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migrants at Mason Farm
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: migrants at Mason Farm
- From: Stephen Perry <stevep@receptor-biol.duke.edu>
- Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2002 08:31:11 -0500
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Hi Folks,
I took a "sabbatical" yesterday and spent the day at Mason Farm. The
weather was glorious (as attested by my sunburn) but the birding was
a little slow. However, it started well with a beautiful male Am
kestrel perched on various small trees in the first field. Lots of
singing cardinals, mockers, C wrens and chickadees and at least 4 BG
gnatcatchers, 3 male C yellowthroats (all singing), a field sparrow
(I've missed these) and a pair of RT hawks barrel-rolling and
frolicking up high. The wooded parts were less fruitful, I listened
intently for about an hour but failed to pick up even a scrap of song
from any migrants. This may also be due in part to the loud chorus of
BJ's and grackles that had set up residence in the trees. I did see
one male pine W collecting nesting material, plus downy, RB, RH WP's,
a white-breasted NH, heard a phoebe and saw several E Bluebirds, but
none at the boxes.
The WT sparrows had all gone arboreal, sitting high up and eating
catkins (?): strange to see them up there after a winter of them
skulking under low bushes.
That was everything of note, until I returned to the car where a
small brown swallow zipped by overhead after I had packed binoculars
away. Couldn't tell you which species, sorry.
Maybe Easter weekend will bring us more than bunnies and chocolate eggs..?
--
Steve Perry
Receptor Biology Lab, Duke Uni Med Center, Durham, NC
stevep@receptor-biol.duke.edu