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Tea and Toast still in Brunswick Co., NC



Randy Emmitt and I headed down to Brunswick County NC yesterday (1/21) to 
look for the Lake Medcalf imm. male Black-chinned Hummingbird ("Tea") and 
ad. male Cinnamon Teal ("Toast").  The Black-chinned showed up right on 
schedule. He spent most of his time sitting in the bushes near the 
feeder, making forays every few minutes to feed or chase off the Ruby-
throated Hummer.

We had a little more difficulty finding the Cinnamon Teal.  After looking 
through all the Ring-necked Ducks, Gadwall, A. Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, 
and Common Moorhens on the lake a few times, we saw the Seriffs (birders 
from Charlotte) looking at ducks from the road over the dam.  We stopped 
to see what they were looking at, and, sure enough, it was Toast swimming 
around near the dam with 3 female Blue-winged Teal.  If we'd tried, we 
could have seen the Black-chinned and Cinnamon in one field of view!

Next we stopped at a cleared lot on the backside of the easternmost of 
the Twin Lakes and walked to the water.  As we neared the water's edge to 
get a better look at the ducks, we flushed up in quick succession an 
ANHINGA, a Black-crowned Night-Heron, and a GREEN HERON!  We continued 
around to the main highway on the south side of the lake and enjoyed 
looking at close ducks in perfect light, including a half dozen Redhead. 
On the waterway side of the road, we were surprised to see a Loggerhead 
Shrike.  The westernmost of the Twin Lakes didn't have much. We ran into 
Judy Walker and company back at the east lake.

We continued to the west end of Sunset Beach and walked down the beach to 
Bird "Island" (no longer an island), then back along the marsh.  It was 
very dull, with very few birds of any kind.  There were a few Red-
throated Loons in the ocean, a few N Gannets flying far out, and no 
shorebirds or gulls to speak of.  We saw a few Saltmarsh and Seaside 
Sparrows and Tricolored Herons in the marsh. (I see no reason to try to 
say Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow when Saltmarsh Sparrow will do.) No 
plovers!  The most exciting birding was at the pier, where we were mobbed 
by Ring-billed Gulls and Boat-tailed Grackles looking for a handout.


-- 
Charles W. "Will" Cook                  w 919-660-7423
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook            cwcook@duke.edu
Biology Dept., Duke Univ., Box 90340, Durham, NC 27708