[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Morning at Sarah Duke Gardens



Dear group:

My partner and I spent an interesting morning in Duke Gardens in Durham, NC
on Sunday.  We didn't see any unusual species, but we saw lots of
interesting activity.  Birds seen:

Cardinals - many, including two different males feeding their young
Blue Jays - 4
Brown Thrashers - 5 or 6 adults, two juveniles, including one hopping around
after its parent trying to imitate its behavior which was quite interesting
to watch
Brown-Headed Nuthatches - We sat on a bench near the duck pond and within a
minute or two we noticed a nest in a dead tree about 5 or 6 feet from the
bench.  The nuthatches went in and out of the cavity with food several
times.  We think there may have been a second male assisting with the
feeding, but are not positive
Rufous-sided Towhees - many
American Goldfinch - one pair
American Crows - many
Grackles - not too many <g>
Robins - tons
Gray Catbirds - many
Mourning doves - 2 
Carolina Chickadee - saw one, heard many
House Sparrows - many
Northern Mockingbird - 4 adults, including one male making a courtship
display to about 20 caterers setting up for graduation.  He was really
strutting his stuff!
Carolina Wrens - We saw several on this visit - the last time we were at the
gardens, we sat on a bench and soon realized that there was a nest in the
hill behind the bench (3 or 4 feet away from us) where a carolina wren was
feeding its young.  On that visit, we got to see the wren feeding its young
up close and personal several times by sitting very quietly.  On this visit,
the nest appeared empty.
Brown-headed cowbirds - two pairs (one mating), one juvenile; we did not see
what bird was parenting it, but it was in an area with a large number of
towhees and a carolina wren.  We have seen a carolina wren parent a cowbird
in the gardens before.
Northern Flickers - 2

At the duck pond, we saw the following (other than the mallards and the
Canadian geese, I assume that most of these birds have been introduced):
Mallards - many, including one mother with seven ducklings.  Last week there
were three or four broods around, this week only one.
Canadian geese
Common goldeneye - female
Hooded merganser - male (we have noticed that he often hangs around with the
goldeneye)
Northern Pintail 
Red-crested pochards - pair
Northern Shoveler

We also saw some warblers, some sparrows and one duck which we were unable
to identify.

Amalie Tuffin
Durham, NC