Evergreen Woods, Charlotte

[LSBarden@aol.com]

This morning, Louise and I were surprised to find an immature PRAIRIE WARBLER 
 feeding along the creek behind Winterfield School.  Has anyone else found 
evidence of prairie warblers breeding in Charlotte?  In the same area was a 
family of 4 GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHERS.  In the clearing we found the reliable 
INDIGO BUNTING and at the Evergreen Cemetery the usually reliable REDTAIL 
HAWK, which was apparently upset because of large bird soaring overhead in a 
thermal.  That was the most unexpected bird of the day, a GREAT BLUE HERON 
circling like an eagle, never flapping a wing as it rose from about 300 to 
about 1000 feet elevation.  We also watched a SONG SPARROW hopping on the 
ground followed by a very persistent juvenile BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD twice the 
size of the sparrow.  The sparrow was diligently feeding the cowbird.  I 
thought song sparrows would be able to recognize cowbirds as parasites, but 
apparently not.

Larry Barden