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| FIELD TRIP REPORTS FROM 2010 | ||||
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rehab babies, a titmouse and two bluebirds. photo by Melissa Coe |
This morning I sat outside
in front of our largest flight cage having my morning coffee, and all around me
I saw birds we had raised and released here within the past month. I was pleased
to see three of the five Downy Woodpeckers we released were back hunting for
their favorite: sunflower suet by Mills Brothers. Two of the Red Bellies also
were looking for suet, while three wrens and three of the five Eastern Bluebirds
were hunting mealworms. I also saw our Brown Thrasher and maybe a Robin or two,
though its harder to tell if those are our recent releases. I have been offering
supplemental feeding for weeks as I release birds either individually or by
leaving the door to that cage open for the day. The last time I used the "open
door" method, I later found three birds and a squirrel from an earlier release
back in there hunting a free meal! August, 2010. -Melissa Coe, Piedmont Wildlife Rehab |
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Augusta and Highland County, VA Haw River State Park Archie Ellege Wastewater Treatment Plant Nat Greene Trail Hamilton Lakes & Bog Garden |
Butterflies on the Blue Ridge Thornburg Trail Sparrow Hunt The Bog Garden |
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Augusta and Highland County, VA On the afternoon of January the 15th, 11 members of the Piedmont Bird Club (PBC) braved predictions of torrential rain – to be followed by “a wintry mix” – and traveled north to Staunton,VA. On the morning of January 17, eight of the group continued west to Monterey, VA and the Blue Grass Valley. Thus began the PBC’s third winter outing to this region of VA’s northwestern Mountains and Valleys. Each winter visit to this area brings its surprises. This year it was the “balmy” weather. We birded in chilly temperatures and light breezes on Saturday and admired our local guide birding in a short-sleeved shirt! The heavy rains came Saturday night but tapered off to intermittent drizzle on Sunday, finally stopping by Sunday afternoon. Temperatures stayed above freezing. Monday was glorious. Heavy clouds gave way to brilliant blue sky and unseasonably warm temperatures. This was a dramatic change from the preceding month when deep snow (30 to 36 inches) was followed by a prolonged period of bitterly cold weather. Local birders told us that the weather had affected their birds. Fewer species were being seen and the number of individual birds was down. Nevertheless, with several pairs of very bright eyes and persistence, we were able to identify 67 species (see attached list), including several of our targets. As he did on our past trips, our local guide in Staunton delivered breathtaking views of Barn Owl and found us our one and only Cackling Goose (Richardson’s subspecies). We sorted through a flock of Horned Larks numbering in the hundreds but did not find a hoped for Lapland Longspur. The Blue Grass Valley supplied our wanted raptors. Although
Red-tailed Hawk numbers seemed to be down from previous years, we did find,
after quite a bit of searching, our target species. We came across five Bald
Eagles (adult, subadults, juvenile). We had stunning looks at a minimum of five
Rough-legged Hawks (three dark-phase and two light-phase birds). We had them
perched (showing off their feathered legs), in flight, and hovering. Arguably
the best bird came last. Thanks again to bright eyes and good local information,
we were able to tally three adult Golden Eagles. These majestic raptors rule the
roost in the Blue Grass Valley and its surrounding mountains. |
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Haw River State Park - May 16
-- by Emily Tyler |
