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Sparrows, foliage, and an upcoming fieldtrip!



Dwayne and I spent the better part of three hours this morning at the Wagner
Property in Happy Valley, NC.  We were scouting out the fields for our
"Sparrow Hunt" next Saturday with the Foothills Bird Club.  Last year's trip
was a bust at this site because of all the fill in dirt that had been
brought in----and dumped on top of all the sparrow habitat that had been
good in the past.  We think, though, that although the sparrow habitat is
quite a bit smaller as compared to years past, it may actually be better
because you can walk along the edge of the fill dirt (which is completely
grassed over now and has been mowed recently) and look down on the sparrows
in the weedy-wet areas.  You can see their every move!!  If you'd like to
join us next Saturday (October 21st) then see the details below.

Anyhow, here is the list of the birds we saw:

Great Blue Heron  1
Canada Goose  15+ (it truly looked like fall with them coming up from behind
one of the hills with all of the fall foliage, honking all the time)
Wood Duck  1
Blue-winged Teal  5
Turkey Vulture  2  (both sitting on fence posts with their wings spread.  A
really intimidating sight!)
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
American Kestrel 1
Merlin  1  (a fast moving migrant)
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Mourning Dove  15+
Belted Kingfisher  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  3
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  2
Pileated Woodpecker  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  1
Eastern Phoebe  5+ (all making lots of noise!)
Blue Jay 3
American Crow  100+
Carolina Chickadee  5+
Tufted Titmouse  3+
Carolina Wren 3+
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
Eastern Bluebird  3
American Robin  100+
Northern Mockingbird  1  (a first for us at this location!)
Cedar Waxwing  8
Magnolia Warbler  1
Common Yellowthroat  3+
Palm Warbler  2
Northern Cardinal  10+
Indigo Bunting  2 (both females)
Eastern Towhee  5
Vesper Sparrow  1  (Great Looks!!!!)
Savannah Sparrow  50+
Song Sparrow 75+  (there seemed to be a Song Sparrow for every blade of
grass!)
Swamp Sparrow  20+ (mostly in the wetter areas of the field)
White-throated Sparrow  10+
White-crowned Sparrow  3  (an adult and two immatures---in one little willow
tree!)
Red-winged Blackbird  2
Eastern Meadowlark  10+
Common Grackle  1
House Finch  2
American Goldfinch  3

We'll be meeting at the Burger King in Lenoir (at the corner of Hwys 321 and
18) at 8:00am.  We will spend several hours birding at the Wagner Property
and then follow Highway 268 on to W. Kerr Scott Reservoir where we'll have a
picnic lunch (be sure to bring one!) and enjoy the fabulous fall
colors---they will be at PEAK next week!!!!  If time allows, we'll also try
looking for sparrows at a new park we found in Wilkesboro.  If you'd like to
join us, just send me an e-mail sometime this week so we won't miss anyone!
Hope to see you then!

*************************
Dwayne & Lori Martin
Foothills Bird Club
Claremont, NC
dlmartin@twave.net