[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Savannah NWR, 16 February 2002
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Savannah NWR, 16 February 2002
- From: Donna Slyce Bailey <dsbailey@conterra.com>
- Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 09:15:15 -0500
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
A trip to Savannah NWR with Kathleen O'Grady, Bob Ellis, and Sharon Brown on
16 February 2002 found some nice birds, including an excellent duck and a
lovely sparrow. Any February day that starts standing in a swirl of Tree
Swallows while listening to the "spee spee spee" of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
can only be good.
At the first stop, we scattered a few sparrows as we parked the car,
including the sparrow that seems to be "following me around this winter", a
Lincoln's. Bob Ellis and I got a good look at the bird. Later in the day,
Sharon Brown got a good look at a Lincoln's Sparrow as well. I also finally
laid eyes on Savannah Sparrows on Saturday. After spending all winter
counting Savannah Sparrows or looking for Savannah Sparrows based on
hearing them in the grass, I finally saw Savannah Sparrows, proving that
they are
not simply disembodied voices this winter.
I was quite thrilled to find the Cinnamon Teal reported from Savannah NWR
previously. While not a life bird, I was happy to finally see a Cinnamon
Teal drake in breeding plumage. A beautiful bird! It was also nice to find
ducks to sort through for a change this winter.
It was also a good day for raptors. By the end of the day, in addition to
the expected Red-tailed Hawks and Northern Harriers, we had seen several
Kestrels and, just as we called it a day, a Merlin making a half-hearted
attempt to scatter a treeful of Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles.
A good day afield indeed!
Donna Slyce Bailey
Winnsboro, SC
e-mail: dsbailey@conterra.com
URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey
Where are the Birds? Migration across South Carolina