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Jordan and Falls lakes birds



I spent the weekend actually NOT in either Cabarrus or Wayne counties,
but rather seeing what I could turn up at Jordan Lake (Fri) and Falls
Lake (Sun). No great rarities, but hundreds of birds. Both lakes had
feeding frenzies of D-c Cormorants and gulls.  The Farrington Bridge at
Jordan had 500-1000 birds -- cormorants, R-b and Bonaparte's gulls by
the hundreds, a few Herring Gulls, 10 or more Common Loons and Horned
Grebes, etc. The best bird was a Dunlin on a mudflat at the south end of
the bridge. A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher looked out of place in a sapling at
the bridge, as well. Hundreds of cormorants were on the docks at
Crosswinds Marina, and both vultures are now roosting and perching on
the boats docked there -- a most unusual sight that the owners would
rather not see!

The Cheek Road bridge at Falls Lake had similar numbers. Bonaparte's
gulls number in the hundreds on the lake, more so at the NC 50 bridge. I
did see two N. Shovelers and a wheeling flock of 15 or so Least
Sandpipers from that bridge. I had 8-10 Common Loons and Horned Grebes
at various points on the lake.

I saw two female Red-breasted Mergansers at Lake Crabtree on Thursday
afternoon, along with a few Gadwalls. And, I finally had my first Fox
Sparrows of the winter -- several along the Shepherd Nature Trail in
Duke Forest yesterday. I had a Purple finch fly over, my first of the
winter.

--
Harry LeGrand
NC Natural Heritage Program
1615 MSC
Raleigh, NC 27699-1615
(919) 715-8687 (work)
FAX: 919-715-3085
e-mail: harry.legrand@ncmail.net