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Spring migration in Columbia




On Friday I saw 4 gull sp. together, in Columbia!  Details at the bottom.

Today was the new "3 Rivers" Spring Count in Columbia, SC, organized by
Robin Carter.  My territory included most of the area between the 
Saluda River and I-26, out all the way to Lake Murray, excluding
Saluda Shoals Park and the Gardendale area.

Without the principal public access points to the water in my territory,
I sought and gained permission to bird on land owned by Honeywell (formerly
Allied Chemical), Cornerstone Church, and SCE&G (upstream from Saluda
Shoals and also Pine Island at Lake Murray).  I am grateful to them all.
This was a lot of ground for one person!  

The best time was at Honeywell.  Even though it was a bright sunny day,
and I only got there at 10am, I found 50 sp. in just over 2 hours.  These
included House Wren, Blackpoll Warbler, both Waterthrushes, Orchard Oriole,
Yellow-Billed Cuckoo.  It was a better day for hearing than seeing birds.
The visual highlight was watching a bright male Summer Tanager forage in
a patch of Red Clover.  Honeywell is receptive to the idea of having
Columbia Audubon visit its wildlife/recreation area in the future.  It is
beautiful, running along the Saluda River.

I went to our old home before dawn and had a Barred Owl, Swainson's Thrush,
Hooded Warbler, Red-headed Woodpecker.  At our present home that backs 
onto Rawls Creek, we had our first Louisiana Waterthrush of the spring.
Hopefully it is here to stay.

Friday seemed to be more productive.  Several species I had then I didn't
get again today, such as Swainson's Warbler and Prothonotary Warbler at
Honeywell.  At nearby Gardendale, Robin Carter had a Black-billed Cuckoo
on Friday. 

Driving across Lake Murray Dam Friday afternoon rush hour, when there was
a stiff northwest breeze, I noticed a soaring gull with a black head, which 
surprised me.  I returned across the dam and observed in the parking lot
on the south side a flock of fewer than 20 gulls, including
Ring-billed Gulls except for:
Herring Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Laughing Gull !
This was my first local Laughing Gull.  I had good views of it in flight, to 
rule out Franklin's Gull.  I could not relocate either Bonaparte's or
Laughing Gulls today for the count.

Jerry Griggs      j@sc.edu
Columbia, SC