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warbling viros at Anilorac



Yes! THey are back and singing lustily. I wnet out this cool and overcast
morning thinking that surely it was too early for the Warbling Vireos to
show up, greeted Mr Snipes, the farmer/owner, praised his farm and then
before the downpour started I shuffled up to the two huge Maple trees in
front of the farmhouse. In about a minute or two I had heard the song and
then saw two of them chasing each other through the canopy. It took a
while but I did finally manage to see one Warbling Vireo sit and sing for
a good long stretch until it was finally disturbved by a Blue Jay which it
then chased through the tree with what sounded like little hisses. 
Walked out on Dairyland Road beyond the farm and to the draw which by hte
way has been greatly thinned of its shrubs this winter. THere were [plenty
of Orchard Orioles and two Eastern Kingbirds as before but no dickcissel
(it is probably a little too early for them). Thought I heard very distant
Bobolinks but could not be sure and tried to creep up on the many singing
Grasshopper Sparrows but to avail. 
Mr Snipes, by the way, mentioned a hawk hanging around his bird feeder and
taking doves. He was rather annoyed at this and has said in the past that
he would get his gun out and shoot it. I tried pointing out to him that
hawks too have to make a living and that they keep his rodent populaion
down. Have no idea if this made a dent in his annoyance, but I have seen
Harriers, Merlins, Kestrels and Ospreys on his farm so it would be a real
shame if he decides to go after hawks with a gun. Today inour conversation
he mentioned the hawk again but with less annoyance and more
resignation. So I am hoping....

Anyway, the Warbling Vireos are back and singing.

Shantanu Phukan

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SHANTANU PHUKAN
Lecturer in Urdu-Hindi & Indian Literature
University of N. Carolina, Chapel Hill
Curriculum in Asian Studies
Alumni Hall 413C
Chapel Hill, N.C. 27599

phukan@email.unc.edu
919-962-6825
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