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Strays nin the east and an RCW/Merlin story
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Strays nin the east and an RCW/Merlin story
- From: "Paul Champlin" <skua99@hotmail.com>
- Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2000 22:11:29 EDT
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Hi Folks,
I just figured I'd add a few sightings and a note about strays.
1st. There still seem to be a good number of SABINE'S GULLS being seen from
various locations... like ALL OVER.
2nd. The first Ash-throated Flys are filtering into the east while there are
still a few WESTERN KINGBIRDS being seen.
...and here are a few other interesting postings from other locations in the
east & central continent from the last month:
- "10 Oct CASSIN'S SPARROW" - New York
- "RED-SHAFTED" FLICKER [Colaptes auratus cafer] 1st New Brunswic record:
09.30 1 - Whistle Road, GMI (Beverly Schneider).
- "This is a special announcement of a very rare sighting. BREWER'S SPARROW
is a western species that is not expected in the eastern part of Texas".
- "Just to add to Alan's comments here. Southern California has also been
experiencing a "montane bird" movement this fall, I have heard of Pinyon
Jays and other stuff out of place down there. There was a small thread on
this on the state list (calbird-l). Nothing similar so far in northern
California".
Meanwhile. Here in South Carolina:
Me? I've had a large number of migrants moving through OTHER than Yumps. The
number of B-T BLUES is higher now than any time during my stay (starting
back in May). I have also had several TENNESSEE, WORMEATING, B-T GREEN,
MAGNOLIA warblers etc. The bulk of the birds are Yumps though with large
numbers of the normal migrants that accompany them.
I SAVED THE BEST FOR THE LAST... Today while doing observations on
Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (which had worked their way out into a peninsula of
tall pine surrounded by 10 foot tall plantation on Rt. 278 in New Ellenton,
SC) an adult male columbarius MERLIN came screaming in from the north and
penetrated the pine stand. One of the RCWs bolted from the stand and rose up
above the plantation, a bit of panic in its call. The Merlin continued
chase, the RCW, then climbing, decided it was not breaking away from the
predator. As the RCW began a rapid decent, the Merlin GAINED on the
woodpecker, nearly snatching it from the sky. Doing a quick calculation, I
figured out that the woodpecker was about 1/150th of our population at the
SRS. How may Merlins are there? (I asked myself). My hands came together in
rapid succession, with such force as to make them tingle as though bordering
on frostbite.
The Merlin, prey at near arms length, had continued chase in a near circle,
to just over the trees from which it had driven its morsel; just over my
head! Immediately over head, it heard my claps (and I think a yell), pausing
for just a moment; just enough time for the would-be breakfast to dash into
the canopy from where it had been forced. The Merlin, thwarted, flew once
over the stand and off to the south to perhaps another cluster of RCWs...
but I hope not.
Paul Champlin
capito@hotmail.com
New Ellenton, SC
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