Vo!. 65 TheC WINTER 2001 No. 1 The Quarterly Bulletin of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc The Ornithological Society of the Carolinas THE CHAT (USPS 101-020) Vol. 65 WINTER 2001 No. 1 Published by The Carolina Bird Club, Inc. Editor Bob Wood, 2421 Owl Circle West Columbia, SC 29169 bobwood@ix.netcom.com General Field Notes North Carolina South Carolina Will Cook Dennis M. Forsythe Briefs for the Files Ricky Davis Associate Editor Andrea Ceselski Editor Emeritus Eloise Potter THE CHAT is published quarterly for $20.00 by the Carolina Bird Club, Inc., with headquarters at the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029. Second-class postage paid at Raleigh, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Carolina Bird Club, THE CHAT, 1 1 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029. Articles Nocturnally Singing Northern Mockingbirds Orient Toward Lights. Kate A. Miskell and Michael J. Justice 1 1999 Fall North American Migration Count in South Carolina. Donna S. Bailey 7 2000 Spring North American Migration Count in South Carolina. Donna S. Bailey.. . 21 General Field Notes A South Carolina Specimen of the Spotted Towhee. William Post and Jon S. Greenlaw 34 Briefs for the Files, Summer 2000 37 Cover ( Northern Cardinal) by Bill Duyck, Asheville, NC Nocturnally Singing Northern Mockingbirds Orient Toward Lights I. Introduction Male Northern Mockingbirds ( Mimus p. polyglottos ) often sing after dark during the breeding season. Casual observations suggest that mockingbirds tend to face their ventra toward lights while singing at night. However, this could be artifactual: human observers may simply notice them more often when they are facing lights because this orientation illuminates their white underparts. Whether mockingbirds truly show such a tendency needs to be assessed systematically. In addition to adding to our scant knowledge of mockingbird nocturnal behavior, confirming that mockingbirds face lights while singing at night may help explain their diurnal tendency to face the sun when the sun is low in the sky (Justice, 1996). In both situations, mockingbirds illuminate their lighter underparts and cast shadows on their darker upperparts. Three theories may explain the tendency of mockingbirds to face the sun. First, orientation may play a role in communication. Facing the sun illuminates the white underparts and enhances the dorsoventral contrast, making the bird more conspicuous. Facing away from the sun shadows the white underparts and diminishes the dorsoventral contrast, making the bird less conspicuous (see Thayer [1909], Kiltie [1988], and Justice, Justice, & Joyner [2000] for detailed discussion of this theory). Thus, the function of orientation may be regulation of conspicuousness, which should influence communication with conspecifics (Justice, in prep). Second, orientation behavior may be involved in thermoregulation. Precisely how sunlight on the feathers affects body temperature is complex. The reflection, absorption, and transmission spectra of the feathers, the positioning of the feathers in relation to the incoming light and to each other, and the effects of movement and wind on the boundary layer must all be considered. However, it is probably safe to say that, in general, sunlight hitting gray-black wings folded over brownish-gray upperparts is going to have a different effect on body temperature compared to sunlight hitting the white downy feathers on the ventrum. Third, birds may orient themselves to the sun in an effort to regulate exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation (Burtt, 1979). UV radiation may have both physiological benefits (being involved in vitamin synthesis in some animals) and costs (damage to DNA). Mockingbirds’ dorsal