CB®

BRIT1P“ ^*MSEUM
(NATL: STORY)

3 P M.'.R 1992

for members of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc., ornithological society of the Carolinas

Volume 38

Spring 1992

Number 1

Simpson & Pratt Headline Spring Meeting

The Carolina Bird Club’s always
exciting spring meeting promises to be
doubly thrilling this year as members will
be given the opportunity to meet two
remarkable individuals in the birding
community.

Mark Simpson, author of Birds of the
Blue Ridge Mountains, and Doug Pratt,
the illustrator of the book, will be leading
field trips on Saturday. In addition, Mark
will be the featured speaker for the
Saturday evening meeting.

A Statesville, NC native and a graduate
of Davidson College, Mark is presently on
the faculty of George Washington
University. Autographed copies of his
latest book will be available for purchase
at the meeting with a percentage of the
proceeds going to our club.

Also a graduate of Davidson College,
Doug Pratt is a well known artist who
presently lives in Baton Rouge, LA. A
sampling of Doug's work, including the
22 illustrations from the book, will be on
exhibit and for sale over the weekend.

This year's meeting will be in Boone,
NC, May 8-10 at the Quality Inn
Conference Center, 344 Blowing Rock
Road (US 321). Registration for the
meeting begins at 3:00 p.m. Friday in the
Conference Center lobby. For early
arrivals, we will offer two Friday field
trips. Those interested should meet in the
Quality Inn lobby at 1:00 p.m.
Information for birding on your own will
also be available at that time.

A wine and cheese reception will be held
from 7-8 p.m. Friday evening in the hotel
meeting room; at which time the art work
of Doug Pratt will be on view. There will
be a drink charge.

Following the social hour, our Friday
night program will get underway with a
short warbler workshop presented by
Simon Thompson followed by a preview
of field trips by Harry LeGrand.

Included in this year’s outstanding field
trips are visits to Roan and Grandfather
Mountains. Lower elevation trips on the
Parkway and along the New River should

be excellent for migrants. Also scheduled
is a trip to the Nature Conservancy's
prized Bluff Mountain tract with its
unique fen, the only such marshland in the
Southeast. Pre registration and a fee of
$10 are required for the Bluff Mountain
trip. Please use the form provided.

The Saturday evening program will
include the annual business meeting and
election of officers prior to our guest
speaker, Mark Simpson. The evening
will conclude with the count down of
birds seen on the day's field trips.

As you can see, this promises to be the
most exciting spring meeting yet; so
make your reservations early. The
deadline is April 8. Rates are $48
plus tax for single or double occupancy.
Reservations may be made by mailing the
form provided with deposit or by calling
the Quality Inn at (704) 262-0020 for
credit card guaranteed reservations. North
Carolina residents only may call toll free
at 1-^00-362-2111 . A 48 hour notice of
cancellation is required.

Winter Meeting Sets Attendance Record

Good weather, advance publicity, and an
excellent program attracted a record setting
crowd to the Carolina Bird Club winter
meeting in Mt. Pleasant, SC, January 31-
February 2, 1992. The final registration
of 211 recorded by John & Libba
Watson and Paula Wright topped the
previous record of 187 set in Morehead
City, NC last winter. CBC president,
John Wright, and Headquarters
Secretary, Tullie Johnson, had
collaborated on a news release which was
mailed to newspapers in North and South
Carolina. We know that it was carried

locally, and the highest representation was
from the Charleston-Mt. Pleasant area
with 24. Tennessee, Rhode Island and
Ohio were represented along with large
groups from Shelby, NC and the Brevard-
Pisgah Forest, NC area.

For the first time field trips were
available on Friday afternoon for early
arrivals, and about 50 eager birders
showed up. Bob Woods and Peter
Worthington led groups to the Pitt
Street Causeway and Fort Moultrie while
Dennis Forsythe led a group to Folly
Beach.

Friday night's program at the Wando
High School began on a festive note with
a lavish reception hosted by the
Charleston Natural History Society. The
goodies were prepared and served by
Dennis & Donna Forsythe and Ann
Shahid with the encouragement of
Society president, "Mac" MacMurphy.
The celebration continued with the
presentation of a specially decorated cake
to Donna Forsyth by CBC executive
committee member-at-large for SC, Lex
Glover, commemorating the adding of
(continued on next page)

Perry Nugent helped his group get good looks at birds at Magnolia Gardens

Winter Meeting

(continued from previous page)
the 300th species to her South Carolina
list, a Wilson's Warbler at Huntington
Beach Slate Park on January 26, Steve
Compton then whetted our appetite for
the Saturday field trips to close the
evening.

The South Carolina low country was
well covered Saturday in trips led by
Steve Compton, Julian Harrison,
Pete Laurie, Lex Glover, Dennis
Forsythe, Perry Nugent, Nathan
Dias, Ed Blitch, Charlie Walters,
Teddy Shuler, and Jim Beatty. Their
efforts produced a total species count of
163 and one race (Ipswich Sparrow). A
Sunday boat trip in the Cape Romain
NWR led by Perry Nugent added two
species (Piping Plover and Long-billed
Curlew) for a total of 165.

