[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Warblers and vireo



      This morning I headed north from Fayetteville to look for 
warblers, prothonotary and Louisiana waterthrush, specifically. 
Because Raven Rock doesn't open until 8 a.m., I spent my first hour 
checking Upper Little River at the US 401 bridge (south of 
Lillington).  There I found plenty of prothonotary singing and 
foraging along the creek.  An eastern phoebe was also in residence.
      Continuing on to Raven Rock, I arrived there a few minutes after 
8.  I ignored the birds singing loudly in the parking area and headed 
down the Campbell Creek trail, 3 miles out and 3 back.  Once the 
trail got down to the creek, I began to hear birds.  Well down in the 
lower section of the creek I found a La. waterthrush that was 
apparently defending his claim against another waterthrush.  I saw 
two birds briefly but was only able to identify one of them.   I 
heard a number of northern parulas and saw two.  I also heard a 
number of yellow-throated warblers and located two.  Twice I spent 
considerable time looking at very non-descript vireos  from 
underneath.  They were larger than the warblers nearby, white below, 
dull above with no visible wing bar, and (from what little I could 
see) had an eye stripe of some sort.  Later I got much better looks 
at two more vireos that were clearly red-eyed vireos.  I surmise that 
all four were red-eyed.
      The other birds that I saw were all the usual supporting cast at 
Raven Rock.  I got back to my car a few minutes after 11, just as the 
first raindrops were starting to fall.

Bob
-- 
--------------------------------------------------
Robert C. Perkins, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Methodist College, Fayetteville, NC 28311
910-630-7037     rperkins@methodist.edu