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Scoters and longspur (is this Durham NC or Canada?)



Hi Carolinabirders,

I couldn't chase the WW Scoters first thing today because I had a date
with the Duke Natural History Society. Some of you might remember Lucretia
Kinney e-mailing the list last fall asking for advice and suggestions
concerning a tract of land in Orange County. Well, a few of us visited
that land today. It turned out to be kitty-corner to the Korstian Division
of Duke Forest, and only a mile or two north of Dairyland Road on Old 86,
plus crossed by two creeks (and one beaver-inhabited pond) which feed
into Bolin Creek. The exotic species there were not as bad an infestation
as at many other places I've seen in our area; there was some scrubby
second-growth pine, some nice meadows, and some even nicer old hardwoods.
No surprising bird sightings, but one sapsucker, Red-bellied and Downy
Woodpeckers, a Red-tailed Hawk, and lots of sparrows. I'm torn between
advising them to grow out their forest to connect Duke Forest and the New
Hope Creek watershed with the Bolin Creek greenway and University Lake, or
whether to clear things out and make hayfields to promote Dickcissel,
Grasshopper Sparrow, and Warbling Vireo habitat like they have at Anilorac
Farm...

After the DNHS trip disbanded, I made a beeline for Lake Crabtree. I
called Sandy Cash en route to confirm that he'd seen them that morning; he
told me about the Goldeneye then too. He also mentioned the observation
tower; I didn't know before today that you could go up there! Makes
scanning the lake much easier... I got nervous when I saw no scoters on my
first two scans of the holes in the ice. On my third pass, however, they
finally came up for air. Yay, state bird! No sign of the Goldeneye, but
the waterfowl aggregation was very impressive, with Canvasbacks,
Buffleheads, and lots of Ruddies and Hoodies. The Hooded Mergs and
Buffleheads were feeling spring in their blood despite the ice around
them, chasing and displaying around the small patches of open water. Some
scaup and ring-necks were visible in the patch furthest back, but the
distance and heat distortion was too much to see for sure what was back
there, even from the tower.

As I descended from the tower, I spotted the one and only Harry LeGrand
at the water's edge, and went to say hello. I assumed that he was there to
see the scoters too, and had already done so. Then Brian Murphy arrived,
and I mentioned the scoters to him; and Harry said "What's this about
scoters?" Turns out he doesn't have e-mail access over the weekend; he
just happened to hit Crabtree because he figured there would be lots of
birds there! Harry had also hit Falls and Jordan Lakes, and as I left was
going around to the back side of Crabtree; he'll probably post his
sightings tomorrow. We both saw the scoters not long after that, one of
them surfacing with a large prey item of some sort which precipitated a
scuffle between the two of them.

As long as I had seen one new bird species in North Carolina today, I
decided to shoot for two, and drove back past where the DNHS had been that
morning, and down Dairyland Road to Maple View Farm where the Lapland
Longspur had been reported lately. I bought a chocolate milk and some
Hickory Hill cheese at the store, then wandered down the road. The fields
nearest the store were barren of birds, but as I considered turning around
at Meadow View street, I saw a big flock of blackbirds up the road in a
stubbled cornfield. I decided to check it out as long as I was there.
After walking closer and scanning the flock for a while (cowbirds,
grackles, redwings, starlings, meadowlarks, and flickers; couldn't find a
rusty but I think I smelled one), I heard an American Pipit call across
the road to the south. I got it in my binoculars, then heard a second;
then saw, behind the one pipit, several more in flight. They swirled
together and settled into a low spot. I walked to the top of the hill and
looked down, but saw only pipits and a couple of flickers.

Then the pipits took flight and crossed the road almost directly over me;
great view, at least 50 birds! But still just pipits. Then I heard one
last pipit call south of the road, straggling behind the rest. And a
second straggler with it, which gave a Lapland Longspur call! I got the
'spur in my binoculars just long enough to see the pale collar contrasting
with the dark cheek patch. After they disappeared over the hill, I scanned
the blackbird flock some more, and later heard the 'spur and pipits call
again as they flew back to the south side of Dairyland Road. I was so
glad, I went back to the store and bought some ice cream.

Two state birds, the longspur is #310; only 100 more and I'll really be
breathing down John Fussell's neck... (if he doesn't have 500 for the
state by then!)

Good birding,

Josh


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

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