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Mason Farm and Jordan Lake, Orange and Chatham Counties NC
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Mason Farm and Jordan Lake, Orange and Chatham Counties NC
- From: Amalie Lewis Tuffin <amaliet@ix.netcom.com>
- Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 20:52:18 -0400
- Reply-to: amaliet@post.harvard.edu
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Took a nice walk around Mason Farm this afternoon. Highlights were
several calling Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Purple Martins (the first I've
seen there), a pair of American Redstarts, a Northern Parula and a
Black-and-White Warbler. The Chapel Hill Bird Club checklist lists the
Black-and-White as rare in July, but a breeding species. It was
certainly the first one I have seen in the height of summer.
Morgan Creek was still running about normal, maybe a little low, but all
of other usual watercourses or wet spots were all dried up - not even
mud.
After leaving Mason Farm, I took a quick ride over to the 751 Bridge at
Jordan Lake, where the effects of the drought are very obvious. The
water level at Jordan Lake is incredibly low - on one side of the
bridge, the only water is in the old creek bed, and everything else is
grown over with grass. At the bridge, I saw an Osprey, quite a few
Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets (looked for Rob G.'s immature White
Ibis, but no luck), Cliff Swallows and Barn Swallows. I also saw a very
large raptor way in the distance that I expect was a Bald Eagle from its
size.
Amalie Tuffin
Durham, NC