Our worst fears that "there just don’t
seem to be as many warblers as there used
to be" were confirmed by Dr. Sid
Gauthreaux in a presentation of his
research involving radar monitoring of the
Gulf of Mexico during migration. The
Clemson professor and former CBC
president has analized data which confirms
a 50% decline in trans-Gulf migrants
between 1965-67 and 1987-89. He is now
in the process of a detailed study of radar
surveillance records at all eight Gulf Coast
radar station for every spring day since
1957.

S'

Habitat destruction at both ends of the
migratory range is the apparent culprit.
Concern for neotropical migratory birds
has resulted in the formation of Partners in
Right, the Neotropical Migratory Bird
Conservation Program. Part of their
strategy is to monitor breeding birds in
certain habitats to see if management
practices to preserve habitats are woricing.
Gauthreaux stated that there would be
opportunity for birders to help. A

newsletter for this group, published in
both English and Spanish, is available
without charge by writing Peter Stangel,
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation,
18th & C St., NW, Rm. 2556,
Washington, DC 20240.

Many thanks to Lex Glover and his
many helpers for an outstanding winter
meeting. Now, on to Daniel Boone
country in the spring!

Chat to Resume Publication of Spring Counts

by John S. Wright

Long-time members of the Carolina
Bird Club will remember when Christmas
Bird Counts and Spring Bird Counts were
published in The Chat. Of course, most
of our localities also submitted their
Christmas Counts to the National
Audubon Society for publication in
American Birds. However, after 1977
only the Spring Counts were published in
The Chat, and these too were deleted after
1981 because of tight budgets.

For the past decade several localities
have continued to conduct Spring Bird
Counts and submit their data to John
Fussell who has continued to serve as the
Spring Bird Count coordinator. However,
without publication as an incentive, many
localities no longer conduct and/or keep

accurate records of their Spring Bird Count
data.

In consideration of our current financial
health and the oft stated request that we
resume Spring Bird Count publication,
your Executive Committee in October of
1991 authorized the resumption of their
publication, beginning with the counts
taken in the spring of 1992.

Those of us who struggled with the
proposition of whether the Spring Bird
Counts were scientifically worth the effort
(both in doing and in publishing) got our
answer on Saturday night of the recent
CBC winter meeting in Charleston. Dr.
Sid Gauthreaux most clearly demonstrated
the recent drastic declines of neotropical
migrant birds, the very species we hope to

find on Spring Count day. His message, a
sad and deeply disturbing one, does leave
us with some clear choices. If we value
the return of the migrants each spring, we
must be willing to support those
individuals and organizations who can
make a difference. And each of us-novice
and expert— can get involved in continuing
or rejuvenating our local Spring Bird
Count, an effort we can put to use in
monitoring our bird populations.

John Fussell will soon be
communicating with Christmas/Spring
Bird Count compilers throughout the
Carolinas with more specific information
about the counts. I hope that you will
make yourself available when your local
compiler calls about the Spring Counts.

Volunteers Needed for 1992 Breeding Bird Survey

by Harry E. LeGrand Jr. ”

The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), a
continent-wide survey of the distribution,
abundance, and population trends of
breeding birds, is gearing up for the 1992
field season. In 1991, 36 of the 43 routes
in North Carolina were run (or at least had
route totals submitted). Six of the
remaining seven routes had been spoken
for, but no totals were ever received by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I presume
that most or all were not surveyed because
of bad weather or other commitments. I
am hoping that all of those routes run in
1991 will again be run by the same
observers in order to provide the continuity
needed to calculate species trends in
populations.

I am looking for volunteers for the
following seven routes. The numbers refer

to the route numbers on the map. The
dot on the map is the starting point of the
25 mile route.

003 Myrtle Grove

015 Climax

016 Mooresville
027 Copeland
129 Aydlett

203 Cypress Creek
205 Montague
217 Flay

Each BBS route is run on a single
morning, generally between late May to
mid June. Routes begin one half hour
before sunrise and last about four hours;
with the observer counting birds for three
minutes at 50 stops at one half mile

intervals along the set route. Generally
between 50 and 70 species are tallied per
route. I will send new volunteers a copy
of the 2(X) page report entitled The
Breeding Bird Survey: its First Fifteen
Years, 1965-1979.

I need to hear from you by
approximately April 10. Let's get all 43
routes run this year. I want to be able to
increase the number of routes for North
Carolina, but I can't do this until we get
100% coverage of the existing routes. If
you feel confident that you can identify all
of the birds in your area by song and call
and are interested in helping, please contact
Harry LeGrand, NC Natural
Heritage Program, PO Box 27687,
Raleigh, NC 27611. Telephone
(919) 733-7701.

Co

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Nominating Committee Report

Peter L. Worthington, Chairman of
the CBC Nominating Committee, reports
that the following slate of officers will be
presented by the committee at the annual
business meeting of the Carolina Bird
Club on Saturday evening. May 9 at the
Quality Inn Conference Center in Boone,
NC. (I) indicates an incumbent eligible
for reelection.

For a one year term:
President..John Wright (I)..Greenville, NC

Secretary.. Len Pardue..Durham, NC
Treasurer.. Robert Wood. .Columbia, SC

For a two year term:
Member at Large, WNC..Pat Wilkinson
a)..Shelby, NC

Member at Large, ENC..Ricky Davis (I)..

Rocky Mount, NC

Member at Large, SC..Lex Glover (I)..
Lugoff, SC

For a three year term:

Vice-President, WNC..Taylor Piephoff..
Charlotte, NC

In accordance with the CBC By-laws
nominations may be made from the floor.

