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Yellowthroats in Charleston streets



Hi folks, (please reply to capito@hotmail.com)

(Quick B-t Gray note: As I mentioned in an earlier post... Cape May and 
Eastern MA have both had this species this season)

Saturday dusk found us on the observation platform at Magnolia Gardens. We 
watched more than 25 Indigo Buntings take off from the grounds (in groups of 
up to 6) and head south. I was chomping at the bit to do some birding but 
this was a 'tourist' trip.

Sunday evening we visited the aquarium in downtown Charleston. It was quite 
blustery and I figured that the conditions were perfect for a fallout... I 
just didn't know exactly where. My better half and I exited the aquarium 
building and began walking down the ramp when I noticed a few birds flitting 
about in the patch of green (marsh grass and a little lawn/shrub) next to 
the exit ramp. It's 40 X 15 feet and is surrounded by pavemnet and beach... 
so I was quite surprised to see a female REDSTART hopping from grass to mud 
to grass, searching for food. Sure enough, there were 5 YELLOWTHROATS there 
too (one adult male and female each and 3 imm. males). Later in the evening 
I found 2 imm. male Yellowthroats lying dead on King Street, downtown (poor 
little guys).

It figured that we had spent the best birding day INSIDE (boo hiss). So I 
made it a point to go to Folly Island this morning. The sun was already out, 
but the 200 yards of Myrica brush near the south tip still had the 
following:

20++ Common Yellowthroats (almost ALL were imm. males)
50++ Palm Warblers (1/6th of them were western; always moving & hard to 
count)
3 Magnolia Warblers
1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
1 Prarie Warbler
3 Redstarts
2 Red-eyed Vireo
4 House Wren
1 Ruby-cr. Kinglet
3 B-g Gnatcatchers
2 Catbirds

A migrant Coopers Hawk (a huge imm. bird. Probably a female) and 15 or so 
Kestrels were headed south as well.

The shoreline at the tip provided my state Western Sandpipers in the same 
bino view as Least and Semi sp.

So not too bad for a non-birding trip. I left for Charleston w/my state Song 
Sparrow at my feeders and came home to a slightly chilled R-t Hummer (doing 
lots of perching at the feeder)

Cheers
Paul Champlin
New Ellenton, SC
capito@hotmail.com
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