Little Creek/Mason Farm

[Amalie Lewis Tuffin <amaliet@ix.netcom.com>]

I have been working hard enough lately that my boss told me "no one
would notice if I disappeared for the afternoon" today, an offer I was
only too glad to accept!  I started out the afternoon by fumbling around
with my new scope at Little Creek.  (Let's just say I'm not doing to
much spotting yet! <g>  I have learned that turtles make very
co-operative targets for finding and focusing; much better for learning
on then those pesky birds that like to move!)

I saw the snowy egret reported yesterday by Rob, as well as a green
heron.  (I saw my first one of the season at Little Creek on Saturday.)
There wasn't too much else around, and it was very hot, so I decided to
head over to Mason Farm, where I could at least bird from the shade much
of the time.

Mason Farm was buzzing with activity, including many songs that I don't
recognize yet.  I saw my first of the season Ruby-throated Hummingbird,
a male co-operatively sitting on top of a dead branch, as well as
American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat etc.  The
best bird, however, was the Kentucky Warbler, a lifer for me (#201 to be
exact).

After Shantanu's travails, I am almost embarrassed to admit how easy
this bird was to find!  After sitting for a while at the bench at marker
No. 18 - now I know why so many birds are seen at that marker ;-) - I
got up again and started walking down the path.  I am not someone who
can learn bird songs from a CD - I only retain them after being able to
associate the bird and the song, usually multiple times.  However,
because of Shantanu's messages, my ears and eyes immediately perked up
when I heard a loud series of "prreets" around marker 17.  I looked up
at the trail ahead of me, and there on a branch over the trail was the
Kentucky.  I didn't get a long luscious look by any means, but it was
good enough to ID the bird before it flew off into the woods to continue
singing.

Nothing too exciting the rest of the walk, although I did get great
looks at a pair of wood ducks, and got to hear a wood thrush sing for a
good 10 minutes.

Amalie Tuffin
Durham, NC