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why do Blackpolls come to town?



Hi Carolinabirders,

Spent last weekend at the fourth annual Dragonfly Days festival. Tons of
fun and dragonflies, and a few birds too: Green Kingfisher, American White
Pelican, and a trio of White-tailed Kites the best of the lot. Might
actually be cruising from Myrtle Beach up the Waccamaw River on Sunday
with my mother-in-law. Anyone who's birding down that way, watch for a
boat named "Li'l Lady", and wave if you see us!

On Thu, 22 May 2003, Robin Carter wrote:
>
> Blackpoll Warbler -- common spring migrant in SC. I have found them even in
> early June. More easily found in town than out in the country, for some
> reason.

So does anyone have a clue why this is? Here in Durham, Blackpolls are all
over the big oaks that line the streets around the Duke campus, near Ninth
Street, even here close to downtown; some of the larger trees around, but
absolutely no understory. I guess there are some out in the woods, but not
nearly as densely packed. So is there something about town that attracts
them? Or are they dispersed all across the landscape, and then once in
town just collect into the few trees available, while remaining thinly
spread across the countryside? I haven't noticed the same pattern in the
fall, but that could just be that they don't sing in the fall and so are
harder to notice... I've seen them on their breeding grounds, but those
are mostly small spruces and other evergreens, not big oaks.

Just wondering,

Josh


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

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