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Shepherd Trail: 11 warbler sp.
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Shepherd Trail: 11 warbler sp.
- From: frank rheindt <frank.rheindt@duke.edu>
- Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 13:16:52 -0400
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Dear Carolinabirders,
prompted by other birders' postings about a minor warbler fallout yesterday
(Thursday), I went to the Shepherd Trail (Durham, NC) from 1500 through 1700hr.
I was trying out my new Marantz tape recorder for the first time doing some
playback of Titmouse calls, when all of a sudden a HUGE mixed high-canopy
warbler flock came in. It appears as though my playback attracted some
Titmice that were leading the mixed flock, and by continuing the playback I
was able to make the flock stay around in the same general area for a long
time. The same thing is known from mixed flocks in the lowland rainforest
communities of the tropics: I know that birders in Peru frequently play the
song notes of particular antshrike species when they're near a mixed flock,
as the other birds will follow the antshrikes around.
Among the best birds in that flock were:
WILSON'S WARBLER: 1 male; black cap, small size, dark undertail, no doubt
about ID
BLACKPOLL WARBLER: 1-2
Magnolia Warbler: 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler: 1-2
American Redstart: many
Parula: 3-4
Black-throated Blue Warbler: 1-2 males
Black/white Warbler: 1
Also, one silent empidonax moved along with the flock (I have a feeling
that this was not one of the resident Acadians, since its beak did not look
that bulky).
It is amazing how many Red-eyed Vireos are still on migration. The mixed
flock contained at least 5-8 of them, and I don't suppose they were all
recruited from the local population.
Quite remarkably, when I went to the Shepherd Trail this morning, the only
warblers I found were Pine and Yellowthroat (besides Cedar Waxwings and
Summer Tanagers). The birds seem to have moved on rather quickly.
Happy birding,
Frank E. Rheindt
Biology Department
Duke University
Durham, NC