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washed-out ponds as otential Black Rail habitat



I guess I am trying to get people to try to elicit resonses from Black Rails 
in inland areas.  No danger, I think, of overuse of tapes, until such a rail 
is located.

The best habitat I have seen so far are the marshy beds of two ponds whose 
dams were washed-out from Hurricane Floyd.
Bunn Lake on 64 east of Zebulon is big (50 acrea?) but will fill up within a 
year, since dam rebuilt.  Too far from me (50 miles), but obvious from the 
road (how about winter Short-ears?).
A local lake (4 acres) isn't being worked on, and has cattails invading 
grass and smartweed and sedge.  Found this by looking at all ponds on 
Delorme map.

I know of no large reservoirs filling up that are similar to the Farrington 
Marsh described by Bob Lewis as holding Black Rail in 1979.

My county's soil conservationist described to me some "Wetland Reserve Plan" 
land in my county which is growing up in nice mushy herbaceous stuff around 
the tree seedlings, plus a cow pasture (not seen yet) that is flooding due 
to beavers.

Perhaps other birders can find similar sites near their home counties.  Such 
sites would be good for stuff other than Black Rail (Sedge Wren, Short-eared 
Owl, etc.).  I suspect 30 birders checking their local sites once each year 
in the spring using a tape would show Black Rail continues to exist inland.  
But, I do not know.

Help and suggestions welcome.



Frank Enders, Halifax NC.  fkenders@hotmail.com

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