Black Terns

Hunting Island, SC, August 2008
photo © 2008 by Ron Morris

Sparrow Hunt
A & T Farm Trip
Waterfowl on Greensboro Lakes
Whitacre's Farm
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge & Environs
Guilford Military Courthouse Park Walks
Battleground Bird Walk
Mt. Pisgah Trip
New State Park in Our Back Yard
Southern Randolph County

Sparrow Hunt     

Despite a cool, misty, foggy morning, our Sparrow Hunt on Saturday, Jan. 8, was successful. We had a good turnout of thirteen hardy birders who managed to spot thirty-one species including the elusive White-crowned Sparrow, one of our target birds. We saw about a dozen at the intersection of Brookbank and Banning Roads. Not bad for a soggy morning! One hoped-for bird that we missed was the Swamp Sparrow, which seems to be scarce in Guilford County this year.
     We had an interesting sighting of four Red-tailed Hawks, calling and flying at each other. They appeared to be two pairs possibly in conflict over territory.
     Here is our list of bird species: Great Blue Heron, Canada Goose, Red-tailed Hawk, Ring-billed Gull, Mourning Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, Eastern Meadowlark, American Goldfinch.

                                            -Dennis Burnett
 

A & T Farm Trip

by Emily Tyler

     On February 26, a dozen birders braved a cool morning, starting at 31^o F, to participate in the annual trek to A & T Farm. It wasn’t long, however, before we were peeling off layers of clothing as we hiked around the fields and the temp warmed up to a comfortable 50^o F. The Farm has a new look these days with old barns and silos having been taken down and new buildings for research going up in their places.
     The target bird for this trip, the Common Snipe, did not elude us despite the farm pond remaining empty since the dam burst several years ago. While often seen only in flight as their plumage provides such great camouflage, we were able to get terrific views of several Snipe on the ground and standing in the pools of water in the bed of the former pond. Altogether we counted six or seven birds when they took flight as we circled the pond. Later we would see a couple more Snipe around the lagoons at the pig farm. Meadowlarks made an appearance at both sections of the farm, proudly singing their hearts out and posing for us.
     When we crossed to the other side of McConnell Road, we were rewarded with the sight of a flock of perhaps 100 American Pipits, thanks to the amazing eyes and ears of Henry Link who heard them calling as they flew by and landed way across the field.
      Red-shouldered Hawks performed for us repeatedly, with flyovers, perched in trees and sitting on a power line right beside the road.  One was incredibly close to us while focusing on its possible lunch below. Our presence didn’t seem to bother it in the least which allowed everyone to have excellent views. Many photos were taken as well. If only all avian subjects were as cooperative!
     Altogether we saw thirty-seven species before quitting at 1:00.
 

Waterfowl on Greensboro Lakes

by Melissa Whitmire 

     On March 5th, ten hardy PBC members braved the rain and cold for our second official tour around the Greensboro lakes in search of waterfowl. Leader Henry Link began the tour at Marston Road where we were treated to another look at the female Canvasback that had been spotted on our first tour of the lakes in February. There also were two pairs of Wood Ducks as well as several Hooded Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, and Northern Shovelers. A Hairy Woodpecker put on a show for several minutes, allowing the members some unusually good looks.
     Across Elm Street, Buffalo Lake hosted scores of Ruddy Ducks (Stick Tails) as well as a few Pied-billed Grebes. As the rain diminished and the sun began to peek through the clouds, rounds were continued at Trosper Pond and the usual Lake Townsend overlooks but little was seen at those locations.
     Lake Brandt Marina turned out to be very windy and cold but we did spot and identify, with Henry’s help, approximately nine Horned Grebes in the distance, a life bird for several in the group. The decision was made to forgo the remaining water sites so we headed out Hwy. 150 east to visit the now-famous Sandhill Crane. He didn’t disappoint us and his presence turned out to be the highlight of the trip, as he was a lifer for a couple of those present. In all we saw approximately thirty-eight species, which brightened what began as a cold and dreary day.

