[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

White Wagtail!



Hi C-birders,

Yes, the curse has been lifted! Norm Budnitz and I - who drove down to
Huntington Beach SP a few years back and managed to be there for about the
only four-hour span that the White Wagtail there was NOT seen during its
visit of a couple of weeks - joined the party and saw the White Wagtail at
Sandling Beach SRA today.

For those who don't know the way, take I-85 north past downtown Durham.
Exit at US 70 exit 178 I think; then get off 70 at NC 98 and turn right
out of the off-ramp, which will point you east. Keep driving until you
reach NC route 50, then go north on NC 50 across the eastern arm of Falls
Lake. You'll soon see the entrance to Sandling Beach State Recreation Area
coming up on your left. Once in the park, drive straight until you see the
large parking lot, beach, and swimming area on your left.

The bird was running non-stop up and down the beach; it chases flies up
the sand one way, reaches the edge of the woods, reverses direction,
chases flies until it reaches the woods at the extreme far end of the
beach, and repeats. Its energy level is incredible, almost hummingbird-
like! That tail never stops! There were two scary moments: once, a
Red-tailed Hawk flew along the shoreline, and the Wagtail flew out over
the water calling, but it eventually looped back around and returned to
the beach. Later, a much scarier Merlin flew in and perched in the biggest
snag by the beach, but the Wagtail - for about the only time during the
half-hour or so we were there - stopped moving, and remained completely
motionless until the Merlin flew back off the way it came and disappeared
over the trees.

Norm and I picked up Airlie and had a celebratory dinner at AnotherThyme
in Brightleaf Square; but first we noticed a riDICulous number of Chimney
Swifts in the air! Norm remembered that they roost in the nearby
smokestack of the Durham School for the Arts, so we walked over there and
watched the great hurricane of swifts, at least a few thousand, whirl
about overhead and finally pour down into the chimney. All I can say is
WOW! According to the Triangle Bird Checklist, this is about the last week
we can expect to see swifts in any kind of appreciable numbers, so
everybody enjoy them now or you'll have to wait until April...

Good birding, and thanks to all the folks for getting the word out about
the Wagtail!

Josh


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

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