feathers probably absorb more UV radiation than their ventral feathers, so their orientation with Kate A. Miskell Department of Psychology East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858 Michael J. Justice Department of Psychology East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858 1 2 Nocturnally Singing Mockingbirds Orient Toward Lights respect to the sun may reflect efforts to balance the costs and benefits of exposure. The brightest nocturnal light sources are typically streetlights, walkway lights, billboard signs, etc. These lights do not produce significant amounts of heat or UV radiation, especially compared to sunlight. Thus, a switch from facing the sun diurnally to nondirectional orientation at night would suggest that thermoregulation and/or UV exposure are significant factors in orientation toward the sun during the day. However, if mockingbirds face bright lights at night, this suggests that communication may be a significant factor in both nocturnal and diurnal orientation. II. Methods Study Sites, Times, and Conditions. During the 2000 breeding season, data were collected on 16 mockingbirds in Greenville, NC and two mockingbirds in Murfreesboro, NC. Data collection began as soon as nocturnal singing began (mid- April) and ended when nocturnal singing became rare (mid- June). All data were collected between 2030hr and 2345hr. Wind speed was measured by a Davis Instruments anemometer and was minimal during data collection (range 0.0 - 1.2 m/s). Temperature ranged from 15.6° - 25.4° C. Sampling Method. Observers listened for singing mockingbirds while walking or driving. Only after hearing song did a search for the singing bird begin. This ensured that the sample was not accidentally biased toward mockingbirds in more visually conspicuous orientations (see Justice, Justice, & Joyner [2000] for a related technique). Only males were sampled, because females do not sing during the breeding season. Many birds were located almost immediately, without a flashlight; for others a diligent search was carried out with a flashlight. Although some birds required up to 30-40 minutes to find, only three singing birds were never found. Given that all sampled birds were singing on or near college campuses, it is unlikely that the presence of an observer was unduly bothersome to the bird; indeed, most birds sang throughout the search process. To avoid sampling the same bird more than once, observers did not return to an area where data had been collected. The size of the area avoided was at least three times the size of a typical mockingbird territory. Measures. Once a bird was found, the observer recorded the date, time, temperature, location, wind speed from several directions, and the compass direction in which the bird was facing. The observer then mapped out the surrounding light sources using an Extech Instruments light meter set on the fast response for 0.0 - 199.9 Foot-candles (Fc). The light sensor was adhered to the sight guide of the compass, and the observer pointed the light sensor in 16 evenly spaced compass directions (0°, 22.5°, 45°, and so on). When possible, the observer mapped the light sources from the point on the ground directly underneath the song perch. Otherwise, for example, if the observer could only get to within 3m of this point, the observer walked a 3m-radius circle around the point. Because light intensity decreases exponentially with The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 3 distance and the radii of the traversed circles varied from bird to bird, the actual number of foot-candles recorded could not be compared between birds. Instead, all analyses used within-bird comparisons of illumination at various angles. III. Results Compass Direction. While not the focus of the