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CarolinaBirds for Monday, April 24, 2006
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[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Painted Bunting?
From: Sfantony20(AT)aol.com
Date: 24 Apr 2006 7:55am
I birded Fort Macon this weekend but no Painted Buntings seen or heard. The
gates there do not open until 0800 a.m. Does anyone know a place where one
could get access earlier in the morning? I have been stalking this bird for
years, but have not seen one yet. Did see lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers,
Gray Catbirds, many Cardinals singing, and Forster's tern. Also a big flock of
about 15 Brown Pelicans.
Tammy Lester
Atlantic Beach, NC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: White-crowned Sparrow at Evergreen Nature Preserve
From: "Larry" <Larry(AT)lbarden.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 8:05am
It's April 24 and our formerly juvenile-plumaged White-crowned Sparrow has
turned into a spotlight of white and black head stripes, far whiter and
blacker than any White-throat we've ever seen. Each morning before 8 he
visits our feeder on the edge of Evergreen Nature Preserve with a small
flock of White-throats. Each day we are surprised that he has not departed
for the far northland. Wonder if he'll hang around for May Day?
Cheers,
Larry
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: PS. Evergreen Nature Preserve is in east Charlotte
From: "Larry" <Larry(AT)lbarden.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 8:09am
For a map to Evergreen NP, click on local birding site #4 at Meckbirds.org.
Cheers,
Larry Barden
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Brickhouse Rd.- Butner Gamelands 4/23/06
From: miaim(AT)mebtel.net
Date: 24 Apr 2006 8:25am
Bald Eagle nest update:
Both Eaglets are aprox. 1/3 adult size. One adult was on the snag overseeing
the nest the whole time I was there, yesterday. I didn't see any feeding
activity, but could very clearly see the 2 young frequently visible over the
nest with their mouths open.
Other highlights were:
ORCHARD ORIOLE
BLUE GROSBEAK
Indigo Bunting
Common Yellowthroat
Barn Swallows (numerous)
Rough-Winged Swallows
Another highlight was a spectacular ariel show put on when 2 RS Hawks chased
an RT hawk who then went into a power dive to escape.
Mike Swaim
Mebane, NC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: International Migratory Bird Day at Carolina Sandhills NWR
From: "Doug and Pam DeNeve" <deneved(AT)hotmail.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 8:21am
The Friends of Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge will honor
International Migratory Bird Day with several activities. A morning bird
walk will begin at 8:30 am until approximately 10:30. A slide presentation
will follow the bird walk and will be given by Dr. Bill Alexander,
ornithologist and Associate Professor of Biology at the SC Govenor's School
for Science and Mathematics. A bird banding demonstration of the Endangered
Red Cockaded Woodpecker by Wildlife Biologist Laura Housh may follow the
slide program at approximately 11:30. Meet at the refuge headquarters on
Highway 1 four miles east of McBee, SC.
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: CHBC meeting tonight!
From: "Karen Bearden" <chickadeebirders(AT)earthlink.net>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 8:38am
Howdy!
I was delighted to see a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at our feeder yesterday
morning! It made me rush to put more suet out just before we left for
church.
The weather made us change our plans for birding on Saturday. Stayed
closer to home, birding along some new Green Trail areas in Raleigh.
Surprised and happy to hear, then see a Yellow-breasted Chat!! Also saw
our first Great Crested Flycatcher of the year, and heard the lovely
song of a Wood Thrush.
Meant to get this out on Friday! Below you'll see the announcement about
the Chapel Hill Bird Club meeting tonight. I love traveling to different
countries through our programs!!
See some of you tonight, then even more of you in Asheville for the CBC
meeting!!
Happy birding!! Karen Bearden
Raleigh, NC
chickadeebirders(AT)earthlink.net
Chapel Hill Bird Club meeting Monday, April 24, 2006
"South African Birding" by Tom and Barbara Driscoll
Refreshments are at 7:15 pm; the meeting starts at 7:30 pm at Binkley
Baptist Church on Willow Drive (1712 Willow Drive) at 15/501 in Chapel
Hill, near University Mall.
