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Sparrows, etc.



I spent some time birding the farm fields/old fields of Henderson County this 
weekend to welcome the winter sparrows.  There were plenty of them to 
welcome.  Plenty of the usual Song and Savannah plus Swamp, Chipping, Field, 
Vesper, Lincolns, White-throated, and veritable bonanza of White-crowned.  
Although I encountered them at several locations, there were about 40 - 50 in 
one old field in Horseshoe.  Many of them were singing as well.  Although all 
the usual  players are back, I don't think the White-throats are back in very 
big numbers yet.  The only winter sparrow I haven't seen yet is Fox, but I 
don't usually see them until November or sometimes even later.
    Other notes,  it seems the Palm Warbler numbers are petering out from the 
big numbers seen in the last two or three weeks, but Yellow-rumped numbers 
are picking up.  
    The hawks also seem to be happy in the old fields.  In the field with the 
White-crowned (near the French Broad River), there were also a pair of 
Red-shouldered who seemed unable to decide whether they were happy with each 
others company or not, a Coopers that unseated a Sharp-shinned, and a poor N. 
Harrier being mobbed by about every crow and blackbird in the county.  Even 
the Red-shouldereds screamed at her (it was a she) a few times to hasten her 
on her way.  She'll be back, though.  There are usually two or three that 
stick around in that area all winter.
    By the way, Henderson County is in the southern NC mountains.
    One last note:  will the person who emailed me in September about 
photographing a certain bird in Henderson County please email me.  I think 
the person was from Charlotte, or possibly Greenville. 
Marilyn Westphal, Hendersonville
email:  mjwestphal@unca.edu