present research, the data allowed for the opportunity to examine whether mockingbirds tend to orient in a particular compass direction. Certainly if such a tendency were present, it would affect the outcome of the present study. The compass orientations of the 18 mockingbirds sampled for this study are plotted in Figure 1 . Using North as 0°, the mean direction (f) = 60.5° and the angular deviation s = 79.06°. There was no significant directional preference: mean vector length r = 0.048, Rayleigh test p > 0.90 (circular statistics were calculated using the techniques described in Batschelet [1981]). Figure 1. Compass orientations of the mockingbirds sampled for this study are represented by dots (•) on the circle. (f> = mean vector angle, r= mean vector length. 4 Nocturnally Singing Mockingbirds Orient Toward Lights Intensity of Dorsal vs. Ventral Illumination. For 14 birds, the light they were facing was more intense than the light from which they were facing away. Three birds showed the opposite pattern, and one had equally intense lights from the directions of its dorsum and ventrum. Collapsing the latter two categories, the binomial p < 0.02 (x = 14, n = 1 8, null proportion = 0.50). Thus, there was a significant tendency to have the ventrum illuminated by more intense light than the dorsum. Even if the three birds that were never found were all counted as having more intense light on their dorsum (the more cryptic orientation), the binomial probability remains low (p = 0.095, x= 14, n = 21) Orienting Toward the Most Intense Light Sources. As described above, light intensity was measured from 16 evenly spaced directions. For this analysis, the number of directions from the one in which the bird was facing to the one with the most intense light was counted. Thus, if the bird were facing in the direction from which the most intense light was coming, it scored zero. If the bird were facing one direction over from the most intense light, it scored one. If the bird were facing the opposite direction of the most intense light, it scored eight. The results are plotted in Figure 2. Of the 14 birds with more intense light on their ventra compared to their dorsa, 13 scored zero or one and 1 scored four. Scores of zero, one, or two may be considered to be facing the most intense light because these orientations will illuminate most of the ventral surface. Comparing n = 13 scores of zero or one with n- 1 score between three and eight, binomial p < 0.001 Qt = 13, n = 14, null proportion = 0.33). IV. Discussion The data above suggest that mockingbirds singing at night during the breeding season 1) do not tend to face in any particular compass direction, 2) tend to maintain a higher light intensity on their ventra compared to their dorsa, and 3) do so by facing toward or near the direction from which the most intense light is coming. It is unlikely that thermoregulation or regulation of exposure to UV is involved in this behavior because of the low amounts of heat and UV that could be acquired from an artificial light at even a short distance. Communication is a better explanation. At night, mockingbirds would be much more conspicuous when their ventra are intensely illuminated compared to their dorsa. This was readily apparent to human observers, and thus might also be true for other animals with similar or better visual systems. The information being transmitted via a conspicuous orientation, the recipients of this information, and how they respond to it remains unknown. One thing that must be considered is that all mockingbirds in this study were singing when measured, and singing is a conspicuous behavior in the auditory channel. One the one hand, orientation may complement the auditory conspicuousness of the song by making the singer