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Haw river migrants



I took a visiting friend for a bracing walk along the Haw River in
Chatham County this morning, and along with the usual wintering birds
we saw three Yellow-Throated Warblers, two of whom were singing madly
away while a third was very oddly gleaning insects from a boulder
half-submerged in the river bank. This, of course, gave us excellent
looks of its back and facial markings--a thing one seldom sees on
these birds.

And just as we were talking wistfully of Louisiana Waterthrushes we
flushed one from the river bank--little did I know that all I have to
do is to think longingly and they will just show themsleves. It kept
going higher and higher up a tree, leading us to think that perhaps it
will start singing. It never did.

Finally, while waiting for Pileateds to show up on their nesting hole
on Mt Gilead Church Road, we saw two tired Rough-Winged Swallows on a
wire, preening and stretching their wings as if after a long flight
from down south. 

Oh, and there were some extremely amorous Red Tailed hawks circling
the river. All in all a wonderful show. 

Shantanu Phukan
UNC, Chapel Hill