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Ruddy Turnstones!



Ruddy Turnstones, six of them! have been quietly feeding along side the
North Lakeshore Drive at Lake Oseola for the last week, while birders,
such as myself were worrying about getting our Swainson's Warbler for
the year at nearby parks.  The owner of the white house in front of the
first western arm of the lake when approaching the lake from the north
(Willow Ave.).  These birds cannot be missed by anyone looking for them.
While the locals are oohing and ahhing the growing fuzzy goslings with
their Canada Geese parents, RUDDY TURNSTONES are pecking away along the
edge of the roadside.

Ron Selvey discovered these birds and alerted birders between 1:00 and
2:00 pm today (5-20).  Wayne Forsythe responded first and wasted no time
capturing the six birds on video tape.  Imagine a picture of six
Turnstones in breeding plumage on the center of the road crossing the
double yellow lines.  The last time I saw Ruddy Turnstones was a few
years ago on a beach southeast of Waikiki on Oahu in Hawaii.  They are
one of the few migrants that I could expect to see when I lived in
Micronesia from '96 to '98.

Lake Oseola is southwest of downtown Hendersonville, NC (WNC).  If you
can find parallel streets to the Main St. in Hendersonville (King St. or
Church St)  travel down to Kanuga Ave. (Rd?) turn right onto Kanuga and
go around a curve.  As soon as you cross a railroad track you will be at
the north end of Willow St.  Turn right on to Willow Stree and go about
two miles.  Past a traffic light and down a hill to North Lakeshore
Drive.  There is an old sign about the Oseola Inn.  Turn left on to N
Lakeshore Dr and go straight the road will curve around the western arm
of the lake.  You will cross a small white bridge and just at an
intersection you will see the end of a peninsula of land.  If the birds
aren't obviously on the road they may be on the peninsula (That's where
I saw them when I responded to a call from Ron Selvey.)  The turnstones
are wonderful, but they can't match the bird that Wayne Forsythe spotted
at Jackson Park earlier in the morning.

I thought I died and went to heaven when Wayne Forsythe turned to his
left quickly raised his binoculars and said "I'm on to something--it's a
mourning-- its got a broken eyering.  No!  It doesn't.  It's a
Connecticut!  And with that a journey I have been on for forty years
came to an end.

About 10:30 AM this morning at Jackson Park on the Bottomland Trail
about 200 yards from the east end where the outdoor stage is,  Wayne
discovered the second Connecticut Warbler in the last ten days to pass
through the park on migration.

For those who have never been to Jackson Park in Hendersonville, NC
This is the park just east of historic downtown.  It is usually
approached from the Interstate 26 exchange number 18 where one proceeds
west about three miles past the radio station and up the hill to the
traffic light there is a brown Jackson Park sign there.  Turn left
(south) and go the end of the street, you will see the park on the left.
Drive about a mile to the large parking area where the large brick
mansion is (Tennis Courts are just beyond the parking area.

Walk east/ north east with the large pines to your left down the slope
toward the outdoor stage.  Just beyond the stage look for footpath that
goes into the woods.  The Connecticut was in that area.

If I were coming any distance, I would hesitate to drive a long
distance, because Connecticut Warblers don't have their toes nailed to a
branch with a neon light suspended from the branch blinking out its name
for the borderline deaf and blind like myself.  That trail, the warbler
trail, and the nature trail should be checked.  The first Connecticut
Warbler, a week ago Saturday, was seen about 1:30 pm by Harvey Neal and
Ron Selvey on the Nature Trail on the Southeast quadrant near a small
ditch.

Regards,
John Lindfors