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Orchard Oriole, other notes--Durham NC on 4/17



Got my first Orchard Oriole of the spring, heard singing away in the trees
near my workplace, Durham Tech's Northern Durham Center, in Northern Durham
County, NC.

Not much else migrant-wise to report. I had my first hummingbird and swifts
in southern Durham County earlier in the week--Wednesday, 4/16. (As usual, I
am a few days behind the curve on spring migrant arrivals.)

A huge flock of cormorants (200+) has spent the week in Parkwood Lake in
southern Durham County. They were quite a sight on such a small lake. Most
of them had departed, as of today. They were fishing very actively, so
probably changed the lake's fish population quite a bit.

I've seen quite a few (Common?) Baskettail (Epitheca sp.) dragonflies around
that same lake. Still no Blue Corporals. I saw my first Snowberry Clearwing
(Hemaris diffinis), a day-flying "bumblebee moth" investigating the foliage
of its hostplant (Coral Honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens) in my yard
today. It took nectar from Bluestar, Amsonia tabernamontana, in my garden.

Botanical notes, perhaps of birders interested in phenology: Downy
Arrow-wood, Viburnum rafinesquiam, has just started to bloom around Durham.
Other viburnums, V. prunifolium (and V. rufidulum?) have just ceased
blooming--the members of this genus seem to separate their blooming periods
quite neatly. V. raf. is a low shrub, abundant in deciduous woods. It has
abundant heads of  creamy white, stinky flowers. Black Cherry, Prunus
serotina, has also just started to bloom. Redbuds flowers are all gone, and
Dogwood is past its prime. I've also seen chokeberry, Sorbus (Aronia)
arbutifolia in bloom this week, starting about 4/14.

Patrick Coin
Durham, NC
New Hope Audubon Society
http://www.newhopeaudubon.org/
patrick@coinconsult.net