CBC Rare Bird Alert
(704) 332-BIRD

Backyard

Birding

with Frances J. Nelson

Birding at our house was relatively lax
in December. On the 13th a pair of Wood
Ducks and a female Mallard visited the
Mallard drake who’s been coming and
going since October. When the three
newcomers left, the drake went too, and
we haven't seen him since.

The woodies returned, though, on the
19th to swim a short while, but they
moved on again. Two days later a pair of
Hooded Mergansers landed on the pond-
the first time I had ever seen a male up-
close. He was almost as pretty as the
male Wood Duck. We’d had females
before, but...

Then, finally, on January 18th, the birds
arrived. I suppose the cold weather (lows
in the teens) triggered their little migrating
mechanisms and they belatedly headed
south. I had begun to think the folks at
Project Feeder Watch would expel us from
the program since we’d had so few birds.

I don't need to worry now, because the
birds are here. Until mid-January, we’d
had one delinquent goldfinch, a few
juncos, and a couple of White-throated
Sparrows and the regular cardinals,
chickadees, and titmice. On the 18th we
had ten goldfinches and twenty on the
20th. Since then they have increased to
fifty or sixty, a number which keeps us
busy filling feeders.

We also saw this winter’s first Yellow-
bellied Sapsucker, and a Pine Warbler
finally came to the suet We had seen the
warblers in the woods, but that was the
first one we had seen in the yard since last
winter. The cold also pushed the White-
throated Sparrows and Purple Finches, but
fewer than last year, and we didn’t see our
first Fox Sparrow in the yard until
February. Perhaps the word got out that
our resident Sharp-shinned Hawk had one
for dinner last winter.

Speaking of the sharpie, he seems to
have become a rare bird here. We have
seen him occasionally this winter, but he
hasn’t perched his usual two hours on the
deck at all. We haven’t seen him in such a

long time now that we wonder if
something had him for a meal or if he just
matured and decided that hunting in
someone’s yard where a rather large dog
chase him away was not his idea of happy
hunting.

In early February, I did my usual early
morning tip-toe to the front door and saw
a Song Sparrow hopping along the deck
railing. The Hooded Mergansers paid us
another visit late that evening. They were
still on the pond when darkness descended
and we could no longer see them, but they
were gone the next morning. And a Field
Sparrow began showing up regularly at
the platform feeder CJ got for Christmas.

On February 20th CJ was out of town,
so 1 took Mocha for her bedtime walk
(about 100 yards down the driveway and
back). As I neared the turn around spot, I
heard what sounded like several little birds
twittering in the pine trees. When I
directed the flashlight beam toward the
trees, the noise stopped. I thought it a bit
strange since it was 9 p.m., but I had no
answer. I figured it must be something
other than birds-my imagination or weird
frogs. CJ was home the next evening for
our dusk walk and he pointed out the
"peent" of a woodcock. And, lo and
behold, I heard the twittering again-part
of the woodcock’s flight display. I was so
happy to identify my pine songsters of the
night before that I wasn’t even
embarrassed for not thinking about
woodcocks. Since then, we have listened
to them almost every evening, but it is
usually so near dark that we can’t see
them. The song is absolutely captivating
and gives us something to look forward to
on our walks.

Except for the woodcocks and a few
ducks, our winter birding has been rather
sparse, but, thank goodness, other
members have shared some of their
experiences. Betty Mcllwain of
Brevard, NC writes that Blue Jays love
boiled egg yolks. She believes that "other
species eat the yolks, but once the jays
find them, nobody else gets a chance."

She also puts out left-over cooked rice and
egg shells, and in the spring, all species

take the shells.

Her biggest news was finding out that
her butcher would grind suet for her, and
"the birds seem to like it better." CJ and I
grind our own, and it is a messy, greasy,
disgusting job. Perhaps I, too, will let the
butcher do it from now on.

My regular correspondent, Dave
Abraham, from West Columbia, SC has
not failed me this time. I received three
letters from him. Perhaps he should write
the column!?! His letters are delightful
and usually contain photographs or
drawings to enhance what he’s talking
about.

His first letter was eight wonderful
pages. I wish I could just reprint the
entire letter, but the editor told me that my
space is limited this time. The Abrahams
have noticed a lack of birds, too. Even the
usual robins are absent (CJ and I have
noticed an increase in robins this year).

They witnessed a hawk of some kind
(Mr. A and I are still writing back and
forth trying to decide between a Merlin and
a sharpie) capture a titmouse and are
feeling guilty about attracting the smaller
birds to their yard. Now Mr. A is working
on a small bird protector with which to
cover his feeders.

The letter contained much more-stories
about swifts residing in his chimney; with
an idea about a chimney with a heat-proof
false flue; his ongoing battle with a
nuthatch, a downy woodpecker, and the
nuthatch house, complete with sketches;
and the removal of an opossum from his
bug-light-tumed-bird-feeder.

His second letter had two more ideas.
First, he would like someone to design a
set of cards of the warblers in all their
confusing variations. Then, we wouldn’t
have to flip back and forth in Petersen’s
pages to figure out what we are seeing.
Second, he has made a chickadee feeder out
of a Rolaids-type plastic bottle. He hasn’t
perfected that yet, so he’s not marketing
the feeder at this time.

