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things that slipped through the cracks



Hi Carolinabirders,

First off, I forgot to mention - in my epic tale from Beaufort, Ocracoke,
and Portsmouth - that we had ANOTHER CBC bat out there! And this one *not*
the suddenly (or at least suddenly recognized) ubiquitous Red Bat, but
probably a Silver-haired Bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), according to the
NC Museum of Natural History's Jeff Beane, who was present for the CBC.
The bat flew in and hid temporarily between an open window and the corner
of its frame during the Tally Rally (big potluck dinner following the two
CBCs). We prodded it back out so the window could safely be closed again.

I hadn't checked the Jack Siler archives since the CBC season started.
Looks like we missed some great stuff in neighboring states! Most
surprising was a female Mountain Bluebird down in south Florida; a bit
closer to home, there was a Sage Thrasher in Georgia! More recently, a
Harris' Sparrow turned up in Florida. And in the Myiarchus department, TWO
Brown-crested Flycatchers in south Florida, and a Ash-throated in Alabama.
That was all before New Year's; more recently, a possible Swainson's Hawk
sighting near Atlanta, and in Alabama they've banded that state's second
Broad-billed Hummingbird.

Virginia, even more recently, had a Clark's Grebe at Fort Story near
Virginia Beach; it's been reported in that area the past two winters, but
this time someone allegedly got verifiable photographs of it. Until now
there have been NO documented records of the species on the east coast,
just a few sight reports.

Sadly, the only one of the above birds which has been seen in the last
couple of days is the Florida Harris' Sparrow. But I just felt like, after
reading everyone's apologies about the lack of mega-rarities on their
CBCs, that we might need a little encouragement to keep looking...

And back in my old home state of Massachusetts, not only is the downtown
Gyrfalcon remaining eminently chaseable, but a probable Long-billed
Murrelet has been reported; that would make the THIRD this winter for the
eastern US! Assuming we didn't miss any... Also a Northern Hawk-Owl up in
New Hampshire. And in New Jersey, as Brian Patteson just noted, several
reports of Razorbills, a few Dovekies, a couple of Common Murres, and at
least one Black Guillemot; might be a very good year to take a winter
pelagic...

And one political note: for those of us who still think that our present
administration can be reasoned with, I've just received an alert saying
that they have proposed to do away with the Forest Service's "viability
rule" which requires that National Forest management plans ensure the
continued viability of the populations of wildlife native to each NF.
Various alerts on-line ask folks to contact either the president, or
Forest Service chief Mike Dombeck, and ask them to retain this rule. A few
websites with more information (which vary in how up-to-date they are):
http://www.house.gov/simmons/releases/2002-4/121702.html
http://www.gsenet.org/library/11gsn/1997/gs70520-.php
http://www.wilderness.org/standbylands/forests/management.htm
http://www.defenders.org/releases/pr2002/pr112702.html
http://www.nativeforest.org/action_alerts/ler_12_10_02.htm

Good birding,

Josh


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

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