visually conspicuous as well. For example, if song is used for mate attraction, orientation may provide or The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 5 9 1 8 - 7 - 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ■ More Intense Light from Direction of Ventrum H More Intense or Equally Intense Light from Direction of _ Dorsum 8 Number of Directions Between Ventrum and Most Intense Light Figure 2. N = 14 mockingbirds were oriented so that the light on their ventra was more intense than the light on their dorsa (black bars). These also tended to be facing the most intense light source available (scores of 0 or 1). N = 4 mockingbirds were oriented so that the light on their dorsa was more intense than or equally intense as the light on their ventra (gray bars). enhance important visual cues for the female. The same may be true of facing the sun during the day, although thermoregulation and UV exposure are likely to play a role in diurnal orientation. On the other hand, orientation may compensate for the auditory conspicuousness of song, which may alert both diurnal and nocturnal aerial predators to the presence of potential prey. If predators keep light sources at their backs to illuminate potential prey, then mockingbirds may face light sources to detect such predators. Even if such an orientation makes the bird conspicuous, the early detection of a predator may be so advantageous that the conspicuousness of the orientation becomes moot. However, this paper specifically examined orientation of the ventrum, not the beak or eyes. If illuminating the white ventrum increases conspicuousness, then 6 Nocturnally Singing Mockingbirds Orient Toward Lights it seems a better antipredation strategy would be to direct the ventrum away from light sources and turn the head to search for predators; this allows for crypsis of the body while the eyes are searching. Future investigators could use experimental manipulations of light sources and/or the color of the ventrum to address some of these hypotheses. Acknowledgments This research was supported by a Birds of the Carolinas Student Research Grant from the Carolina Bird Club to Kate A. Miskell. References Batschelet, E. 1981. Circular statistics in biology. New York: Academic Press. Burtt, E H Jr. 1979. The behavioral significance of color. Garland STPM Press, New York. Justice, M J. 1996. Orientation of song perches in a piedmont population of Northern Mockingbirds. The Chat 60:81-88. Justice, M J. Orientation with respect to the sun and conspecific interactions in three birds with different color patterns. Forthcoming. Justice, M J, T C Justice, and K Joyner. 2000. Orientation of perching birds when the sun is at low elevation. Bird Behavior 13:79-84. Kiltie, R A. 1988 Countershading: Universally deceptive or deceptively universal? Trends in Ecology and Evolution 3:21-23. Thayer, G H. 1909. Concealing coloration in the animal kingdom: An exposition of the laws of disguise through color pattern, being a summary of Abbott H. Thayer's discoveries. Macmillan, New York. Birds of the Carolinas Student Research Grants Program The Carolina Bird Club’s Birds of the Carolinas Research Grants Program provides funding for undergraduate and graduate students in North Carolina and South Carolina. The program is funded through the generosity of the authors of Birds of the Carolinas (Eloise F. Potter, James F. Parnell, and Robert P. Teulings). Application deadlines and other details will be announced via mail to North Carolina and South Carolina institutions and on the Carolina Bird Club web site. 1999 Fall North American Migration Count In South Carolina Donna S. Bailey 176 Raven's Place Winnsboro, SC 29180 The Fall 1999 North American Migration Count was conducted on September 18, 1999. 