The third intriguing thing was a series of Bobwhite calls I heard around
milepost 24 (where the trail splits). I have only once seen Bobwhite at
Mason Farm and that was 4 years ago, so I had a hard time believing my
ears. THe call was repeated a few times and then what I heard was just the
BOB part of it, minus the WHITE part. THere were lots of Chats singing in
the vicinityand I am now wondering if what Iheard was a Chat doing a
Bobwhite imitation. Have people had this experience before and are Chats
known to actively imitate other birds or is it the case that they simply
have a very large repertory of their own and this, combined with wishful
thinking conjured up a Bobwhite for me this morning?
Never heard Chats do a Bobwhite call, but if I visit Mason F. enough times
in spring/summer I almost always here a Bobwhite call at some point, usually
right from the parking lot !) -- have always assumed that though they are
rarely reported anymore, a small population does continuously (and
secretively) hold fort at M.F.So, one last question for the locals. Where would you suggest I go to end
the Scarlet Tanager drought (and yes, I have tried the hill in the NC
Botanic Garden as well as the woods along Haw river at Bynum and while
both yielded singing birds, the foliage was too thick to see anything).
can't name a specific place but in general I most often see Scarlets in
poplar trees, including the Chinese poplars that begin the trail at M.F.,
but his time of yr. interfering foliage is always a problem.