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CarolinaBirds for Thursday, May 11, 2006
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Subject: MBSP on 5-10
From: "Jack" <ppaw(AT)sccoast.net>
Date: 11 May 2006 10:21am
Hi C'birders,
Yesterday, I met Bob & Judy Maxwell at Myrtle Beach S.P. for some
birding along the wooded Live Oak Trail and around the pond. Finally
some spotted thrushes. 27 species.
Mallard-4
Turkey Vulture-1
Blue Jay-20
Crow sp-4
Carolina Chickadee-4
Tufted Titmouse-5
Carolina Wren-4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-1
Veery-2 or 3
Gray-checked/Bicknells Thrush-2or 3- I still do not know how anyone
seperates these two on migration if they do not sing. And yes I reread
the article in Birding, vol 32 August 2000 If any of you have any
suggestions send me an e-mail. There was much less angst in my life when
these two were one species.
Swainson's Thrush-1 wide yellowish eyering
Wood Thrush-1
None of the above thrushes were singing though there were a few whisper
like notes on two occasions.
Gray Catbird-6
N. Mockingbird-2
Brown Thrasher-2
Red-eyed Vireo-2
N. Parula-2
Black-throated Blue Warbler-2 singing
Blackpoll Warbler-1 heard only
Common Yellowthroat-1
Summer Tanager-2 pair
Common Grackle-8
Orchard Oriole-1 adult male singing
House Finch-3
Good company, good birding.
Jack Peachey
Conway, SC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Conway, SC
From: Gary Phillips <carolinensis(AT)yahoo.com>
Date: 11 May 2006 10:30am
hi y'all,
just a few notes from the weeds, since the powers that
be are removing the woods 'round these parts. a female
Rose-breasted Grosbeak at my feeders the past week or
so. Carolina wrens, chickadees, House finches, Brown
thrashers squiring offspring about the confines. Great
Crested flycatchers, American robins, Chimney swifts,
Ruby-throats, Gray catbirds, and Orchard orioles
breeding in the 'hood as usual. few tent caterpillars
this year near where i live, so few Yellow-billed
cuckoos. Summer tanager appears to have been
extirpated as a breeder in the 'hood; none noted for
the past 3 seasons. but there are plenty of grackles
and cowbirds, if anyone needs some.
an apparent resident pair of Loggerhead shrikes
feeding nestlings a cpl miles from the confines, while
a pair of mockers has three juvies getting in the
shrikes' way, and a pair of Barn swallows just keeps
cruisin'; they appear esp. fond of lawnmowers, much
like Cattle egrets and tractors. recently, the shrikes
tag-teamed a Fish crow about a hundred meters from
their nest. a starling sat perched in the midst of the
maelstrom, all the while giving an excellent rendition
of an American goldfinch call.
Least terns are fishing in the Conway WalMart storm
ponds for the fourth consecutive year that i am aware
of.
hopefully, we'll do some fieldwork starting next
week...
cheers,
Gary Phillips
Conway, SC
__________________________________________________
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[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: ordered new binoculars
From: "Jack" <ppaw(AT)sccoast.net>
Date: 11 May 2006 10:39am
Hi C'birders,
I have become unhappy with my Swift Viceroys and decided I'd have to
invest in high end bins. So I saved my money and after some input from
Dennis Forsythe and Ken Allen I purchased some refurbished Brunton Epoch
8.5 X 43's from the Brunton website. These are supposed to be
dealer/trade show Brunton reps returns virtually unused. Cost $750 vs
brand new $1450. No warranty, but you get your money back if you return
within 30 days. They close focus to 3 feet so should be good for
butterflying as well as birding.
Should arrive within the week. I'll let you know what I think. I can
compare them to Bob Maxwell's Swarovski's.
Jack Peachey
Conway, SC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: RFI:Black-throated Blue Warbler
From: Gael Simons <gagsimons(AT)juno.com>
Date: 11 May 2006 10:53am
I will be in North Carolina next week for a pelagic trip. Staying in
Buxton.
Will have time to do inland birding. Was wondering if there was even the
remotest possibility of finding a Black-throated Blue warbler somewhere
inland without having to go to the western side of North Carolina.
Thanks for any information.
