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Tons of Rusties in Johnston



Yesterday, April 4, I spent the day in the southern half of Johnston
County, working on the county inventory of natural areas. I ended up
driving 172 miles for the day! I've never seen so many birds in a day
before in the Traingle area, at least not counting the huge blackbird
flocks. Everywhere, birds were on roads and in fields, thanks to the
rains of the previous day, and the overall wet conditions of the past
month, leaving lots of fields wet.  I saw at least 15 Am. Kestrels (but
alas just one Loggerhead Shrike, a scarce bird in the county despite
abundant habitat). I came close to running over hundreds of Chipping and
White-throated sparrows, hundreds of Yellow-rumped Warblers and Robins,
etc. Still saw huge robin flocks in the plowed fields -- I would have
figured most would have departed by now.

The most interesting sighting was two large flocks of Rusty Blackbirds,
singing away in swamps. I had a flock of 20-25 at Richardson Bridge, and
about 50-75 in Smithfield, at the Commons along the Neuse River. We get
the migratory flocks moving north in March and early April, but I was
surprised to see so many so "late", as they normally disappear by about
the 10th of April, as I recall. 

In terms of new spring arrivals, I did have one each of Prothonotary and
Parula, along with Ovenbird, Black-and-white (migratory?), and La.
Waterthrush. Plenty of Yellow-throated Warblers now. Still no Prairie
Warbler yet, and I think the season has slowed a bit with all the rain
and cool weather of the past few weeks.
-- 
Harry LeGrand
NC Natural Heritage Program
1615 MSC
Raleigh, NC 27699-1615
(919) 715-8687 (work)
FAX: 919-715-3085
e-mail: harry.legrand@ncmail.net