Tom and Barbara Driscoll will share a program about the birds and
animals of South Africa, where they saw 400 species of birds and 50
mammal species
when they birded Capetown, Kruger National Park, and the northeast
coast, which included the St. Lucia wetlands area. There will also be
travelogue pictures of Robbens Island where Nelson Mandela was
imprisoned for 20+ years, and the wine country where the French
Huguenots introduced grapes several hundred years ago.
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: re. snakes
From: "brendan o'sullivan" <josullivan3560(AT)hotmail.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 9:18am
I would just like to thank the many people who e-mailed both via the
listserv and to me privately with advice regarding snakes. There were
simply too many to reply to individually.
The general consensus is that, providing one exercises a modicum of
common sense, there is nothing to worry about. One should be much more
concerned with mosquitoes, ticks and, particularly if birding alone--as I
will be---injury due to a fall etc.
Again thanks to one and all. I am simply overwhelmed with the response:
it is obvious that not only do the Carolinas have wonderful birds, the
birders there are pretty awesome too.
Regards
Brendan O'Sullivan---the Irish snake charmer!
Mississauga
Ontario
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[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Palm Warblers in Wilkes
From: Guy <guymcgrane(AT)wilkes.net>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 9:23am
Since I haven't seen many myself and don't remember much reporting of
them in NC this spring, I'll report that a good number of palm
warblers were seen by our bicycle riding group in a hayfield
yesterday afternoon, in Wilkes county, NC upper piedmont, elev around
2000'.
Guy McGrane
Wilkes county, NC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
From: Shelley Theye <veery(AT)bellsouth.net>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 10:42am
I've had a least 3 male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
visiting my feeders. Today makes day three.
I love their pretty song and squeaky call note.
Also have Broad-winged Hawks flying over and
calling, for about 3 days now.
Shelley Theye
northern Chatham County
veery(AT)bellsouth.net
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Correction for International Migratory Bird Day at Carolina
Sandhills National W
From: "Doug and Pam DeNeve" <deneved(AT)hotmail.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 11:15am
*** Please note I left out the date on the original email. Thank you to all
who caught it. I should not try to email on only 3 hours of sleep.
The Friends of Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge will honor
International Migratory Bird Day on May 6 with several activities. A
morning bird walk will begin at 8:30 am until approximately 10:30. A slide
presentation will follow the bird walk and will be given by Dr. Bill
Alexander, ornithologist and Associate Professor of Biology at the SC
Govenor's School for Science and Mathematics. A bird banding demonstration
of the Endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker by Wildlife Biologist Laura Housh
may follow the slide program at approximately 11:30. Meet at the refuge
headquarters on Highway 1 four miles east of McBee, SC.
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: re. snakes
From: "Michael C. Parrish" <pendragon1998(AT)yahoo.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 11:26am
One final thing a visitor to the Carolinas might not be prepared for is
the sun and heat - although they are much more of a concern later in
the summer than this time of year. Never forget to bring enough water
and sunscreen for your personal requirements. And yes, in my
experience, the birders down here are all pretty awesome indeed!
--- brendan o'sullivan <josullivan3560(AT)hotmail.com> wrote:
> The general consensus is that, providing one exercises a modicum
> of common sense, there is nothing to worry about. One should be much
> more concerned with mosquitoes, ticks and, particularly if birding
> alone--as I will be---injury due to a fall etc.
> Again thanks to one and all. I am simply overwhelmed with the
> response:
> it is obvious that not only do the Carolinas have wonderful birds,
> the birders there are pretty awesome too.
Michael C. Parrish
Watkinsville, GA (Oconee Co.)
http://www.arches.uga.edu/~parrishm/
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Yawkey Center 4/23 - Wilson's Phalarope, Am. Avocets, Wh.
Pelican, Bach. Sparrow, RC Woodpecker
From: "Cape Romain Bird Observatory" <crbo(AT)dmzs.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 11:38am
CRBO (in the persons of Burton Moore and Nathan Dias) visited the Tom Yawkey
center in Georgetown County on April 23 to perform a shorebird census. This
census is part of ongoing work for the ISS (International Shorebird Surveys)
project. We were lucky enough to have Bruce Peterjohn, of the USGS Patuxent
Wildlife Research Center, and Chuck Hocevar along to help spot, identify and
record shorebirds.
The Yawkey Center is only reachable by boat. It is 18,000+ acres of wonderful
habitat, but is not open to the general public, except on occasional guided
(captive) tours. One needs to be engaged in a research project or other
formal work in order to get permission to move about on Yawkey on your own.