WHITACRE’s FARM FIELD TRIP
by Judi Durr 

     Seventeen members of the PBC enjoyed a beautiful spring outing on March 19th at the Whitacre’s Farm, with our leaders Carolyn and Don Allen.  A total of thirty-six species was seen, plus a Swamp Sparrow and Winter Wren sighted by Melissa and Lou after most of the group left.  It was a very nicely mixed bunch of “veteran” and new members, which increased the number of species seen due to more “eyes” in the field!  Afterwards, we all enjoyed refreshments (supplied by the Allens) and socializing on the Whitacre’s terrace, where we were joined by a few Northern Cardinals.
     The list of species included Great Blue Heron, Wood Ducks, both Turkey and Black Vultures, Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks, Kestrel, Belted Kingfisher, five common woodpeckers including the not-so-common Hairy, both White-breasted and Brown-headed Nuthatches, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped and Pine Warblers.
 

Savannah National Wildlife Refuge & environs
March 24-27 (Easter Weekend)
by Dan Chambers and Louise Brown 

  The PBC spotted over 100 species of birds on the trip to the Savannah River area over the Easter Weekend. Rain on Friday and Sunday slowed things down but Saturday was fine after the fog lifted.  
     Probably the most diverse birding spot was at Woody Pond at Harris Neck NWR, GA. Once the rain stopped we drove on the Wildlife Drive and walked on the levee south of the pond even though we were being eaten alive by insects. Some of the bird species seen were: Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, White Ibis, Wood Stork, Black Vulture, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Belted Kingfisher, Tree Swallow, Yellow-throated and Prothonotary Warblers and Boat-tailed Grackle.
     The most interesting bird seen during the trip was a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck at Savannah NWR, which is found mostly in Mexico, and on the gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana. Gregg Morris and Dennis and Lynn Burnette spotted a Horned Lark near Orangeburg on Thursday. Other especially good sightings were of Clapper and Sora Rails, Merlin, and Black-necked Stilts.

PBC LEADS WALKS AT COURTHOUSE PARK
by Dennis Burnette 

     During our 200420-05 program year, PBC has been assisting the staff at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (Guilford Battleground) in organizing bird walks for park visitors.
     Last summer the park manager contacted our club to ask if we could help get bird walks started to enhance the enjoyment of people who visit the park. As PBC representatives, Don Allen, Dennis Burnette, and Dan Chambers met with park manager Chuck Canfield and visitor services officer Steve Ware as PBC representatives to discuss what might be involved. We agreed to hold monthly walks with the possible exception of months with bad weather. So far we have been lucky with the weather; we have been able to do a walk every month beginning in September through March (except January.)
     A secondary purpose of the bird walks is to develop a list of birds in the park. Sometime this coming summer park staff will be doing a wildlife survey, so our monthly sightings will be helpful.
     The park staff had hoped to attract visitors to the monthly bird walks, but so far only ten non-bird club people have participated on a total of only three walks. For bird club members who have participated, this hasn’t really mattered because we have had a great time birding! We have recorded forty-three species of birds, with monthly totals ranging from a low of fifteen to a high of twenty-five per walk. We average about twenty species per walk.

New State Park in Our Back Yard
By Dennis Burnette, Field Trips Chairman
     Good news! I think most of our members will be pleased to learn that the prospect of us having a new state park here in the upper Piedmont is closer to reality.
     Many folks have heard rumors that the state has been considering purchasing property on the Guilford/Rockingham border to create the Haw River State Park. According to a contact in the state Department of Natural Resources, Carol Tingley, "Just last week the state completed the purchase of the Summit Episcopal Conference Center." This site will be the core of the new park.
     During our 2004-05 program year, the Piedmont Bird Club has been involved in several ways with the Summit. We conducted a bird identification workshop for the teaching staff of the Haw River Program outdoor education center (HARP) that operates on the property, and a representative of HARP did a program for PBC at our April meeting.
     In addition, PBC and Audubon members have been doing “point counts” as part of NC Audubon’s effort to identify important bird areas for conservation purposes, and two of those sites are on Summit property along the Haw. PBC also has had two field trips to the Summit property in the last year for our members.
     It looks like the educational activities will continue. Our DNR contact says, "Operation of the Summit Center will continue as an Environmental Education Center, a facility of Haw River State Park." A recent article in the News & Record reported that the state plans to use the 210-acre property both as a training center for state environmental education employees, as well as an outdoor classroom for students.
     The property already has lodging for 175 people, classrooms, a dining hall, and offices. Current outdoor facilities include a six-acre lake, hiking trails, and a short boardwalk through wet bottom land near the headwaters of the Haw River. The state expects to have park rangers assigned to the new park within six months.
     The new Haw River State Park promises to be larger than the current Summit site. Ms Tingley says, "Additionally, we have purchased about 100 acres of land along the river, and we are working on other land acquisitions upstream and downstream from the Summit Center."
     It seems like we’re bombarded with bad news about the environment. This is some really good news, for a change! You can be sure that the PBC Field Trips Committee will plan some bird walks in the future to take advantage of this new state resource.

