[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Southport/Ft. Fisher birding



Birders,

The GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE put on a very cooperative show at the usual spot
in Southport yesterday (16 Mar 02).  I also noted at least two races of
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS -- the usual leucophrys race with dark lores and
another race with pale gray lores.  This pale lored race had a
pinkish-orange bill, gray wash across the chest, showed a thinner (than
leucophrys) black line behind the eye, and seemed a bit smaller than the
other White-crowneds (perhaps a Gambel's race??).  Also still present were
Swamp, White-throated, and Song Sparrows (along with 2 Hispid Cotton
Rats).

At Ft. Caswell, two of the three overwintering WHIMBREL were feeding on
the lawn.  Also saw 3 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES there and a 4th shrike was at Ft.
Fisher in the afternoon.

RED-THROATED LOONS were everywhere in the surf yesterday.  I counted
dozens in just a few minutes.  And a lone BLACK SCOTER flew in and sat on
the water while I was scanning.

At the Oak Island Golf course a Cooper's Hawk was enjoying a freshly
caught breakfast of Boat-tailed Grackle . . .

Around noon I took the ferry over to Ft. Fisher and saw my second OSPREY
of the season.  Despite scrutinizing over a thousand cormorants that were
here and there, I couldn't find any Greats.  (They were probably the ones
just out of range on the pylons & platforms.)

Between Ft. Fisher and the jetty at the "basin" I tallied 167 AMERICAN
OYSTERCATCHERS, which is a pretty good number for them.  Also at Ft.
Fisher I found my first GNATCATCHER of the year.

To finish the day, I went out after dinner to walk around the golf course
in the dark listening for herps.  A few Carpenter Frogs were calling and
scores of Southern Toads were trilling away.  I slowly walked up to one of
their ponds, and, after waiting a couple of minutes, turned on my
flashlight to see toads sitting near the water's edge spaced about 5-10
feet apart, trilling away, along the entire perimeter of the pond!


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jeff Pippen   	 				 jspippen@duke.edu
Biology Dept. Box 90338
Duke University, Durham, NC  27708		PH: (919) 660-7278
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^