His third letter brought news of Yellow-
rumped Warblers at his doctored-up marvel
meal. He adds nutmeats, raisins, fish and
batter flakes, and the warblers love it CJ
and I have seen the little "butter bottoms"
at our suet feeders, but never on the marvel
meal. I guess we’ll have to try some
additions. However, I had better forget any
more additions to this column, or the
editor will fire me. Keep the letters
coming 1006 Dogwood Hill Lane, Wake
Forest, NC 27587.

CBC Spring & Summer Field Trips

Bird Banding Demonstration Wednesday, April 29, 1992

Leaders: Evelyn Dabbs & Lex Glover Limit: 30 Participants Cost: $5

Meet at 10:00 a.m. at Black River
Swamp Banding Station at the home of
Tommy and Evelyn Dabbs near Sumter,
SC. Bring a lunch. Morning
refreshments and hot and cold drinks will
be provided.

This will be a "hands-on" experience for
participants to band and release birds, it is
an excellent way to study birds up close
and in the hand. This is also a great
opportunity to photograph birds.

Birds we expect to see include migrant
and breeding warblers, thrushes,
flycatchers, tanagers, sparrows and orioles.

as well as local resident species.

DirGCtions: From Sumter head
east on US 378 for twelve miles until you
cross a series of three bridges. Get into
left lane and turn left at the second median
crossing after the third bridge into the lane
by two mailboxes. Follow the lane about
one mile to the only house in view.

Heading south on 1-95 lake Exit #135
and turn right on US 378. Go five miles
to SC 527 and continue on US 378 for
one mile beyond SC 527. Turn right into
lane by two mailboxes and continue one
mile to only house in view.

Heading north on 1-95 lake Exit # 132
and turn left on SC 527. Go four miles
and turn left on US 378. Go for one mile
and turn right into lane by two mailboxes.
Continue one mile to only house in view.

Nearby accommodations are available at
the Turbeville Comfort Inn (803) 659-
8282 or Days Inn (803) 659-2175. Both
are located at the intersection of 1-95 and
SC 378 (Exit # 135).

Registration: Contact Evelyn
Dabbs at (803) 495-8220 to reserve space.
Send registration form with fee to CBC
headquarters.

Roanoke River, NC Saturday, June 6, 1992

Leaders: J. Merrill Lynch & Derb Carter Limit: 25 participants Cost: $10

Meet at 6:30 a.m., June 6 at the Cracker
Barrel Restaurant parking lot located at the
intersection of 1-95 and US 158 at
Roanoke Rapids. Bring a picnic lunch and
plenty of drinks.

We will carpool from here to several
choice birding areas on private land in the
Roanoke River floodplain about 30
minutes away. We will concentrate on the
Roanoke River specialities: Cerulean
Warbler, Swainson's Warbler, and
Mississippi Kite. We will also have a
chance to see many other breeding birds in
this rich area such as Wild Turkey, Least
Bittern, King Rail, Homed Lark,

Savannah River Area, SC

Leader: Graham Dugas, Jr.

Prolhonotary Warbler, Northern Panila,
Kentucky and Hooded Warblers, Orchard
Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, and Grasshopper
Sparrow. We may be doing some wading
for marsh birds so bring old tennis shoes
and pants you don't mind getting wet.
Also be prepared for mosquitoes.

We may also have a chance to see the
northernmost breeding population of
American Anhinga in the eastern US
among a colony of nesting Great Blue
Herons. Common Moorhens are another
possibility.

If there is sufficient interest, we may
have time in the late afternoon to visit a

breeding colony of Henslow's Sparrows in
Martin County near Williamston.

There are a number of lodging options
g in Roanoke Rapids. Several are located
along US 158 in the vicinity of 1-95.
These include Hampton Inn 1 -800-426-
7866, Holiday Inn (919) 537-1031,
Comfort Inn (919) 537-5252, and Days
Inn (919) 536-4867.

Registration: Contact Merrill
Lynch at (919) 387-8757 (home) or (919)
967-7007 (office) to reserve space. Send
registration form with fee to CBC
headquarters.

Saturday, June 13, 1992

Limit: 25 participants Cost: $10

Meet at the S honey’s Restaurant in
Hardeeville at 8:30 a.m. A variety of fast
food places are available in Hardeeville for
lunch. Bring something to drink, a hat
and/or sunscreen, and insect repellanL
In the morning we will visit Webb
Wildlife Center for Red-cockaded
Woodpecker, Bachman's Sparrow, Wild
Turkey, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting,
warblers, etc. and B & C Boat Landing
famous for Swallow-tailed and
Mississippi Kites and soaring Wood
Storks.

After lunch in Hardeeville we will visit
Savannah Nation Wildlife Refuge for

Least

Bittern

Purple Gallinule, Least Bittern, waders,
etc. and the Savannah River Spoil Site for
Black-necked Stilt, waders, lingering
shorebirds and waterfowl. There is a
possibility of American Avocet and
Mottled Duck.

Nearby accommodations are available in
Hardeeville including Comfort Inn (803)
784-2188, Econo Lodge (803) 784-2201,
and Holiday Inn (803) 784-2151.

Registration: Contact Graham
Dugas, Jr. (803) 671-2008 to reserve
space. Send registration form with fee to
CBC headquarters.

