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Hello!



My first post.  My name is Fred Houk, and my wife Virginia and I live in
Chatham county next to the WUNC TV tower on Terrells Mountain (highest
spot from Chapel Hill to the coast...make that Africa, lol.) at a lofty
700 feet or so.  We have seen one Mississippi kite soaring around the TV
tower of late, but sporadically, and usually in the company of the many
hawks and vultures.  Like I said, very sporadic, but if you are in the
area, and it's a nice day, the tower is of some interest...especially
during fall migration.

The reason I wrote is to introduce myself to the group.  I was the first
birder to bring to market what is now known as "shade grown coffee",
which protects winter habitat of migratory and indigenous birds in Latin
America.  So, North Carolina was once again, "first in flight".  I sold
my company (Counter Culture Coffee, which markets the Sanctuary brand of
shade grown coffees at various locations all over the country, but
mostly in NC and SC), but I urge all birders to patronize the young
folks who are still doing the good thing with their work.  There are
others as well, and I know most of the various roasters...the only other
ones I can honestly recommend as being serious habitat protecting
companies have the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center "Bird Friendly"
seal...  FYI, one of the scientists who works in DC at the Smithsonian
(the center is in the National Zoo) is a UNC grad...Dr. Robert Rice.
His family is from Raleigh.

Final thing:  tonight I had about 50 ruby throated hummingbirds (that's
about normal for mid July...it'll approach a hundred within a few weeks)
at my dozen or so feeders, along with two grey foxes, a dozen deer,
various racoons and possum, five to ten flying squirrels after dark, and
the usual local birds including a nice pair of blue grossbeaks at the
platform feeder, and wood thrushes singing at dusk.

Nice Saturday...I think everyone should live in the deep woods...buy it
up, and preserve it before the out of state developers completely screw
up the triangle, like I have watched them do in Orlando, and Atlanta in
my lifetime...

Happy birding from high atop Terrells Mountain,

Fred Houk
The last of the Chathamohicans