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where is the wagtail?



Howdy folks,

Sorry to hear that our visitor is being less cooperative today. It may
have left overnight, but maybe not. It was sticking pretty strictly to the
sandy beach at Sandling, which suggests that other flat, open, sandy areas
are worth checking. One fringe benefit of the recent rains and higher
water levels in Falls Lake is that the supply of flat, open, sandy areas
is much more restricted than it was a few weeks ago (when this wagtail
would, maybe even did, have the choice of many acres of suitable habitat).
If I had time (which I might on Saturday), I'd start by checking the
beaches at Rolling View SRA, one of which is visible from Sandling and
might present a tempting destination for a wagtail if its current beach
ran low on bugs. The state parks website says that Beaverdam SRA also has
a sandy beach, and Holly Point has one for campers.

Various of our reports have appeared on the Virginia, West Virginia, and
Maryland listservs; we better find this critter for all the folks driving
down from up north! On the Georgia listserv they're too busy arguing about
cats, apparently...

Was looking at Sibley (the guide, not the guy) and reflecting on Wagtails.
North Carolina is now one of only three states, and the only state not on
the Pacific coast, to have multiple wagtail species on its state list!
Alaska and California each have all three US species (Yellow, White, and
Black-backed). Then there's NC with Black-backed and now White. White has
also been recorded in SC of course, plus Michigan (the only inland
US wagtail record) and Newfoundland (wonder if they ID'd that one to
subspecies?). I seem to recall records from Louisiana and New Mexico too,
the same year as the SC bird, but I guess they didn't get accepted or
published in time for inclusion in the Sibley guide... Black-backed has a
record that appears to be from Long Island and one from Oregon, while
Yellow records are all Pacific: British Columbia, Washington, Baja
California.

Just in case anyone wasn't yet convinced that this bird was exciting...

Good birding,

Josh


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

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