Gael Simons
Austin, Texas
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: CarolinaSONG workshops
From: Doug Pratt <Doug.Pratt(AT)ncmail.net>
Date: 11 May 2006 11:47am
Hi folks:
I sent part of this message to Robin and others off list, but
thought the rest of you might be interested. Obviously, finding a place
that a) is quiet for bird recording, b) is centrally located c) has
facilities for meetings, and d) is near accommodations is probably
impossible, so wherever we decide to go, it will be a compromise. My
own take on this is that we can do the demonstrations for this
conference even with a fair amount of extraneous noise. They are, after
all, just demonstrations, not primary data-gathering. We might have to
consider an urban meeting site, with field trips to places to do field
recording.
I checked out NC State parks, but none of them has meeting
facilities that I could locate. The SC Parks website is apparently
dysfunctional (lots of menus etc., but nothing pulls up). One site
worth considering, if there are meeting facilities at either the
national or state parks, is Kings Mountain. I-85 is nearby, but we
could probably find decent places for demos, and the woods there are
lovely. It's about as centrally located as we are likely to find, and
straddles the state line (people would probably stay in the town of
Kings Mountain, NC, but both parks are in SC). I'm still hoping for
Congaree NP, just because I'd like to visit there. Those Savannah River
areas seem good, too, but are not very central. I suspect it may come
down to what is available that meets the most criteria. There is a
nifty little county park called Blue Jay Point in northern Wake Co.
(Raleigh area) where Partners in Flight met a few weeks ago. It has a
couple of classrooms in the visitor center, and is close to all the
Triangle facilities. The museum here has an affiliation with them and
we might be able to get it at no cost. Another place near Raleigh is
Durant Nature Park, where the museum held its staff retreat last year.
It has a number of lodge-type places that would work for our conference
and probably field work as well, with plenty of accommodation nearby.
Doug
--
H. Douglas Pratt, Curator of Birds
Research and Collections
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
11 West Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-1029
Phone: (919)733-7450 ext. 728
E-mail: doug.pratt(AT)ncmail.net
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: RFI:Black-throated Blue Warbler
From: "Willem van Eck" <wvaneck(AT)mindspring.com>
Date: 11 May 2006 12:39pm
I have had one singing in my yard during the last 7-10 days
but this male is not a "steady vocalist" so may be hard to
find for a command performance. I live in Cary, just west of
Raleigh. I hope you get more dependable invitations. If you
came you would be treated to the most magnificent thrasher
songfest I have ever had the pleasure of hosting in my yard.
willem van eck
1702 kilarney drive
cary nc
919/380-1202
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gael Simons" <gagsimons(AT)juno.com>
To: <carolinabirds(AT)duke.edu>
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 7:51 AM
Subject: RFI:Black-throated Blue Warbler
> I will be in North Carolina next week for a pelagic trip. Staying in
> Buxton.
>
> Will have time to do inland birding. Was wondering if there was even the
> remotest possibility of finding a Black-throated Blue warbler somewhere
> inland without having to go to the western side of North Carolina.
>
> Thanks for any information.
>
> Gael Simons
> Austin, Texas
>
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: CarolinaSONG workshops
From: Teri L Herbert <herbertl(AT)musc.edu>
Date: 11 May 2006 1:25pm
James Island County Park has meeting facilities: both inside and
outside. On James Island, Charleston, SC
http://ccprc.com/index.asp?NID=57
Teri Lynn
On Thu, 11 May 2006, Doug Pratt wrote:
> Date: Thu, 11 May 2006 11:26:00 -0400
> From: Doug Pratt <Doug.Pratt(AT)ncmail.net>
> To: carolinabirds listserve <carolinabirds(AT)duke.edu>
> Subject: CarolinaSONG workshops
>
> Hi folks:
>
> I sent part of this message to Robin and others off list, but thought the
> rest of you might be interested. Obviously, finding a place that a) is quiet
> for bird recording, b) is centrally located c) has facilities for meetings,
> and d) is near accommodations is probably impossible, so wherever we decide
> to go, it will be a compromise. My own take on this is that we can do the
> demonstrations for this conference even with a fair amount of extraneous
> noise. They are, after all, just demonstrations, not primary data-gathering.
> We might have to consider an urban meeting site, with field trips to places
> to do field recording.
