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le conte's at pea island



Hi all,

	This weekend on a vertebrate trip with UNC, several in the class
got an excellent view of a Le Conte's sparrow in the blackberry bush in
front of the visitor's center.  It was definitely a case where patience
paid off, as I left the field minutes before and missed it!
	Anyhow, it popped up in plain view and sat for a few minutes so
everyone could see the field marks and make a positive ID.  This is
unusual, as this sparrow likes to run around on the ground and generally
stay hidden from birders.  Even our trip leader, Dr. Wiley, said it was the
best look at one he's ever had.
	Other rewarding events were seeing a bald eagle at Lake
Mattamuskeet take out a coot; and greeting a male merlin as it flew by us
ten feet away at eye level Sunday morning on the beach in Kill Devil Hills.
It was a great raptor weekend, with several Sharpies & Coopers, many
Harriers (almost all immature) and Red-tails.  Plus we inadvertently drove
up right up to a very stout Peregrine falcon perched on a telephone wire at
Pea Island and later saw another flying straight into a flock of Pintail
ducks over the lake.
	In all we saw 105 species, with the conspicuous absences of
American Robin, House Finch, Black vultures, nor any nuthatches!

cheers,