We observed 21 species of shorebirds (see below for totals), despite having
little time to spend on the front beach. Another few stops along the beach
would probably have yielded Wilson's Plover, Ruddy Turnstones, Red Knot and
perhaps Piping Plover.
Digiscope images (affected by humidity and midday heat) of a WILSON'S
PHALAROPE have been uploaded to the CRBO image gallery:
http://www.crbo.net/media/still-images.html -- one might need to hit
'reload' to see the updated web page.
We did not spend much time in the upland sections of Cat Island, but we did
stop for close-range scope views of a singing BACHMAN'S SPARROW and nice looks
at a RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER group.
At our first shorebird stop, a huge drawn-down impoundment at the 'Goose
Pasture', we had a very vocal SEDGE WREN singing, calling and jumping about in
the grass in front of us. It was nice to have a 'Short-billed Marsh Wren' and
'Long-billed' Marsh Wrens singing on opposite sikes of the dike. One of my
favorite sights in the world is hundreds or thousands of shorebirds wheeling
and flashing white against a background of blue sky and mature longleaf pine
forest. So beautiful...
At one point we encountered an immature BALD EAGLE harassing a flock of GLOSSY
IBIS in an impoundment with hundreds of egrets and herons gorging on
dead/dying fish. Everything from Turkey Vultures to Wood Storks to Eagles to
Alligators were feeding on the bounty of Mullet, Red Drum and other fish.
On South Island while idling down a narrow dike lined with marsh grass, we
encountered an AMERICAN BITTERN frozen in the middle of the road. As we
watched the Bittern, two SORAs ran out and began cavorting in the road 4 paces
in front of our vehicle.
We saw 129 total bird species on Cat Island, South Island and surrounding
waters.
Bird Highlights:
WHITE PELICAN
Anhinga
WOOD STORK
Glossy Ibis
White Ibis
Mottled Duck
Bald Eagle
King Rail
Virginia Rail
Clapper Rail
Sora (abundant)
AMERICAN AVOCET
Black-necked Stilt
Marbled Godwit
Whimbrel
STILT SANDPIPER
WILSON'S PHALAROPE (spotted by Burton)
Least Tern
GULL-BILLED TERN
Red-headed Woodpecker
RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER
Brown-headed Nuthatch
PAINTED BUNTING
Complete shorebird list (I have yet to add up the shorebird totals from our
tally sheet):
Black-bellied Plover - dozens
Semipalmated Plover - dozens
Killdeer - handful
American Oystercatcher - handful
Black-necked Stilt - dozens
American Avocet - dozens
Greater Yellowlegs - 100s
Lesser Yellowlegs - 1,000s
Solitary Sandpiper - 2
Willet - couple dozen
Whimbrel - 1
Marbled Godwit - 4
Sanderling - 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper - several 100s
Least Sandpiper - dozens
Pectoral Sandpiper - 20 or so
Dunlin - hundreds
Stilt Sandpiper - 20
Short-billed Dowitcher - 1,000s
Wilson's Snipe - handful
Wilson's Phalarope - 1
--
Nathan Dias
Executive Director
Cape Romain Bird Observatory
http://www.crbo.net/
crbo(AT)dmzs.com
P.O. Box 362
McClellanville, SC 29458
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Baltimore oriole still in Chapel Hill
From: Julia Shields <jshields(AT)unc.edu>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 12:18pm
Of the six Baltimore orioles who wintered in my wildly overgrown
suburban yard beginning 12/2, I have seen only one female lately - the
latest Sunday 4/23 several times in the morning. Her visits to get grape
jelly, sugar water, or a beakful of orange are quite brief and she seems
to be even warier that she was this winter. Natural food is so
plentiful, you wonder why she bothers. The rest of her group may be
here without my knowledge, as I am spending less time watching the
kitchen window.
Is anyone else still seeing Baltimore orioles?
Julia Shields
Chapel Hill, NC
in the Piedmont
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: ?Big Stone Quarry or other nesting sites for Triangle
Ravens?
From: "Frank Enders" <fkenders(AT)hotmail.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 12:27pm
If I remember rightly, last winter Derb Carter mentioned seeing a Raven on a
roadkilled possum in front of Big Stone Quarry off Hy 186 north of Chapel
Hill.
