Birdingonthe.Net Recent Postings from The Carolinas Birding List > Home > Mail > Alerts Updated on Monday, February 8 at 09:11 PM ET The most recently received Mail is at the top.	Red-bellied Woodpecker,©David Sibley

8 Feb Possibly the final word on the Ivory Gull in GA [Jennifer Griffith ] 8 Feb January Bird Photos [Jeff Lemons ] 8 Feb 2 Short-eared Owls - Deveaux Bank, SC [Nate Dias ] 8 Feb Hatteras Pelagic Birding: Feb. 5 and 8 ["J. BRIAN PATTESON" ] 8 Feb Keowee WMA [Jess Gorzo ] 8 Feb White Pelicans over James Is, SC [Dennis Forsythe ] 8 Feb RE: Randolph County sighting - White-tailed Kite? ["Legrand, Harry" ] 8 Feb Randolph County sighting - White-tailed Kite? ["Phil Dickinson" ] 8 Feb Fw: Ivory Gull ["Jeff Catlin" ] 8 Feb Wake Audubon meeting 2/9: Barred Owls! ["Desjardins, Becky" ] 7 Feb Fox Sparrows at Falls Dam ["Ali Iyoob" ] 7 Feb Henslow's Sparrows in Croatan National Forest, NC ["John Fussell" ] 7 Feb 3 day trip additions [Rich & Susan Boyd ] 6 Feb yellow rumps / Marshall NC [Kevin Caldwell ] 6 Feb Red-necked Grebe still present Lake Norman [Kevin Metcalf ] 6 Feb Catbird and Fox Sparrow ["Phil Dickinson" ] 06 Feb Bald Eagle nest ["Brian Murphy" ] 06 Feb Morning sightings. [Kevin Brown ] 6 Feb summary of last week's CBC winter meeting ["John Fussell" ] 6 Feb Cedar Waxwings and Winter Berry Supplies ["John Ennis" ] 6 Feb Southport Ibis Festival Photo Contest ["John Ennis" ] 6 Feb SC Christmas Bird Counts [Dennis Forsythe ] 6 Feb RE: sparrows bathing in a cold, cold rain [Donna Slyce ] 5 Feb CRC eagles ["Ron" ] 5 Feb Three day birding trip [Rich & Susan Boyd ] 5 Feb Spotting Scope/Digital Camera ["Buddy Garrett" ] 5 Feb sparrows bathing in a cold, cold rain [VIRGINIA TRAVIS ] 5 Feb Re: Potential closing of VOA site in s.e. Pitt County ["J. Merrill Lynch" ] 5 Feb Re: Potential closing of VOA site in s.e. Pitt County [Ric Carter ] 5 Feb Potential closing of VOA site in s.e. Pitt County ["Legrand, Harry" ] 5 Feb Possible strategy for finding Varied Thrush ["Mary & Bill McDavit" ] 4 Feb RE: Fish Crows are back ["Ali Iyoob" ] 4 Feb Am. White Pelican & No. Shoveler - Aurora, NC [Alan Gamache ] 4 Feb Varied Thrush/Henderson County ["wforsythe" ] 4 Feb A second Varied Thrush for NC this winter! ["Legrand, Harry" ] 4 Feb RE: Western Grebes not resighted ["Legrand, Harry" ] 4 Feb Re: Fish Crows are back ["John Haire" ] 04 Feb Re: Western Grebes not resighted [Clyde Sorenson ] 4 Feb Pine Siskin ["Daniel Hueholt" ] 4 Feb FOS yard birds-Brown-headed Nuthatches [shirley ] 4 Feb Juncos in Carrboro, Orange County [Marcela Rengifo Pardo ] 4 Feb Re: Fish Crows are back [Dwayne Martin ] 4 Feb New "deck bird" [Heidi Hoerman ] 4 Feb Western Grebes not resighted [Robert Rowan Meehan ] 4 Feb Fish Crows are back ["Connors, John" ] 4 Feb Great Yard Birds ["Daniel Hueholt" ] 4 Feb Morning birds in S. Durham [Jennifer Griffith ] 03 Feb Rusty Blackbird Blitz reminder (runs through February 15) [Cape Romain Bird Observatory ] 3 Feb Ivory Gull - sad ending [Jennifer Griffith ] 3 Feb Re: Report of two Western Grebes in Raleigh [Nathan Swick ] 3 Feb Report of two Western Grebes in Raleigh ["Legrand, Harry" ] 3 Feb Call for BBS Observers [Ricky Davis ] 03 Feb BIG black yard bird ["Brian Murphy" ] 3 Feb Dovekie, Little Gull, and plenty of Auks ["J. BRIAN PATTESON" ] 3 Feb Varied Thrush 2 ["Desjardins, Becky" ] 03 Feb feeding swamp sparrows [] 3 Feb Varied Thrush ["Desjardins, Becky" ] 3 Feb New Hope Audubon Society Membership Meeting [Thomas Driscoll ] 2 Feb Razorbills all along the NC coast [Ricky Davis ] 2 Feb Re: OK-- so it isn't snowing... [] 2 Feb Butterbutt at Durham V.A. [Jennifer Griffith ] 2 Feb Iceland Gull at Cape Point ["J. BRIAN PATTESON" ] 2 Feb CBC pelagic trip Jan. 27; upcoming trips ["J. BRIAN PATTESON" ] 2 Feb Re: neophobic sapsuckers? ["KC Foggin" ] 2 Feb CBC meeting this weekend ["Legrand, Harry" ] 2 Feb neophobic sapsuckers? [Norman Budnitz ] 2 Feb Neophobia and dietary conservatism in birds [Nate Dias ] 2 Feb neo-phobic sparrows [Marilyn Westphal ] 2 Feb RE: OK-- so it isn't snowing... [Donna Slyce ] 2 Feb RE: OK-- so it isn't snowing... ["Connors, John" ] 02 Feb OK-- so it isn't snowing... [] 2 Feb Santee National Wildlife Refuge - Great Backyard Bird Count [] 1 Feb Cedar Island Ferry Terminal and Lola pier/platform, Carteret County, NC [Shelley Theye ] 1 Feb Re: Number of feeder birds [] 1 Feb Re: Black, King Rails -- Savannah NWR [] 1 Feb Fort Fisher ["Daniel Hueholt" ] Subject: Possibly the final word on the Ivory Gull in GA From: Jennifer Griffith <jbgrif AT mindspring.com> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 22:11:19 -0500 (EST) This was posted on the GA listserve & I thought it might be of great interest to all in the birding community. Jennifer Griffith Durham, NC Mon, 8 Feb 2010 11:23:03 -0500 From: Georgann Schmalz Subject: Ivory Gull Hi All, The Ivory Gull found by Walt Chambers at West Point Lake, GA and viewed by so many between January 25 - 29, 2010, then found in poor condition and subsequently died, was taken to Ed Thompson, taxidermist, last Wednesday, 3 February. Ed called me this morning as he began his work of mounting the bird for display (at a yet-to-be determined location). He has saved the body cavity, eyes and brain for necropsy at UGA. After skinning the bird, he said there were no broken bones in the wings, no signs of any predator attack, and for that matter, no signs of injuries. He looked for fat reserves in the usual places and found little, but also said that the bird did not appear to be in a starving condition typically characterized by a sharp keel and wasting muscles. So, there you have it. Hopefully, the necropsy will show what the bird was eating and any other internal conditions that might explain its death. Later, Georgann Georgann Schmalz Ornithologist Dawson County, GA Birding Adventures, Inc. http://www.birdingadventuresinc.com Subject: January Bird Photos From: Jeff Lemons <birdsalot AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 21:44:13 -0500 Here are a few recent photos. Red-necked Grebe at Lake Norman - Club Rd (took me 7 trips to get these) - Life Bird http://photographicmoment.net/p705421983/e1a4bfcc2 Bullock's Oriole backyard Davidson, NC - Life Bird: http://photographicmoment.net/p518423724/e2cca9845 Western Tanager backyard Davidson, NC - Life Bird: http://photographicmoment.net/p229190108/e3452051a Lapland Longspur at Charlotte Motor Speedway http://photographicmoment.net/p549145603/e3dbd59ef Ash-throated Flycatcher - Virginia Beach - Life Bird http://photographicmoment.net/p675423923/e28ac4a5d Eurasian Wigeon - Chesapeake Bay VA - Life Bird http://photographicmoment.net/p728591764/e30de2960 Loggerhead Shrike at Charlotte Motor Speedway: http://photographicmoment.net/p21107028/e19c4e9e9 Horned Larks CMS http://photographicmoment.net/p97747223/e21d6661b Jeff Lemons Charlotte, NC Subject: 2 Short-eared Owls - Deveaux Bank, SC From: Nate Dias <offshorebirder AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 18:13:27 -0800 (PST) A belated report for people interested in Short-eared Owls in SC - Lex Glover and I had two of them at Deveaux Bank Heritage Preserve last Monday while counting Piping Plovers during the SC midwinter census. We got to observe both birds in the air at once for a bit. We also had 16 Piping Plovers and a few thousand shorebirds. Deveaux is only accessible by boat and closed from the high tide line upwards, so it's not really birdable. I just figured people might want to know another example of SE Owls being around coastal SC (more this winter than in recent years). Nathan Dias - Charleston, SC Subject: Hatteras Pelagic Birding: Feb. 5 and 8 From: "J. BRIAN PATTESON" <patteson1 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 19:14:40 -0500 Although the weekend was a "no go" for pelagic trips, we did get out last Friday with a chartered birding trip on the Stormy Petrel II and I took a couple of birders on another charter today on my little workboat, the Skua. The trip on Friday was about as good as they get. We left the dock at 6: 27 and by 7:12, we were looking at Dovekie and Razorbill just east of the inlet. All the way to Diamond Shoals, there were Razorbills buzzing by, over 100 in an hour or so, all heading east (into the wind.) The "water shot" (satellite image) from a few hours before showed a hard edge about 20 miles from the inlet. Not knowing when the weather would worsen, I decided to charge out to the "change" rather than ease out to it like we might have otherwise done. We found the blue green change in about 35 fathoms, with 48 degree water shoved up right beside 68 degree water. There was an abundance of Bonaparte's Gulls feeding along the change and we saw at least 8 Atlantic Puffins in less than 90 minutes. We also saw a like number of Dovekies, and a small flock of Red Phalaropes here, as well as a couple of fly-by Manx Shearwaters. The views of Dovekies and puffins were excellent, w/ birds on the water right alongside. The wind seemed to be increasing though, so I left the change before 10:30. Working back inshore, we didn't see much until we got near Diamond Shoals. Except for a single kittiwake and a young Iceland Gull, the inshore tack was fairly uneventful, but the the appearance of a Great Skua in the gull flock astern just a few miles off the beach confirmed that we had picked a good direction to go after all. The skua landed and after turning around, I was able to get very close to it with the boat. The size of the bird and the reddish coloration was very unlike South Polar Skua, which we see from time to time in spring and summer. A short while after leaving the skua, we saw yet another new species with the gull flock. This time it was Greater Shearwater, a rather rare bird in winter. Unlike the skua, the shearwater followed us for several minutes. After having four good birds spotted astern, I finally got my chance halfway back to the inlet, when an adult Little Gull crossed the bow. Like so many Little Gulls, however, that bird just moved along, leaving behind some frustrated seekers, who had run up front from the stern. With the rain setting in and the wind picking up, we decided to call it a day, and we returned to the dock, arriving before 2:30. There really wasn't much more to hope for. I'm not sure where the fulmars are, but except for that and Black-capped Petrel, which was likely present way out in the deep, there wasn't much more to hope for. We almost went yesterday, but the swell looked a bit to big to try at ebb current, so we never left the dock. Today was much better, however. Still there was some swell, but we had a better time for departure, and I only saw one big breaker in the inlet, that from a considerable distance. We arrived near Diamond Shoals around 7:45, and it was alive with birds. There were plenty of gulls and gannets flying and although Razorbills were not as numerous as they had been on Friday, we had great looks at many birds flying by at close range. A Great Skua showed itself briefly when it scattered a distant flock of Bonaparte's Gulls. The sky was full of Red-throated Loons. It was breezy early on with 15 knots or more of northwest wind. I headed out a few more miles to check out the gillnet fleet, which had attracted many gulls and gannets. Along the way, what appeared to be an adult Nelson's Gull (Glaucous X Herring hybrid) came to the chum. We did not see any skuas around the fleet, so we went back inshore. Working back in, we saw 14 or 15 flyby Dovekies, most of these near Diamond Shoals. We also glimpsed a distant skua, but bird activity was far less than what we had seen in the morning, so we packed it in shortly after 1:00 and headed for home. Our next pelagic trips from Hatteras are scheduled for Feb. 13(14) and Feb. 14 (15). We have one or two spaces open on the first trip and several on the second trip. With the exception of fulmar, it looks like all the winter birds are in place right now. This does not happen every year, so there is good reason to strike while the iron is hot. For more information about these pelagic trips, as well as one the following weekend, Feb. 20(21), see our website- www.seabirding.com/. Brian Patteson Hatteras, NC brian AT patteson.com Subject: Keowee WMA From: Jess Gorzo <galaxycoff AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 14:59:06 -0800 (PST) 1st- Hello to Rocky Nation; I was convinced that besides Jason, Keenan and I on campus, the next closest birder was in Townville! I walked Keowee Wildlife Management Area today. From about 1:45pm-2:15pm, I strolled the 1st road on the right off the main access road. I got back to the main road, and walked until it forked, taking the branch on the left from about 2:30-3:40pm. I spotted (coolest first :)... 