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Lake Wateree CBC, 1/5/2001
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Lake Wateree CBC, 1/5/2001
- From: "Donna S. Bailey" <dsbailey@conterra.com>
- Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2001 18:07:04 -0500
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
The inaugural Lake Wateree CBC was held yesterday. Like all of the other
CBCs in the Carolinas this count season, we were plagued with wind and cold.
At the 7:00 am start temperatures were around 17 degrees Farenheit.
Despite the cold and the ice in the lake, two intrepid souls were still
willing to ride the lake in an open boat. The Lake Wateree party turned in
American Black Duck (4) and excellent numbers of Hooded Mergansers (41).
Neither is easy to find here. They also turned in high numbers of
Ring-billed Gulls.
The State Park party found two excellent birds, a Baltimore Oriole and a
Ross's Goose. The Baltimore Oriole, mixed in a feeding flock with smaller
birds, is a first county record of a wintering oriole. The Ross's Goose is
a county record.
The Gold Mine party, working in and around the Kennecott Ridgeway Mine which
is now in reclamation, also found a county record bird. While I had only
hoped for a confirmed Henslow's Sparrow from the Gold Mine, they reported a
Lapland Longspur! This same party was also persistent and clever enough to
manange to find all three expected owl species - Great Horned, Barred and
Eastern Screech - and a Woodcock in pre-dawn owling. Their task was not
easy given that the wind began to blow shortly before dawn.
The Kershaw County party found several good birds, as well. This party
reported Red-breasted Merganser and Sedge Wren in Kershaw county. Both
species are difficult to find in the Piedmont, to say the least.
The Sawney's Creek/Hunt Club party reported ice-skating Cardinals. Two male
Northern Cardinals were seen walking across and feeding on an iced-over
creek. The Gold Mine party also reported ice-skating landbirds.
All parties reported difficulties finding birds and that the only birds seen
were infrequent feeding flocks. Most birds seemed hunkered down in the cold
and the wind.
The final species total, subject to revision, stands at 72 species. Given
the extended cold period proceeding the count and the wind on count day, I
think it an excellent total, as well as an easily surpassable goal for
counts to be held in the future in hopefully better weather.
Thanks again to all who participated in the inaugural Lake Wateree CBC. For
those interested in joining us next year, the second Lake Wateree CBC will
be held on January 5, 2002. Mark your calendars now!
Donna Bailey
Winnsboro, SC
e-mail: dsbailey@conterra.com
URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey
"Where are the Birds? Migration across South Carolina"