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AEWWTP Field Trip, August 21, 2010 We had a nice sunny and not too terribly hot day for the trip to the aromatic Archie Ellege Wastewater Treatment Plant in Winston-Salem. We were rewarded with a small group of the target shorebirds: Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer; Solitary, Spotted, Semipalmated, and Least Sandpipers. Other water birds were Great Blue and Green Herons, Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, and Blue-Winged Teal. We were delighted to see an Osprey flying over the mud flats, spooking the shore birds, and a beautiful Red-tailed Hawk. There were a number of “regular birds,” Cardinals, Carolina Wrens and such, but we did watch a family of young Indigo Buntings foraging in the bushes and Henry Link spotted an Orchard Oriole. While the birding was a little lean, there were quite a few butterflies. Our list of the ones we could ID included Tiger Swallowtail, Buckeye, Monarch, Sleepy Orange, Cloudless Sulphur, Pearl Crescent, Red-spotted Purple, Hackberry Emperor, Sootywing, Little Glassy Wing, and Horace’s Duskywing. The Hackberry was a last minute gift – it got inside my car right as we were leaving. Lisa Hayes got it on her finger to put it out the window and it didn't want to leave her, she had to shake her hand several times before it flew off. |
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Nat Greene Trail - September 4, 2010 - by Susan Weimer Although some of our viewing sites were rather muddy, we were able to view a variety of water birds. The weather was cooperative as we had pleasant temperatures and a fairly strong breeze. As we hiked along, we spotted an American Redstart and heard Red-eyed Vireos, Carolina Wrens, Goldfinches,-Cardinals, Blue Jays, and lots of crows. The predominant water bird was the Killdeer. They dominated the sandbars but were willing to share their environs with the Great Blue Heron, the White Ibis, Snowy Egret, and a couple of Mute Swans. A spirited discussion arose over the identification of a small group of teal in eclipse plumage: Blue-winged Teal or Green-winged Teal? Our fearless trip leader, Herb Hendrickson, braved the muddy access to the sandbar and settled the identification problem. They turned out to be some very early Green-winged Teal. This is the first record of Green-winged Teal in Guilford County in the month of September. We were lucky to view a group of five Great Egrets perched in the trees; a great big white spot is hard to miss. We added to our list the Least Sandpiper, the Solitary Sandpiper, and the Spotted Sandpiper. |
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Hamilton Lakes & Bog Garden - September 11 - by Elizabeth Link & Jean Murdick Overcast skies and the promise of rain showers greeted a group of 14 PBC birders, led by Henry and Elizabeth Link, looking for migrants in Hamilton Lakes/Starmount Forest on September 11. The light was bad, but the birds were good: 11 species of migrating fall warblers, as well as thrushes and flycatchers, were found in mixed flocks hanging out with the local chickadees and titmice. As we walked along the trail, listening, we would suddenly come upon a burst of bird activity, with lots of birds moving about all at once. Most of the warblers, as usual,were in the treetops, flitting about in constant motion and providing a viewing challenge to even our most experienced birders. A group of crows accompanied us part of the way through the forest, half-heartedly aggravating what turned out to be a Barred Owl. It voiced its protest once with an emphatic “whoooo!” that was clearly very near to us, but no one was able to find it. One of our newest members, 11 year-old Graham Simmons from Thomasville, showed us how the younger generation learns to identify birds. No backpack full of field guides for him; he carried an electronic device smaller than a deck of cards. With the touch of a finger it showed him photographs and distribution maps and played the bird’s song. Moving on to the Bog Garden late in the morning, Chat-magnet Lou Skrabec (Lou had a Chat at his bird feeder all winter long) saw a Yellow-breasted Chat as soon as he crossed the bridge. It is the first time this bird has been recorded at the Bog Garden, and brings the total number of bird species observed there to 144!In addition to the Chat, we were able to see a Swainson’s Thrush and a couple of Redstarts and had a good look at a resting Belted Kingfisher at the lake overlook, but observed no shorebirds, herons, or egrets. The list below has 47 species seen. As our group was spread out and sometimes smaller groups of members were looking at different birds, I’d appreciate hearing if there are any birds sighted that I’ve left out. Contact Elizabeth Link at elzlink@yahoo.com.
