Fall migrants (few) at Penny's Bend

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

Hi C-birders,

Spent a few hours today at Penny's Bend with fellow dookies Norm Budnitz, 
Cait Coberly, Norm Douglas, and Tracy Feldman. Birds were common but not 
terribly diverse. The most interesting observations were of two 
apparently early birds for the Triangle area. First, near the parking 
area, we found at least one Cedar Waxwing, feeding amidst several dozen 
American Robins on Red Cedar berries. Fruits were plentiful in the area; 
in addition to the cedars, in other locations around the Bend we noted 
fruiting Fox Grape, Hackberry, wild cherry of some sort, Poison Ivy 
(which the birds do like to eat!), and a few other things. Several 
Red-eyed Vireos were hanging around some of the fruiting trees as well.

Away from the fruits, we came across a few chickadee-titmouse flocks with 
associated migrants. Warblers were few and frustrating, but I ID'd a 
Parula and Norm B picked out a very sharp Magnolia and a Common 
Yellowthroat. Biggest surprise, though, and seen well by all of us, was a 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet; Donna Bailey isn't the only one with an early 
arrival!

Hawk migration was also in evidence as two Sharp-shinned Hawks passed by 
while we were in the upland meadow area; this seemed like a promising 
hawk-watching spot, but we got there after noon and didn't have lunch 
and so couldn't stay long. Insect migration was also going strong, with a 
constant stream of Monarch Butterflies overhead (there were 1-2 visible 
above us all day long), a scattering of Buckeyes, a Green Darner, a 
Wandering Glider, and some type of genus-Tramea glider.

Good birding!

Josh



Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Zoology

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