27,676 individuals of 204 species were discovered by 82 observers in 52 parties covering 12 counties in South Carolina on this seasonable fall day. Numbers of observers and counties included on the count are somewhat low because the count was disrupted by the evacuation and subsequent return of coastal residents due to Hurricane Floyd. Of this total 38 species were “exclusives,” found only in one county. The exclusives break down as follows: Aiken: 2 Charleston: 7 Cherokee: 2 Chester: 6 Fairfield: 1 Georgetown: 7 Hampton: 1 Jasper: 7 Richland: 2 Spartanburg: 3 County Summaries Aiken County (Aike): 107 species, 2752 individuals. 54° F - 80° F. 7:30 AM- 7:30 PM. Participants: Coordinator Anne Waters, 1621 Apple Valley Drive, Augusta, GA 30906. 706/793-2788. John Austin, Paula Austin, Steve Bingham, Kathi Borgman, John Demko, Nancy Demko, Christine Huzella, Sandra Johnson, Carol Jordan, Paul Koehler, Richard Lux, Marylyn McLeod, Daphne Parker, Damon Paradise, Vernon Waters, Alice Walker, Carolyn White, Calvin Zippier Aiken County’s exclusives were excellent finds - 2 lingering Mississippi Kites and a Gray Kingbird that might have arrived with Hurricane Floyd. Barnwell County (Barn): 58 species, 41 1 individuals. 60° F - 80° F. 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Participants: Coordinator Teddy Shuler, 433 Sheraton Drive, Beech Island, SC 29842. 803-302-6104. Ned Shuler. Barnwell County reported two Black-throated Green Warblers, three Yellow Warblers, and six early Ruby-crowned Kinglets. 7 8 1999 Fall Migration Day Count in SC Charleston County (Char): 132 species, 8122 individuals. 60° F- 78° F. 5:45 AM - 7:45 PM. Participants: Coordinator Perry Nugent, 2260 Dallerton Circle, Charleston, SC 29414. 843/556-3841. Gifford Beaton, Jim Brownlee, Sue Brownlee, John Brubaker, Edward Conradi, Sandra Conradi, John Cottingham, Ben Smith, Craig Watson. One of Charleston County's exclusives was an Orange-crowned Warbler, perhaps a somewhat early date for this species. The other Charleston exclusives were Least Bittern, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Peregrine Falcon, Sora, Marbled Godwit, and Gull-billed Tern. Cherokee County (Cher): 91 species, 1490 individuals. 57° F - 78° F. Times not recorded. Participants: Coordinator Lyle Campbell, 126 Greengate Lane, Spartanburg, SC 29307. 864/585-1228. Laura Bannan, Russell Bannan, Tim Brown, Sarah Campbell, Marion Clark, Dan Codispoti, Frances Craig, Sammy Floyd, Robin Gilman, Teressa Glen, John Green, Alice Henderson, Don Henderson, Betty Howard, Joel Jones, Dennis Kimbrell, Micky Marotte, Bill Moody, Bill Myeres, Mary Ann Myeres, Lisa Pearson, Ken Pearson, Doug Raynor, Emma Raynor, Alan Rose, Jenny Scott, Walton Scott, Gerald Thurmond, Les Young. Exclusive to Cherokee County were Blackburnian Warbler and a lingering Orchard Oriole. Chester County (Ches): 81 species, 479 individuals. 48° F - 72° F. 6:45 AM - 4:15 PM. Participants: Coordinator Albert E. Conway, 1672 Deer Run Road, Catawba, SC 29704. 803/329-3759. Gail B. Ice. Chester had an six exclusives - early Ring-necked Duck and Bufflehead, Common Snipe, Horned Lark, Grasshopper Sparrow, and the always excellent Barn Owl. Fairfield County (Fair): 85 species, 1585 individuals. 5 1° F - 76° F. 4:30 AM - 8:30 PM. Participants: Coordinator Donna S. Bailey, 176 Raven's Place, Winnsboro, SC 29 1 80. 803/635-7032. Buddy Bailey, Bob Ellis, Tim Kalbach, Gary Sowell, Nancy Lyman. Fairfield County's exclusive was an early Common Loon, found on Lake Monticello. Georgetown County (Geor): 84 species, 2436 individuals. 65° F - 82° F. 7:30 AM- 4:30 PM. Participants: Coordinator Jack Peachey, 103 Walnut Circle, Conway, SC 29520. 