Saturday, July 25, 1992

Limit: 22 participants Cost: $80

Pelagic Trip

Leaders: Ricky Davis & Mike Tove

Meet at 5:30 a.m. at Pirate's Cove
Marina on the Roanoke Island-Nags head
causeway. Bring lunch and drinks.

As promised at the fall meeting in Nags
Head, another CBC sponsored pelagic trip
has been scheduled in 1992. Captain
Allen Foreman's boat, the Country Girl,
wUl take us offshore to the Gulf Stream
and deep water for some good pelagic

birding. Expected birds include Black-
capped Petrel, Cory's and Audubon's
Shearwaters, Wilson's Storm-petrel, and
Bridled Tern. Hoped for species include
Greater Shearwater, Leach's and Band-
rumped Storm-petrels, Pomarine Jaeger,
and Sooty Tern. HopefuUy the weather in
July will be calm enough to assure the
boat getting out this time!

Nearby accomodations are available in
Manteo at the Duke of Dare Motor Lodge
(919) 473-2175 and The Elizabethan Inn
(919) 473-2101.

ROQiStration: Contact Ricky Davis
at (919) 443-0276 (evenings) to reserve
space. Send registration form with fee to
CBC headquarters. A full refund will be
made if the boat doesn't go.

Early '92 Field Trips Well Received

NO Outer Banks
Reported by
John S. Wright

The CBC field trip to the NC Outer
Banks and Pamlico Sound, January 11-12,
was blessed with good weather and good
birds. Despite a rather raw and windy start
at the exposed tip of the Oregon Inlet
jetty, the morning sun rose to reveal
Purple Sandpiper feeding among the rocks.
Later in the morning we viewed the usual
excellent variety of waterfowl and waders
at the Peal Island NWR. In addition we
spotted Common Goldeneye and Peregrine
Falcon.

During the afternoon we found Lesser
Black-backed Gull at Cape Hatteras Point
and White Pelican
from the ferry
which took us
from Hatteras
Island to Ocracoke
Island.

Very early
Sunday morning
we boarded the
ferry for the crossing of Pamlico Sound.
With crystal clear skies we watched from
the deck as the sun rose over the Atlantic.
Our ferry crossing was also notable for the

many Surf and Black Scoters and
numerous Oldsquaw-many being seen at
close range as they sat on the water.

The highlight of our trip. Sandhill
Crane (present since December), was seen
near the little community of Nebraska.

We finished our birding with good looks
at several Bald Eagles around
Mattamuskeet Lake NWR before topping
off our "tanks" with some good down-
home cooking and departing for home.

Our group, about 25 strong, had a great
weekend. I hope we can do this again next
year!

Townville, SC
Reported by
Bob Wood

Beautiful spring-like weather greeted 22
CBC birders in Townville, SC on
February 29. We started the day with two
White-Crowned Sparrows and a handful of
Buffleheads in a pasture within sight of I-
85. The next stop, at the ponds off
McAdams Pond Road, tested our skills
with poorly-plumaged Pectoral
Sandpipers. We also picked up several
Gadwalls and two American Black Ducks.
The nearby fields produced outstanding

Birds & Beacons

Eric G. Bolen is currently researching
the history of birds colliding with
lighthousesalong the Atlantic Coast, with
special reference to NC. First mention of
such impacts (pun intended!) seems to be
in Audubon's renowned work, and he
hopes to acquire as much additional
information on this subject as possible.

Correspondents supplying useful date
(dates, location, species, weather, etc.) as
well as anecdotal material will be
appropriately acknowledged. Please
contact Eric G. Bolen, c/o Graduate
School, UNC-Wilmington, Wilmington,
NC 28409.

looks at Homed Larks. Farther down the
road a pair of courting Red-tailed Hawks
held our attention as they flew with their
landing gear down.
Homed Grebes seemed
to be everywhere as
we ate lunch at Lake
Hartwell, then a flock
of Scaup swimming a mile away attracted
our attention. Five Redheads mixed in
with them brought our our field guides.
Distinguishing Redheads from
Canvasbacks at that distance was tough,
and the call is still somewhat debatable.
Birding activity dropped off considerably
after lunch, but we still managed to find a
pair of turkeys, a muskrat, and a painted
turtle. A pair of Kingfishers put on a
show for us at Eighteen Mile Creek, but
the site otherwise wasn't up to its usual
level of productivity.

Overall, we saw or hear 70 species,
including nine duck, seven raptor, and five
sandpiper species.

Townville will be outstanding in May
and June, and we hope the winter trip has
increased interest in birding the piedmont
of western South Carolina. Bob Wood

Travel Opportunities

Does a Black Rail Weekend in April, a
Lake Erie Migrant Trap Weekend in May,
a Southeastern Arizona Fiesta in July and
Belize in August spark your interest?
Contact Dennis Forsythe, 1468 Battery
Haig Ct., Charleston, SC 29409 tel.
(803) 795-3996 (home) for complete
information.

1991: My Big Year

by John S. Wright

In 1987 an unusually large number of
very rare birds were found in North
Carolina. Among these were Pacific
Loon, Spotted Redshank, Northern
Wheatear, Green Violet-ear and Smith's
Longspur. Several North Carolina birders
managed to see all or most of them, and
partly because of their success with these
rarities a competition developed that year
to see who could lay claim to the record
North Carolina year list-a year list being
the total number of species of birds seen
(or heard) in one calendar year. As this
"big year" competition heated up, it
became apparent that the final numbers
would be large. At year's end, John
Fussell and Derb Carter came out on top
of the heap with year lists of 326 and 325
species respectively; pretty staggering
numbers for one year of birding in North
Carolina. These numbers represented
about 80% of the total number of birds
ever recorded in the state.

