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Nuthatch hat trick at Sarah P. Duke Gardens



Hi C-birders,

I, too, heard the NPR program about the birders chasing two vagrant 
hummingbirds. However, I got into the car in mid-report, and so never 
heard what species of hummingbird was involved. Fortunately, my friend 
Tracy Feldman heard the same story, and was having us over for a Chanukah 
dinner that night, so he filled me in.

Other birds in the media; the News and Observer (a salesperson conned my 
wife into subscribing by calling in the middle of her nap; at least I 
have lots of material with which to line my lizards' cage) had an article 
on the front page of the Metro (or whatever) section yesterday about 
various folks, including Wake Audubon, saving some Purple Martin houses 
in Raleigh from destruction. John Connors gets quoted at the end of the 
article.

Since my wife drove our car to the botanical gardens again today, I 
walked into school early this afternoon. Walked by way of the Duke 
Gardens. Shortly after entering the gardens, I walked into an area of 
great bird activity. I figured that, given the high activity level 
combined with lots of evergreen Magnolias and Rhododendrons, plus all the 
mild weather lately, I might find a lingering warbler or flycatcher. 
Instead, I found a winter irruptive, a Red-breasted Nuthatch! I actually 
heard it first, giving uncharacteristically short, abrupt calls but in a 
suspiciously RBNU-like voice. Eventually I spotted it to confirm the ID. 

This was in the Oriental garden area, uphill from the pond with all the 
exotic waterfowl, I think in the southeast corner. I had snickered when 
the new gardens insert in the Duke Chronicle mentioned "bird observation 
shelters", as the SPDG hasn't had anything better than an occasional 
warbler or two since the Great Horned Owls moved out several years ago. 
However, one of these shelters, with a little pond in front, was right in 
the center of all the activity. About 95% of the rest of the activity, 
even up in the trees, was Dark-eyed Juncos, but with some patience I 
pulled out all the usual suspects, including both Kinglets, Song and 
White-throated Sparrow, Pine and Yellow-rumped Warbler, Brown-headed 
Nuthatch, etc. before the Red-breast showed up. I kicked up a Hermit 
Thrush soon after.

Since I was having some luck, I tried walking through the Blomquist 
Native Plants Area before heading over here to Bio Sci. Nothing new 
there, many more Golden-crowned Kinglets but not much else. However, I 
did hear the Red-breasted Nuthatch, or another one, over here too; this 
time over the pond in the southwest corner.

I completed the nuthatch hat trick by hearing a White-breasted near the 
Duke Chapel just before getting to Bio Sci.

Good birding,

Josh


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

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