843/347-5810. Wendy Allen, Bob Maxwell, Paul Rogers. The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 9 Among Georgetown's exclusives were Piping Plover, Whimbrel, Red Knot, Bonaparte's Gull, Common Tern, and Seaside Sparrow. The Seaside Sparrow is a nice bird to find in South Carolina. Hampton County (Hamp): 57 species, 548 individuals. 62° F - 85° F. 6:45 AM- 5:45 PM. Participants: Coordinator Carroll Richard, P.O. Box 893, Hampton, SC 29924. 803/943-4661. David Breland, Karen Breland. Hampton County’s exclusive was a Purple Gallinule. Hampton County also reported an early Palm Warbler, a nice find along the coast which does not usually have the warbler push that the interior of the state sees. Jasper County (Jasp): 53 species, 2448 individuals. 76° F - 78° F. 12:00 PM -4:15 PM. Participants: Coordinator Patricia E. Metz, Parkway Business Center, Suite 1000, Business Center Drive, Savannah, GA 31405. 912/652-4415 ext. 103. John Metz. A half-day effort in Jasper yielded numerous exclusives, including American White Pelican, early Green- winged Teal and Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, American Avocet, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Black Tern. Lexington County (Lexi): 60 species, 1104 individuals. Temperatures not reported. 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Participants: Coordinator Molly Bonnell, 220 Cannon Trail Road, Lexington, SC 29072. 803/359-6280. Andrea Ceselski, Jerry Griggs. Two Tennessee Warblers and two Magnolia Warblers were nice finds for Lexington County. Richland County (Rich): 80 species, 1432 individuals. 54° F - 82° F. 6: 15 AM - 6:45 PM. Participants: Coordinator Robin Carter, 4 165 E. Buchanan Drive, Columbia, SC 29206. 803/788-8820. Bobby Desportes, Caroline Eastman, Heidi Hoerman, Kathleen O'Grady . The exclusives reported from Richland County were Bicknell's Thrush, an excellent find anywhere in the state, and Ovenbird. Spartanburg County (Spar): 97 species, 5195 individuals. 57° F - 78° F. 6:30 - 10:30 PM. Participants: Coordinator Lyle Campbell, 126 Greengate Lane, Spartanburg, SC 29307. 864/585-1228. Laura Bannan, Russell Bannan, Tim Brown, Sarah Campbell, Marion Clark, Dan Codispoti, Frances Craig, Sammy Floyd, Robin Gilman, Teressa Glen, John Green, Alice Henderson, Don Henderson, Betty Howard, Joel Jones, Dennis Kimbrell, Micky Marotte, Bill Moody, Bill Myers, 10 1999 Fall Migration Day Count in SC Mary Ann Myers, Lisa Pearson, Ken Pearson, Doug Raynor, Emma Raynor, Alan Rose, Jenny Scott, Walton Scott, Gerald Thurmond, Les Young Spartanburg County had three exclusives - an early Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, an early Winter Wren, and a Song Sparrow. CAROLINABIRDS Carolinabirds is an Internet e-mail discussion group about birds and birding in the Carolinas. Subscribers frequently post sightings to it similar to those found in Briefs for the Files, but unusual behavior receives more attention. Subscriptions are free. To subscribe, address an e-mail message to . Don’t fill in the subject line. As your message, simply put, “subscribe carolinabirds” (without the quotes). You will receive a confirmation and more information shortly. Submissions for Briefs for the Files should be sent directly to Ricky Davis. The Chat , Vol 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 11 # Counties Reporting Species LO CM r- o oo oo CO CO CM CO CO o CM CM CM CM LO CM CO TOTAL Individuals o O CD 00 oo o CM CO CM r- 00 o CM CD CO CD r- o CM CO CO CO M- co O CO 00 CO CD CO m m- 3 Spar T — CO CO CM CO CD CD h- Rich o CM 1 55 1 r- CM Lexi CM CM r^- co CD Jasp LO CO o CM h' O CD LO CO CD o T— CO CO LO r- CO CO CD CM Hamp CM CO CD CO Is- CO Geor o> 00 LO CO O h- CM h- CM CM CO CO lO CO Fair CO O CO LO CO Ches CM N- CM M" CO CM CM M- co CM Cher CM CO CO Char O 00 5 CD CM LO CO CO 9 149] CO CD CO LO oo LO CM h- oo 9 CM LO oo CM CO LO CM