably from Latin America?), do they "split up" to
>>breed? I remember hearing that only one nest was present per "chimney",
>>regardless of the size of the swarm. If so, is there still a chimney
>>swift dance at sunset around your chimney during the spring, or does that
>>only occur later in the summer, post-breeding?
>>
>>Thanks a lot.
>>
>>Fred Houk
>>Chapel Hill
>>
>>
>>>From: "Keith Camburn" <camburn(AT)earthlink.net>
>>>Reply-To: camburn(AT)earthlink.net
>>>To: "Carolinabirds: Post" <carolinabirds(AT)duke.edu>
>>>Subject: Chimney Shifts
>>>Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2006 20:27:27 -0400
>>>
>>>Over the last 14 years the chimney shifts have usually returned to my
>>>Gaston County, NC, chimney on April 12th or 13th. They must be in a
>>>hurry
>>>this year as they arrived tonight (April 3rd) at 8:03 p.m. Keith
>>>Camburn
>>>
>>>Keith E. Camburn
>>>4435 Huntington Drive
>>>Gastonia, North Carolina 28056-8276
>>>704 824-0626
>>>camburn AT earthlink.net
>>>Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Interresting Day Birding
From: Greg Massey <gregmassey_2(AT)yahoo.com>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 9:20pm
This morning I met Harry Sell, Bruce Smithosn, and Shelby Birch at the
Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington. Harry desperately wants
pictures of King Rails. This was our second attempt. Monday, we had
Kings as close as 8-10 feet from us, but they were hidden in the marsh.
Today, the same with the exception, that as we were leaving, a Sora and
a King Rail flew towards us an then dropped into the marsh grass about
15 feet away. But, we could not call them into the open for a picture.
Oh, well! Harry now wants to try Fussell's worm feeding trick for
rails.
A few minutes ago, I watched my male Ruby-throated Hummingbird trying
desperately to break up a "dog fight" between a male Baltimore Oriole
and a male Orchard Oriole at his hummingbird feeder -- off my back
deck.
In the last few days, the Goldfinches hace increased in numbers at the
thistle feeders -- must be making final preparations before they leave.
Interesting bird world - to say the least!
Greg Massey
Leland, NC
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Subject: Re: Flock of ?
From: "Jeff Catlin" <shieff(AT)netzero.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 9:37pm
Maybe Cedar Waxwings, Pine Siskins?
Jeff Catlin
Marietta, SC
shieff at netzero.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Murphy" <brianmnc(AT)earthlink.net>
To: "Carolinabirds(AT)Duke.Edu" <carolinabirds(AT)duke.edu>
Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 7:32 PM
Subject: Flock of ?
I hope this is not too vague.
This afternoon I observed a small flock of birds off to my left while
driving I540. They caught my eye becasue they flew in tight formation,
flew quickly, swirled, dipped and climbed. The flock was tight, and
reminded me of the flight of weaver birds in Africa(?).
Birds the size of finch or sparrow, numbering about 40-60. It looked
like a swarm of large bees.
I have also seen similar flocks over RDU airport near Brier Creek resevoir
So, is that enough information for an ID guess. I had binoculars but
wanted to live to write this email.
Brian
--
Brian 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
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".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
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Subject: Re: Cackling G. and bird sizes
From: Alex Netherton <danetherton(AT)charter.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 9:40pm
Doug Pratt wrote:
> passerines or others with nest-bound (nidicolous) young,
> chicks capable of leaving the nest immediately (nidifugous)
Are the terms "altricial" (for Passerines) and "precocial" (for
Galliforms and such) still acceptable terms? Along with semiprecocial
for birds like Whip-poor-will and some shore birds. Those were the terms
when I took graduate level Ornithology, but that was back in another
century...
--
Alex Netherton, an Appalachian Naturalist
http://alexnetherton.com
danetherton charter dot net
Asheville, NC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Flock of ?
From: Alex Netherton <danetherton(AT)charter.net>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 9:50pm
Brian Murphy wrote:
> I hope this is not too vague.
> This afternoon I observed a small flock of birds off to my left while
> driving I540. They caught my eye becasue they flew in tight formation,
> flew quickly, swirled, dipped and climbed. The flock was tight, and
> reminded me of the flight of weaver birds in Africa(?).
>
> Birds the size of finch or sparrow, numbering about 40-60. It looked
> like a swarm of large bees.
>
> I have also seen similar flocks over RDU airport near Brier Creek
> resevoir
>
> So, is that enough information for an ID guess. I had binoculars but
> wanted to live to write this email.
>
> Brian
>
Cedar Waxwings??
--
Alex Netherton, an Appalachian Naturalist
http://alexnetherton.com
danetherton charter dot net
Asheville, NC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Great Egrets and Green Heron
From: "Phil Dickinson" <pdickins(AT)triad.rr.com>
Date: 6 Apr 2006 10:01pm
I was surprised to see a pair of Great Egrets this morning at the Par 3
Bistro property (defunct golf course) just of Bethabara Park Rd. in
Winston-Salem. They are uncommon this time of year here, but we had some
spring sightings last year, too. A beautiful male green heron walked along a
log at the near by Bethabara wetland - my first NC sighting this year. Barn
swallows, common yellowthroats, chipping sparrows and gnatcatchers were
other early spring migrants (although we have had some yellowthroat reports
this winter, as well).
In addition, I watched a female wood duck perch atop a 20-ft high dead trunk
in the wetland, while the male perched on a knob about half way up. There is
a nest box at the base of the tree. A mallard mom already was watching over
a pair of chicks.
Phil Dickinson
Winston-Salem
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