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Broad River, 9 March 2002



A mid-morning trip to Broad River found some fun expected birds and, as
happens at Broad River occasionally, one really neat non-avian sighting.
The best thing about this cloudy morning was that, given the relative warmth
of the morning, quite a few birds were singing at least fragments of their
breeding songs.

Among the singing birds were:

Field Sparrow - quite a few, singing in the sparrow field
Song Sparrow - a few singing, mostly fragments of song
White-throated Sparrow - heard surprisingly little song from the sparrow who
more or less sings all winter 
Blue Jay - caught a group of jays (I can't even estimate a number) doing
their "queedle queedle" call *in rounds* this morning - wonder what that's
all about? - seriously, if anybody has experienced this and has any good
ideas about it, please write me 
Savannah Sparrow - I guess that rather Ammodramus-like unmusical trill is
their breeding song 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - small bird, big song
Winter Wren - just a few notes, far too few for my taste
Common Yellowthroat - just one song from one individual, in the sparrow field
Pine Warbler - many singing now
Belted Kingfisher - several times, I heard the rattle of the kingfisher and
watched the bird fly over the sparrow field.  Eventually, a second
kingfisher joined the first bird and then the two of them would fly back and
forth over the field, often with at least one of them rattling.

Other birds heard today but not singing breeding songs included House Wren,
Golden-crowned Kinglet, Blue-headed Vireo, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  I
found the usual two immature Bald Eagles at Broad River but with a twist
this time.  There was a first year eagle perched in a tree.  I had never
seen them perched at Broad River.  What a hulk perched on a tiny twig!

While I didn't find turkeys at Broad River proper, I found 34 in one field
on my way to Broad River.  In a field where I've seen turkeys previously
were 34 Wild Turkeys.  Eight to ten of them were huge toms with highly
colored heads and long "beards".  The rest, somewhat separated from the
toms, were mostly apparently hens.  

And lastly (those not interested in non-avian news, hit delete) I found an
amphibian I had been hoping to see for several years now.  The area I've
heard referred to as the "Beaver Pond" at Broad River after the latest rains
is holding a little water and a great deal of mud.  In one of the larger
puddles I could hear Southern Leopard Frogs (Rana sphenocephala).  Knowing
that Leopard Frogs are extremely wary and that the way out to the frogs was
probably knee-deep mud, I sighed at missing Leopard Frogs again.  Then I
realized that the binoculars that worked on birds would probably work just
as well for frogs, too.  I am glad to say the binoculars work on frogs, too,
and I spent some time enjoying Leopard Frogs through the binoculars.
Donna Slyce Bailey
Winnsboro, SC

e-mail: dsbailey@conterra.com

URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey
     "Where are the Birds?  Migration across South Carolina"