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Broad River WMA 23 February



At last finding a few free hours to bird, despite the high winds, Mac
Sharpe and I made our way to Broad River WMA yesterday to check on the
visitors and residents there.  While we found nothing unexpected, we did
happen to note some interesting behavior.

Among the birds seen/heard:

Ducks (in order of most numerous to least numerous) - Mallard, Ring-necked
Duck, Green-winged Teal, teal sp., Northern Shoveler.

Sparrows - Song, Swamp, Savannah.  Just a few Savannah Sparrows were heard.  

Kinglets - Golden-crowned, Ruby-crowned.  As has been true all winter, at
least in Lexington and Fairfield counties, the Golden-crowned outnumbered
the Ruby-crowned by at least 3 to 1.

Raptors - Bald Eagle (second year), Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk,
Red-shouldered Hawk.

Miscellaneous - Brown Creeper.  Here's where the "interesting" in the trip
came in.  The Brown Creeper was beginning to sing, sounding a few tentative
notes of his breeding song, repeating a three-noted phrase of high-pitched
nasally notes, as he worked his way up several Red Cedars while we watched
and listened. 

Among the tracks seen yesterday were Bobcat, Coyote, Gray Fox, White-tailed
Deer and Wild Turkey.  The Turkey, guessing from the length of the stride
and the force of the footfalls, was being pursued by something.
Unfortunately, the pursuer left no clues as to its identity.  

Among the gifts of the winds was a blown-down Red-eyed Vireo nest, still
attached to the twig it had been built on.  At least, based on
construction, shape, and where the nest apparently had been in the tree, I
assume it was a Red-eyed Vireo nest.  The round-bottomed pendulant little
nest was constructed of a spider silk/tent worm sheeting framework with
inner bark/grasses semi-woven in the exterior of the nest in the fork of a
twig more than 20 feet up in the tree.  

A beautiful day to be outside, even if the birds were a little slow.


Donna Slyce Bailey		
Lexington, SC

e-mail: dsbailey@conterra.com