1 blue-headed vireo 1 hermit thrush 1 fox sparrow- in brush bordering far edge of clearing along left branch of main access road, brush gives way to pine forest 2 pileated woodpecker 6 red-bellied woodpecker 6 ruby-crowned kinglet 4 tufted titmouse 7 Carolina chickadee 2 Carolina wren 3 American crow 2 white-breasted nuthatch 1 yellow-bellied sapsucker 3 golden-crowned kinglet pair of downy woodpecker 1 red-tailed hawk 1 American robin 2 eastern towhee 1 song sparrow Subject: White Pelicans over James Is, SC From: Dennis Forsythe <dennis.forsythe AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 15:39:28 -0500 Hi All, At noon I had a number of soaring birds over my house on James Is., Sc including Black and Turkey Vultures, Red-shouldered Haws and 20 American White Pelicans. The pelicans were a new yard/neighborhood bird-our 197th since moving in in 1996. It helps to be near Charleston Harbor and across from Patriot's Point. Dennis -- Dennis M. Forsythe PhD Charleston, SC 29412 843.795.3996-home 843.953.7264-fax 843.708.1605-cell dennis.forsythe AT gmail.com Subject: RE: Randolph County sighting - White-tailed Kite? From: "Legrand, Harry" <harry.legrand AT ncdenr.gov> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 15:17:45 -0500 There are four accepted records of White-tailed Kite in NC, but just one with photos. You can view the records at the following link, and getting to White-tailed Kite from the link. Records are for Fort Fisher (photo), and sightings from Haywood County, Currituck County, and the Wilmington area -- two in spring, one in summer, and one in winter. There are also a handful of accepted records for SC, as one can see from this link. http://www.carolinabirdclub.org/chat/database.html Thus, the species can turn up about anywhere at any time, but with so few records, a committee would need a lot more details. It may be worth checking out, as the species does ride the wind, but he didn't say it was hovering (kite) or gliding/rocking in the wind (male N. Harrier), etc. For someone who might not be experienced with hawks (having to look it up in a book), we should always assume it is a more numerous bird, such as a N. Harrier, even a Buteo, than one with only a few records. But, if you live within a county or so .... Harry LeGrand Chair, NC Bird Records Committee -----Original Message----- From: Phil Dickinson [mailto:pdickins AT triad.rr.com] Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 3:00 PM To: Wheaton; henry link; CarolinaBirds Subject: Randolph County sighting - White-tailed Kite? I don't know anything about the birding skills of Mr. Ward, but I thought I should pass on this observation fyi. I know that Sibley's range map indicates past NC winter records. Phil Dickinson Winston-Salem ----- Original Message ----- From: "PHILLIPS, Ida" To: "Susan Jones" ; Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 2:30 PM Subject: Bird question for you Hi there, Hope all is well with both of you! I normally send questions like this to Curtis, but he's out of the country right now, so I wondered if I could pose this query to you? I got the email below from our web contact form. I don't know Benjamin but thought this would be a pretty exciting sighting? Just curious what you all think of this - I know that white-tailed kites have been seen in NC on rare occasions? If you can let me know if you think this is worth checking out, maybe Benjamin could help out. Thank you! Ida *************************************************** Ida Phillips Director of Communications Audubon North Carolina 123 Kingston Drive, Suite 206A Chapel Hill, NC 27514 919-929-3899; 919-929-4599 (fax) www.ncaudubon.org Sign up for Audubon NC E-News! Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter! -----Original Message----- From: PHILLIPS, Ida Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 8:33 PM To: PHILLIPS, Ida Subject: Form submission from: Contact Form Submitted on 02/06/2010 - 8:33pm Submitted by anonymous user: [64.136.26.226] Submitted values are: Name: Benjamin Ward Email: benjammintonite AT yahoo.com Subject: white-tailed kite Message: Just thought this may be of intrest to you as it was to me. Today 2-06-2010 around noon, at the intersection of hwy 22 and buffalo ford rd, in Colridge "Randolph Co. I saw a white Hawk like Bird, wingspan over 2.5 feet, with a long tail. I observed it for about 5 mins as it flew over a field . anywhere from 5 to 50 feet off the gound. it was really riding the wind. looked it up in my book and it appears to be the white-tailed kite. out of his normal range it looks to me. ok then, have a nice day... The results of this submission may be viewed at: http://nc.audubon.org/node/37/submission/1596 Subject: Randolph County sighting - White-tailed Kite? From: "Phil Dickinson" <pdickins AT triad.rr.com> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 14:59:50 -0500 I don't know anything about the birding skills of Mr. Ward, but I thought I should pass on this observation fyi. I know that Sibley's range map indicates past NC winter records. Phil Dickinson Winston-Salem ----- Original Message ----- From: "PHILLIPS, Ida" To: "Susan Jones" ; Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 2:30 PM Subject: Bird question for you Hi there, Hope all is well with both of you! I normally send questions like this to Curtis, but he's out of the country right now, so I wondered if I could pose this query to you? I got the email below from our web contact form. I don't know Benjamin but thought this would be a pretty exciting sighting? Just curious what you all think of this - I know that white-tailed kites have been seen in NC on rare occasions? If you can let me know if you think this is worth checking out, maybe Benjamin could help out. Thank you! Ida *************************************************** Ida Phillips Director of Communications Audubon North Carolina 123 Kingston Drive, Suite 206A Chapel Hill, NC 27514 919-929-3899; 919-929-4599 (fax) www.ncaudubon.org Sign up for Audubon NC E-News! Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter! -----Original Message----- From: PHILLIPS, Ida Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 8:33 PM To: PHILLIPS, Ida Subject: Form submission from: Contact Form Submitted on 02/06/2010 - 8:33pm Submitted by anonymous user: [64.136.26.226] Submitted values are: Name: Benjamin Ward Email: benjammintonite AT yahoo.com Subject: white-tailed kite Message: Just thought this may be of intrest to you as it was to me. Today 2-06-2010 around noon, at the intersection of hwy 22 and buffalo ford rd, in Colridge "Randolph Co. I saw a white Hawk like Bird, wingspan over 2.5 feet, with a long tail. I observed it for about 5 mins as it flew over a field . anywhere from 5 to 50 feet off the gound. it was really riding the wind. looked it up in my book and it appears to be the white-tailed kite. out of his normal range it looks to me. ok then, have a nice day... The results of this submission may be viewed at: http://nc.audubon.org/node/37/submission/1596 Subject: Fw: Ivory Gull From: "Jeff Catlin" <shieffcat AT bellsouth.net> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 11:28:59 -0500 Forwarded from GA Birds ----- Original Message ----- From: "Georgann Schmalz" To: Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 11:23 AM Subject: [GABO-L] Ivory Gull Hi All, The Ivory Gull found by Walt Chambers at West Point Lake, GA and viewed by so many between January 25 - 29, 2010, then found in poor condition and subsequently died, was taken to Ed Thompson, taxidermist, last Wednesday, 3 February. Ed called me this morning as he began his work of mounting the bird for display (at a yet-to-be determined location). He has saved the body cavity, eyes and brain for necropsy at UGA. After skinning the bird, he said there were no broken bones in the wings, no signs of any predator attack, and for that matter, no signs of injuries. He looked for fat reserves in the usual places and found little, but also said that the bird did not appear to be in a starving condition typically characterized by a sharp keel and wasting muscles. So, there you have it. Hopefully, the necropsy will show what the bird was eating and any other internal conditions that might explain its death. Later, Georgann Georgann Schmalz Ornithologist Dawson County, GA Birding Adventures, Inc. http://www.birdingadventuresinc.com ********** To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html To contact a listowner, send message to GABO-L-request AT LISTSERV.UGA.EDU To view GABO-L information/guidelines, go to http://www.gos.org/gabo.html Subject: Wake Audubon meeting 2/9: Barred Owls! From: "Desjardins, Becky" <becky.desjardins AT ncdenr.gov> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 10:16:03 -0500 Wake Audubon's monthly meeting is tomorrow night, 2/9 at 7:30 at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Downtown Raleigh. this month's talk is : "Sex (and Barred Owls and mice) in the city". An estimated 300 Barred Owl pairs nest within 10 miles of downtown Charlotte. Dr. Rob Bierregaard of UNC-Charlotte will discuss research he and his students have conducted-via radio telemetry and remote nest cameras-on the natural history of this remarkable suburban population. It should be a great talk...hope to see everyone there! For more information www.wakeaudubon.org Becky D ****Please note new email Becky.Desjardins AT ncdenr.gov and update your address book**** Becky Desjardins Bird Collection Manager NC State Museum of Natural Sciences 11 W. Jones Street Raleigh NC 27601 (919) 733-7450 x710 E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties by an authorized state official. Subject: Fox Sparrows at Falls Dam From: "Ali Iyoob" <Aliiyoob AT nc.rr.com> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 20:16:35 -0500 Today, I found 3 Fox Sparrows along the Neuse River. Also interesting were 2 Wilson's Snipe and a Great Horned Owl calling during the middle of the day. Ducks on the lake consisted of one Ruddy and 2 Lesser Scaup. Ali Iyoob North Raleigh, NC www.flickr.com/photos/longspur http://birdingjournal.blogspot.com Subject: Henslow's Sparrows in Croatan National Forest, NC From: "John Fussell" <jfuss AT clis.com> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 12:33:05 -0500 This morning Jack Fennell and I flushed 2-3 Henslow's Sparrows at Millis Road Savanna and "Millis Road Savanna East", in the Croatan National Forest. We also had Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and Bachman's Sparrow. John Fussell Morehead City, NC jfuss AT clis.com Subject: 3 day trip additions From: Rich & Susan Boyd <rcsaboyd AT clis.com> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 08:55:10 -0500 There was an American Bittern on the causeway as we were traveling North to Pea Island, 5 White Pelicans at Pea Island (North Pond), and a Eurasian Widgeon, drake, at Bodie Island Light House, where the new platform for viewing is great. Susan and Rich Boyd rcsaboyd AT clis.com Subject: yellow rumps / Marshall NC From: Kevin Caldwell <mtssea AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 21:42:25 -0800 (PST) around noon and entirely by chance my neighbor and i spotted a 100? /150? /200? bird flock of yellow-rumped warblers raiding the forest floor & low shrubs above a stream bed adjacent to open / mowed area. we were far enough away to make out many males but were not sure of what other species were in this mix, if any - all we could distinguish were yellow-rumps. made my winter. they actually encircled the cabin, returning somewhat near where they started.this is near the Ivy / F.Broad conflence in Mashall NC, about 1600 ft elevation. Kevin Caldwell Madison Co. Marshall NC Subject: Red-necked Grebe still present Lake Norman From: Kevin Metcalf <skermetcalf AT earthlink.net> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 17:40:17 -0500 A RED-NECKED GREBE is still present at the southern end of Lake Norman - swimming on the Lincoln County side, viewed from the fishing lot of McGuire Nuclear Station (Mecklenburg County side). Also present were around 73 Horned Grebes, a flock of Bonaparte's Gulls (about 275, mostly adults), and up to 17 Common Loons. Kevin Metcalf Huntersville, NC Subject: Catbird and Fox Sparrow From: "Phil Dickinson" <pdickins AT triad.rr.com> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 14:17:41 -0500 I found another Gray Catbird in Winston-Salem this morning. It was at the edge of Shaffner Park near Silas Creek Pkwy. A Fox Sparrow was nearby, problably the same one I saw down the greenway a few days ago. Phil Dickinson Winston-Salem Subject: Bald Eagle nest From: "Brian Murphy" <brianmnc AT verizon.net> Date: Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:09:35 -0500 I have been checking a bald eagle nest every week for the past month, and today it paid off, as two adults were sitting in the nest tree, one on a side branch, the other on top of the nest. This nest is too easy to find and see and I wonder if it will ever be a success. Maybe it already has been. Hopefully people will view it from a distance and/or stay in their car. It is easy to see as you drive toward the entrance of a Falls Lake recreation area. So easy I won't be more specific. Anyway, it was a beautiful sight in the snow flurries this morning, me without my camera. Great way to see great birds, leave camera at home. Almost never fails. Brian Murphy Durham NC http://murphsearthreport.com/ http://home.olivebranchroad.org/ It's not the improbable destruction of the planet but the question "What kind of a world do we want to live in?" that drives the movement to protect and conserve all of our natural resources. Subject: Morning sightings. From: Kevin Brown <kmb AT twogeeks.org> Date: Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:57:55 -0500 Mourning Doves, Eastern Towhee, Northern Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, House Finch, Gold Finch, Cardinals, Blue birds, and many other of the usual suspects. Mourning Doves were the first I've seen in my backyard. Had a visit from a female Oriole. Could not tell if it was Orchard or Baltimore. Hoping the mate will show up soon. I take particular joy in the Northern Flickers. There are two that have a regular feeding schedule in my backyard. They're just gorgeous! KMB Hillsborough, NC Subject: summary of last week's CBC winter meeting From: "John Fussell" <jfuss AT clis.com> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 12:01:35 -0500 Harry LeGrand, Ali Ayoob, and others have written about the highlights of last week's meeting, but I wanted to also give an overall summary... It was said that this meeting had the worst weather of any CBC meeting, and I would not disagree. Friday was a very raw day, with a brisk, biting northeaster. Saturday was similar, but also had steady rain much of the day! Most of Saturday's trips had to be cancelled. Of course, both Friday's and Saturday's trips to Cape Lookout had to be cancelled. (Sure would have liked to have been out at Cape Lookout point on Saturday morning, IF I could have been in a four-wheel-drive!) At least we did not have any of the icy conditions that affected areas just a short distance to the northwest and west of us. Especially given the atrocious weather, I was impressed with the very positive attitudes of both leaders and participants. I really did not hear many negative comments during the meeting. Again, thanks to all the leaders and a hand of applause to all participants. As most birders know, the same weather that can make for very uncomfortable birding can also often provide some spectacular birding and the CBC weekend was no exception. When the first birders checked out the ocean Saturday morning, it was obvious that there was a rather heavy flight of ocean birds heading up the coast, flying by just off the end of the Sheraton Pier. The most common species--at least when I was watching--were Northern Gannet, Forster's Tern, and Razorbill. The Razorbill flight was spectacular for our area. About 750 were counted during the day! To put this in perspective, in all my many, many days of birding along Bogue Banks, I probably have not seen over 100 Razorbills total. Also observed by 3 individuals were 2 Red-necked Grebes, another great find. Although there were not large numbers of scoters associated with this up-the-coast flight, all three species were seen close enough to be easily identifiable with binoculars. (About 10 White-wingeds were seen during the day.) Also taking advantage of weather possibilities during the day was Phil Warren's Down East group. They saw both Virginia Rail and Sora on the Cedar Island causeway, not real surprising given that most of the marshes were underwater at the time. Other highlights of the weekend were: Eurasian Wigeon. The drake at Lilliput Pond near New Bern was still present on Friday. (The drake at Old Airport Road in Morehead seemed to have departed the week before the meeting.) Common Eider Ricky Davis saw a female on the ocean off Indian Beach on Sunday. (Another female was seen by a non-participant on the Beaufort waterfront on Friday--this is probably the same bird that was at the Fort Macon jetties for much of January.) Long-tailed Duck. Ricky Davis saw one on the ocean off Indian Beach on Sunday. Great Cormorant. Two on the rocks at the Cedar Island ferry terminal on Friday and Saturday. (Although the habitat looks great for Greats at this site, they are actually rather rare there--their presence on Friday and Saturday was probably related to the atrocious weather.) American Bittern. One was seen well by many at North River Farms. (On the second trip, one was glimpsed, but it "melted away" before our eyes.) Bald Eagle. Several were seen, at various sites. Red-tailed Hawk. A very pale bird was seen at North River Farms on Friday. (This site, which borders the vast Open Grounds Farm--which looks like an area in the prairie states--has harbored other pale Red-taileds in recent years.) Mike Tove will report more on this bird later. Peregrine Falcon. Individuals were seen at North River Farms and at the Rachel Carson Reserve. Sandhill Crane. The 3 birds that have been overwintering in Beaufort were seen by several observers on Sunday morning. Red Knot. Several were seen along the beaches of Bogue Banks and at the Rachel Carson Reserve. Purple Sandpiper. 2 or 3 were at the Fort Macon jetties. Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Bachman's Sparrow. It's my understanding that on Friday's Croatan National Forest field trips all participants got good looks at Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and that most got good looks at Bachman's Sparrows. I was very impressed that Bachman's were seen well under those conditions! (Bachman's Sparrows are overwintering in the Croatan in what may be, at least in modern times, unprecedented numbers.) Orange-crowned Warbler. 2 or 3 were seen by several observers. Black-and-white Warbler. One was at Fort Macon State Park on Sunday morning. Yellow-breasted Chat, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and Baltimore Orioles. These were all seen in Fussell's yard. Brewer's Blackbird. Ricky Davis's trip on Friday found 6 Brewer's in Open Grounds Farm (2 males, 4 females). Ricky deserves some kudos for talking his way into the farm. In addition to the "real birds", several participants made a late-day pilgrimage to downtown Morehead to see a Black-hooded Parakeet. In addition to birds, participants on Rich and Susan Boyd's Croatan trip got to see Venus flytraps, and participants on Jeannie Kraus and Carol Reigle's maritime forest trip got to see golden hair lichen (a rare coastal fringe species). Again, thanks much to all field trip leaders. John Fussell Morehead City, NC jfuss AT clis.com Subject: Cedar Waxwings and Winter Berry Supplies From: "John Ennis" <johnxennis AT bellsouth.net> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 09:16:43 -0500 I've monitored the berries and at Brunswick Community College a couple of times a week since Christmas... I've previously posted photos of the battle between a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and pair of mockers over Bradford pear trees and, in another campus location, a battle between a Pileated Woodpecker and the mockingbird owners of a dogwood tree... BCC has a number of areas with great berry supplies, each appearing to be defended by a pair of mockers... All berry sources are close to being depleted... Thursday, I arrived around 8a and saw a flock of waxwings landing in a nearby Bradford pear tree...they were between me and the sun so I started to circle around to get the morning sun behind me... A nest-bound eagle flew over (carrying a snake) and the waxwings seemed not to notice; however, a minute later, before I could get into place, the waxwings were dispatched by a pair of mockers... The waxwings flew over a nearby building and I headed to the other side hoping to intercept them...turns out, they were landing on a smaller tree, with plenty of berries, and allowed me to get very close as they proceeded with their feeding frenzy... Here are a few of the photos... http://thebusinessbirder.com/CEDW.pdf http://thebusinessbirder.com/CEDW2.pdf BTW, my neighborhood's berry supply is nearly gone. I chuckled when I passed my neighbor's house yesterday...they had a large flock of mixed blackbirds in their front yard, a flock of robins in their hollies, and a flock of waxwings in their Bradford pear tree...when I returned, my yard was peppered with robins and my hollies were berryless... John Ennis Leland, NC 910-371-9729 Subject: Southport Ibis Festival Photo Contest From: "John Ennis" <johnxennis AT bellsouth.net> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 08:40:52 -0500 The Southport Ibis Festival is pleased to announce a photo contest open to all NC & SC photographers.both amateurs and professionals. The details are posted on the Carolina Bird Club home page: http://www.carolinabirdclub.org/ The contest is open from February 1 through April 1... This is the festival's second year...the rules worked well last year so they are mostly unchanged... I am acting as facilitator only...I'll present a PowerPoint presentation of all entries to the judges...the photographer will be known only to me... Neither the judges nor I will be eligible to submit entries... Other details are in the rules... Please email me with questions... Thanks! John Ennis Leland, NC 910-371-9729 Subject: SC Christmas Bird Counts From: Dennis Forsythe <dennis.forsythe AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 08:14:05 -0500 Hi All, Just a reminder to CBC compiler's that the completed counts are due on 15 February. Thanks. Dennis -- Dennis M. Forsythe PhD Charleston, SC 29412 843.795.3996-home 843.953.7264-fax 843.708.1605-cell dennis.forsythe AT gmail.com Subject: RE: sparrows bathing in a cold, cold rain From: Donna Slyce <pine.siskin AT hotmail.com> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 08:09:00 -0500 I've had a similar experience. One of those winters when I had dozens and dozens of Pine Siskins at my feeders, on a day just as Ginger describes except it was 35 degrees Farenheit, I watched the Pine Siskins lined up twenty deep at a small stream of rain in the yard, bathing. As soon as one got out of the water, another would hop in. Given their usual ill-tempered interactions at the feeder, they were quite civil to each other as they waited to bathe, each patiently waiting their turn. That was the day it appeared that the House Finches had the most sense. They were perched five and six to a chair on the chairs on the front porch, well out of the cold rain. I guess when you spend your summers in the boreal forest, 35 degrees and rain is no big deal. Donna Slyce in the community of Longtown near Ridgeway, SC ---------------------------------------- > Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 12:00:28 -0800 > From: ginger_travis AT bellsouth.net > Subject: sparrows bathing in a cold, cold rain > To: carolinabirds AT duke.edu > > 36 degrees, steady rain, water flowing over the land in > thin sheets. In a rivulet about a half inch deep I saw 3 > species of sparrows squat down and bathe vigorously -- > white-throated, junco, and fox sparrow. The fox sparrow > spent the longest time of all -- perhaps 5 minutes -- > squatting and wing-shaking, squatting and wing-shaking -- > bathing with real gusto. Who can fathom the mind of a bird?! > > Ginger Travis > west-central Orange Co., NC > _________________________________________________________________ Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469229/direct/01/ Subject: CRC eagles From: "Ron" <waxwing AT bellsouth.net> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 22:22:52 -0500 Our resident bald eagle at Carolina Raptor Center laid three eggs a couple of weeks ago. Last year, she laid two, which weren't viable, so we're hoping for better results this year, and that all three make it. Here is a link to a web-cam to watch the nest and part of the enclosure. Scroll down to the eagle picture. www.wcnc.com Ron Clark Kings Mtn NC Subject: Three day birding trip From: Rich & Susan Boyd <rcsaboyd AT clis.com> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 19:56:29 -0500 Carolinabirders: Susan and I have just returned from three wonderful days birding Pamlico Sound, Okracoke, Hatteras, Pea Island, Oregon Inlet, Bodie Island, Alligator River, Pungo Unit of Pocosin Lakes NWR, Pettigrew State Park, Tidelands Research Station, and Lake Mattamuskeet. We saw 113 species, more than 83,000 individuals. Some of the highlights were: All three Scoters - Pamlico Sound Horned Grebe - Oregon Inlet Great Cormorant - Oregon Inlet 27 Bald Eagles - three sites 15 Northern Harriers (five males at Pungo) - interestingly, not one was seen at Alligator River NWR 1 Adult Northern Goshawk - in a tree within easy sight at Pungo. This is the third Adult Northern Goshawk we have seen within a ten mile radius at Pungo over the last eight years. 1 Golden Eagle - on Canal B Rd., between Newland Rd. and Winona, near Pungo 1 Rough-legged Hawk at Alligator River NWR 1 Black Rail - running across the road on the causeway at Cedar Island early in the morning. Tide was high. 21 Avocets at Pea Island 1 Lesser Yellowlegs - at Alligator River NWR 66 American Pipits - 16 at Cape Hatteras Campground; 50 in a field near Lake Mattamuskeet 1 Ipswich form of Savannah Sparrow - at Visitor Center on Pea Island 5 White-crowned Sparrows - at Tyson Corner on Newland Rd. on way to Cypress Point on Lake Phelps 5 Rusty Blackbirds - in the very wet bottomlands amid the cypress at the parking lot at Cypress Point. They were with Robins, and a few Brown-headed Cowbirds. Plus literally thousands of Snow Geese, Tundra Swans, Northern Pintails, Double-crested Cormorants, Ring-billed Gulls, Tree Swallows, and Red-winged Blackbirds. Altogether a wonderful trip. Rich and Susan Boyd Beaufort, NC rcsaboyd AT clis.com Subject: Spotting Scope/Digital Camera From: "Buddy Garrett" <medxam AT ec.rr.com> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 17:05:42 -0500 Just wondered if anyone had tried out the new Zeiss Photoscope 85T FL, a combined spotting scope and digital camera. Looks like just what I always wanted except for the current price tag of $6500.00 US. Buddy Charles L "Buddy" Garrett, MD 132 Dockside Drive Jacksonville, NC 28546 910-389-0858 Subject: sparrows bathing in a cold, cold rain From: VIRGINIA TRAVIS <ginger_travis AT bellsouth.net> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 12:00:28 -0800 (PST) 36 degrees, steady rain, water flowing over the land in thin sheets. In a rivulet about a half inch deep I saw 3 species of sparrows squat down and bathe vigorously -- white-throated, junco, and fox sparrow. The fox sparrow spent the longest time of all -- perhaps 5 minutes -- squatting and wing-shaking, squatting and wing-shaking -- bathing with real gusto. Who can fathom the mind of a bird?! Ginger Travis west-central Orange Co., NC Subject: Re: Potential closing of VOA site in s.e. Pitt County From: "J. Merrill Lynch" <jmerrilllynch AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 09:48:37 -0500 From what I remember when site C closed, the closure process involves first offering the property to other federal agencies, then state agencies, and finally to local government. Hopefully, if it is true that A & B are closing there will be an opportunity for the lands to be managed by a public entity for conservation purposes. Merrill Lynch On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 9:40 AM, Ric Carter wrote: > Site C in Greenville was a control center, not a broadcast site. It > received signals from DC studios and rerouted them to A & B for rebroadcast. > Its necessity was lost to the improved remote automation of the computer > age. Its use and necessity was very different from broadcast Sites A & B. > > Ric Carter > Garner & Little Washington > > > > On Feb 5, 2010, at 8:51 AM, Legrand, Harry wrote: > > > Obviously, it's too early to know what may happen to these. But, the > smaller site in n.w. Pitt County was de-commissioned in the late 1990s and > turned over to East Carolina University, for ownership/management. > > -- J. Merrill Lynch Echo Valley Farm Watauga County, NC 828-297-7735 (h) 919-618-7888 (c) Subject: Re: Potential closing of VOA site in s.e. Pitt County From: Ric Carter <ricc AT mindspring.com> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 09:40:44 -0500 Site C in Greenville was a control center, not a broadcast site. It received signals from DC studios and rerouted them to A & B for rebroadcast. Its necessity was lost to the improved remote automation of the computer age. Its use and necessity was very different from broadcast Sites A & B. Ric Carter Garner & Little Washington On Feb 5, 2010, at 8:51 AM, Legrand, Harry wrote: > Obviously, it's too early to know what may happen to these. But, the smaller site in n.w. Pitt County was de-commissioned in the late 1990s and turned over to East Carolina University, for ownership/management. Subject: Potential closing of VOA site in s.e. Pitt County From: "Legrand, Harry" <harry.legrand AT ncdenr.gov> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 08:51:35 -0500 Here is a news article that came out a day or two ago: http://www.reflector.com/news/budget-cuts-quiet-voice-america-22341 Both this site (Site B) and the one in n.w. Beaufort County (Site A) are major breeding sites for Henslow's Sparrows in NC. These sites are where everybody who wants to see or hear the species visits. The article, because it is from a Pitt County paper, only mentions site B, but I would assume that Site A would also be included in the discussion for closing in the near future. Obviously, it's too early to know what may happen to these. But, the smaller site in n.w. Pitt County was de-commissioned in the late 1990s and turned over to East Carolina University, for ownership/management. Harry LeGrand, Vertebrate Zoologist North Carolina Natural Heritage Program 1601 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1601 Office: (919) 715-8697 harry.legrand AT ncdenr.gov www.ncnhp.org E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties. Note my new e-mail address (above) Subject: Possible strategy for finding Varied Thrush From: "Mary & Bill McDavit" <osprey1 AT atmc.net> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 06:03:11 -0500 C'Birders: I am reading about a Varied Thrush currently being seen in Ontario. It comes very briefly to some corn kernels being put on stumps near a driveway then retreats to a spruce woods for the rest of the day, apparently. So it would seem one might have to tramp about the nearby woods wherever one is seen rather than sit all day long near the feeding site to increase chances of spotting. (Mottled Duck pair still here as is Rufous and Ruby Throated Hummers) Lake Medcalf, Sunset Lakes, Sunset Beach, NC Good Birding, Mary McDavit Subject: RE: Fish Crows are back From: "Ali Iyoob" <Aliiyoob AT nc.rr.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 22:13:55 -0500 On the Neuse River, I get them all year. Ali Iyoob North Raleigh, NC www.flickr.com/photos/longspur http://birdingjournal.blogspot.com -----Original Message----- From: Dwayne Martin [mailto:redxbill AT gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 1:29 PM To: Connors, John Cc: Carolinabirds Subject: Re: Fish Crows are back Here in the Hickory area, I'm not too sure they all ever left. I have been hearing them off and on all winter. Just heard one at Riverbend Park (northern Catawba Co.) last week. Dwayne ************* Dwayne Martin Hickory, NC redxbill AT gmail.com http://www.naturalsciences.org/nchummers/ Catawba County Park Ranger Riverbend Park - Conover, NC jdmartin AT catawbacountync.gov http://www.catawbacountync.gov/depts/parks/ http://www.weatherlink.com/user/riverbendpark http://www.ncbirdingtrail.org/TrailGuide/Guide_CatawbaValley.pdf On Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 1:18 PM, Connors, John wrote: > Hi all. > > It seems like they just left, but Fish Crow have arrived in force in > downtown Raleigh today. The last ones I had seen in Raleigh were back in > mid-December, but this morning there were a dozen or so communicating with a > similar-size group of American Crow. I’m not sure, but it didn’t appear that > the American Crow had formed a welcome wagon- there was a lot of chasing and > displacing of perch sites going on in the pine and pecan trees near the > governor’s mansion where these two species were calling. > > John Connors AT NC Museum of Natural Sciences Subject: Am. White Pelican & No. Shoveler - Aurora, NC From: Alan Gamache <al AT iensemble.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 20:54:52 -0500 Taking a route from the Aurora Ferry Landing to Hwy 33, East to the catfish ponds, and then East to Spring Creek Impoundment Ponds: Best birds were 9 Am. White Pelican at the PCS Phosphate area. 54 No. Shoveler at the Catfish Ponds 14 additional White Pelican at the Spring Creek Ponds & hundreds of ducks rather equally divided between No. Pintail, Green-winged Teal, & Am. Wigeon. Al Gamache New Bern, NC Subject: Varied Thrush/Henderson County From: "wforsythe" <wforsythe AT morrisbb.net> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 20:17:58 -0500 Folks, To bring everyone up to speed on the Varied Thrush. A Varied Thrush was observed and photographed by the Gudgers on Monday, Feb. 1st. in Fletcher, N. C. Mr. Gudger, an avid feeder watcher and overall nature enthusiast, observed the bird under a feeder in his yard. He immediately knew that it was something he had never seen before so he had his wife photograph the bird. Ms. Gudger sent the picture to a friend who lives some place out west. Her western contact made the ID and told her how rare this species would be for our area. Ms. Gudger in turn, contacted Tom Tribble of Asheville who then contacted myself and Marilyn Westphal this morning, Feb. 3. I went to Fletcher this morning and failed to see the bird. The Gudger's have not seen the bird since their original sighting on Monday, Feb. 1. They will call me if the bird reappears and at that time, they will welcome visitors. If and when that occurs, I will immediately post all pertinent information on Carolinabirds. Best regards, Wayne Wayne K. Forsythe Hendersonville, N. C. 828-697-6628 wforsythe AT morrisbb dot net Subject: A second Varied Thrush for NC this winter! From: "Legrand, Harry" <harry.legrand AT ncdenr.gov> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 19:10:01 -0500 Folks: Kent Fiala has just posted two new photos of a Varied Thrush in NC, and the first for the mountains! See them at: http://www.carolinabirdclub.org/gallery/Gudger/vath.html This contains about all of the details of the sighting I know, other than Wayne Forsythe has visited the folks and their yard, a day or two ago, and did not see the bird. One of these days, a Varied Thrush in NC will stay put long enough for "seconds"! Each of the three records/reports has been seen only by the original observers -- no follow-up sightings. Let's hope this Fletcher bird, or even another, will be re-found. Harry LeGrand NC Natural Heritage Program DENR Division of Natural Resources Planning and Conservation 1601 MSC Raleigh, NC 27699-1601 (919) 715-8697 (work) e-mail: harry.legrand AT ncdenr.gov ----------------------------------------------------- Notice: E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and therefore may be disclosed to third parties. Subject: RE: Western Grebes not resighted From: "Legrand, Harry" <harry.legrand AT ncdenr.gov> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 19:09:03 -0500 I appreciate at least three folks looking for whatever was at Lake Raleigh. This is certainly a "non-record" at this point. Interestingly, there are Western Grebe records from several Wake County lakes since the 1960s -- Jim Parnell had one way back then at Lake Johnson, Ricky Davis had one at Falls Lake a few years ago (which I later saw), etc. I also appreciate a handful of folks checking out a reported Fieldfare from Orange County, but this appears to have been a Fox Sparrow (based on the description). Another non-record. Harry LeGrand NC Natural Heritage Program DENR Division of Natural Resources Planning and Conservation 1601 MSC Raleigh, NC 27699-1601 (919) 715-8697 (work) e-mail: harry.legrand AT ncdenr.gov ----------------------------------------------------- Notice: E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and therefore may be disclosed to third parties. ________________________________________ From: Clyde Sorenson [clyde_sorenson AT ncsu.edu] Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 5:26 PM Cc: carolinabirds AT duke.edu Subject: Re: Western Grebes not resighted I looked for them yesterday afternoon with no luck. Clyde Sorenson Clayton and Raleigh, NC Robert Rowan Meehan wrote: > Went down to Lake Raleigh this morning to try and find the > aforementioned Western Grebes, but no luck. Tons of waterfowl, > including Cormorants, Bufflehead, Hooded Mergs, and Ring-necked Ducks, > but not much else. Best bird was a lone 1st year Bald Eagle. Hope > somebody else had better luck! > > -Robert Meehan > Durham, NC > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. Sign up > now. Subject: Re: Fish Crows are back From: "John Haire" <johnhaire AT starpower.net> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 18:15:41 -0500 I had one at Salem Lake in Winston-Salem today. They are still very rare here in winter, in fact I do not know of any other winter reports in Forsyth County (maybe under-reported). Good birding, John Haire Winston-Salem Subject: Re: Western Grebes not resighted From: Clyde Sorenson <clyde_sorenson AT ncsu.edu> Date: Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:26:37 -0500 I looked for them yesterday afternoon with no luck. Clyde Sorenson Clayton and Raleigh, NC Robert Rowan Meehan wrote: > Went down to Lake Raleigh this morning to try and find the > aforementioned Western Grebes, but no luck. Tons of waterfowl, > including Cormorants, Bufflehead, Hooded Mergs, and Ring-necked Ducks, > but not much else. Best bird was a lone 1st year Bald Eagle. Hope > somebody else had better luck! > > -Robert Meehan > Durham, NC > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. Sign up > now. Subject: Pine Siskin From: "Daniel Hueholt" <jasjedi AT bellsouth.net> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 15:17:49 -0500 Had one Pine Siskin on the niger seed today. Another interesting feeder occurrence was seeing five Yellow-rumped Warblers on the sunflower hearts. I'd never seen them on a bird feeder before except once on suet in Burlington, NC. Daniel Hueholt Wilmington, NC Subject: FOS yard birds-Brown-headed Nuthatches From: shirley <pearly823 AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 14:57:31 -0500 Just outside with the dogs and saw 2 Brown-headed Nuthatches on the feeder. Drove around Camden County this morning and saw 2 male and 2 female Buffleheads and 4 Redheads at a farm pond along with several male Greater and Lesser Scaups. The most numerous ducks seen were Ruddies and Ring-necks - these were seen at the waterfront area on the Pasquotank River. Shirley Remaley Elizabeth City NC Subject: Juncos in Carrboro, Orange County From: Marcela Rengifo Pardo <lyrae71 AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 11:41:53 -0800 (PST) Hello All, I just wanted to report that after 2 years of no sightings, today I saw a large group of at least 20 juncos, maybe more, grazing where the snow has melted and there is grass exposed. The couple of Owls that lived in this area and I had the joy of hearing and observing for at least 4 years, have, however, disappeared or moved to another area. Regards, Marcela __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com Subject: Re: Fish Crows are back From: Dwayne Martin <redxbill AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 13:29:21 -0500 Here in the Hickory area, I'm not too sure they all ever left. I have been hearing them off and on all winter. Just heard one at Riverbend Park (northern Catawba Co.) last week. Dwayne ************* Dwayne Martin Hickory, NC redxbill AT gmail.com http://www.naturalsciences.org/nchummers/ Catawba County Park Ranger Riverbend Park - Conover, NC jdmartin AT catawbacountync.gov http://www.catawbacountync.gov/depts/parks/ http://www.weatherlink.com/user/riverbendpark http://www.ncbirdingtrail.org/TrailGuide/Guide_CatawbaValley.pdf On Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 1:18 PM, Connors, John wrote: > Hi all. > > It seems like they just left, but Fish Crow have arrived in force in > downtown Raleigh today. The last ones I had seen in Raleigh were back in > mid-December, but this morning there were a dozen or so communicating with a > similar-size group of American Crow. I’m not sure, but it didn’t appear that > the American Crow had formed a welcome wagon- there was a lot of chasing and > displacing of perch sites going on in the pine and pecan trees near the > governor’s mansion where these two species were calling. > > John Connors AT NC Museum of Natural Sciences Subject: New "deck bird" From: Heidi Hoerman <heidihoerman AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 10:27:26 -0800 (PST) Today, for the first time in oh-so-long!  