Southern Randolph County
April 23, 2005

     Two-dozen club members showed up for a beautiful day at Jane and Mark Lewis's acreage in Southern Randolph County. The forecasted rain luckily did not occur, and except for a slight wind, it was a perfect day for birding. We saw fifty-one species, including three vireos (Yellow-throated, Red-eyed and Blue-headed,) thirteen warblers (Northern Parula, Yellow-Rumped, Yellow-Throated, Palm, Black-and-White, Redstart, Worm-eating, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded, and Kentucky Warblers.)  Among other neotropical migrants observed were the Summer and Scarlet Tanagers, Osprey, Broad-Winged Hawk, and Rose-Breasted and Blue Grosbeaks.  The real surprise bird was a Red-breasted Nuthatch snacking on a suet feeder! We would never have expected that!
       We got great looks at a Palm Warbler, and a very brief but good look at a Kentucky Warbler. An Ovenbird teased us a great deal but some folks got glimpses of it. We had a great show by both tanagers. We also had a great lunch provided in part by the Lewises and potluck style by a number of club members. We give many thanks to Mark and Jane for sharing their wonderful piece of the world.                                                                                                              - Louise Brown
 

Field Trip to The Summit
By Emily Tyler

Despite clouds and a few sprinkles, 13 birders showed up at The Summit on  April 30, 2005, for a field trip which followed the presentation by Randi Meyer of the HARP (Haw River Program) staff at the PBC program meeting two days earlier. The hike along the wooded trails, around the lake and down to the boardwalk was quite fruitful. Sixty species were noted including Prothonotary Warblers which were back in the area at the end of the boardwalk where they nested last year. Wild Turkeys, Barred Owl and Pileated Woodpeckers were heard calling from there and Wood Ducks took flight as we approached. Both the Northern and Louisiana Waterthrushes were seen or heard. Other highlights included the Worm-eating Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, White-eyed Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Swainson’s Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, Rusty Blackbird, Swamp Sparrow, both Tanagers and five additional warbler species.
     We discovered several Great Blue Heron nests in trees barely visible from the power line cut near the beginning of the boardwalk trail. While we were on the boardwalk, they flew by numerous times carrying sticks pulled from a dead tree for nest building.
     Wildflowers were abundant along the trails and we enjoyed identifying them as well. Sharp eyes spotted a Northern Water Snake sunning in the wetland beneath the boardwalk. Having The Summit become a state park, with HARP continuing to offer their environmental education program there, is good news for us. Hopefully we will be able to take advantage of this unique site for many years to come where we are able to see a wide variety of flora and fauna including some birds rarely seen elsewhere in the area.

Battleground Bird Walk Report
Aug 20, 2005
Dennis Burnette
Field Trips Chairman 

      We had a good turnout for the bird walk at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. Our group of seventeen included a woman with two children, a person from Alamance County who was visiting the park and saw the announcement on the board, as well as thirteen members and friends of the Piedmont Bird Club.
     As expected for this time of year, the number of birds was somewhat low; we saw and/or heard seventeen species. However, three of the species were new for our park list, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Brown Thrasher, and American Redstart, bringing our year total to fifty-three. We also saw a good number of butterfly species, and a large Praying Mantis. We noted as well quite a few wildflowers, including the native Cranefly Orchid.
     This was number twelve in our monthly walks at the park for 2004-05. Our new program year begins in September, during which we will be conducting bird walks at the park on a quarterly basis. The dates are Oct. 8, Feb. 25, Apr. 1, and June 24. Check our 2005-06 Yearbook for details on these and other field trips and bird walks.
 

Hawk Watch   
Mahogany Rock Sat. 9/17/05 

Phillip Kellam reported that there were twenty-six visitors, seven from PBC. Seen while PBC members were present: 4 Ospreys, 40 Broadwinged Hawks, 3 Kestrels, 2 Sharpshins, 2 Cooper’s, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, a Tennessee Warbler, a Pileated Woodpecker, a Towhee, and other “regular birds.”
     Jim Keighton is the official tallier for Mahogany Rock. (You can read his reports on the Internet, at http://hawkcount.org/index.php.) His final count for the day was 4 Ospreys, 4 Sharp-shins, 2 Cooper’s, 115 Broadwings, 2 Red-tails, 3 Kestrels and 12 Monarch Butterflies.  