Trying to catch or surpass those 1987
record totals was not my goal when in late
December of 1990 1 announced to my
birding firiends that during the coming year
of 1991 I was going to keep a North
Carolina year list "Oh, you mean a big
year, " John Fussell said. I tried to
explain that all I was going to do was to
keep a diary of my bird sightings during
the year so that I could have an accurate
record of my birding year. I explained that
I was only going to do this for fun, and
that I was not trying to do a "big year,"
However, I don't think that he was fooled.
Anyway, I purchased a small notebook for
the purpose and was all ready to start my
year list diary when the new year began.

My first entry was for January 1st The
Greenville Christmas Count kept me out
all day, and I tallied my first 71 species.
My first "good" bird, a Short-eared Owl
(#73), came on January 5th. A trip to the
Outer Banks and the Lake Phelps area on
January 19th and 20th with my wife
Paula, Harry LeGrand and Ricky Davis
boosted my total to nearly 150 species,
and changed my outlook on the year list.
The year had just begun and I had already
seen Short-eared and Bam Owls, White
Pelican, Harlequin Duck, Iceland Gull,
Lincoln's, Clay-colored and Vesper

Sparrows. I was on a roll and I was
psyched up. I remained in that condition
for the remainder of the year. On
February 9lh the first really great bird
graced my list. This was a Long-eared
Owl (#161), the result of a call from the
finder, Derb Carter. My winter birding
ended with Red Ftialarope (#171), seen
from the headboat Carolina Princess on
March 16th. I had experienced a pretty
good winter and hadn't woriced too hard to
get the birds.

I knew that I would need to have a busy
and productive spring if I wanted to
entertain any hopes of reaching 3(X)
species by year's end. I birded frequently
around my home county all through late
March and early April. Milestone bird
#2(X), Orchard Oriole, came on April
15th. My next great bird (#210) was an
Harris' Sparrow, thanks to another call
from Derb Carter. Paula and I saw this
one on the way to the Greenville, SC
spring meeting of the Carolina Bird Club.
Of course, we birded the North Carolina
mountains hard on Friday morning before
crossing the state line, and had mn the list
up to 226 species. Likewise, we birded
on the way back home too, taking a rather
circuitous route around Mount Mitchell,
and stopping by the Yadkin River bridge
to find nesting Cliff Swallows (#232).

May was pure excitement. My list was
growing, and I was enthusiastic about
preparations for a North Carolina "big
day" which I was to do with Derb Carter
and Merrill Lynch by car and airplane
from the mountains to the coast on May
19th. Some preliminary scouting on the
coast yielded Roseate Tem (#248) and in
the mountains an Alder Rycatcher (#258),
However, the "big day" ended up as a big
bust. The entire state was awash with
rain so that flying to the coast was
impossible. But, I was happy to have
been a part of the effort, and to return
home with 260 species on my year list
May 25th found me aboard the headboat
Carolina Princess again. My trip netted
Band-rumped Storm Petrel, Long-tailed
Jaeger and White-tailed Tropicbird (#268)
on a day when the ocean was alive with
migrating pelagic birds.

The month of June was rather

uneventful even though I birded regularly.
By the end of the month my list stood at
275 species, but I was missing several
breeding season birds which I would need
to find in July.

On July 7th Paula and I started out for
the mountains, but we stopped in Raleigh
to say hello to Harry LeGrand. Our travel
plans changed when he told us of a Ruff in
Wilmington. The Ruff became #276 and
was quite a thrill. Back to the mountains
a day late, we looked hard and finally
found Black-billed Cuckoo, saw Black-
capped Chickadee at Clingman's Dome,
and as a great bonus we not only heard but
also saw a Saw-whet Owl (#280) along
the Blue Ridge Parkway. Coming back
from the mountains we made one of two
July trips to the extreme southeastern
coast. These trips yielded Wood Stork,
Reddish Egret and Fhirple Gallinule
(#287). By the end of July some good
shorebirds (Baird's Sandpiper, Curlew
Sandpiper) and a few pelagic birds had
pushed my total to 293 species. August,
however, proved to be a barren month;
bringing only Sooty Tem and Wilson’s
Phalarope (#295).

By the end of August I knew that I could
at least reach and surpass the 300 species
plateau. The only question was whether I
could make a serious run at the326 species
which John Fussell had posted four years
earlier. At the time I didn't think it would
be possible.

Early September was a boost. I saw
Buff-breasted Sant^iper and Yellow-headed
Blackbird on the 2nd of the month, and
thinks to a call from Eric Dean I had Eared
Grebe (#298) on the 4th. A much delayed
Greater Shearwater came on a September
pelagic trip, and the 300th bird of the year,
Lesser Golden Plover, was seen on the
10th, thanks to yet another call from Eric
Dean. Halfway through the month Paula
and I again went to the mountains,
needing several "confusing fall warblers."
We were successful, seeing Nashville
Warbler and Philadelphia Vireo among
others, and an unexpected Wild Turkey
(#304). I was hoping to build my list
during the CBC fall meeting at Nags Head
and was not disappointed. Wilson’s

(continued next page)

Big Year

(continued from previous page)

Warbler, Western Kingbird, Lark
Sparrow and Eurasian Wigeon (#312) were
enough to ease my disappointment at not
seeing Eloise Potter's Kirtland's Warbler.