> I checked out NC State parks, but none of them has meeting facilities that
> I could locate. The SC Parks website is apparently dysfunctional (lots of
> menus etc., but nothing pulls up). One site worth considering, if there are
> meeting facilities at either the national or state parks, is Kings Mountain.
> I-85 is nearby, but we could probably find decent places for demos, and the
> woods there are lovely. It's about as centrally located as we are likely to
> find, and straddles the state line (people would probably stay in the town of
> Kings Mountain, NC, but both parks are in SC). I'm still hoping for Congaree
> NP, just because I'd like to visit there. Those Savannah River areas seem
> good, too, but are not very central. I suspect it may come down to what is
> available that meets the most criteria. There is a nifty little county park
> called Blue Jay Point in northern Wake Co. (Raleigh area) where Partners in
> Flight met a few weeks ago. It has a couple of classrooms in the visitor
> center, and is close to all the Triangle facilities. The museum here has an
> affiliation with them and we might be able to get it at no cost. Another
> place near Raleigh is Durant Nature Park, where the museum held its staff
> retreat last year. It has a number of lodge-type places that would work for
> our conference and probably field work as well, with plenty of accommodation
> nearby.
>
> Doug
>
> --
> H. Douglas Pratt, Curator of Birds
> Research and Collections
> North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
> 11 West Jones Street
> Raleigh, NC 27601-1029
> Phone: (919)733-7450 ext. 728
> E-mail: doug.pratt(AT)ncmail.net
>
>
>
>
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: RFI:Black-throated Blue Warbler
From: Nate Dias <offshorebirder(AT)yahoo.com>
Date: 11 May 2006 1:44pm
Gael,
Good request - Black-throated Blue Warblers are one of
my favorite birds.
We do get BTB Warblers in decent numbers on the
immediate coast during Spring migration in the
Carolinas. Not like the mountains, but coastal
birders get their revenge during Fall migration.
You might want to try the Fort Raleigh National
Historic Site near Manteo for a spot close to the OBX.
Go as early as possible to better avoid crowds.
Within the FRNHS, Elizabethan Gardens offers nice
habitat for finding BTB Warblers.
Wooded sections of the Alligator River NWR might be
another good bet.
Learn the bird's song and it will help you locate
males who are singing (or practicing their off-key
versions).
I'm sure John Fussell, Jeff Lewis or other NC experts
could give optimum advice for locating BTB Warblers
near the Outer Banks.
Good luck,
Nathan Dias - Charleston, SC
======================
Gael Simons wrote:
-------------------------------------------
Subject: RFI:Black-throated Blue Warbler
I will be in North Carolina next week for a pelagic
trip. Staying in Buxton.
Will have time to do inland birding. Was wondering if
there was even the remotest possibility of finding a
Black-throated Blue warbler somewhere inland without
having to go to the western side of North Carolina.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: CarolinaSONG workshops
From: Nate Dias <offshorebirder(AT)yahoo.com>
Date: 11 May 2006 2:11pm
Sesquicentennial State Park is close to Columbia and
they have a meeting facility. Perhaps y'all could
meet there and do side trips to Congaree NP.
From the SC state parks web page:
http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/469/group-facilities.aspx
"
Sesquicentennial State Park meeting buildings: A
retreat center is available for group meetings up to
50 persons.
The center is used for both day meetings and for
conferences that require overnight accommodations.
The center, features a fully equipped kitchen with
cooking and eating utensils.
Rental rate/day is $140-175
"
A lot of other SC State Parks have meeting facilities.
Most County Libraries also have meeting facilities...
Nathan Dias - Charleston, SC
--- Doug Pratt <Doug.Pratt(AT)ncmail.net> wrote:
> Hi folks:
>
> I sent part of this message to Robin and others
> off list, but
> thought the rest of you might be interested.
> Obviously, finding a place
> that a) is quiet for bird recording, b) is centrally
> located c) has
> facilities for meetings, and d) is near
> accommodations is probably
> impossible, so wherever we decide to go, it will be
> a compromise. My
> own take on this is that we can do the
> demonstrations for this
> conference even with a fair amount of extraneous
> noise. They are, after
> all, just demonstrations, not primary
> data-gathering. We might have to
> consider an urban meeting site, with field trips to
> places to do field
> recording.
