Wake Lake Updake - I mean, Update

[Joshua Stuart Rose <jsr6@duke.edu>]

Hi c-birders,

Had to take my pet lizards (Blue-tongued Skinks) to the NCSU vet school 
for a check-up today. I was left with a couple of hours to kill while 
they ran bloodwork. After a burger at the Berkeley Cafe (advertised as 
Raleigh's best, but give me the R&T Grill any day), I decided to head 
down to Lake Wheeler Road and visit the usual spots there.

The road by the NCSU Experimental Farm Shop was pretty quiet. The pond in 
back was empty, unlike last time. I saw no pipits; I did hear a 
high-pitched call that may have been a Horned Lark, but I'm not sure. Saw 
two Palm Warblers in and under a Magnolia tree, a Pine Warbler in the 
small vineyard, and an American Kestrel on the wires along Lake Wheeler 
Road.

NCSU's dairy pond was busier: a flock of 185 Canada Geese lined the 
shore, while about a dozen Northern Shovelers, a handful of RIng-necked 
Duck, and a lone Lesser Scaup fed in the pond. A large flock of Brown- 
headed Cowbirds flew in as I was leaving, but landed out of sight, so I 
couldn't inspect for other blackbird species. Yates Mill Pond looked 
empty at first glance, but I eventually spied a small raft of Hooded 
Mergansers and a few scattered Bufflehead.

Called the vet, but the bloodwork was still being processed so I stopped 
at Lake Wheeler along Penny Road. I left the car just in time to catch a 
large mixed-species insectivore flock: mostly Yellow-rumped Warblers at 
first, then mostly titmice, and at the end mostly Golden-crowned 
Kinglets. Heard RC Kinglets as well, and spotted a Pine Warbler and a 
sapsucker, both very brightly colored individuals. The number of Ring- 
billed Gulls was down from over 300 two weeks ago to about 50 today; a 
raft of 9 Ruddy Ducks was also here.

West Lake had its usual flock of Canvasback, about 30, and 6-7 pairs of 
American Widgeon. No sign of the Redhead that was there two weeks ago. 
The pond just south of West Lake, usually empty, had 3 each Ring-necked 
Ducks and Hooded Mergs.

I finally got the call from the vet that the lizards were ready while I 
was using the facilities at the Lake Wheeler Park HQ. As long as I was 
there, I took a look around. The other 250 Ring-bills were here, along 
with 5 or so American Coots. Also three barnyard-style geese, and several 
Mallards of questionable origin. THe park had a trough of millet out, 
which was frequented not only by the Mallards but also one coot and a few 
Ring-bills while I was there. Then I met Ben Herrmann, the person who was 
looking for a birdwatching teacher on this list a few weeks ago.

Good birding,

Josh



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

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