HAS ANYBODY ASKED THE WORKERS AT THAT QUARRRY IF THEY HAVE ANY "CROWS"
(ravens)NESTING ON THE VERTICAL WALLS OF THE QUARRY?
(I know that if you ask groups of farmers, as at farm service
centers--fertilizer dealers, if anybody has owls in their barn, one is
multiplying one's effectiveness searching for barn-owls. By the way, one
teacher at a coastal community college, 10 years ago, told me that Barn-owls
are regular nesters in the Charlotte area in "traditional sites". He was
not friendly with birders. Birders from Rock Hill SC to Siler City might ask
farmers about owls in barns--or in silos.)
I think we are getting into the period when the adult ravens would be
provisioning hungry nestlings.
I think some ravens nest on buildings, and we are all expecting ravens to
nest in big trees when they get to the coast, but rock quarries do provide
cliffs, a very traditional site for ravens.
Come on all you Triangle birders! Make it easier for parasites like me to
see those ravens.
Maybe two observers with cell phones could work out the nesting site(s) by
waylaying the ravens at the fast food joints, and backtracking them to their
nest(s) in May. Something to do in late morning after the migrant landbirds
become too quiet for birding.
Frank Enders, Halifax, NC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: White-winged Dove in Nags Head, NC
From: tlmorgan(AT)inteliport.com
Date: 24 Apr 2006 12:39pm
Hi folks:
We have a visitor from the South today, a White-winged Dove eating our
sunflower seed in the backyard. We are located at the 15 1/2 mile post on
the 158 bypass in Nags Head, NC. (Ricky, Jeff was by to take photos.)
Skip Morgan
Outer Banks Birdwatchers
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Painted Bunting?
From: "liz lathrop" <lizbirder(AT)cconnect.net>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 12:55pm
The Beaufort Maritime Museum property on Gallants Channel near the
airport is usually a good source for the Painted Bunting. Usually I see
them on the first weekend in May when we are there for the Wooden Boat
Show.
Alas, the museum razed the old Menhaden factory. The last Bunting I saw
there last year was singing mightily on the roof. They are also found
in the willows and brush on both sides of the path leading to the now
deposed factory.
Good luck,
Liz Lathrop
Oriental, NC
----- Original Message -----
From: <Sfantony20(AT)aol.com>
To: <carolinabirds(AT)duke.edu>
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 7:55 AM
Subject: Painted Bunting?
>I birded Fort Macon this weekend but no Painted Buntings seen or
>heard. The
> gates there do not open until 0800 a.m. Does anyone know a place
> where one
> could get access earlier in the morning? I have been stalking this
> bird for
> years, but have not seen one yet. Did see lots of Yellow-rumped
> Warblers,
> Gray Catbirds, many Cardinals singing, and Forster's tern. Also a
> big flock of
> about 15 Brown Pelicans.
>
> Tammy Lester
> Atlantic Beach, NC
>
>
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Bluebird box questions
From: Steven Greene <steven.greene(AT)ncsu.edu>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 1:41pm
So, I put my first-ever nestbox this season and was delighted to see that
bluebirds are actually nesting in there (I would have been plenty excited
just to get any native species). Right now there are four little chicks,
seemingly doing well. Having never done this before, I've got a few questions.
1) How often is it okay to check on the nest? Mostly, just to crack open
the door and take a peek inside. It is so much fun to check on the chicks,
but I certainly do not want to disturb things too much.
2) According to the NABS I should empty out the nest once the chicks are
successfully fledged, but I don't get it. In nature it seems that nesting
materials would just stay in tree cavities so why should we be doing
different with a nestbox? But, since this is what I am supposed to do, how
can I be sure when the family is completely done with the nest?
3) I was about to put up a hummingbird feeder and for the best viewing
purposes the spot I was thinking of was relatively near the bluebird box
(about 4-5 feet above and off to the side a few feet). I wouldn't think
this would present a problem, but I wanted to make sure that this would not
interfere with the bluebird nest.
Thanks for any input on these questions!!