>
> I checked out NC Stat
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Job ad - Avian Field Techs, VA
From: "Will Cook" <cwcook(AT)duke.edu>
Date: 11 May 2006 3:57pm
(Forwarded from Ecolog-L)
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Mon, 8 May 2006 13:22:04 -0400
Subject: URGENT: AVIAN FIELD TECHNICIANS (1-2) NEEDED TO START
IMMEDIATELY
National Audubon Society
Important Bird Areas Program
Virginia, USA
************************************************************************
The National Audubon Society is looking for 1-2 dedicated and
enthusiastic avian field technicians needed to conduct point counts
in forested habitats in the mountains of southwestern Virginia. The
survey areas includes some of the most beautiful regions of VA and
include National Forest Service lands and Cumberland National
Historical Park.
Data from this project will be used to evaluate these areas for
consideration as Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Virginia. The IBA
Program is part of a global effort to identify and then work to
conserve essential habitat for birds. Positions will begin
immediately and will run through mid to late June 2006 (end date
flexible).
Salary will be a flat $3,000 for the season ($1,000 stipend plus
$2,000 for living expenses) with the potential for a higher stipend
dependent on experience. Applicants are expected to drive their own
vehicles and must be willing to work with little or no supervision in
remote areas, car-camp for extended periods (most camping is free and
a Forest Service cabin is also available), and hike up to 5
miles/day.
PREFERRED CANDIDATES WILL: 1) Be able to identify eastern/Appalachian
birds by sight and sound 2) Be experienced with standard 10 min.
point count methodology and basic habitat assessment 3) Have a good
sense of direction and be experienced with GPS and reading topo maps
4) Be in good physical condition and be willing to hike through
difficult terrain to reach points 5) Have the ability to work well
with a partner and alone as well as to interact positively with
landowners.
TO APPLY: Applicants should send resume and cover letter to Aimee
Weldon; Virginia Important Bird Areas Program Coordinator; PO Box
1089; Ashland, VA 23005 or via email to: aweldon(AT)audubon.org; Office:
804-752-5850; Cell: 804-370-3528 Fax: 804-752-5882.
_______________________
Aimee Weldon
Virginia IBA Coordinator
P.O. Box 1089
Ashland, VA 23005
804-752-5850 (office)
804-370-3528 (cell)
804-752-5882 (fax)
www.audubon.org
_______________________
------- End of forwarded message -------
--
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: RE: RFI:Black-throated Blue Warbler
From: "Robin Carter" <rcarter(AT)sc.rr.com>
Date: 11 May 2006 4:05pm
Hi C-Birders,
To add to what Nathan has to say, the Black-throated Blue Warbler is a
common spring migrant in central South Carolina. At Congaree National Park
on Tuesday I saw or heard at least a dozen in a 3 mile walk.
Robin Carter
Columbia, SC USA
mailto:rcarter(AT)sc.rr.com
-----Original Message-----
From: carolinabirds-owner(AT)acpub.duke.edu
[mailto:carolinabirds-owner(AT)acpub.duke.edu]On Behalf Of Nate Dias
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 1:45 PM
To: Gael Simons; carolinabirds(AT)duke.edu
Subject: Re: RFI:Black-throated Blue Warbler
Gael,
Good request - Black-throated Blue Warblers are one of
my favorite birds.
We do get BTB Warblers in decent numbers on the
immediate coast during Spring migration in the
Carolinas. Not like the mountains, but coastal
birders get their revenge during Fall migration.
You might want to try the Fort Raleigh National
Historic Site near Manteo for a spot close to the OBX.
Go as early as possible to better avoid crowds.
Within the FRNHS, Elizabethan Gardens offers nice
habitat for finding BTB Warblers.
Wooded sections of the Alligator River NWR might be
another good bet.
Learn the bird's song and it will help you locate
males who are singing (or practicing their off-key
versions).
I'm sure John Fussell, Jeff Lewis or other NC experts
could give optimum advice for locating BTB Warblers
near the Outer Banks.
Good luck,
Nathan Dias - Charleston, SC
======================
Gael Simons wrote:
-------------------------------------------
Subject: RFI:Black-throated Blue Warbler
I will be in North Carolina next week for a pelagic
trip. Staying in Buxton.