October and the first half of November
were a long dry spell. Only on species,
Dickcissel, was added during this month
and a half, and I began to feel that my luck
had run out. Virtually all the "easy" birds
were already on my list, and the remaining
possibilities were tough. However, I
became rejuvenated on November 16th on
an Outer Banks trip with Harry LeGrand as
a fly-by Pine Siskin and King Eider were
followed by Ross’ Goose (#316) at Pea
Island Refuge. The following day I was a
participant on Harry's CBC field trip to
Mattamuskeet Lake and surrounding areas,
and before that day was over, a barely-
audible Lapland Longspur became #317.
The rest of November was hard birding. I
took the headboat Continental Shelf out of
Morehead City on the 23rd hoping for
miracles, but I got a Black-legged
Kittiwake (#318). For the Thanksgiving
holiday I wanted no turkey (which I'd
already seen); I wanted year birds. Paula
and I celebrated the holiday with Common
Eider on the 28th and with John Fussell
saw Brewer's Blackbird (#320) on the
29th.

The month of December remained and
all the birds now were going to be hard to
find. I faced the real possibility of
striking out with a full month left, but I
also knew that with some luck there was
the possibility of breaking the record. On
the 7th Paula and I raced eastward after a
phone tip to find LeConte's Sparrow
(#321) near Edenton. The following day I
raced westward to follow up on a CBC
Rare Bird Alert call and found Rufous
Hummingbird (#322) in Charlotte. Then
the Christmas Counts began. My last
best chances to add rarities would lie in
those two weeks. I was scheduled to go
on eight counts, mainly in the coastal
areas.

December 14: Goldsboro Count.

Nothing new, December 15: Morehead
City Count Having learned of a Snow
Bunting on Bird Shoal I risked the
crossing of Taylor's Creek by kayak and
surfboard, and Snow Bunting (#323) was
mine. December 22: Greenville Count. I
look my flu out into the field and managed
to survive the day. December 26:

Pamlico Sound Count. From the ferry we
counted birds. Cold and disappx)inting.
Nothing new. December 27: Hatteras
Count. Lots of rain. Just after
commenting to Ricky Davis about being
frustrated in several attempts to find a
Common Merganser, guess what?
Common Merganser (#324)! A few hours
later a report of Thayer's Gull had me four-
wheeling through sand again at Cape
Hatteras Point. Thayer’s Gull was a great
bird and made #325. December 28:
Bodie-Pea Island Count. The Razorbill
was a great bird, but I didn't see it Oh
well. December 29: Mattamuskeet
Count. The rain stopped in early
morning. Lots of birds but nothing new
until the news was spilled at the
compilation dinner (after dark). In addition
to a Ruff seen by Ricky Davis and Bob
Lewis, Harry LeGrand had seen a Sandhill
Crane.

I slept fitfully that night, having an
Indiana Jones-type dream about the
Sandhill Crane in which things went from
bad to worse. I awoke early on the 30th
and with two others went out early to
locate the crane. By 8:00 a.m. we had
seen iL I felt much relief at having tied
the record of 326 species, and with another
day remaining there was hope for even
more. I drove home to Greenville, bathed,
shaved and rested up for the last day of the
year.

Paula and I had planned to spend the last
day driving the beach from Corolla to the
Virginia line, looking for alcids. Little
Gull, etc. All that changed when the call
came from Henry Link telling of a Red-
necked Grebe at Jordan Lake and a
probable Pine Grosbeak at High Point.

At 4:00 a.m. on December 31st Paula
and I hauled out of bed and took off for
Jordan Lake. Before sunrise we wereat
Ebeneezer Point, waiting for enough light
to see a grebe. Unfortunately, Jordan Lake
is big and there were several grebes.
Fortunately, a half hour of scanning
finally proved successful. We saw Red-
necked Grebe (#327) and were off to High
Point. We arrived about 9:00 a.m. and
spent the next three hours waiting, along
with Henry Link, Herb Hendrickson and
others for the Pine Grosbeak to come back
to the feeder. No grosbeak. My luck had
finally run out, but not before the setting
of a new record for the greatest number of
species of birds seen in one calendar year
in North Carolina. The year 1991 had

indeed been a very big year for me. It was
a most hectic, challenging and thoroughly
enjoyable year of birding.

Hummingbird

Q & A

by Dottie Foy

Does the water need to be colored
red to attract hummingbirds?

...Raleigh, NC

NO! Hummingbirds will come to a
hummer feeder regardless of the color of
the water in it. In 1983 I did an
experiment using five feeders with
different water in each one. One had green
colored water, one had blue colored water,
one had yellow colored water; one had
clear water, and one had red colored water.
The hummers fed from all feeders; they
had no favorite. There was a time several
years ago when this country was buying
our red dye from China. This was used for
our red/maroon bathroom fixtures and
many other things including food
coloring. This was very harmful to
humans and birds alike, and somewhere
along the line the U.S. government
stepped in and banned the importation of
this red coloring. We began making our
own red dye and what has been on the
market now for several years is safe for
humans and birds. Therefore, there is no
truth to the statement that red food dye
will injure hummingbirds. As a matter of
fact, too much sugar in the sugar water
will do more harm than the old China dye
ever did. But that's a question for another
issue of the Newsletter.

