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Johnston Mill



Hi Carolinabirders,

This morning, after much e-mail interchange, I had my first personal 
encounter with Shantanu Phukan. We met at the Johnston Mill tract, a 
Triangle Land Conservancy preserve in Orange County. We heard a singing 
Louisiana Waterthrush almost as soon as we started down the trail, 
followed by a Scarlet Tanager. Before our little walk was over, we had 
great long looks at both of these species (though not the same 
individuals) while they sang, and a close-range singing Wood Thrush in 
plain sight as well! We had less satisfying looks at a singing American 
Redstart and Yellow-throated Warbler, and a non-singing Black-and-White,  
and heard Northern Parula many times. Alas, no sound or sight of 
Shantanu's hoped-for Kentucky, or Hooded either. And no Ovenbirds, 
surprisingly! We did see and hear Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks 
flying just over the forest canopy.

My point of biggest excitement, though, was probably finding a Trillium 
in bloom right by the trail! And numerous Jack-in-the-Pulpits, also 
blooming. A friend later confirmed that the Trillium was T. catesbeyi. No 
sign of the Gray Petaltail dragonfly, Tachopteryx thoreyi; guess I have 
to keep trying... We did see a sudden and unexplained aggregation of 14 
Eastern Tiger Swallowtails swarming by the new parking area, and several 
Carolina (maybe) Satyrs in the woods, including a mating pair with a 
third individual horning in.

On Sat, 28 Apr 2001, Harrold, Eric S wrote:
> 
> The neat thing about both of the
> previously mentioned lifers is that I identified them by song first and then
> sight. I'm not too sure that this is the way most folks do it

Actually, that's the way I do it too; Shantanu and I were discussing that 
this morning as we walked. When he lived in Chicago, and I in 
Massachusetts, we got to actually *see* the birds, as the spring migrants 
arrived before the leaves were fully out. Now that we both live down 
here, we're both focusing much more on songs. That's fine with me, of 
course; if I don't need to use my eyes for the birds, I can look that 
much harder for herps, bugs, plants, etc.

> Solitary vireo (can't stand the name change)

Hear, hear! I still insist that we have Rufous-sided Towhees, too!

Good birding,

Josh


Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Biology (Zoology, R.I.P.)

jsr6@acpub.duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/