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NC Cave Swallow Update
- To: <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
- Subject: NC Cave Swallow Update
- From: "Ritch Lilly" <scbeachbums@hotmail.com>
- Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 19:53:28 -0500
- Delivered-to: pardo@metalab.unc.edu
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
I watched the carolinabirds list last week from Gatlinburg, TN and then from
Winfield, WV to see what cool birds would show up as soon as I left the
beach. Cave Swallows and a Varied Thrush hadn't been on any of my trip
lists lately ;-) and I was hoping they'd hang around for just a bit longer.
Seeing that the thrush hadn't been relocated yesterday, I decided to head
north to look for the swallows instead.
I checked Ocean Isle first. From 9:00 a.m. to noon I found five swallows...
all were Tree Swallows. I checked the west end up to the gated area and
found nothing. I parked and walked the beach down to the inlet with no
luck. I drove to the east end of the island and found nothing.
I then headed for Sunset Beach. I went directly to the west end hoping that
the extremely cool temps this morning may have driven the birds a bit
further that direction. Just before the parking area, I saw two more Tree
Swallows. That wasn't encouraging. However, when I parked and looked out
over the marsh, every swallow that I could positively identify was a Cave
Swallow. The first was seen at around 12:20 p.m. and they were seen until I
left at 3:30 p.m. At one point, twenty-one could be identified from the
parking area but additional birds could be seen well off in the distance
toward Bird Island. I made my way to the beach and headed that direction.
No Cave Swallows were seen working the dunes as I had anticipated. However,
some 1/2 to 3/4 mile down the beach, I could see more swallows off to the
northwest around an abandoned power line. Eventually I found a break in the
dune line and made it through the marsh (glad the tide was out) toward this
area. My best count here was twenty-three and additional birds could still
be seen in the direction of the parking area. As I headed back for the
truck, birds had now begun to work the dune area. Although I can't be
certain these were not in some cases several of the birds that were seen
earlier, there were at least a dozen birds here. Regardless, I feel certain
there was a minimum of forty Cave Swallows in the area.
For anyone that may need these birds for their SC lists, they were less than
1/2 mile from Little River Inlet and Waites Island, SC. Hopefully a few
will work their way our direction.
Thanks to all that posted information on these birds. I wasn't expecting to
get to see these guys anytime soon.
Good Birding!
Ritch Lilly
Myrtle Beach, SC
scbeachbums@hotmail.com