Barn 00 CO CO c 1 Aike CM CO 9 CO 00 CO o 00 CM LO | North American Migration Co | South Carolina 1 8 September 1 999 1 Common Loon 1 Pied-billed Grebe lAmerican White Pelican 1 Brown Pelican 1 Double-crested Cormorant 1 lAnhinga 1 Least Bittern I Great Blue Heron Great Eqret Snowy Egret 1 Little Blue Heron iTricolored Heron I Cattle Egret I Green Heron 1 Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 lYellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 White Ibis Glossy Ibis IWood Stork iCanada Goose Wood Duck 1 Green-winged Teal lAmerican Black Duck I Mottled Duck Mallard 1 Blue-winged Teal 12 1999 Fall Migration Day Count in SC # Counties Reporting Species m- CO LO o CO CM CM CM r- CM h- o LO o m- CM CM o CO CO TOTAL Individuals CM LD CO CM CM cd CD CM o CD LO CO CO T— CN CO CM CM o CM o IO O CM o LO CD CM D- Spar CD CM CM CM O co CM CD Rich CO T" Lexi m- CO CM LO Jasp CNI LO CM o CM CO CM CD CM CO Hamp CD CO CM o CO CM LO CO Geor h- t — CM M- CM LO CD Fair § LO CO CM M" CO CM co Ches CO CM CM LO CM CM CO Cher CD CO CM CO CM CM CO Char CD CM O CO CN T— CO CO LO CO CM 3 CD CO CM CD Barn CO CO CM CD Aike LO LO CO CO CM CM CM CO CO CD 18 September 1999 1 Northern Shoveler iRinq-necked Duck 1 scaup sp. iBufflehead 1 Ruddy Duck 1 Black Vulture 1 Turkey Vulture 1 Osprey 1 I Mississippi Kite iBaldEaqle 1 Northern Harrier i I Sharp-shinned Hawk I Cooper's Hawk laccipiter sp. ! 1 Red-shouldered Hawk iBroad-winqed Hawk I Red-tailed Hawk Ibuteo sp. [American Kestrel i iMerlin iPereqrine Falcon I Wild Turkey 1 Northern Bobwhite ICIapper Rail CD CO [Purple Gallinule I Common Moorhen [American Coot The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 13 # Counties Reporting Species CO CO CM t— LO o o CM o CM CM TOTAL Individuals o- LO lo CM co o CO CO CD CM 3581 CD CO LO CO CM O o LO CM CO CM CM o o- CO o M- CO 1 699 CO O CD CO CM Spar CO CO CM T— Rich CO X CO CO Barn Aike CO CO T CO CD CO LO 1 8 September 1 999 1 Black-bellied Plover ISemipalmated Plover 1 Piping Plover iKilldeer lAmerican Ovstercatcher I 1 Black-necked Stilt lAmerican Avocet 1 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Lesser Yellowlegs ISolitarv Sandpiper IWillet ISpotted Sandpiper IWhimbrel 1 Marbled Godwit iRuddv Turnstone iRed Knot ISanderling IWestern Sandpiper 1 Least Sandpiper d CD CL CD CD a I Pectoral Sandpiper Dunlin 1 Short-billed Dowitcher 1 dowitcher sp. 1 Common Snipe 1 Laughing Gull I Bonaparte's Gull 1 Ring-billed Gull 14 1999 Fall Migration Day Count in SC # Counties Reporting Species CM CM O’ CO CM CM CO CO M" CM CO CO co M- co LO M- TOTAL Individuals m- CM M" CM r- CO CO co CO CO CM CM CO LO If) CM CM LO CD CD CM CM CD CO h- CD O' 220| CO CO CM LO CD CO CD XT Spar N- co X § h- M" CO r- CM CO CO CM Rich CO M" CO CM lO O' O CM O' M" co O CO CM CO 1^ X 0) _J CO XT LO CO CO h- CM h- Jasp CM CO CM CM CM LO Hamp CD CO CD CO CO LO Geor M- CM CM CM h- oo (O CO CO CM O CO CO CM CM co Fair O' xr CD CO LO LO M" N- CO Ches CM CO LO M- CM CO xf Cher CM CD CO If) CO CD CM LO LO Char CM M" CO ID CM M- CM CO CM - r^- O' CO M- o CM CM XT CM h- CO O CM Barn x — x — CM CO O’ CM Aike O) O' CO CO CM CM M- CM CO h- CO O’ LO CO CO CM 18 September 1999 3 0 a c •i_ a> X iGull-billed Tern C CD H- c TO Q -j TO O c a; 1- 3 £ 1 Sandwich Tern ICommon Tern 1 Forster's Tern Least Tern Black Tern 1 Black Skimmer Rock Dove 1 Mourning Dove ICommon Ground-Dove lYellow-billed Cuckoo Barn Owl 1 Eastern Screech-Owl 1 Great Horned Owl Barred Owl -X CD .C 3 O) iz c o E E o O : c CL i Q. 