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Greetings!



Hello all!
I'm new to the list, and thought I would introduce myself, and perhaps
throw a few questions/issues out there.

My name is Lyman Green, and I live in eastern Chatham County (about as far
east as you can get and still be in Chatham County).  I have been an
amateur birdwatcher since my youth in Connecticut where my mother fed the
birds every winter from big bins on the porch.  Since getting married and
moving to NC (7 years ago) I have enjoyed (when time permits) watching
NC birds, some of which I had never seen up north.  Some of my favorites
that I had never seen (I know, they may have been there, I had just not
seen them) include Rufous Sided Towhee (excuse any spelling errors,
please..) and Bluebirds.

Anyway, we bought a house 4 years ago here in Chatham County, and we were
fortunate enough to be able to get ~4 acres, so I have been able to see
birds on my own land, which is really nice.  We have what I think is a
Carolina Wren, and several woodpeckers (not of particular species, but I
have heard them and seen them from a distance - never when the binocs are
around) on our property, and for the last 3 years we have also had a HUGE
population of Turkey Vultures.  This year we had over 30 in several trees,
there every morning when I come out to go to work.  They "appear" early in
Dec. and this year have stayed particularly late - usually they find
somewhere else to go, but for some reason, this year they've stayed in our
yard.

OK, intro done, now I'd like to get to some issues:

1.  There is a bird of some kind that is nocturnal in our yard.  I have
not been able to see it ever - though one night a year ago I did chase it
around the yard with a flashlight, trying to shine it up and see the darn
thing.  It is deafeningly loud.  I mean REALLY loud.  It can be heard from
quite a distance.  It's call is two tones - like a woooooo-weeeet!
My description has brought several suggestions from folks, including Bob
White, but my research on the Internet and in our bird book seem to
indicate that Bob Whites are in covey's (i.e. more than one bird, and this
is clearly one bird) and that they roost on the ground, NOT in pine
trees.  I tried like hell to find a WAV or sound file of a Bob White to
confirm that it was NOT one, but could not do so.  Does anyone have any
good suggestions as to what this might be, or where I could get a decent
selection of sounds to peruse and figure out what this bird is?

2.  Along with the multitudinous turkey vultures, this year we have a good
number (3-5) black vultures roosting with the turkeys.  They have actually
come down and landed on the deck (!!!) to sun themselves.  This has been
very startling for my wife, not to mention my 100% indoors cats, who have
actually all stood at the screen (not even glassed!) door and STILL the
vultures, included a black, have come up to within 2 feet of the
door!!!  I was skeptical that we had black vultures, because everything
I'd read about them stated they were more of a western north carolina
bird, but my wife clearly identified them from the pictures in the field
handbook as being exactly that.  Plus, after they came to within a foot or
two of the door I didn't think she could be really wrong. :-) (as if she's
EVER wrong!)  I don't really have a question here, just a comment - if
anyone ever had reason to study vultures, and needed to find a bolus, or
count their numbers, then I'd be willing to help that individual
out.  They have lived on our property for 3 or so years....
I think that they have started to do this because I don't scare them
away.  The prior owner of the house used to (he told me he did, anyway),
and in addition, they had a noisy outside dog.  We have indoors cats, and
I never would ever try and scare the vultures away, no matter how creepy
they are (which is pretty creepy... :)

So anyway, hi to everyone.

Lyman Green

daerid@io.com

P.S. Nice FAQ for the list.  I read it this morning, and it's chock full
of birdy goodness. 
-- 
"I am Ergo the Magnificent! Short in stature, tall in power, narrow of
purpose, wide of vision!"