A new deck bird!  Eastern Bluebird, male, wonderfully blue. We all have our unique, little lists we keep of species seen.  One of mine is the "deck bird" list.  To be on the list, a bird must visit the deck off the living room on the second floor.  I've  lived here 15 years, so new deck birds are getting hard to come by.  I've had all the woodpeckers except Red-Cockaded, a Black-chinned hummingbird, and the usual suspects for a deck with feeders among the mature pines.  But a blue bird?  Nope, not enough yard.  What a lovely surprise to see him sitting all puffed up on the railing this morning. Thanx, I just needed to share. Heidi (who's enjoying the annual Goldfinch display at the feeders) HEIDI LEE HOERMAN Instructor, School of Library & Information Science University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208 [Opinions expressed here are mine alone and not to be attributed to the University of South Carolina.] EMAIL: heidihoerman AT yahoo.com http:// www.heidihoerman.com http://heidicookssupper.blogspot.com/ HOME: (803) 695-2814 CELL: (803) 206-4734 Subject: Western Grebes not resighted From: Robert Rowan Meehan <kkquartz AT hotmail.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 13:27:05 -0500 Went down to Lake Raleigh this morning to try and find the aforementioned Western Grebes, but no luck. Tons of waterfowl, including Cormorants, Bufflehead, Hooded Mergs, and Ring-necked Ducks, but not much else. Best bird was a lone 1st year Bald Eagle. Hope somebody else had better luck! -Robert Meehan Durham, NC _________________________________________________________________ Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469229/direct/01/ Subject: Fish Crows are back From: "Connors, John" <john.connors AT ncdenr.gov> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 13:18:11 -0500 Hi all. It seems like they just left, but Fish Crow have arrived in force in downtown Raleigh today. The last ones I had seen in Raleigh were back in mid-December, but this morning there were a dozen or so communicating with a similar-size group of American Crow. I'm not sure, but it didn't appear that the American Crow had formed a welcome wagon- there was a lot of chasing and displacing of perch sites going on in the pine and pecan trees near the governor's mansion where these two species were calling. John Connors AT NC Museum of Natural Sciences Subject: Great Yard Birds From: "Daniel Hueholt" <jasjedi AT bellsouth.net> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 13:06:51 -0500 Doing the eBird Site Survey today in the yard again hit a treasure trove. There were very large numbers of birds everywhere today. The highlights today were two BALTIMORE ORIOLES, four BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS, a BLUE-HEADED VIREO, two YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS, two BLACK-AND-WHITE-WARBLERS, six PALM WARBLERS, and two HERMIT THRUSHES. Also notable were the large numbers of goldfinches. There were enough of them to cover every perch on all four bird feeders, and some spilled over onto the poles, trees, and birdbaths. The Baltimore Orioles consisted of one adult male (possibly the same one I found a couple of weeks ago), and one adult female. All in all it was quite interesting, as there were large numbers of other common birds, too. Daniel Hueholt Wilmington, NC Subject: Morning birds in S. Durham From: Jennifer Griffith <jbgrif AT mindspring.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 09:17:50 -0500 (GMT-05:00) Saw & heard a nice variety of birds during the morning dog-walk in our apartment complex. Within about 200 yards of the apartment, just in one direction down the sidewalk: E. towhee (good close-up view of a male) Cardinal (several) White-throated sparrow (several) Amer. crow Car. chickadee Canada geese (several - heard only) Car. wren Junco Saw glimpses of others too quick to ID. Still getting good activity at my feeders; need to get more feeders out soon for even more variety. Also, a couple days ago, saw a pair of hawks in a nearby tree. My bins weren't with me (was walking the dog - funny how he has this need to go out a few times each day), so couldn't get a confirmed ID, but I think they were either Cooper's or red-shouldered. I know we have a resident red-shouldered nearby, so maybe he/she has gotten a mate. Makes me hope I'll be seeing lots of hawk activity soon. And yes, I'm going to have to try to remember my bins during dog-walks! Have a bird-i-ful day! Jennifer Griffith Durham, NC Subject: Rusty Blackbird Blitz reminder (runs through February 15) From: Cape Romain Bird Observatory <crbo AT dmzs.com> Date: Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:54:31 -0500 Carolina Birders, This is a reminder that the Rusty Blackbird Blitz is underway - it runs through February 15, 2010. You can directly contribute to conserving this rapidly declining bird species by participating in this important citizen-science project. All you have to do is go birding in potential Rusty Blackbird habitat in your area, keep track of some minimal information on a form you can download from the Blitz website, and enter the info into a special form on the eBird website. Or if you need to, you can send your information to the Rusty Blackbird Blitz coordinator in your state (Nathan Swick in NC and Nathan Dias in SC) and Blitz organizers will enter your information into eBird for you. Nathan Swick: naswick AT gmail.com Nathan Dias: offshorebirder AT yahoo.com * We are especially interested in finding previously unknown concentrations of Rusty Blackbirds in the Carolinas, to complement current research sites. So if you know of an under-birded patch of wet woods or a new refuge or game land with swamps or wooded wetlands, those are the best kinds of places to cover. To encourage Blitz participants, we are offering a prize for the person who discovers the most significant, yet previously unknown (to researchers) Rusty Blackbird Hotspot in the Carolinas. The hotspot info must be properly entered into eBird and independently verified. The prize will consist of a choice of one of the following: 1. A May birding visit to the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center in coastal SC to view thousands of shorebirds, wading birds and nearly-guaranteed rarities. The winner will be able to accompany CRBO personnel on an ISS shorebird survey during the peak of spring shorebird migration. These surveys turn up multiple Ruff and Baird's Sandpipers annually, and each May survey visit encounters tens of thousands of shorebirds, hundreds of American Avocets, close looks at Seaside Sparrows, and some kind of rarity. 2. A space on board a fall boat trip to see the Cape Romain Long-billed Curlews, White Pelicans, Marsh Sparrows and other rarities. 3. An early winter boat visit to Murphy Island, SC with one of North America's top birders to view thousands of waterfowl and reliable rarities. 4. A free berth on a Hatteras pelagic trip with Brian Patteson over Memorial Day weekend. 5. A December birding visit to Ashepoo Plantation in Colleton County, SC 6. A boat trip to Deveaux Bank, SC in early February during the midwinter Piping Plover Census. Expect to see thousands of shorebirds, Marsh Sparrows, Sea Ducks, Short-eared Owls, and more. We will announce the winner of the prize in early March 2010. For more information, see: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/rubl-survey-2010 http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/MigratoryBirds/Research/Rusty_Blackbird/blitz.cfm Thanks and good birding, Nathan Dias --- Executive Director Cape Romain Bird Observatory http://www.crbo.net/ Member, International Rusty Blackbird Technical Working Group Steering Committee, International Rusty Blackbird Technical Working Group Member, Rusty Blackbird Blitz Committee Subject: Ivory Gull - sad ending From: Jennifer Griffith <jbgrif AT mindspring.com> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 16:57:06 -0500 (GMT-05:00) I read the most recent news a couple days ago. A rehabber was able to get this bird, but it has, unfortunately, died. It had a compound fracture to a wing, probably caused by a predator. It's a shame a rehabber was unable to get it sooner, but that's how things go sometimes. The bird has been frozen, I presume for future study or taxidermy. Jennifer Griffith Durham, NC Subject: Re: Report of two Western Grebes in Raleigh From: Nathan Swick <naswick AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 16:23:40 -0500 Hello all, To follow up on Harry's initial post. The report sounds fairly legitimate and several of the field marks noted are good for Western Grebe, but as the bird is unusual inland I'd like to have some confirmation. If the original observer is on Carolina Birds, I'd encourage them to elaborate if they want. I hope other folks go out to have a look and report back. If there are Western Grebes on Lake Raleigh, that's certainly a bird people will want to know about. Nathan Swick Chapel Hill, NC On Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 4:11 PM, Legrand, Harry wrote: > Nathan Swick, the eBird reviewer for North Carolina, "got a report of a pair of Western Grebes found on Lake Raleigh yesterday" (Feb. 2). I got this note from him, as did only two others, sometime this morning, but I have been tied up with meetings at work. Nathan indicated in his e-mail to me that he questioned the observer and was somewhat skeptical. I don't know the name of the reporter. > > So, I didn't get out to the lake. I hope someone, or myself, can get out to check if these are indeed Western Grebes, or not. Lake Raleigh is on the NCSU Centennial Campus, and directions are probably available on the CBC website. I wish I had gotten this note out earlier in the day, but ... I don't feel comfortable with only 2-4 folks knowing of the report, when there are a bunch of birders close by who could check the lake to see what is there. > > Harry LeGrand, Vertebrate Zoologist > North Carolina Natural Heritage Program > 1601 Mail Service Center > Raleigh, NC 27699-1601 > Office: (919) 715-8697 > harry.legrand AT ncdenr.gov > www.ncnhp.org > > E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties. > > Note my new e-mail address (above) > > > > -- www.thedrinkingbirdblog.com Subject: Report of two Western Grebes in Raleigh From: "Legrand, Harry" <harry.legrand AT ncdenr.gov> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 16:11:03 -0500 Nathan Swick, the eBird reviewer for North Carolina, "got a report of a pair of Western Grebes found on Lake Raleigh yesterday" (Feb. 2). I got this note from him, as did only two others, sometime this morning, but I have been tied up with meetings at work. Nathan indicated in his e-mail to me that he questioned the observer and was somewhat skeptical. I don't know the name of the reporter. So, I didn't get out to the lake. I hope someone, or myself, can get out to check if these are indeed Western Grebes, or not. Lake Raleigh is on the NCSU Centennial Campus, and directions are probably available on the CBC website. I wish I had gotten this note out earlier in the day, but ... I don't feel comfortable with only 2-4 folks knowing of the report, when there are a bunch of birders close by who could check the lake to see what is there. Harry LeGrand, Vertebrate Zoologist North Carolina Natural Heritage Program 1601 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1601 Office: (919) 715-8697 harry.legrand AT ncdenr.gov www.ncnhp.org E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties. Note my new e-mail address (above) Subject: Call for BBS Observers From: Ricky Davis <rdnc13 AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 15:41:23 -0500 Hi Folks I have agreed to take over coordinating the BBS (Breeding Bird Survey) for NC. I have run one or more BBS routes ( 50 3-minute stops along a 24.5 mile route) for many years now, and I still look forward to doing them each year. This email is to let you folks know that I will be trying to get better coverage each and every year. There are 89 active routes in NC, and of these, 22 are vacant. I would love to get as many of these filled as possible. The main requirement for running a route is that you are confident and comfortable with the local bird songs and calls. I find that 85-90% of the birds I record during the route are done by hearing alone. So if you want to do some more routes, or know anybody that might be interested in getting involved with a BBS route, PLEASE contact me. I will check and see if a vacant route is close enough for you to consider taking it over. If you want to learn more