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Durham migrants, frog tapes, elk and bamboo



Hi Carolinabirders,

Okay, I'm in a better mood now, I've seen and heard some migrants. 
Yesterday I heard a Field Sparrow singing from the 9th street backyard, 
a new yard bird. Then, walking down Erwin Road en route to school - 
actually right by the big, evil Olive patch - saw two soaring buteos. 
These probably weren't migrants; they were both Red-tails, and a pair 
nests in this vicinity every year. However, in confirming the second 
Red-tail, I glimpsed a smaller, pointer raptor circling above it; 
American Kestrel! Then, after turning down Oregon Road, one of the 
Red-tails caught my eye again, and I spotted another small raptor, a 
Sharp-shinned Hawk, rising from the forest canopy. A few crows flew out 
to harass the RT, but the Sharpie rose above the fracas. Hope you 
hawkwatchers up in the mountains are on the job... About that same time I 
heard my first Prairie Warbler of the year from behind the Devil's Den.

Had to drive in today, so saw nothing. However, on exiting the car, I 
heard a Red-eyed Vireo, the first of many. I'm interested that Brian B. 
has so many Ovenbirds around Falls Lake; I haven't heard a single one 
around Duke yet! I'm still without Black-and-white Warbler this spring as 
well, but they're a little easier to overlook... (isn't it funny how 
"overlook" means you didn't see it, but "overhear" means you heard it?)

On Thu, 12 Apr 2001, Steve Cox wrote:
> 
> Can anyone recommend to me a CD or audio tape that has frog calls with their
> identity announced?  Where can I purchase it?  I want to learn to identify
> frogs when I hear their call. I am not always successful locating the calling
> frog.

I know of at least three recordings of frog and toad calls out there. The 
one I use is "The Calls of Frogs and Toads" by Lang Elliott and 
NatureSound Studios. I bought it on cassette at the Pea Island NWR 
visitors' center, but it's also available on-line from many sources, 
including NatureSound's website at 
 http://ww1.naturesound.com/webpages2/naturesound/guides/pages/frogs.html

The others are the Smithsonian's "Sounds of North American Frogs" by 
Charles Bogert, at 
 http://web2.si.edu/folkways/frogmain.htm

And "Voices of the Night; The Calls of the Frogs and Toads of Eastern 
North America" from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Library of Natural 
Sounds at
 http://www.ornith.cornell.edu/lab_cds.html

The Smithsonian version has 57 species from all over the US; the 
NatureSound, which I have, has 42 species from the Eastern and Central 
US; the Cornell recording is eastern US only, and has 36 species. 
NatureSound's version also has a lot of detail about the acoustic 
behavior and natural history of anurans, not sure about the other two.

Thanks to Clyde Sorensen and Don Hendershot for clarification on the Elk 
issue. Apparently, the population is "experimental" and will be removed 
if it causes problems. On the other hand, the project is being funded by 
the Rocky Mountain Elk Association <http://www.elkcountry.org/>; if they 
are the ones in charge of deciding whether or not there are problems, I 
might suspect their objectivity and qualifications in the matter...

Clyde also wanted to clarify my warning about Bamboo; don't confuse the 
Asian invasive species with the native Giant Cane, Arundinaria gigantea. 
The cane distantly resembles bamboo (both are essentially giant grasses), 
but unlike bamboo I believe cane is an important nesting habitat for 
Hooded and Swainson's Warblers, among others. A Duke professor also tells 
me that Carolina Parakeets used to feed on some part of the Giant Cane...

Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Biology (Zoology, R.I.P.)

jsr6@acpub.duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/