Pilot Mountain Sun. 9/18/05 

     Six PBC members, three of whom are also members of T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon, went to Pilot Mountain to view the hawk migration September 18th.  The diversity was good, though the numbers were not great.  This is from memory, but I think it's close:  3 Cooper’s, a Sharp-shin, and 3 Red-tailed Hawks (probably residents), an Osprey, a Northern Harrier, a probable Merlin and 25 Broad-winged Hawks, plus the usual vultures, ravens and songbirds.  The day was very pleasant, though quite hazy in the distance.                                                                                   -Gregg Morris

    Other birds, as reported by Phillip Kellam: 8 Black Vultures, 35 Turkey Vultures, 5 Common Ravens, a Pileated Woodpecker, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a Great Horned Owl, as well as Pine Warblers, Carolina Chickadees, Carolina Wrens, Chimney Swifts, Tufted Titmice, Blue Jays, and others.
 

Girl Scouts, Tarheel Triad Council at Magnolia Manor
Sat. October 1 

   Lynn Burnette, who has recently started working for the Girl Scouts (for pay - she has been volunteering for them for years!!), led eight PBC members around the forested campus. The day was a little cool (actually a relief after a hot September) but we had a pleasant walk around the grounds of the new regional headquarters of the Tarheel Triad Girl Scouts.  The birds were somewhat subdued, maybe due to the coolness, but gradually became active in the trees. We saw (and/or heard) Pine Warblers, a Redstart, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Chickadees, Titmice, Carolina Wrens, Brown-headed Nuthatches, Blue Jays, Bluebirds, Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, American Crows, Robin, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Canada Geese, and Cardinals.
     We were not limited to observing birds only. Dennis Burnette was thrilled to find a young Fence Lizard, which he held in his hand for a few minutes. We also saw a few butterflies: Pearl Crescent, Gray Hairstreak, Monarch, and Tiger Swallowtail.

                                                                                                                                                                          - Louise Brown

Linville Road Marsh 10/29/05
by Dennis Burnette
      A great group of nineteen bird club members participated in the Linville Road Marsh Field Trip on Saturday, October 29. The marsh, which is in the community of Oak Ridge near the military academy in western Guilford County, is part of the headwaters of the Haw River. In past trips we have seen a lot of good birds there, and we weren’t disappointed this time, either.
     In less than two hours of birding from the road edge and bridge, we spotted thirty-one bird species. Highlights included eleven Wild Turkeys, a flock of Rusty Blackbirds, and such winter birds as Yellow-rumped Warbler and Swamp, Chipping, and White-throated Sparrows. Both kinglets made appearances.
     From the marsh, we continued to a couple of additional sites where we added several more species to the trip list. Brookbank Road didn’t produce the White-crowned Sparrows we had hoped for, but proved to be great for raptors; we had Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, American
Kestrel, and both Turkey and Black Vultures.
     It was a sunny but frosty and chilly autumn morning, a beautiful day for a bird outing. Because of the cool temperature, though, we were a bit surprised to see two species of butterflies, Clouded Sulphur and Sleepy Orange. Fortunately, there were still quite a few wildflowers in bloom for them, particularly aster-type flowers. At one stop we spotted some Alpacas on a farm, an unusual species for this part of the world even in captivity! The trip concluded just after noon with a total of thirty-eight bird species for the morning. On the way back to Greensboro, several folks added Great Egret and Double-crested Cormorant as we crossed the lakes. What a great day!
 

Bog Garden 

     Fifteen people, mostly PBC members with a couple of other folks, showed up at the Bog Garden Nov. 12. It was a beautiful day, sunny and cool in the morning but not uncomfortably so. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker greeted us as we entered the park from Starmount Forest Road. The most interesting birds seen were a late Catbird and a couple of Fish Crows. The crows are residents, according to those who frequent the Bog.  It seems that this warm fall had slowed down the arrival of winter ducks, the only ones present at the time being a handful of Ring-necked Ducks and a couple of Pied-billed Grebes. However, the White-throated Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers were present in large numbers!
     A few of us went to some of the lakes afterward. There were about twenty Ruddy Ducks and that many Ring-necks on Buffalo Lake, as well as a substantial flock of about thirty Coots. The best birds there were three Red-breasted Mergansers. They were females or immature males, hunkered down and resting together, identified by their bright orange bills.
     We had lunch at Ham’s Lakeside, and then dropped by Trosper Pond to see what was there. Not much, as the Buffleheads had yet to arrive. The only interesting bird was a Mute Swan, which technically does not count since it is introduced. Then we went to Lake Brandt Marina, not much there either, except for three Double-crested Cormorants and a single Ring-billed Gull resting on something on the far side of the water. In all, we saw forty-one species that day.                                                                         by Louise Brown
 

