[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
MORE UNUSUAL DOVEKIE SIGHTINGS
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: MORE UNUSUAL DOVEKIE SIGHTINGS
- From: "Brad Carlson" <bradcarlson1@hotmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 09:32:38 -0500
- Delivered-to: pardo@metalab.unc.edu
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
A slightly tardy post, but I wanted to report that multiple DOVEKIE
sightings continued at least through Sunday on the Outerbanks. Brian
Patteson already noted that we had eight Dovekies on the Saturday pelagic
out of Hatteras. However, some of us also had two very unusual DOVKIE
encounters on Sunday afternoon.
After birding Cape Point for gulls on Sunday, Wayne Irvin, Jeff Lewis, Joan
Kutulas and I headed back north on Rt. 12. In addition to the thousands of
Cedar Waxwings along the telephone wires, we found a roadkill DOVEKIE on Rt.
12! It must have tried to land there Saturday night thinking the road was
water. The bird had been run over repeatedly, so there was no use keeping
the skin for the NC museum.
We continued on and stopped at Pea Island visitor center. While Jeff
checked the bird sightings sheet, I ran across the road to scan the ocean.
I saw four Great-black Backed Gulls attacking something in about 1 foot of
surf. They grabbed it and threw it in the tidal zone. I immediately knew
what it was and ran down the beach screaming at them. They flew and, when
the waves subsided, I ran down to the water and grabbed a live Dovekie out
of the sand. The poor thing had a broken right leg and was bleeding badly
from the bill. It was very active and alert though. I brought it back
across the street for everybody to see. I took lots of photos.
Unforfortunately there was nothing we could do to save it though. We are
providing the DOVKIE to the NC museum for their specimen collection.
I never imagined that I would get to have a Dovekie in the hand!
- Brad Carlson
Winterville, NC
BradCarlson1@hotmail.com
_________________________________________________________________
Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail