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Weekend birds



     Yesterday my fishing partner and I paddled and fished the "Basin" at 
Fort Fisher.  We did a little birding, both while we were there and 
while driving to and from Fayetteville.  We saw an osprey at a pond on 
NC 87 near Gray's Creek in Cumberland County.  At the pond in Carolina 
Beach Park, we saw a half dozen or so buffleheads and four lesser 
scaup.  At Fort Fisher we spotted a large female kestrel.  We saw a 
number of great egrets and several tri-colored herons while we were 
fishing.  The only shorebirds that we saw were ruddy turnstones and the 
only terns were Forster's.  On our way home we stopped at a beach access 
in Kure Beach and watched two northern gannets fishing a good way out.
     This morning, in spite of the gray skies, I drove north on US 401 to 
Upper Little River.  I saw a phoebe carrying grass to refurbish a nest 
that a pair used last year.  There were a number of small warbler-shaped 
birds in the tops of the trees and I heard what I thought was part of a 
yellow-throated warbler's song, but the gray skies and lack of light 
prevented me from identifying the birds.  I did see a pileated 
woodpecker fly over and spotted a ruby-crowned kinglet close to the 
ground.
     My street and yard were full of birds today, including a mixed flock 
of common grackles, red-winged blackbirds, and [darn it!] brown-headed 
cowbirds.  All of the other birds were normal locals.

Bob
---------------------------------------------------------
Robert C. Perkins, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Methodist College, Fayetteville, NC 28311
910-630-7037     rperkins@methodist.edu