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CBC issue; new yard list hits 50



Hi Carolinabirders,

Just got the latest ABA Sales catalog, which now has "Birding in North
Carolina State Parks" for $15...

Have slowly been making my way through the details of one of the three
copies of the CBC report that Audubon sent out a while back. Today I
reached the section on Florida. Bill Pranty makes several statements about
species he has deleted from the regional report for having insufficient
details, and for a few other species he warns that he will not accept
reports of them next year without details. I kinda like this idea, and
wonder if a list of such species - mostly common breeders that winter very
far away - could be put out for the Carolinas in advance of our CBCs (two
months away and counting). Every year people report Eastern Kingbirds,
Broad-winged Hawks, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, etc. on CBCs without any
recognition that they are reporting a rarity of staggering proportions!
The quality of CBC data might benefit a great deal from some kind of
advance warning of those species which are commonplace in the warmer
months but deserve photographs, recordings, or at least careful written
documentation in the winter.

Finally had a few spare minutes this morning to attempt to add some
southbound fall migrants to my new yard list in Old North Durham. To let
everyone know how lame my autumn's been in the bird department, until last
weekend the only southbound warbler I had seen this year was a dead
Chestnut-sided on Trinity Ave that I found while I was biking into work
one day... Finally spotted a live one, a Northern Parula to be precise, in
the yard on Sunday. This morning I saw another Parula, a basic-plumaged
Scarlet Tanager, an immature White-eyed Vireo, and a basic Black-throated
Blue Warbler (which was flitting actively around like a kinglet). I also
glimpsed a Red-tailed Hawk, looking massive and out-of-place as it winged
away below the canopy of the local trees. I had seen both warblers in the
spring, but the hawk, vireo, and tanager were new for the yard, bringing
it up to 50 bird species since we first visited in May. (for those who are
keeping track, that's one species more than I had in two years on Ninth
Street!)

I also had a flyover Common Nighthawk from the backyard this past weekend;
on the Triangle Bird Checklist, it's listed as "Rare" for the first week
of October, "Very rare" for the rest of the month, and not at all for
November.

As for the hummingbird departures, I lost my last one probably two weeks
ago! At both of my previous places of residence, they stuck around until
Duke's fall break began (mid-October), but I don't think I've seen one yet
this October...

Good birding,

Josh


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

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