MBBS surprise: Waxwings

[phukan@email.unc.edu (shantanu phukan)]

While doing my route for this year's Mini-Breeding Bird Survey in
Orange County I had one great surprise: a pair of Cedar Waxwings just
north of the corner of Chestnut Ridge Chapel Road and Buckhorn Road. 

At first I saw them fly over the road and couldn't believe my eyes. I
followed them as they flew into a grove of pines across Buckhorn Road
hoping they had not gone far, but could not relocate them. Returning
to my car I saw them both again fly back to where they had originally
come from and this time I saw all the details including the yellow
tipped tail. They flew into a thin strip of pine trees between a dirt
driveway and a trailer park (Runamock Ridge). A few minutes later they
were out again and flying across the road to the same grove of pines
as before. 

There were only two and from the way they were going back and forth
between the two patches of pine groves I would say they are breeding.
They are obviously paired. I have never seen Cedar Waxwings here in
late June and am excited at this discovery. If others want to go check
this out go to the corner of Chestnut Ridge and Buckhorn, hang a left
on Buckhorn and go approximately a tenth of a mile to a recently
cleared field on the left. Behind this field sits a two-story house.
to the right of the house (as you stand facing it) and behind a thin
skirt of pines sits Runamock Ridge Trailer park. The Waxwings were
going repeatedly into this skirt of pines, which are neither Loblolly
nor Longleaf, though I could not tell what they are, they have very
short needles and are full of little cones.


I did relocate the singing kentucky Warbler between Dodson's
Crossroads and orange Grove Road. It sang feebly and just once, so I
was lucky to get it. Also on Buckhorn Road I heard a Hooded Warbler
and watched a female Prairie Warbler forage for insects low down in
some tulip saplings. One surprise: NO yellowthroats anywhere whereas
previously Ihave had many on this route. The singing in general was
rather subdued, it was as if the birds were singing, but grudgingly.

Also swung by dairyland Road for the second time and DID NOT HEAR OR
SEE THe MALE DiCKCISSEL. I did see the female pop up for a second from
her nest yesterday. Does this mean that the male has died or merely
that with the nest building complete he has stopped singing? I really
hope the latter. Any conjectures anyone?

I had 51 species for the count.

I have not been able to access Will Cook's triangle area bird list,
can anyone tell me how rare Cedar Waxwings are here as breeding birds?


Shantanu Phukan