Steve
Cary, NC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Jackson Park/Henderson Cty. Update
From: "Wayne K. Forsythe" <wforsythe(AT)mchsi.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 1:53pm
Folks,
As a primer for those of you planning to do the Jackson Park trips
at the CBC meeting this coming weekend, we had a couple of very nice birds
yesterday and today in THE PARK. There has been a beautiful, singing, male
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER at the far end of the Warbler Trail on the left side in
the large puddles. Also this morning, I had the male BREWSTER'S WARBLER
found yesterday by Paul Supre and it was singing! It was the classic male
version as illustrated in the National Geographic Guide. Several of us also
had singing BLUE-WINGED WARBLERS at the beginning of the Bottomland Trail as
well as on the Warbler Trail. Other Warblers seen or heard this AM were:
Yellow-breasted Chat, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird, Palm
Warbler, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. Vireos, Thrushes , Orioles, Grosbeaks
and Tanagers have yet to make an appearance in any kind of numbers!
I would hope that as the migration develops, birding will heat up
and "numbers" and variety of birds and species will continue during the week
and we will hope for some truly special birding this weekend!
Best regards,
Wayne
Wayne K. Forsythe
Hendersonville, N. C.
828-697-6628
wforsythe AT mchsi dot com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Nature Conservacy Renewal
From: "Wayne K. Forsythe" <wforsythe(AT)mchsi.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 5:12pm
Folks,
I just renewed my Nature Conservancy membership and when I got my new
card, I see that the renewal was for only 9 months instead of the usual 1
year. I do not have a problem with the increase in the dues fee, but I would
like to get a full years membership for the price.
I called the membership department and they could not explain why the 9
month only renewal and said they will correct the problem.
My purpose for this post is to alert the many members who participate on
this listserv and are members of the Nature Conservancy as well. If they
made a mistake on my card, I am sure it could have happened to others, check
your cards! A quick phone call to The Nature Conservancy will solve the
problem!
Thanks,
Wayne
Wayne K. Forsythe
Hendersonville, N. C.
828-697-6628
wforsythe AT mchsi dot com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Flat River Durham NC
From: Brian Murphy <brianmnc(AT)earthlink.net>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 6:21pm
Took a quick walk around my SBC area Saturday, Flat River Impoundments
in Durham NC
. Did not cover enough habitats to get a great count.
Nice flock of Waxwings, lots of Orchard Orioles, a Coopers, 2 Barred
Owls, Red tail and Red Shldr Hawks
Had 40 species. Looking forward to next Sunday's count.
Wood Duck
Mallard
Great Blue Heron
BV
TV
Coopers
Red Tail
Red Shoulder(3)
Mourning Dove
Barred Owl 2
Chimney Swift
RH Woodpecker
White eye Vireo
Red Eye Vireo
Blue Jay
A Crow
C Chickadee
Tuft Titmouse
Carolina Wren
B-G Gnatcatcher
E Bluebird
Robin
Mockingbird
Ceadr Waxwing 40-50
Praire Warbler
Pine Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Chat
Towhee
Chip Sp
Sav Sp
Swamp Sp
Wh Thr Sp
Field Sp
Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
RW Blackbird
Orchard Oriole 5
Goldfinch
--
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: Re: ?Big Stone Quarry or other nesting sites for Triangle
Ravens?
From: miaim(AT)mebtel.net
Date: 24 Apr 2006 6:18pm
Frank,
After seeing an unexpected raven in Hillsborough last spring, I spent a
significant amount of time trying to see if I could locate a raven nest either
on Occoneechee Mtn. or at the rock quarry next to it. I came up with NOTHING,
nada, zip. I never did try the American Stone quarry down off 54. Several folks
think that a much more likely site. (Personally, I wanted them to be on
Occoneechee Mtn, since it would make finding them easier as it's a state rec
area, and as the back of the mtn can be scoped from the higher points of
Hillsborough.)Since then, I've glassed a lot of large black birds throughout
Orange County, and listened carefully whenever I see them, but they all turn
out
to be crows. Maybe this spring I'll have better luck. I haven't given up on
them.
Mike Swaim
Mebane, NC
Quoting Frank Enders <fkenders(AT)hotmail.com>:
> I think some ravens nest on buildings, and we are all expecting ravens to
> nest in big trees when they get to the coast, but rock quarries do provide
> cliffs, a very traditional site for ravens.