Will have time to do inland birding. Was wondering if
there was even the remotest possibility of finding a
Black-throated Blue warbler somewhere inland without
having to go to the western side of North Carolina.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: CarolinaSONG workshops
From: John Connors <John.Connors(AT)ncmail.net>
Date: 11 May 2006 4:25pm
Hi all. If you want a central location in NC try Haw River State Park
north of Greensboro. This is site of former Church Retreat Center, which
is now a NC State Park. It is quiet, with meeting rooms, lodging and a
cafeteria; and has a pond, bottomland forest with a boardwalk, a bit of
river frontage, woods. I attended a NC PARC (herps)conference there a
few months ago, and it was great. John Connors @ NC Museum of Natural
Sciences.
Doug Pratt wrote:
> Hi folks:
>
> I sent part of this message to Robin and others off list, but thought
> the rest of you might be interested. Obviously, finding a place that a)
> is quiet for bird recording, b) is centrally located c) has facilities
> for meetings, and d) is near accommodations is probably impossible, so
> wherever we decide to go, it will be a compromise. My own take on this
> is that we can do the demonstrations for this conference even with a
> fair amount of extraneous noise. They are, after all, just
> demonstrations, not primary data-gathering. We might have to consider
> an urban meeting site, with field trips to places to do field recording.
> I checked out NC State parks, but none of them has meeting facilities
> that I could locate. The SC Parks website is apparently dysfunctional
> (lots of menus etc., but nothing pulls up). One site worth considering,
> if there are meeting facilities at either the national or state parks,
> is Kings Mountain. I-85 is nearby, but we could probably find decent
> places for demos, and the woods there are lovely. It's about as
> centrally located as we are likely to find, and straddles the state line
> (people would probably stay in the town of Kings Mountain, NC, but both
> parks are in SC). I'm still hoping for Congaree NP, just because I'd
> like to visit there. Those Savannah River areas seem good, too, but are
> not very central. I suspect it may come down to what is available that
> meets the most criteria. There is a nifty little county park called
> Blue Jay Point in northern Wake Co. (Raleigh area) where Partners in
> Flight met a few weeks ago. It has a couple of classrooms in the
> visitor center, and is close to all the Triangle facilities. The museum
> here has an affiliation with them and we might be able to get it at no
> cost. Another place near Raleigh is Durant Nature Park, where the
> museum held its staff retreat last year. It has a number of lodge-type
> places that would work for our conference and probably field work as
> well, with plenty of accommodation nearby.
>
> Doug
>
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Painted Bunting at Hoop Pole Creek, Atlantic Beach NC
From: jvoigt(AT)coastalnet.com
Date: 11 May 2006 6:06pm
Stopped by Hoop Pole Creek after work to see if there were any Painted Buntings.
There was one male singing. I didn't see a female. Last year there was a pair of
Painted Buntings at Hoop Pole Creek.
John Voigt
jvoigt(AT)coastalnet.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Beaver Lake 11 MAY 2006
From: Russ Palmeri <rpalmeri(AT)mindspring.com>
Date: 11 May 2006 7:20pm
***************************
My colleague, Helen Burrell and I birding Beaver Lake this morning with
the following results.
Of note was:
The female orchard oriole was seen entering a nest.
The spotted sandpiper.
The warbling vireo.
The orioles are always nice, of course, as are the warblers.
Russ Palmeri, AB Tech BIO department.
SPECIES SEEN
From 5/11/2006 to 5/11/2006 ~ All Places ~ 24 seen
HERONS, EGRETS AND BITTERNS
Green Heron
SANDPIPERS
Spotted Sandpiper
SWIFTS
Chimney Swift
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird
SWALLOWS
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
WAXWINGS
Cedar Waxwing
WRENS
Carolina Wren
MOCKINGBIRDS AND THRASHERS
Gray Catbird
THRUSHES
American Robin
CHICKADEES AND TITS
Tufted Titmouse
VIREOS AND ALLIES
Warbling Vireo
WOOD WARBLERS
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
SPARROWS, TOWHEES, JUNCOS
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
SALTATORS, CARDINALS AND ALLIES
Northern Cardinal
BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, GRACKLES, ETC.
