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northeast Durham county; Birds of Conservation Concern



Hi Carolinabirders,

The USF&WS apparently just released a report entitled "Birds of
Conservation Concern 2002". The goal seems to be to identify species at
risk *before* they become officially endangered species and thus subject
to legal action. The report is on-line at
http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/reports/BCC2002.pdf

The list for the Carolinas is on pages 50 (coastal plain), 51 (mountains),
and 52 (piedmont). Unfortunately, they seem to be a bit late for some of
the species they've listed; it's been a while since anyone's seen Bewick's
Wren around these parts, or a breeding Upland Sandpiper, or a piedmont
Black Rail...

I slept a bit late this morning and missed the rendezvous for the New Hope
Audubon trip to the Butner Gamelands. After dropping Airlie off at the
Quaker meeting, I decided to hit some much less popular parts of northeast
Durham County. Managed to find eight species of sparrows, none terribly
surprising. I discovered that NCSU's extension service, which runs the
popular (among birds and birders) dairy facility along Lake Wheeler Road,
also has a beef cattle facility up near Bahama on Cassam Road. Didn't see
any longspurs or even pipits, but the habitat sure looked good for such
things; did see a Savannah Sparrow and tons of American Robins and Dark-
eyed Juncos, plus a few Hooded Mergansers on a nearby farm pond. And lots
of folks who have chased the longspurs along Dairyland Road can attest to
how missable they are...

Next stop was Lake Michie Dam Road. Moments after making the turn I
flushed about 20 sparrows; then as I stopped, about 20 more flew out, then
20 more... probably over 200 birds total! ID'd only Song, Swamp, Field,
and White-throated, but in such a large group there could easily have been
more that I missed. Biggest sparrow flock I've seen this winter, I think.

Last place I had time for was just across Old Oxford Highway from there,
the Flat River impoundments. I had only been there once before, and was
impressed by how marshy the whole place was; looked good for birds of that
habitat, but only added more sparrows. More of all of the above, plus
several Fox, one singing. Three Red-tailed Hawks soaring at once overhead.
Could hear folks breaking the no-hunting-on-Sundays law in the distance.
At least half a dozen Eastern Phoebes were patrolling the edge of one
impoundment. Some of the Swamp and Song Sparrows were walking precariously
on the mats of floating pondweeds in the water.

Back at home, more activity than usual this morning; my normally quiet
feeders, which rarely have more than one non-House-Finch bird in
attendance at any given time, had several chickadees and titmice and male
and female Downy Woodpeckers taking turns, and a Yellow-rumped Warbler on
the suet. I've seen Pine Warblers take suet before, when I lived over near
the Duke Forest, but never a butter-butt until now...

Good birding,

Josh


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

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