> Frank Enders, Halifax, NC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Rose-breasted Grosbeak at My Feeder
From: James Wilson <toadshade(AT)sc.rr.com>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 7:39pm
Since they've been popping up at everyone else's house I took a look
and there was beautiful male. Snapped at quick pic:
http://home.sc.rr.com/toadshade/www/Birds.html
James
James Wilson - Lower Richland
Columbia, SC 29209
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Merchants Millpond, Outer Banks and Alligator River NWR
From: "Lee Adams" <ladams42(AT)cox.net>
Date: 24 Apr 2006 11:17pm
I kayaked at Merchants Millpond State Park on Saturday morning.
Prothonotary warblers were everywhere. Competing with them for the
loudest voice were Yellow-throated warblers, Northern Parulas and
Common Yellowthroats. Eastern Kingbirds chased each other around the
cypress and tupelo trees. As I scanned the tree tops I saw a
Ruby-throated Hummingbird putting the finishing touches on her nest.
She was picking up tiny flakes of lichen and placing them just so. I
was leaning back to watch this fascinating show and reached out a hand
to a cypress trunk to steady the kayak. Fortunately I looked first
just before my hand would have touched a horribly, huge molt of
something spiderish. I didn't fall over or swear in a piercing voice
but it was close.
I saw an American Coot sitting quietly in a patch of weeds at the base
of a tree. An Anhinga was perched in the top of a tree and when I
paddled just a little closer to get a picture it flew to another tree
top. Two Double-crested Cormorants were sitting on a log with six
turtles. Two Green Herons flew through the swamp. A Cooper's Hawk
perched in a tree and flew just over my head. A Red-shouldered Hawk
flew through a pondside campsite screaming. A Barred Owl called
repeatedly from the forest. Wood Ducks, Mallards and Canada Geese made
their appearance. In my kayak the Canadas and I were eye-to-eye so
when they made those soft warning honks I yielded and gave them wide
berth. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers busily worked the trees.
On Sunday morning rails were talking in the marshes on the Outer
Banks. I saw a Sedge wren in the reeds at one of the pullovers on Pea
Island. Indigo Buntings were thick along the entrance road to Bodie
Lighthouse.As I was fishing for a short while at the inlet behind the
Lighthouse a Clapper Rail that had been calling loudly came out of the
grass along the shoreline and preened. He called and preened for
several minutes before slipping back out of view. An Eastern Towhee
sat in the top of a bush to sing out his name. As I drove back out
from the Lighthouse I saw a Great Crested Flycatcher in a pine tree
and Prairie and Pine Warblers were busily warbling.
Shortly after I set out from the launch site at the end of Buffalo
City Road at the Alligator River NWR I paddled so that the nose of the
kayak would hold in some reeds while I took pictures. I don't know if
I or the American Bittern that exploded from the patch of reeds that I
had chosen was more surprised.
I confess. I was looking at birds but I was looking for an alligator.
I hadn't yet seen one and I wanted to in the worst way. I heard a loud
splash just ahead of me in Milltail Creek and was thrilled to see a
large bear swimming across the creek. He didn't seem to be as thrilled
as I and wouldn't even wait to have his picture taken when he hauled
out on the other side.
To say Prothonotaries were everywhere would be an understatement.
Common Yellowthroats and Pine and Prairie warblers sang lustily.
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers wheezed their whiney complaints, albeit
cheerily. Great Crested Flycatchers seemed to be in every patch of
trees. A Pileated Woodpecker flew across the creek and another called
loudly. An immature White Ibis posed nicely in the top of a tree. As I
watched a Red-bellied Woodpecker work its way up a tree I heard a
Brown-headed Nuthatch. The ducks that I startled from around a fallen
tree were Wood Ducks and they circled around several times calling
before flying out of sight.
When I gave up my alligator dreams and turned to head back to the
launch site I saw an alligator. Okay, so I just saw its head and its
beady eyes but... Funny how they can just sink out of sight without a
ripple or bubble. Closer to Buffalo City Road a pair of Ospreys flew
over the creek and landed in a cypress tree. As I paddled under the
bridge to the take out I glanced back and saw a Great Blue Heron land
in the edge of the marsh. And Jeff, I saw 4 Magnificent
Frigatebirds...but that was week before last in Trinidad.
Lee Loudenslager Adams
Fredericksburg, VA
ladams42(AT)cox.net
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