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Re: Murrelet at Fishing Creek, PUFIs



Dwayne and I also tried for the Murrelet today from 11:00am until 12:30pm.
We also were unsuccessful and had about the same list as Donna except that
we had a female Scaup sp. and a very vocal Red-breasted Nuthatch to add.  We
returned home just in time to see the first snowflakes fall around here.  It
may be "just a dusting" but it's a white Christmas to us!!!!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

*************************
Dwayne & Lori Martin
Foothills Bird Club
Claremont, NC
dlmartin@twave.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Donna S. Bailey <dsbailey@conterra.com>
To: carolinabirds@duke.edu <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Date: Friday, December 24, 1999 3:27 PM
Subject: Murrelet at Fishing Creek, PUFIs


>
>I was not able to re-locate the Murrelet previously reported for the
Fishing
>Creek Dam on the Catawba river.  My viewing time was limited, however, by
my
>nausea.  I remembered vividly today why I have never gone pelagic birding -
>looking out over water with a scope nauseates me.  I was able to master my
>stomach for 45 minutes, however, between 1:00 pm and 1:45 pm.  Of note were
>high numbers of Bonaparte's Gulls, Double-crested Cormorants and a single
>Larus gull (juvenile, most likely Ring-billed) looking like a giant among
>the smaller, delicate Bonnies, and five Buffleheads (three males, two
females).
>
>Also of note today was the arrival of Purple Finches at my feeders.  High
>numbers today were seven Purple Finches, three adult males - resplendent in
>their raspberry regalia - and four females.  Every year I worry that I will
>not be able to pick out the Purple Finch males when they arrive and every
>year it amazes me just how "purple" they really are!  Pine Siskins are
still
>present in small numbers and are sampling a variety of feeders and seed
this
>year.  I have seen them on the House Finch tube feeder, filled with black
>oil sunflower seeds exclusively, and the Goldfinch feeder, filled with
>thistle seeds exclusively.  This year the siskins are also spending a lot
of
>time on the platform feeder, eating sunflower seeds and the thistle seeds I
>put out a few days ago just for them.
>
>Merry Christmas to all!
>
>
>Donna Bailey
>Winnsboro, SC
>e-mail: dsbailey@conterra.com
>URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey
>     "Where are the Birds?  Migration across South Carolina"
>URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey/audubon
>    "Columbia Audubon Society"
>