Camp Gilrock 

     Carolyn Allen led a Field trip to Camp Gilrock on November 19, 2005 for both the Pearson Audubon chapter and the Piedmont Bird Club.  They observed thirty-four species of birds, which included Sharp-shinned and Red-tailed Hawks, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwings, Dark-eyed Junco and Field Sparrows.
 

Thanksgiving at the Outer Banks  

    Dennis and Lynn Burnette again led a wonderful trip to the Outer Banks over the Thanksgiving weekend. The thirteen Club members, as a group, saw 101 species of birds, and various individuals saw twenty-three other species in separate encounters. We enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner together, at least twelve of us, and generally got together for great meals at other restaurants on other nights. The weather was pretty good, cool and breezy on Friday, but it warmed up somewhat the next two days and it didn't rain. There were quite a lot of birds - Tundra Swans, Pintails, Gadwalls, Widgeons, Brown and White Pelicans, loons, mergansers, egrets, herons, etc. at the Pea Island NWR. There were Redheads there as well as many other ducks. Our Best Bird that day was an American Bittern, which amazingly was standing right beside the road. It made a brief attempt to “hide” by stretching up its neck, a typical camouflaging posture in reeds or grasses, but quickly realized its folly and flew off.
     We made stops at Oregon Inlet where we saw a Black Skimmer, Purple Sandpipers and Ruddy Turnstones.
Ocean sightings included hundreds of Northern Gannets, which dove headlong into the water offshore for fish.
     On Sunday we went to Lake Mattamuskeet, where there also were lots of swans, ducks, herons, etc. We saw at least five Bald Eagles there, most of them immature. One bird that showed itself atypically was a Marsh Wren, which kept popping up in the grass and flying around for several minutes, the best look most of us had ever had of one.
     Other folks spotted in various other places: Surf Scoters, Orange-crowned Warblers, Wilson’s Snipe, Sedge Wrens, and many others! Too bad we had to go home!                                                            by Louise Brown
 

ALAMANCE COUNTY FIELD TRIP 

     Saturday, December 3^rd, Lynn Moseley led twelve PBC members to Cedarock Park and Lake Macintosh in Alamance County.  They observed forty-six species of birds, including an immature Bald Eagle, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Hairy Woodpecker, both Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Chipping Sparrow and Purple Finch.

Country Park Report
by Cal Weimer

     The following people came to the Country Park Bird Walk Saturday, December 10^th: Cal and Susan Weimer, Beth Bursuck, Don Allemann (new member), and Rosemary Lancaster (non-member).
     It was 28 degrees, calm and sunny when we left the parking lot and headed across the lower end of the lower lake.  There were many birds around, feeding as the sun warmed the ground along the lake’s edge.  Birds were everywhere in the trees and bushes.  It took us 15 or 20 minutes just to get to the other side of the lake and start around the trail there.  We were nearly to the end of the lower lake trail when a hawk was spotted in a tree up the hill from us.  It was puffed up in the cold air and looking straight down at us, but never flew off.  We thought it was a Red Tail, but weren't sure so we went around and up the hill to try to get a better view of its backside.  As we got near the top of the hill the hawk flew off and landed on a tree right in front of us, as if to say, "Here I am, take a good look!" We did, and confirmed it as a Red-tailed Hawk.
     It had taken an hour and a half to get that far.  Because of the increasing wind and cold, we decided not to go around the upper lake.  We enjoyed great conversation and hot coffee at Cal's Tailgate coffee shop for a while before going our separate ways.  Everyone had a good time. 
     The following is a list of birds that were identified: Junco, Chickadee, Titmouse, Goldfinch, Cardinal, Flicker, Carolina Wren, Red-bellied Woodpecker, American Crow, Bluebird, Blue Jay, Red-tailed Hawk, Ring-billed Gull, Coot, Mallard, Canada Geese, a variety of domestic ducks, and many sparrows, but they were never in good light to tell which kind.