about the BBS, you can check out the website: www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs Thanks, and good birding this winter and spring! Ricky Thanks Will for letting this post go through Carolinabirds - the BBS is a very important program that provides considerable breeding season data and monitoring of populations of our birds. Ricky Davis Rocky Mount, NC (252)443-0276(H) (252)903-8545(C) RJDNC AT aol.com rdnc13 AT gmail.com Subject: BIG black yard bird From: "Brian Murphy" <brianmnc AT verizon.net> Date: Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:16:56 -0500 Yesterday we had a surprise yard bird, a Common Raven. We live about 3 miles northwest of Umstead State Park, where we and others have been seeing ravens the past few years. He landed in the yard and walked around for a while, checking out all the action at the feeders. Brian Murphy Durham NC http://murphsearthreport.com/ http://home.olivebranchroad.org/ It's not the improbable destruction of the planet but the question "What kind of a world do we want to live in?" that drives the movement to protect and conserve all of our natural resources. Subject: Dovekie, Little Gull, and plenty of Auks From: "J. BRIAN PATTESON" <patteson1 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 11:11:08 -0500 I just made a quick trip out to Cape Point to check the auk situation, and I'm pleased to report..... "It's on." The best of it is near the tip of the Point. The light is better on the south side in the morning if the sun is out. From 0830 to 0930 this morning, it was not possible to scan this piece of ocean w/o seeing Razorbills w/in a few seconds of raising the binocular. The movement was mostly to the east, but many were on the water here, and they would often come flying in, wheel around, and pitch just offshore, mostly in the breakers. Very good looks, even w/o a scope at times. Sometime around 0900, an adult Little Gull few in to feed in this area, and it was easily observed for several minutes w/ nearby Bonaparte's Gulls, which were numerous. While watching the Little Gull, Razorbills were almost constantly visible in the background. Just before leaving, around 0930, I had excellent views of a Dovekie, which flew in and circled before heading to the east. It was close enough to see well with a 10X binocular- dark underwings and tiny bill were obvious. This is the first Dovekie for me this winter, but there was a notable incursion on Long Island about a week ago, so I would not be surprised to find more, particularly offshore, in the near future. With that in mind, we still have room on pelagic trips later this week. I've got a birding charter on Friday w/ room for more people, and a weekend trip that I'm thinking will probably go on Sunday. Give me a call at (252) 986-1363 this evening to sign up. There are more trips coming up in the next couple of weeks, but I don't know how much longer space will be available on those. See our website- www.seabirding.com/ for the trip dates, past bird lists, and more info. Brian Patteson Hatteras, NC brian AT patteson.com Subject: Varied Thrush 2 From: "Desjardins, Becky" <becky.desjardins AT ncdenr.gov> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 10:02:41 -0500 The thrush made a brief (5 minute) appearance at a feeder near Lillington in early December, just long enough for the home owner to take a photo. It was never seen again at that feeder or anywhere else until found dying in a snow bank this weekend. Thanks you Susan Campbell, who just told me that the bird wasn't even reported on Carolinabirds...now you know why! Becky D Raleigh ****Please note new email Becky.Desjardins AT ncdenr.gov and update your address book**** Becky Desjardins Bird Collection Manager NC State Museum of Natural Sciences 11 W. Jones Street Raleigh NC 27601 (919) 733-7450 x710 E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties by an authorized state official. Subject: feeding swamp sparrows From: susan AT ncaves.com Date: Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:54:46 -0700 In some years I have had swamp sparrows here ground feeding. They are winter regulars around (the much smaller) Blue Lake that empties into our cove of Spring Valley just up the street. Susan Campbell Whispering Pines, NC Subject: Varied Thrush From: "Desjardins, Becky" <becky.desjardins AT ncdenr.gov> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 09:47:13 -0500 I am sorry to report that the Varied Thrush seen in Lillington a few weeks ago did not make it through the recent snow storm. It was found dying in Angier and has since been brought to the Museum. Becky Desjardins Raleigh ****Please note new email Becky.Desjardins AT ncdenr.gov and update your address book**** Becky Desjardins Bird Collection Manager NC State Museum of Natural Sciences 11 W. Jones Street Raleigh NC 27601 (919) 733-7450 x710 E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties by an authorized state official. Subject: New Hope Audubon Society Membership Meeting From: Thomas Driscoll <spttdrdshnk AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 06:08:54 -0800 (PST) C'birders: Jeff Pippen of Duke University will be speaking on the "Lepidoptera and Odonates of North Carolina" at the New Hope Audubon Society monthly membership meeting tomorrow evening at 7pm at the North Carolina Botanical Gardens.  All, even non-members, are welcome! Will, sorry this is slight off topic.  i did see a Cooper's Hawk today flying over I-40 in Durham on my way to work ... Thanks,  tom driscoll chapel hill, nc usa spttdrdshnk AT yahoo.com Do something nice for Earth today and every day! Subject: Razorbills all along the NC coast From: Ricky Davis <rdnc13 AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 21:15:38 -0500 Hi Folks Just got in from a six-day trip along the NC coast. Found Razorbills practically anywhere I did any ocean watching. Thursday, Jan 28 - Ft. Fisher - None, but had 1 from Wrightsville Beach, 2 from N. Topsail Beach Friday, Jan 29 - Atlantic Beach CBC Meeting - None as I did no ocean watching. Saturday, Jan 30 - 735+ during several bouts of ocean watching from Atlantic Beach areas Sunday, Jan 31 - 5 from various Bogue Banks ocean watching sites ( amazing diference from the previous day!) Monday, Feb 1 - 10 from the beach across from the Pony Pen on Ocracoke; 25 from the beach between Frisco and Hatteras; 30+ from C. Hatt. south beach toward Frisco Tuesday, Feb 2 - 513 from C. Hatt south beach (in 1 hour, 5 min!); 6 at Avon Pier, 5 at Rodanthe Pier, 8 at Pea Island NWR, 7 at Coquina Beach, 12 at Whalebone area of Nags Head. Obviously, if you want to see a Razorbill from shore, now is a great time. Other neat birds seen during this Coastal trip included a Dovekie flying in a string of 8 Razorbills at the C. Hatt. south beach this morning! Also a female Common Eider and a Long-tailed Duck at Indian Beach Jan 31 in the afternoon. The 3 Sandhill Cranes at Beaufort that morning were nice. The 2 Red-necked Grebes that flew past the Sheraton Pier Jan 30 were certainly a nice surprise. The six Brewer's Blackbirds (2 males, 4 females) at Open Grounds Farm Jan 29 were nice, considering it is always chancey on getting into the area. Also saw the 2 Common Eiders and Western Kingbird at Ft. Fisher Jan 28. Was a great coastal swing, in spite of the very wicked weather! Later, Ricky -- Ricky Davis Rocky Mount, NC Subject: Re: OK-- so it isn't snowing... From: StevePath1 AT aol.com Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 19:53:38 EST I do have feeders that back up to a marsh and I rarely get to count a Swamp Sparrow as a feeder bird. I usually tally one a year in my yard, but not always at a feeder. They tend to come between mid-March to mid-April, though I did have one on and off one winter several years ago. I am more likely to see Rusty Blackbirds. I had three last Saturday and two on Sunday. Steve Tracy Gastonia, NC In a message dated 2/2/2010 1:40:11 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, john.connors AT ncdenr.gov writes: Swamp Sparrows don't seem to come to backyard feeders, do they? Anybody have a yard with a feeder that backs up to a marsh? Subject: Butterbutt at Durham V.A. From: Jennifer Griffith <jbgrif AT mindspring.com> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 18:55:39 -0500 (EST) Looks like keeping the feeders filled outside my husband's hospital window finally paid off! Today, at the suet feeder I put there, arrived my first of the year Yellow-rumped Warbler. Unfortunately, the nurses & therapists had no interest whatsoever, so I had a monopoly on excitement there. The seed feeders had been attracting lots of house sparrows, as well as a few cardinals, white-throated sparrows, juncos & mourning doves. Was so nice to finally see someone taking advantage of the suet, & such a surprise! Jennifer Griffith Durham, NC Subject: Iceland Gull at Cape Point From: "J. BRIAN PATTESON" <patteson1 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 18:00:31 -0500 On Sunday at Cape Point I found a second winter Iceland Gull (Kumlien's Gull) loafing on the beach with hundreds of Herring and Great Black-backs and dozens of Lesser Black-backs. It was out near the tip. There were a few thousand gulls around, the most in a long time, and I did not really give them a hard study. There could easily have been other rarities, such as Thayer's or California, both of which are regular here in winter. Offshore there were hundreds of Bonaparte's Gulls and a couple of flyby Razorbills, mostly in the glare late in the afternoon. Brian Patteson Hatteras Subject: CBC pelagic trip Jan. 27; upcoming trips From: "J. BRIAN PATTESON" <patteson1 AT embarqmail.com> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 17:54:06 -0500 Sorry for the late report, but we had a nice day on the water last Wednesday w/ the CBC pre-meeting "bonus" trip. A hard blow from the southeast a couple of days before had pretty much ruined the water from Cape Hatteras southward for what we wanted to see, so we spent most of the day north of Diamond Shoals. The weather was nice, with a light northerly wind, and there were plenty of birds. Crossing the shoals got us good looks at Razorbills, and I'm sure we could have run the count up if we had hugged the coast a little closer, but we had hopes for other birds typically found farther out to sea, so we left the auks behind, heading northeast. Along the way, we found many hundreds of gulls and gannets resting on the water. These birds had fed well because we even saw dead fish in the water around them that had not been eaten! There were a few acres of birds in about 80' of water off Avon, and we had a brief look at a third winter California Gull when we enticed a few of the gulls w/ our chum. Lesser Black-backeds were so thick that it was hard to look around without seeing a half dozen w/in a few seconds. Careful searching of the resting birds did not turn up a hoped for skua, however, so we went on our way. About nine miles past this spot we found a couple of trawlers from Wanchese fishing for croakers in about 100'. They should have caught them there b/c the fish finder showed some impressive marks. The water was a tad warmer in this area, and in addition to many more hundreds of large gulls and gannets, we saw several dozen Red Phalaropes, most of which were on the move. We did have some nice flybys though, close to the boat. There were a few Bonaparte's Gulls around, but not the sort of numbers we expect at the edge of the Gulf Stream. A first winter Iceland Gull was a nice addition to our list here, and it was much easier to keep track of than the Cali. Gull that gave us the slip inshore. Again, no skua, so we went on our way. A few miles farther out we found gannets diving close together on a school of fish 50 feet below the surface (per the electronics.) It was raining gannets right beside the boat. An awesome sight. They would disappear for a few seconds and then pop up at almost the same time, close to us. We turned around at this point, about 24 miles from Diamond Shoals. It was the first time since 2007 that we had been so far up the beach on a winter trip. In 2008 and 2009, it wasn't necessary, as the water temps were right closer to home. For that matter, the water temps close to home have been even colder this year, day in and day out, but last week the Gulf Stream threw us a curve ball. The ride back was pleasant and when we got back around Avon, the gulls and gannets were having a go at the fish they were too full to eat a few hours before. I'm guessing it was leftovers from the trawlers we saw. It was an impressive sight to see all these birds feeding over the course of a few miles and the activity did attract a speedy Parasitic Jaeger, which made a quick pass by the boat. No skuas though, and if there was ever a place to see one, this was it. West of the shoals it was nearly birdless except for gulls and gannets feeding in the inlet. We arrived back at the dock around sunset. Birds of interest: Northern Gannet: 4000 to 5000, maybe more California Gull- 1 third winter Iceland Gull- 1 first winter Lesser Black-backed- many dozens, including many first winters Red Phalarope- 307 Razorbill- 43 (a couple of days before the big push, apparently; in years past I have seen them arrive here by the hundreds as late as mid February. On Jan 1 this year, we saw this many south and west of the shoals.) We are supposed to go again this weekend, but we'll have to see what the weather allows. It looks like another storm is headed our way. If we can get out, it