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Grasshopper Saprrow



Anyone in the Hillsborough, NC area interested in seeing Grasshopper 
Sparrow, actually seeing one sing on a fence post, may do so by following
these directions:

Set your trip meter to zero at the intersection of Rt #86 and #70 By-Pass,
just north of Hillsborough proper.  From the intersection, travel north on
#86 for about 0.4 miles, turning right onto Rt #57 towards Roxboro/Caldwell.
Stay on #57, passing the Solid Waste Facility on the left at about mile 1.3
(very small and easily missed), Mars Hill Church (on left), Phelps Road (on
left), and Walker Road (sign is on left, road is on right).

Finally, turn right on Mincey Rd (at about mile 4.6).  After turning onto
Mincey, you'll pass several houses on either side of the road after which
you'll see cow pasture on either side of the road.  At mile 4.9 pull onto
the shoulder (somewhere between where the pasture began, and the red
out-building just ahead of you on the right).

You should hear the sparrows in the un-grazed pasture on the right, or south
side, of the road.  Sooner or later a Grasshopper Sparrow should land on one
of the fence posts, or on the top wire of the fence, and "belt" out a song.
I was there this morning for about 45 minutes and a bird landed on the fence
on 5 separate times.

It's a good time to see the birds because theys are very busy flying back
and forth between the fence and various locations in the field.  The
weather's pretty nice too.

You should also see E. Meadowlark, Barn Swallow, Am. Goldfinch, E. Bluebird,
and a bunch of the other regulars you'd expect in a setting like this one.

-----
Greg Dodge
Brownbag Productions
Hillsborough, NC
brownbagproductions.com