Should all feeders have perches?

...Wilmington, NC

No. The birds will use either a feeder
with or without perches. I would suggest
however, that anyone who is serious about
studying the "gems of the bird world" get
a feeder with perches. The birds are far
easier to see and study when they are
perched while sipping their food.

Send your hummingbird questions to
Mrs. Dorothy J. Foy, PO Box 457,
Oriental, NC 28571

Registration Form

CBC Spring & Summer Field Trips

Name(s),

Address

(list each p>articipant)
City

State Zip.

Enclosed is my check in the amount of $ for the following field trips: Bird banding demonstration, April 29 ($5);

Roanoke River, June 6 ($10); Savannah River, June 13 ($10) Pelagic trip, July 25 ($80). I have called the appropriate

trip leader to ensure that space is available.

Mail with check to Carolina Bird Club, Inc., PO Box 27647, Raleigh, NC 27611

Quality Inn Reservation Form

Carolina Bird Club
Spring Meeting, May 8-10, 1992

Name Address

City State Zip

Rooms (single or double occupancy) $48.(X) plus tax.

Please reserve room(s) at $48.00 per night. My check for the first night's lodging is enclosed. I will arrive

and depart .

Mail with deposit to Quality Inn Conference Center, 344 Blowing Rock Rd., Boone, NC 28607 or call (704) 262-0020 (in
NC call toll free 1-800-362-2777)

Bluff Mountain Reservation Form

Saturday, May 9, 1992

Name(s)

Address City State Zip

Enclosed is my check in the amount of $ to reserve ^place)s) at $10 each for the CBC spring meeting field trip to Bluff

Mountain.

Please make check payable to The Nature Conservancy and mail to Dr. Jay Frank Randle , 116 Blanwood Drive, Boone, NC
28607.

Registration Form

CBC Spring Meeting, May 8-10, 1992

' Name(s).
Address

(list each name for name tags)
City

State Zip

I Enclosed is my check in the amount of $ for member registrations at $4 each and nonmember registrations

at $5 each. Registration at meeting w'ill be $5 for members and $6 for nonmembers.

'Mail with check to Carolina Bird Club, Inc., PO Box 27647, Raleigh, NC 27611

f

Welcome New Members

Gerald & Barbara
Ackerman
New Bern, NC

Greg All

Ridgeville, SC

Ann Anderson

Lumberton, NC

Patricia M. Archer

Shelby, NC

Ernie Ayers

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Lynn Barber

Raleigh, NC

John J. Bean

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Harrol & Velma Blevins

Sumter, SC

M/M Edwin Blitch

Charleston, SC

Allen Boynton

Morganton, NC

Jerry & Donna Brown

Emerald Isle, NC

Bob & Cathy Corey

Southern Pines, NC

Peter & Marion Cotton

Durham, NC

George Crumley

Charleston, SC

M/M Mort Curry, Jr.

N. Kingstown, RI

Nathan W. Dias

Charleston, SC

Faith Dietrick

Beulaville, NC

David Donmoyer

Hemingway, SC

Hilda B. Fountain

High Point, NC

Sue Glasby

Lillington, NC

Dan Goldstein family

Folly Beach, SC

Frank L. Greene

Greenville, SC

Richard F. Harrington

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Teri J. Hatcher

Charlotte, NC

William B. Hofmann

Wilmington, NC

Brenda Hull & Bill
Henninger
Johnson City, TN

Joanne D. Hutto

Lexington, SC

Barbara B. Kendrick

Winston-Salem, NC

Jeff Kline family

Charleston, SC

Jane M. Lamarche

Southern Pines, NC

Jansen B. Lasley

Greensboro, NC

Thomas G. Ledford

Charlotte, NC

David W. Lupton

Bayboro, NC

Roger D. McNeill family

Roanoke, VA

Joe Montanarella family

Cary, NC

Pam Odear

Jamestown, NC

Outdoor Bird Company

Raleigh, NC

Steve & Jill Patterson

Pelion, SC

John Peachey

Conway, SC

Anne Peterson

Johns Island, SC

Irvin Pitts, Jr.

Lexington, SC

Theresa A. Roberts

Charleston, SC

Ben C. Smith

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Tonya Spires

Hemingway, SC

Russell Thompson

Charleston, SC

Michael Blaine Tronoski

Charleston, SC

Roy Turner

Rock Hill, SC

Charles E. Walters

Charleston, SC

James Ward

Oriental, NC

Jane West

Charleston, SC

Wild Bird World

New Bern, NC

CBC Newsletter is published quarterly by Carolina Bird Club, Inc., the ornithological society of the Carolinas, with
headquarters at Raleigh, NC. CBC is a nonprofit corporation, founded in 1937, with membership open to anyone interested in
birds, natural history and conservation. Members are encouraged to submit items of interest to CBC Newsletter, Clyde Smith,
Editor, 2615 Wells Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608.

CAROLINA BIRD CLUB, INC.

CB®

Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Post Office
Permit No. 1654
Raleigh, NC 27611

P.O. BOX 27647, RALEIGH, NC 27611