doesn't look like we need to go far. There was 42 degree water 20 miles ESE of Hatteras Inlet this morning, where it had been over 70 degrees a week ago! We have room for more intrepid birders this weekend if it's fit to go. The following weekend has two trips. Trip One is full, but we have room on the second day, which will run either Sunday or Monday (Feb. 14 or 15) depending on the outcome of the first trip. We also have space for a few more on Feb. 20(21.) See our website- www.seabirding.com/ for more information. There is a chance that Dovekies, skuas, puffins, and fulmars are all headed this way in addtion to the Razorbills. Brian Patteson Hatteras, NC brian AT patteson.com http://www.seabirding.com/ Subject: Re: neophobic sapsuckers? From: "KC Foggin" <KCFoggin AT sc.rr.com> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 16:42:02 -0500 My Sapsuckers avail themselves to the hot pepper suet feeders continuously but I have never seen any of the other birds avail themselves to the sap wells provided by the sapsuckers. Or maybe I'm just missing it. K.C. K.C. Foggin Socastee Myrtle Beach SC www.birdforum.net www.pbase.com/kcfoggin/nikon_d50_pages&page=15 I love my Kindle ----- Original Message ----- From: Norman Budnitz To: postings Carolina Birds Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 3:16 PM Subject: neophobic sapsuckers? Years ago I had a suet feeder that was visited regularly by a Sapsucker. That was back in the days when I filled the feeder with actual beef suet, unprocessed, from a local butcher. Now I use processed suet cakes (with peanuts), and the Sapsucker that feeds every day on a sugar maple I planted 10 feet away never gives the suet a second look. On the other hand, every species that comes to the suet and seed feeders also takes part in the sap wells made by the Sapsucker. Pretty cool watching a Junco try to get itself into position to suck some sap. Norm -- Norm Budnitz Orange County North Carolina Subject: CBC meeting this weekend From: "Legrand, Harry" <harry.legrand AT ncdenr.gov> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 15:39:24 -0500 I spent Saturday thru Monday noon in Carteret County, at the CBC meeting. What's all this about snow and ice? The weather was beautiful down on the Crystal Coast all weekend -- no snow, sleet, or freezing rain! Well, it did rain sideways, with a 20-30 mph wind, at 35-40 degrees, and a chill factor around 25 degrees, most of Saturday! Chill factor on Sunday morning was also in the 20s, but there was no rain. Saturday's field trips were essentially wiped out, and as Ali and Taylor summarized, we did a LOT of ocean-watching, mostly in the shelter of a building at the Sheraton Hotel. In addition to the many hundreds of RAZORBILLS on Saturday, as Ali mentioned we had two RED-NECKED GREBES from that site, flying to the east, first identified by Ricky Davis. Sadly, only he, Ali, and I saw them. I saw an OSPREY flying over Bogue Sound on Saturday afternoon, on my way to Calico Creek. And, Ali and I stopped by John Fussell's house to add the YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, about five BALTIMORE ORIOLES, and a female RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD that were wintering in his yard. On Sunday morning, about 8 of us went with John Fussell to Rachel Carson Preserve, to look for/at shorebirds. It was not raining, but still a stiff wind meant the chill factor was close to 20 degrees. We added MERLIN to the CBC list, and saw a decent variety of shorebirds, including Marbled Godwit and Red Knot. On my own, in the afternoon I visited the Emerald Isle Woods site, mentioned in the NC Birding Trail. It is decent, for a maritime forest -- not many of them left. The park is 43 acres, and owned by the Town of Emerald Isle. I did flush an American Woodcock, and saw and heard at least two WOOD DUCKS, new for the CBC weekend tally (not found on Fr-Sa). On Monday, John Fussell and I visited North River Farms, and we found two species not seen on the official Fr-Su CBC tally: Common Yellowthroat and Lesser Yellowlegs, a good bird in the dead of winter. Best bird was a PEREGRINE FALCON that harassed an American Crow. Best sighting -- a 75-yard, leisurely study of a BOBCAT as it ambled toward us on the dirt track. This was around 11 am on a sunny day! Yes, it was a messy weekend, in general, but it wasn't too bad. There were a number of good birds seen, from those above to Sandhill Cranes to Brewer's Blackbirds to Eurasian Wigeon, to Red-cockaded Woodpeckers to Bachman's Sparrows. It's hard to comprehend where all those Razorbills were going, and where they had come from (west of Atlantic Beach!); and, practically none were seen on Sunday, or Friday! Harry LeGrand, Vertebrate Zoologist North Carolina Natural Heritage Program 1601 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1601 Office: (919) 715-8697 harry.legrand AT ncdenr.gov www.ncnhp.org E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties. Note my new e-mail address (above) Subject: neophobic sapsuckers? From: Norman Budnitz <nbudnitz AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 15:16:42 -0500 Years ago I had a suet feeder that was visited regularly by a Sapsucker. That was back in the days when I filled the feeder with actual beef suet, unprocessed, from a local butcher. Now I use processed suet cakes (with peanuts), and the Sapsucker that feeds every day on a sugar maple I planted 10 feet away never gives the suet a second look. On the other hand, every species that comes to the suet and seed feeders also takes part in the sap wells made by the Sapsucker. Pretty cool watching a Junco try to get itself into position to suck some sap. Norm -- Norm Budnitz Orange County North Carolina Subject: Neophobia and dietary conservatism in birds From: Nate Dias <offshorebirder AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 12:03:50 -0800 (PST) John, I think a better definition of neo-phobia is "fear or apprehension of something new or outside the observer's experience." Rusty Blackbirds are notorious neo-phobes, which is one reason they are more difficult to trap + band than many bird species. Yet RUBL readily take advantage of new/novel food sources in man-made habitats - so I have some issue with the 'adaptability' portion of the definition you mentioned. (One example: here in SC a local plantation created a diked, flooded cornfield (for duck hunting) on a small peninsula that juts into the salt marsh. The first winter after its creation, very early in their time on the wintering grounds - I found hundreds of RUBL feeding on the standing corn. Some RUBL were also observed plunge-diving for minnows - using the corn stalks for observation + launch platforms. Kind of like Green Kingfishers - except the Rusties swam over to an adjacent stalk and climbed out to consume their prey. I have video footage of this - multiple clips) Indeed, recent publications are suggesting that neophobia and "dietary conservatism" are different processes - such as this one: http://www.springerlink.com/content/h5496405t6804u2u/ In terms of bird feeders and Swamp Sparrows - I have seen Swamp Sparrows eating under millet feeders on multiple occasions, for example beside the education center at Huntington Beach State Park. Also at one of our 'village bait stations' for the McClellanville CBC that abuts appropriate habitat. I think we don't see many Swampies at backyard feeders because fewer of us have appropriate Swamp Sparrow habitat in or next to our backyards. Nathan Dias - Charleston, SC ----- Original Message ---- From: "Connors, John" To: "susan AT ncaves.com" ; Carolinabirds Sent: Tue, February 2, 2010 1:36:48 PM Subject: RE: OK-- so it isn't snowing... Happy Groundhog Day. My Fox Sparrows remain at the feeder and I'll be interested to see if they persist after the snow melts. Last week when I was at Mattamuskeet we shared dinner with a group from VA Tech who are doing research on Swamp Sparrow. They were using corn to "bait" the sparrows into a funnel trap. When I asked them how they were doing, they used a word to describe the Swamp Sparrow that I had never heard before- "neo-phobic"- a species resistant to change or doesn't readily adapt to new circumstances, new habitats- or, as in this case, doesn't readily accept bird feeders. Of course they have had some success setting the traps in marshy habitats, but Swamp Sparrows don't seem to come to backyard feeders, do they? Anybody have a yard with a feeder that backs up to a marsh? So this got me to thinking. Is a Fox Sparrow something of a "neo-phobe"? What about other sparrows. I've had Field Sparrow at my feeder even here in downtown Raleigh, and both Chipping and Song. But what about Savannah Sparrow, do they visit feeders if its near appropriate habitat (not mine)? And other species. In the last several years I've noticed that some Sapsuckers now visit my suet, something that I hadn't seen in years past. I've heard reports about Flicker and Pileated visiting feeders as well. Last year I had a Brown Creeper that would visit the suet every so often. Were these "neo-phobes" whose resistence to change is breaking down? The Carolina Wrens are regular feeder visitors but last year's Winter Wren was often seen in the yard but never at any feeder. Ruby-crowned Kinglet visit the suet but Golden-crowned do not. Curious about other folks observations. John Connors AT NC Museum of Natural Sciences Subject: neo-phobic sparrows From: Marilyn Westphal <mjwestph AT unca.edu> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 14:48:01 -0500 I have had Fox Sparrows spend the whole winter in the yard (not this year), but the sparrows of all kinds rarely, if ever, go to the feeder, except occasionally to a platform feeder. They will readily feed on the ground below the feeder or on seeds thrown out on the ground. Other than Song, White-throated, and Field, who are all regulars, White-crowned Sparrows will also visit below a feeder or to a platform feeder. In my experience Kinglets, especially Golden-crowned, seem to be feeder phobes (maybe they don't like suet), but will hang out nearby with the chickadee/titmouse/nuthatch crowd going to the seed feeder. Marilyn -- Marilyn Westphal Teaching Fellows Program University of North Carolina Asheville One University Heights Asheville, NC 28804 phone: 828/251-6864 email: mjwestph AT unca.edu Subject: RE: OK-- so it isn't snowing... From: Donna Slyce <pine.siskin AT hotmail.com> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 14:37:51 -0500 John and all - Regarding Savannah Sparrows at feeders, for three years in a row at my old house on the western side of Fairfield county, I had a Savannah Sparrow who visited the feeders once a year, every year on the same day - March 5. Well, actually, I guess most accurately, on March 5 for three years in a row, I had a Savannah Sparrow that visited my feeders. He always visited the same feeder (a hopper-style feeder near the woodpile). Sometimes he hung around on the woodpile for a while. While our "yard" was the only clearing of any size for over 1000 acres, it was not typical Savannah Sparrow habitat as it had numerous small to medium sized trees in it nor was it particularly close to any typical Savannah Sparrow habitat. That is the only time I've had Savannah Sparrows at any of my feeders anywhere. While I had been hoping for Fox Sparrows this weekend, the Fox Sparrows in our neighborhood seem to prefer the dense understory of the regenerating, selectively-cut woods across the road from us. While I had numerous Song Sparrows (including one of a subspecies I was not familiar with that sent me scrambling for the binoculars), lots of Juncos and Goldfinches in higher numbers than we've had this winter, we were not graced with a Fox Sparrow at the feeder. I even heard one singing last Friday but he didn't come out to the feeder. Donna Slyce in the community of Longtown near Ridgeway, SC ---------------------------------------- > From: john.connors AT ncdenr.gov > To: susan AT ncaves.com; carolinabirds AT duke.edu > Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 13:36:48 -0500 > Subject: RE: OK-- so it isn't snowing... > > Happy Groundhog Day. > My Fox Sparrows remain at the feeder and I'll be interested to see if they persist after the snow melts. Last week when I was at Mattamuskeet we shared dinner with a group from VA Tech who are doing research on Swamp Sparrow. They were using corn to "bait" the sparrows into a funnel trap. When I asked them how they were doing, they used a word to describe the Swamp Sparrow that I had never heard before- "neo-phobic"- a species resistant to change or doesn't readily adapt to new circumstances, new habitats- or, as in this case, doesn't readily accept bird feeders. Of course they have had some success setting the traps in marshy habitats, but Swamp Sparrows don't seem to come to backyard feeders, do they? > Anybody have a yard with a feeder that backs up to a marsh? > > So this got me to thinking. Is a Fox Sparrow something of a "neo-phobe"? What about other sparrows. I've had Field Sparrow at my feeder even here in downtown Raleigh, and both Chipping and Song. But what about Savannah Sparrow, do they visit feeders if its near appropriate habitat (not mine)? > > And other species. In the last several years I've noticed that some Sapsuckers now visit my suet, something that I hadn't seen in years past. I've heard reports about Flicker and Pileated visiting feeders as well. Last year I had a Brown Creeper that would visit the suet every so often. Were these "neo-phobes" whose resistence to change is breaking down? > > The Carolina Wrens are regular feeder visitors but last year's Winter Wren was often seen in the yard but never at any feeder. Ruby-crowned Kinglet visit the suet but Golden-crowned do not. Curious about other folks observations. > > John Connors AT NC Museum of Natural Sciences _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469226/direct/01/ Subject: RE: OK-- so it isn't snowing... From: "Connors, John" <john.connors AT ncdenr.gov> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 13:36:48 -0500 Happy Groundhog Day. My Fox Sparrows remain at the feeder and I'll be interested to see if they persist after the snow melts. Last week when I was at Mattamuskeet we shared dinner with a group from VA Tech who are doing research on Swamp Sparrow. They were using corn to "bait" the sparrows into a funnel trap. When I asked them how they were doing, they used a word to describe the Swamp Sparrow that I had never heard before- "neo-phobic"- a species resistant to change or doesn't readily adapt to new circumstances, new habitats- or, as in this case, doesn't readily accept bird feeders. Of course they have had some success setting the traps in marshy habitats, but Swamp Sparrows don't seem to come to backyard feeders, do they? Anybody have a yard with a feeder that backs up to a marsh? So this got me to thinking. Is a Fox Sparrow something of a "neo-phobe"? What about other sparrows. I've had Field Sparrow at my feeder even here in downtown Raleigh, and both Chipping and Song. But what about Savannah Sparrow, do they visit feeders if its near appropriate habitat (not mine)? And other species. In the last several years I've noticed that some Sapsuckers now visit my suet, something that I hadn't seen in years past. I've heard reports about Flicker and Pileated visiting feeders as well. Last year I had a Brown Creeper that would visit the suet every so often. Were these "neo-phobes" whose resistence to change is breaking down? The Carolina Wrens are regular feeder visitors but last year's Winter Wren was often seen in the yard but never at any feeder. Ruby-crowned Kinglet visit the suet but Golden-crowned do not. Curious about other folks observations. John Connors AT NC Museum of Natural Sciences Subject: OK-- so it isn't snowing... From: susan AT ncaves.com Date: Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:07:06 -0700 Well, just cold rain here but a fox sparrow finally put in an appearance. Makes me wonder if it has not been skulking around since the weekend. Oddly, I first noticed it near the top of a dogwood tree from our dining room window; not at the birdseed. So now I am waiting for a siskin to show up --and of course, a hummingbird... Susan Campbell Whispering Pines, NC Subject: Santee National Wildlife Refuge - Great Backyard Bird Count From: Susan_Heisey AT fws.gov Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 09:53:56 -0500 All: The Santee National Wildlife Refuge is participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count from Feb 12th - 15th, 2010. Any visitor that comes to the refuge wanting to participate can pick up a refuge bird checklist at the Visitor Center or information kiosk or just keep track of birds seen while out on the refuge. Remember that birds need to be counted, not just tallied. After coming back in from the refuge, participants can turn in their list of birds seen along with the day, time, environmental conditions (rain, temp, wind, etc), and location (Cuddo Unit, Bluff, Pine Island, Dingle Pond) while out on the refuge. Please make sure that your name and contact information is included with your list. The refuge is also hosting a Saturday morning bird walk on February 13th as part of the Great Backyard Bird Count. We will be meeting at the refuge's Visitor Center at 7:30 am and plan on walking the Wrights Bluff Nature Trail. I am hoping to see sandhill cranes, snow geese, and tundra swans during the walk. The refuge visitor center and Wrights Bluff Nature Trail are located on the north shore of Lake Marion in Summerton, SC. Take exit 102 off of interstate 95 and follow the signs. Please let me know if you are interested in attending the walk so I know how many folks to expect. susan_heisey AT fws.gov or 803-478-2217 Thanks Susan Heisey, Park Ranger Santee National Wildlife Refuge 2125 Fort Watson Road Summerton, SC 29148 office: 803-478-2217 cell: 803-410-2580 fax: 803-478-2314 Subject: Cedar Island Ferry Terminal and Lola pier/platform, Carteret County, NC From: Shelley Theye <veery AT bellsouth.net> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 21:57:56 -0500 Sue and Steve Edwards and I travelled to the Cedar Island Ferry Terminal yesterday (Sunday), around 4PM. We pulled off towards the fence with the pond on the right-hand side of the road just before the ferry dock. It was hopping! At least 1,000 Tree Swallows were swarming low over the water of the relatively small pond. It was a pretty amazing sight! They would barely skim the water at times with their bills. Shorebirds along the edges of the pond- Marbled Godwit (5), Dunlin (18), Short-billed Dowitchers(15), Sanderling (6), Ruddy Turnstone(1), Killdeer (1). What we thought were Lesser Scaup (4). Shortly before we left, 3 young Black-crowned night Herons flew in. We could have missed some shorebirds for sure amidst the many swallows and not having a window mount for my scope. On the way to the Cedar Is. Ferry terminal, we stopped at the little pier/platform in Lola, NC. This is on Core Sound, past the wildlife refuge. We had so much fun here, definitely worth a stop if you don't already know about it. The highlight was a large group of 20 Surf Scoters in the water not too far off the pier! Here we also saw a few Red-breasted Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers, a lone Ruddy Duck, and a pair of Redheads, single Horned Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Forster's Tern, Ring-billed and Herring Gulls, and a single Gannet, and 2 seabirds we couldn't ID, though have some ideas, and will follow up with someone about them. Today we stopped by a friend of Sue's feeder in Marshallberg, NC and saw 6 Painted Buntings! 4 female, 2 male. We had a nice time at the CBC meeting, even with the not-so-great weather. Thanks to Lena and John for all their hard work! Shelley Shelley Theye veery AT bellsouth.net Chatham County, NC Subject: Re: Number of feeder birds From: <scompton1251 AT charter.net> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 18:03:10 -0800 Snow birders, Reminds me of my yard in downtown Charleston,SC near the Citadel (Wagener Terrace) in December 1989 during Charleston's only recorded blizzard. All the way in town we had Fox Sparrow at the feeders, the only time in the 10 years there. Also had Woodcock pass through the snowy yard a few years earlier during another snow. I'd expect Fox Sparrow at feeders in the Carolinas any time there is a heavy snowfall. Woodcock come into urban areas when the ground freezes hard-they are unable to feed in the woods in their usual probing behavior. Steve Compton Greenville,SC Steve Compton Greenville,SC ---- "Connie W. Hodges" wrote: > I only have 24 on my list  :(  But I loved watching the "usual suspects" as well as the brief visits by fox sparrow (saw one again today!), brown thrasher, purple finch and eastern towhee.   No siskins here, either. > I had a bunch of pine warblers as well, but I didn't know what they were at first.  They are so pretty when the sunlight hits them.  I really enjoy the yellow-bellied sapsucker when the light picks up the different colors, especially the red.  Although with the sunlight bouncing off the ice and snow, sometimes it is hard to see at all!! >   > Connie Hodges > Southern Pines, NC >   >   >   > > --- On Sun, 1/31/10, Marion Clark wrote: > > > From: Marion Clark > Subject: Re: Number of feeder birds > To: "'carolinabirds AT duke.edu'" , "Derb Carter" > Date: Sunday, January 31, 2010, 5:30 PM > > > Here at Thrushwood, Lexington, SC (11 miles on the Piedmont side of Columbia), > we had only rain, freezng rain, snow flurries, and black ice...ugh!  Nonethe- > less, it concentrated the birds at feeders and ice-free water.  We saw 25 spp, > including at least 10 Pine Warblers at one time (second only to Am Goldfinches > and Cedar Waxwings) and a BALTIMORE ORIOLE; but not the YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, > Pine Siskin and Purple Finches we've had this month. Notable misses were the > Cooper's Hawk, Blue Jays and especially the Hermit Thrush. > > Thanks for the challenge; the results are fun!  Cheers, +Marion > > > > > ---- Derb Carter wrote: > > Being snowed in today (8 inches here), I thought I would initiate a contest on the number of species of birds coming to your feeders this weekend. I predict the winner will be in the Coastal Plain, but you never know if a Piedmont location might slip in. And it will be interesting to see if a NC or SC feeder wins. You can also id your most unusual feeder visitor. > > > > I'll open with 17 species and American Crow. > > > > Derb Carter > > Hillsborough. NC > > > > -- > Marion Clark > > Subject: Re: Black, King Rails -- Savannah NWR From: <scompton1251 AT charter.net> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 17:56:07 -0800 Scott, To further support your ID, there are no rails breeding here now, so it would be highly unlikely you could have seen a juvenile rail of another species. Your details sound convincing to me, although I have only heard Black Rail, never seen it. Steve Compton Greenville,SC ---- Scott Restivo wrote: > People asked for more details, so here is my write-up on the sightings yesterday: > > I am a visitor from Benicia, California. I saw what I believe was a Black Rail today at the Savannah NWR on the Savannah River. I know this is rare and realize it would be easy to discount an out-of-state visitor. However, my credentials on this are that I have been birding for over 20 years, and have seen Black Rails in California. I live near the Benicia State Recreation Area (California), which the Audubon Society writes up as follows: "This Important Bird Area supports a large, apparently stable population of Black Rail". http://iba.audubon.org/iba/viewSiteProfile.do?siteId=120&navSite=state I do not see the Black Rails there that often, but I do hear them quite a bit, especially if I take an early morning walk. I also have seen King Rails, Clapper Rails, Yellow Rails, Virginia Rails, and Soras in various locations around the US. > > Today (Jan. 31), I went to Savannah NWR to look for King Rails. I drove in about 1/4 mi on Laurel Hill Drive and parked (at the first informational sign). I took the trail that goes off to the left. This trail follows the canal on the southside (it eventually connects to the loop road at mile 3 or 3.5). I walked to the end of the trail, then turned around, On the way back, about 1/4 mile from that start, I stopped to look at a turtle shell. Just then, I saw a rail fly into rushes a few yards off the southside of the dike. This was about 2:30 pm. I stood there quietly for about 15 minutes, just watching and waiting. The rail again flew, this time into the rushes along the shore. I could not see it, and waited some more. > > Soon, a Little Blue Heron flew in nearby and called as it landed. The rail responded. This sounded much like a King Rail. So I grew more alert. Suddenly, a little black bird ran by right at waterline near my feet. It was shaped like a Sora, with no neck and a plump body, but black and very small, the size of a sparrow, but with no tail. It ran by then swam briefly from one grass clump to another. The bird's shape and behavior was just like what I have seen with the Black Rails at the Palo Alto Baylands in California during the winter flood tides. > > I did not see the deep chestnut nape or other definitive markings, but I am pretty convinced it was a Black Rail, from the shape, size, behavior, and habitat, based on my past experience. > > I tried to get another look, but it had disappeared into the grasses. Now, I knew this was not the rail I had seen fly in or that I had heard call. So I kept looking and looking. Soon after, the King Rail showed itself briefly and resolved that mystery. And then, in the same area, a Sora appeared and stayed out in the open for quite some time. > > So that was quite a nice visit to Savannah NWR! > > Scott Restivo > Benicia, California > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Scott Restivo > To: carolinabirds AT duke.edu > Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 8:10 PM > Subject: Black, King Rails -- Savannah NWR > > > Saw a Black Rail, as well as a King Rail and a Sora, at Savannha NWR today, Jan. 31. > > Scott Restivo > Visting from Benicia, California Subject: Fort Fisher From: "Daniel Hueholt" <jasjedi AT bellsouth.net> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 20:56:03 -0500 Went to Fort Fisher today for a little while. The Western Kingbird was NOT present today. However, the coquina outcroppings were much more productive. The coquina outcrops at Surfrider court had the two immature male COMMON EIDERS. At the oceanfront parking area, we found one RED KNOT, a massive flock of BONAPARTE'S GULLS (150+) and the Bufflehead raft. The Bufflehead raft included two female BLACK SCOTERS and one PACIFIC LOON. The loon was distinguished from more common varieties by the black back with little to no white speckling, grayish nape, bill size, and dark necklace. Daniel Hueholt Wilmington, NC