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

Morris Creek 10/14/2000



        
A walk through the creekbottom in the late morning/early afternoon found a
few birds of interest.  Despite the presence of several winter species, I
found several migrant passerine and raptor species.  

Among the migrants found today were:

Black-throated Green Warbler - a very nice look at an apparently first year
male who will indeed grow up to be a handsome devil - he was seen eating
berries, mostly dogwood berries, and catching a small inchworm

Blackburnian Warbler - a first year female, apparently - seems a bit late
for them, but the Dunn & Garrett say the peak is just past (first week of
October) and Post & Gauthreaux have late dates for them way out into October 

Sharp-shinned Hawk - an immature, probably female - a flyover

another small kettle of vultures, this time a mixed kettle of Turkey & Black
Vultures, looking in vain for a thermal on a day that didn't seem good for
the formation of thermals

White-eyed Vireo - I found this handsome individual in a tangle of scuppernong
along with two White-throated Sparrows - for the Piedmont, this was an
example of summer side-by-side with winter, as White-eyed Vireo is only a
summer resident this far inland but lots of White-throated Sparrows winter here

lots of Flickers heard

Among the probable non-migrants found today:

Eastern Bluebirds heard in the yard this morning 

Eastern Phoebe - the winter resident yard Phoebe, who was making a great
deal of noise last Saturday in a day-long running battle with an interloper,
another Phoebe, was calling in his one note winter call today

several lengthy passages of strange wren notes heard today - couldn't decide
if it was House Wren, Winter Wren, or Carolina Wren

I was pleasantly surprised to find any warblers at all.  I had boldly hoped
for Tennessee or Bay-breasted Warbler, but was quite happy to find the
Black-throated Green and the Blackburnian.

All in all, it was a pleasant walk.

Donna Bailey
Winnsboro, SC
e-mail: dsbailey@conterra.com
URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey
     "Where are the Birds?  Migration across South Carolina"
URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey/audubon	
    "Columbia Audubon Society"