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DUML and Bird Shoal
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: DUML and Bird Shoal
- From: Joshua Stuart Rose <jsr6@duke.edu>
- Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1999 23:37:36 -0400 (EDT)
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Hi Carolinabirders,
Today was the annual Biology 31 (The Diversity of Life) field trip to the
Duke University Marine Lab on Pivers Island, between Beaufort and
Morehead City NC. The trip was geared toward general biodiversity, and so
we spent nearly all of our time looking at invertebrates and plants. We
did have a native New Zealand birdwatcher along, and he was very excited
by creatures such as Brown Pelicans, Boat-tailed Grackles, and Belted
Kingfishers. My main excitement at the marine lab was the migrating
Sharp-shinned Hawks; at least three passed over the area while we were
there, all heading south. Butterfly migration was also in evidence, with
one Clouded Sulfur, at least two Monarchs, and several Common Buckeyes
passing through. The only dragonfly sighting on the day was also a
migrant, a glider of the genus Pantala.
After visiting the lab itself, we were ferried out to what the DUML
residents call Carrot Island, known to carolinabirders as Bird Shoal. We
went at low tide, to maximize our access to marine invertebrates;
unfortunately, high tide is the best time to visit for birds, according
to John Fussell's "A Birder's Guide to Coastal North Carolina". Even so,
I saw a few things. Having missed the Falls Lake godwit-fest earlier this
fall, I was most excited by the Marbled Godwits, my first in the
Carolinas. They were actually one of the most common shorebirds out
there, making the usually large-seeming Willets and American
Oystercatchers look small. Ruddy Turnstones were already in winter
plumage, and Yellowlegs and a few peeps were scattered around. Black-
bellied Plovers were scattered around, and I encountered one Killdeer, a
couple of Semipalmated Plovers, and a Wilson's Plover.
Waders were far less common than shorebirds, but somewhat diverse, as I
only saw one of each species: Snowy Egret, Great Egret, White Ibis, Great
Blue Heron. No seconds on any of them. No sign of any warbler migration
on the coast, winter may have started already out there: the freshwater
puddle on Bird Shoal was swarming with warblers, but every single one of
them that I could ID was a Yellow-rump. Back at the marine lab, just more
'Rumps plus one Palm Warbler. For seabirds, the gulls were all the usual
suspects, terns were mostly Forster's with a few Royal and Caspian;
surprisingly, not a single Black Skimmer, they've apparently all gone
south already. Mallards were the only ducks in evidence.
Guess it's time to start circulating among the little Triangle ponds
looking for diving ducks again...
Josh
Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Zoology
jsr6@acpub.duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/