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Saturday in the Sandhills
- To: "Carolina Birds" <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
- Subject: Saturday in the Sandhills
- From: "Charles R. Burk" <crburk@mindspring.com>
- Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 16:44:39 -0400
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
McKinney Lake Fish Hatchery, near Hoffman, can produce a good bird or
two any time of the year. In late summer it frequently attracts
wandering waders and, if some of the breeding ponds are drawn down, a
few shorebirds. It has been pretty quiet this summer. The Canada
geese did well. The resident gang of Great Blue Herons and a pair of
Belted Kingfishers seemed to dine well on the channel catfish raised at
the hatchery. A pair of Killdeer nest at the hatchery regularly. A
roost of mixed vultures has been present regularly. Surprisingly, I
have not found a Green Heron this year. In most years there have been
several present, and probably breeding, all summer. I rarely see the
Red-shouldered Hawks which nest in the woodland below the breeding
ponds, but they invariably make their presence known. Today, several
Spotted Sandpipers were present. An early Osprey was hunting over the
ponds and an immature Double-crested Cormorant had found a good dining
opportunity.
Also checked the turf farm at Candor. Still no shorebirds except
Killdeer. Four Horned Larks were present.
Dick
Charles R. (Dick) Burk
Pinehurst, NC
crburk@mindspring.com