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a slew of winter firsts; also migrating warblers, Orange Co., NC



This is what makes me wish I could stay home all day from, say, Aug. 21 to
Nov. 1!

Friday, Oct. 15, 9 to 10 a.m. in the yard:
1st brown creeper of winter
1st yellow rumped warbler of winter
1st white throated sparrows seen (heard "seet" the day before)
2nd red breasted nuthatch sighting

2 common yellowthroats, migrants
2 migrant blue headed vireos in incredibly crisp plumage, vigorously
leaf-bathing in the dew on a sourwood tree

Sat., Oct. 16
1st golden crowned kinglet of winter
2 black throated blue warblers, m. and f.

Sun., Oct. 17
1st purple finch of winter, a female

Mon. Oct. 18 9 a.m.
male black throated blue warbler

Other notes -- birds seen eating dogwood "berries" in the same tree this
weekend (OK, Jeff Pippen, I bit on your quotation marks; they're officially
drupes; I looked it up!):
2 bluebirds, 1 robin, 2 gray cheeked thrushes (scoped 'em to be sure), 1
male towhee, 1 red-bellied woodpecker
Every year at this time I am deeply impressed by the value of dogwood fruits
and by the incredible variety of birds that eat them. Fall birds would have
a very tough time if the dogwoods disappeared.
Ginger Travis
Chapel Hill, NC