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Crane tameness, more missing migrants



Hi Carolinabirders,

I noticed today on the Massachusetts listserv that people are reporting 
Cape May and Magnolia Warblers up there, among many others. Don't 
remember seeing those here on the listserv recently, I sure haven't seen 
them!

On Thu, 3 May 2001, Tom Krakauer wrote:
> 
> Janet and I took our usual morning walk and although, it was generally a
> very quiet morning we did spot a Golden Crowned Kinglet which is very rare
> at this time of year.

Sure is! According to the Triangle checklist, they are "very rare" from 
the last week of April through the third week of May. Never recorded in 
the last week of May, apparently...

On Fri, 4 May 2001, ICP Naturalist wrote:
> 
> Thursday 3 May 2001,
> Greenville Waste Water Treatment Plant,
> Old Pactolus Road, Pitt County, North Carolina.
> SANDHILL CRANE - 1
> (Adult in pasture SE of cattle gate bridge. Reportedly also seen early this 
> morning on Lake Glenwood, GVL. This is the 5th consecutive evening I've seen 
> this crane fly in and bed down, between 7:40 and 7:50 PM. I think Harry 
> LeGrand has a good theory about it being lost from a "Whooper practice run" 
> Sandhill Crane relocation flock. A recent EE News posting said the feds are 
> leading Sandhill Cranes from Michigan to Florida by ultralight plane, and 
> (most of?) one of these flocks just recently made it on its own back north. 
> This bird must be human-habituated, and lost. Maybe Pitt County could raise 
> funds by charging $100 a pop to go out and have your picture taken beside 
> it. Where's Anna Paquin [sp?] when you need her? Film at eleven.) ;)

The tameness of this bird doesn't necessarily make it captive-raised. 
Many years ago (10?) my family spent some time in southwest Florida, I 
think it was Venice. Sandhill Cranes breed in nearby Myakka River State 
Park; we went there and saw an adult tending a chick. During that same 
trip, we encountered another Sandhill which was blocking the road, 
forcing our rental car to stop until it decided to move. I and my nephew 
got out and approached the bird within 5 feet or so, even offering it a 
chunk of bagel which it investigated but didn't eat. So some of those 
Florida resident birds are pretty astonishingly tame... Now, how a bird 
from an apparently nonmigratory population could get up here, three 
states to the north, would be another matter!

Good birding,

Josh


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

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