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Swan Days birds



Folks:
	I spent much of Friday and all day Saturday in the Mattamuskeet NWR
area. Swan Days is the festival held over the first weekend of December
there. This year, for the first time, a birdathon was held, with 7 teams
participating.

Derb Carter and I, along with some help from Ricky Davis, found 126
species to lead the list. But, as the three of us have participated on
many Christmas Bird Counts there over the years, we had a clear
advantage. Best birds we had were a Ross's Goose or two on both days
seen flying with big flocks of Snow Geese high over the road between
Fairfield and Engelhard. Does anyone know where 10,000 Snow/Blue Geese
rest/feed/roost in the northeastern part of Hyde County? Do they roost
on Alligator River, Swan Lake, or in the superfields on private land??
At any rate, the Ross' was easily noted in the V's flying overhead.

Along the causeway of the lake we had a male Wilson's Warbler, near the
entrance road (close to the triangular impoundment). There were a couple
of rickybirds along the causeway (i.e., birds that Ricky Davis found
that seem to elude other birders). I'll let him detail those.
Unfortunately, no one saw the Black-headed Gull or White Pelican seen
earlier, so they may be gone. Thru the grapevine I understand that a
Marbled Godwit and 75 American Avocets are present at east-end
impoundments (behind closed gates that were accessed by tour
particpants); these are very rare birds on the refuge. And, Kelly Davis
has several presumed Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at her feeders, which
Derb and I watched on Saturday.

Thanks to Kelly Davis for arranging the birdathon and making Swan Days
such a memorable event (and, the weather for the 3-day weekend was just
about perfect -- sunny, cold, and generally calm). And, for my $15
participation fee, I got much more in return --a Swan Days sweatshirt,
waterfowl stationery, a Hyde County carrying bag, bird toys (I got a
Blue Grosbeak that sings its own song!), and more!!
-- 
Harry LeGrand
NC Natural Heritage Program
1615 MSC
Raleigh, NC 27699-1615
(919) 715-8687 (work)
FAX: 919-715-3085
e-mail: harry.legrand@ncmail.net