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Butterflies on the Blue
Ridge - September 25-26 story and photos by Dennis Burnette For the fourth year, the Triad Chapter of the Carolina Butterfly Society, joined by members of the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society and the Piedmont Bird Club, celebrated the first weekend of autumn with a field trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway to look for migrating Monarchs and other butterflies, fall wildflowers, and birds. The weather was perfect for wildlife watching, with a partly cloudy sky, a light breeze, and a high near 80.Our first stop was the Blue Ridge Music Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Galax, VA. We had intended to stay there for only an hour or so, but the butterflies and wildflowers were so good that we stayed until noon and ate a picnic lunch on the grounds while listening to a music performance. We then made stops south along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina at various overlooks and open areas. By around 3:30 when folks began to drop out to head home, we had reached our day total of 28 species. Several of us who were spending the night went on to Mahogany Rock and Doughton Park, adding a few more numbers but no additional species. There were two surprises: Based on reports from earlier in the year, we hoped for a good number of Pipevine Swallowtails, but we saw only one very tattered individual. Second, we found three Little Yellows, a species that we haven’t seen in the previous three years on similar field trips to the BRP. The “invasion” this year in other parts of North Carolina seems to include this part of the mountains. Monarch migration was excellent. We ran into Ken Bridle, who had been leading a Piedmont Lnd Conservancy field trip on Fisher Peak. He reported seeing a Monarch roost tree with an estimated 300 butterflies at 9:00 a.m., just as the air was warming. We stopped at Mahogany Rock Overlook where the annual hawk count was going on and learned that one of the counters had recorded over 300 Monarchs flying over by around 3:30. Our group counted about 100, and certainly missed counting many more flying over us.
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- by Ron Morris Seven birders enjoyed a beautiful morning at the Thornburg Farm tract in the Birkhead Mountains Wilderness of the Uhwarrie National Forest. This is a stop on the North Carolina Birding Trail and offers fallow fields, forest, and riparian habitats. The Thornburg Trail starts at an old farm complete with farmhouse and barns. The former farmland at the parking area is managed for wildlife. It consists of various successional stages of vegetation as well as mowed areas. This area deserves a close look for grassland and open country birds, although we did not get the target birds Northern Bobwhite, Wild Turkey, and Field Sparrow listed for this area. From the parking lot, we continued past the farmhouse, down the hill, across the creek, and through a meadow to access the northern end of the Birkhead Mountain and Robbins Branch Trails. We saw 23 species and heard, thanks to the sharp ears of Jane Lewis, another 3, for a total of 26. Highlights of the trip were a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, In 3, for a total of 26. Highlights of the trip were a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Indigo Bunting, Blue-headed Vireo, and Swainson’s Thrush. |
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Sparrow Hunt - October
25 - by George Wheaton On Monday, October 25, six PBC birders hunted, hunted, and hunted (!) for a variety of sparrows in northeastern Guilford County. Due to lowering skies,the threat of severe thunderstorms, and sprinkles, our efforts were only partially rewarded. We tallied only six species of sparrow (see species list) and had only the briefest of looks at them. However, the group did come up with one really good bird - a Merlin, identified by Carolyn Allen and confirmed by the rest of the group. This is the fifth record for Guilford County since 1994, but the fourth report in the past four years! Also of note was one enormous mixed flock (i.e., 500 -1,000) of blackbirds. In spite of careful searching we were unable to find any but the usual suspects. Species List -34
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The Bog Garden Nov. 13, 2010 by Louise Brown It was a beautiful fall day for our field trip. Our group welcomed some veteran members as well as a few brand new ones. As we wandered along the boardwalk a substantial flock of American Robins livened the tree tops and White-throated Sparrows lisped in the underbrush, actively feeding on berries. The creek that feeds the lake was full of Mallards, eagerly soliciting handouts. (Alas, we had no crumbs to offer!) A smattering of winter ducks populated the lake; a handful of Ring-necked Ducks, two female Northern Shovelers and a Pied-billed Grebe. In the woods on the hill above the lake we watched a pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers flitting from tree to tree, staking out their seasonal claims. A narrow path leads back from those woods above the lake, where we had a better vantage point to see birds not visible from the boardwalk. There was a Great Blue Heron, posing majestically for us on a dead branch in the middle of the water. We also paused to admire many of the botanical offerings of the Bog Garden, the magnificent beeches, the larger ones invariably carved with the initials of young sweethearts, some of the smaller ones yet unscathed. On the top of the hill above the lake, we marveled at see the muscled trunks of several specimens of ironwood tree. Down on the boardwalk, on the back side are some lovely tall Sycamore trees and the understory was proliferate with paw paws, a host plant for the Zebra Swallowtail. Northern Flickers called sharply from the upper stories, with their resounding "yarp." Mammals included a number of squirrels, one chipmunk, a gray cat, and numerous dogs (being walked by their people.) Species List: 23
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