Re: scarce pine warblers? and Wood Ducks?

[Michael Swaim <miaim@mebtel.net>]

Pat Coin and I saw a couple pine warblers at the Forestry demo land off 
Big Woods Rd. in Chatham Co. on Sat. They didn't get mentioned in his 
report, but they and some goldfinches were there. (The goldfinches were 
busy attacking sweet gum balls, while the pine warblers worked the 
loblollies.) I would recommend that area and the State Park boundary 
trail just south of there (also on Big Woods Rd.) as potentially 
interesting places to check from time to time.

 But you're right, they have been few and far between. This weekend I 
hope to check the Hill Forest area around Rougemont for pine warblers 
and whatever else I may find. The other place I thought about checking 
for them is the newer section of Duke Forest off Hwy. 70 just west of 
Hillsborough. It's currently closed due to ice storm damage, but 
hopefully will reopen before the holiday break. It's got lots of 
smaller pines, not too far from a small water impoundment which might 
be good for various ducks, including wood. 

Regarding wood ducks; I've actually been looking for them and other 
ducks and teals at the swampy areas off Big Woods rd. and off Farrinton 
Rd. So far, I've only seen a single wood duck this Fall/Winter and it 
was a flyover that Doug Shadwick IDed. Other areas worth checking, 
locally, might be Lakes Orange, Michie and Michael and the Cane Creek 
Reservoir. (Hunting is forbidden at most of these, and I'm wondering if 
they won't have more appeal to the ducks?)

If anybody's interested in an impromptu field trip to some of these 
areas this weekend or anytime during the holidays, email me offline, 
and we'll see about getting together some Sat. or Sun. morning. 

Mike Swaim
miaim@mebtel.net
Western Orange Co., NC