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
Orchard Oriole
OLD WORLD SPARROWS
House Sparrow
////---- STATISTICS ----/////
Species seen - 24
--
Russ Palmeri
Asheville, NC
--
I kill an ant
and realize my three children
have been watching. --kato
--
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Migrants
From: edabbs(AT)FTC-I.NET
Date: 11 May 2006 8:17pm
Hi, all,
Today we had two Black-throated Blues at our hummingbird feeders. This is
an annual occurrence for us during migration. Also, yesterday we had a
rather late female Rose-breasted Grosbeak eating sunflower seeds. I am
wondering if others also have the Black throated Blues enjoying the
hummingbird feeders. The Orchard Orioles are regular feeders at the
hummingbird feeders.
Evelyn Dabbs
Wenee Woods
Sumter County
SC
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: The ulcer producing Killdeer
From: "KC Foggin" <KCFoggin(AT)sc.rr.com>
Date: 11 May 2006 8:45pm
Taken from my car window as I arrived at the office
http://upload.pbase.com/image/60038565
This goes on all day :( If the parents survive, it will be a miracle.
KC Foggin
Socastee
Myrtle Beach SC
www.birdforum.net
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: I've Never Seen That Before!
From: "John Ennis" <swampwolf(AT)thebusinessbirder.com>
Date: 11 May 2006 9:34pm
Here is my latest installment covering the past few weeks...
On three occasions in April, in different locations (Congaree, Brunswick
County, and Jackson Park) male Ruby-crowned Kinglets accosted me...acting
feisty, fussing at me, and showing their red patch...I also got to hear
their song!
My guess is this is hormone-induce practice behavior before the kinglets
arrive at their nesting site.
I wish I had pictures. I came within a nanosecond at Congaree but the
kinglet moved and his red patch was mostly covered in my photo by a vine.
Here are, however, a few pictures of the Asheville CBC:
http://thebusinessbirder.com/AshevilleCBC/index.html
My thanks to all in Asheville, especially the folks who introduced me to
Jackson Park, Gail Lankford for hosting such a great meeting, and Bob
Olthoff for suggesting we circle back for another try at the GC Warbler.
A couple of days before the CBC, I had the privilege to observe Lesser
Prairie-Chickens on their lek in Comanche National Grassland, CO. I took
photos of all mating activities from a blind at 100-150 feet. I could tell
who was number one. There were 4 males and one female on the lek. He was
"mate guarding"; however, he took a run at a 5th male who arrived late but
hustled back to be near her. He had a face-off with each or the other
males; however, he had multiple encounters with one who would come nearest
to the female and was obviously the main rival. Eventually, the female flew
off and a minute later he followed.
One activity that surprised me was the males stomping of feet as they
circled the female and when they faced off against each other. I now have a
theory that may explain those crop circles!
Will post LPC pictures someday...I am 500+ pictures behind in editing.
At the Audubon NC meeting (Wilmington) last weekend, we observed the mating
ritual of Least Terns at Mason Inlet; the fish presentation and a competitor
flying in to give the female a choice. We could tell the newcomer had no
chance even though his fish looked fresher and bigger. He was quickly
dispatched...then we watched the female reach back with her beak for the
fish and the male would not give it to her. At this point, I am stepping
away form the keyboard...draw your own conclusions.
For photos, go to: http://thebusinessbirder.com/AudubonNC050606/index.html
Thanks also to the Audubon staff who hosted a great meeting, especially Andy
Wood and those people on the trip I led who put up with my sense of humor
and resisted the urge to maim me.
John Ennis
Leland, NC
910-371-9729
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: The ulcer producing Killdeer
From: Alex Netherton <danetherton(AT)charter.net>
Date: 11 May 2006 11:28pm
KC Foggin wrote:
> Taken from my car window as I arrived at the office
>
> http://upload.pbase.com/image/60038565
>
> This goes on all day :( If the parents survive, it will be a miracle.
>
> KC Foggin
> Socastee
> Myrtle Beach SC
> www.birdforum.net
>
>
>
Hope her reaction times are in good shape. She'll need them!
--
Alex Netherton, an Appalachian Naturalist
http://alexnetherton.com
danetherton charter dot net
Asheville, NC
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