Re: my comment and points to consider

[Joshua Stuart Rose <jsr6@duke.edu>]

Hi Carolinabirders,

I don't think y'all have to pester Will publicly about this. Have a little
faith, he's dealt with conflicts like this before. He's in charge of this
weekend's Chapel Hill Count, he's probably too busy coordinating that to
check his e-mail.

On Wed, 8 May 2002, Mike Skakuj wrote:
>
> I had very nice Blackpoll W. this morning but I am still missing Bay-
> breasted, Cape May, Blackburnian, Golden-winged and Cerulean (not count
> Swainson's). Could you suggest me some area no farther than half an hour
> drive from Durham to have a have a chance to find these guys?

Unfortunately, none of these species breed anywhere near Durham, so
there's no definite place for any of them. Cape May and Blackburnian both
migrate fairly commonly through the Piedmont, if you keep visiting Mason
Farm - maybe mix in another migrant trap or two, like Hemlock Bluffs,
Butner Gamelands, Lake Crabtree, Ebenezer Point, Rolling View - you should
see them sooner or later. Golden-winged, Cerulean, and Swainson's are all
great rarities in the Triangle, Swainson's will require at least a
two-hour drive (to Raven Rock or Howell Woods). Cerulean and Golden-winged
are both mountain species, barring the occasional vagrant, for those
you'll probably have to drive 3-4 hours. And Bay-breasted seems to be a
generally random migrant, not particularly common anywhere in the state.
Unless one of the more veteran NC birders knows something I don't...

Good birding,

Josh


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

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