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insignificant Scotland Neck sod farm shorebirds



September 14 while driving to Greenville, I stopped at the Winslow sod farm. 
  45 Killdeer(few), 3 Kestrels(many).

Kestrels were within 100 feet of one another.  Definitely no merlins while 
we were there.
Perhaps the fewer killdeer are related to the merlin seen earlier this month 
harassing the shorebirds; perhaps the low numbers are related to the 
killdeer finding more habitat in other fields; I had 1+ Horned Lark, gone 
since June, reappear over a cultivated field next to my home within a day of 
the field being plowed; and, this week I have had 5 Killdeer on my 
driveways, which were fairly wet, where only 2-3 were present earlier in the 
summer, and then more as flyovers.  (Peanuts, a major crop in Pitt, 
Edgecombe and Halifax counties were seen being dug in some fields to the 
south, Pitt County, which may draw off killdeer, though I think the birds 
will wait till after harvest to enter most peanut fields.)
Seems most likely that the turf farm is more attractive in dry times when it 
is irrigated, in sharp contrast to dry fields elsewhere.  Yesterday, while 
driving through Hobgood area from the turf farm, I saw pastures with pools 
of standing water, surely more attractive to killdeer and shorebirds than 
the "dry" turf farm.  Habitat I had not previously noted.

Also on Thursday the 14th, about 9 AM, a rain shower began just as I heard 
and saw a Pectoral Sandpiper flying south and lower, wheeling to land 
nearby, at my home.  Like the 2 Lesser Yellowlegs reported the other day, 
perhaps the rain events bring the shorebirds to ground.
I wonder if golfing birders have noted shorebirds coming down with rain 
starting?

I had hoped to see a lot of birds on the turf farm with a hurricane, but the 
hurricane events have not lived up to the predictions.  (In a different 
context, thank God for that!)

Frank Enders, Halifax NC.  fkenders@hotmail.com

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