[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Johnston Mill
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Johnston Mill
- From: Joshua Stuart Rose <jsr6@duke.edu>
- Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2001 16:08:58 -0400 (EDT)
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Hi Carolinabirders,
This morning, after much e-mail interchange, I had my first personal
encounter with Shantanu Phukan. We met at the Johnston Mill tract, a
Triangle Land Conservancy preserve in Orange County. We heard a singing
Louisiana Waterthrush almost as soon as we started down the trail,
followed by a Scarlet Tanager. Before our little walk was over, we had
great long looks at both of these species (though not the same
individuals) while they sang, and a close-range singing Wood Thrush in
plain sight as well! We had less satisfying looks at a singing American
Redstart and Yellow-throated Warbler, and a non-singing Black-and-White,
and heard Northern Parula many times. Alas, no sound or sight of
Shantanu's hoped-for Kentucky, or Hooded either. And no Ovenbirds,
surprisingly! We did see and hear Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks
flying just over the forest canopy.
My point of biggest excitement, though, was probably finding a Trillium
in bloom right by the trail! And numerous Jack-in-the-Pulpits, also
blooming. A friend later confirmed that the Trillium was T. catesbeyi. No
sign of the Gray Petaltail dragonfly, Tachopteryx thoreyi; guess I have
to keep trying... We did see a sudden and unexplained aggregation of 14
Eastern Tiger Swallowtails swarming by the new parking area, and several
Carolina (maybe) Satyrs in the woods, including a mating pair with a
third individual horning in.
On Sat, 28 Apr 2001, Harrold, Eric S wrote:
>
> The neat thing about both of the
> previously mentioned lifers is that I identified them by song first and then
> sight. I'm not too sure that this is the way most folks do it
Actually, that's the way I do it too; Shantanu and I were discussing that
this morning as we walked. When he lived in Chicago, and I in
Massachusetts, we got to actually *see* the birds, as the spring migrants
arrived before the leaves were fully out. Now that we both live down
here, we're both focusing much more on songs. That's fine with me, of
course; if I don't need to use my eyes for the birds, I can look that
much harder for herps, bugs, plants, etc.
> Solitary vireo (can't stand the name change)
Hear, hear! I still insist that we have Rufous-sided Towhees, too!
Good birding,
Josh
Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Biology (Zoology, R.I.P.)
jsr6@acpub.duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/