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Rolling View emerges from the waters...



Hi Carolinabirders,

I visited Rolling View SRA this morning, for the first time in quite a 
while. The road towards the swimming area is closed, probably due to high 
water (I later swung by Sandling Beach SRA and found it closed as well). 
The tip of the peninsula, out past the boat ramp, shows signs of having 
been recently submerged over most of its area. It is still not possible 
to walk all the way around the point on the beach, but the sand near the 
large parking lot is now above water again.

As for birds, things were fairly quiet. I did see my first Bufflehead of 
the year, skittering across the water as I arrived. I also spotted my 
first Bonaparte's Gulls for the year, a flock of 5; a distant flock of at 
least 25 gulls later also turned out to be Bonaparte's. However, no loons 
or grebes, and no waterfowl other than the single Bufflehead. Landbirds 
were overwhelmingly Kinglets of both species, although with some patience 
most of the other usual winter suspects showed up, including a Brown 
Creeper.

A cruise down Southview road turned up less than usual, but when I drove 
over the bridge over the creek south of NC 98 at least half a dozen Black 
Vultures burst out from underneath and startled me. I peered over the 
edge and spied the stomach and intestines, and maybe other digestive 
organs, of a deer or other large creature floating in the creek. The 
vultures must have been picnicking. Yum yum...

So here's a question for y'all: anyone ever birded along Santee Road, the 
left fork off of Baptist Road (A.K.A. the road to Rolling View)? It seems 
to be one of those roads that originally went somewhere, but was cut off 
and turned into a dead end by the creation of Falls Lake. A powerline cut 
runs from Santee downhill to and across a finger of the lake, with what 
appears to be a former road, now blocked and shrubby, running underneath 
in the same direction. It looks a lot like the powerline cut at Old 
Hope Valley Farm. Most of this road is posted "No Tresspassing", but the 
vicinity of these powerlines is not. There are a couple of dilapidated 
old barnlike structures at the end of the road which also looked 
intriguing, but are probably on private property. Does anyone know 
whether this area - the powerline cut, especially - is private or public 
property, and if public, what the rules are for access?

Thanks,

Josh



Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Zoology

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