'sz £ c 5 C/3 >- 0) c E O ■o 3 CD c 'E E ■D X ~o -Q =5 a> -C CD Td c k 73 to 'm CD to o CD Q. 73 O o £ -S 73 to jcr 73 CD (X i— 0) -X o s. 73 O 0 £ 1 a> -O i 73 CD ex lYellow-bellied Sapsucker to -X 0 1 Q_ 73 O o £ > c $ o Q I Hairy Woodpecker The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 15 # Counties Reporting Species LO CD ID CM CO CO CM O o CO o Is- CD CD r- CM CO CD r-- CO CM TOTAL Individuals CD ID CM ID CM oo CO CM CO o o o m- CD o CD CO o CM |6S£ o CD LD LD I"- CD T CD CO 00 CD LD ID C CM ID CM o Spar CD "cr CO CM CD CM CO CM CD CM CD o CD co ID CM CD CO LD CD Rich CM CD CM h- CO ID ID CD CM co 00 rT Lexi MT CM CO CD 3 CM LD '0- CO CD LD 00 CM Jasp CO Hamp CO CM LD CD oo CO CO ID CO Geor CM O ID O CM CM CO CO CD co CM Fair CD h- CD r- co ID ID CO LD CM CO CM LD CO Ches o co CM ID CM Cher CD CM CM 5 r- CD CM CO CM CM CD 00 CM Char r- O CM CO CM CM ID i"- ID CM ir^ CO ID K- CD o LD oo O ID ID 3 O CM O LD CD Barn CO CM CO CM ID CM CM O CO CM 00 CD Aike CD r- CM co o CD ID r- CM CM CD CM CM CO oo CM CD LD OO r- 1 8 September 1 999 iRed-cockaded Woodpecker 1 1 Northern Flicker IPileated Woodpecker I Eastern Wood-Pewee lAcadian Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe I Great Crested Flycatcher 1 Eastern Kingbird Gray Kingbird Horned Lark Purple Martin Tree Swallow 1 Northern Rough-winged Swal Barn Swallow Blue Jay lAmerican Crow Fish Crow Q CM CD CD m- CD CO co s CM LO LO CO CO CM CO r- o m- CO LO CO CO o CM CO CO LO CM m- Spar CO M- CD CM co CD CO CO CD O CM CM CO CO Rich LO CM CM o CO CM co LO CO LO CD CM CO CO CM CO CO Lexi CO CO CM co LO CO CM CO CM LO CM M" CM Jasp CM CL E CO X m- r- T — CM CO M" Geor CO CM CM m- O Fair CO CO CM O CM CO CM LO h- CO CM CO r- CD CM CM CD CM CM 00 CM CO CO Ches LO CM CD CM CM o CM CO Cher CM CO CD CO CO LO CO CM CM CD CO Char o LO CO CO 3 CO N- CO o LO CO LO CM CD T — Barn CM CO LO LO CO CO r- CM CO Aike N- o CM CM CM o CD CO CO CM "sf CO CD O' § O' CD CO LO CM 1 8 September 1 999 a> _c fa c c CD {•j S ■ x: h- ■o 0) 5 CD iBicknell's Thrush ISwainson's Thrush 1 Hermit Thrush jWood Thrush lAmerican Robin -o i— 'g 03 O >! 2 CD TJ 5 CD c o o c € o z: 1 Brown Thrasher CD -X .C CO -o (0 .C CD CD _l CD g is CO c co as a o m 0 as $ 1 'jz I Blue-headed Vireo lYellow-throated Vireo o CD 5 (0 JZ a CD V _ro !c 0. O Cl $ as •a (D tr a3 o ro £ ■S CD C > 0) zs co i_ CD -Q CD £ Y CD C > C 0 TO O CD iTennessee Warbler CD -Q i— CD £ C 1 0 1 0) a c i co aS o c <0 0 (0 JD 1 1 Miles bike 1 Miles horseback | Miles other 1 Hours Feeder Watch |#Feeder Watchers |#Feeder Stations 1 Hours Stationary |#Parties Stationary |#Observers Stationary I Hours Owlina a c. 1 o (0 0) n cn c 1 o LO r- lO 5 CO h- CO lO r- o CO CO CO CO LO CO CO o o o o o o o O o Char O (O CM CO o 1^ CO f"- lO r-. 0 0 CM CM LO lO LO a 0 ? § § o o 0 8 o Barn o CO O CO O LO o o o Aike 'T ID o CD ^r h- r- o CO CO CD CO CD O O CD CD LO LO LO LO LO o T— o o LO o LO CO o 1 8 September 1 999 < Q i Hi tz CL uli (Z 3 h- < cz UJ Q_ LU h- DAWN AM NOON Ou SUNSET NIGHT IWIND: PRE-DAWN DAWN AM NOON PM SUNSET NIGHT |%CLOUDS: PRE-DAWN DAWN AM NOON PM ! SUNSET NIGHT IPRECIPITATION: 2000 Spring North American Migration Count In South Carolina Donna S. Bailey 176 Raven's Place Winnsboro, SC 29180 The Spring 2000 North American Migration Count was conducted on May 13, 2000. 211 species comprised of 43,147 individuals were found for this North American Migration Count. 16 counties in the state were covered by 135 observers in 96 parties. Many reporters called the bird activity slow, possibly due to the early heat wave that punished the intrepid counters. Spartanburg was the cool spot, with an afternoon high of 89° F; Hampton was the hot spot, with an afternoon high of 98° F. 31 species were “exclusives,” found only in one county. The exclusives break down as follows: Beaufort: 1 Calhoun: 1 Charleston: 4 Cherokee: 2 Colleton: 1 Georgetown: 7 Hampton: 1 Jasper: 6 Oconee: 7 Spartanburg: 5 York: 1 County Summaries Aiken County (Aike): 103 species, 2617 individuals. 71° F- 95° F. 6:30 AM - 9:40 PM. Participants: Coordinator Anne Waters, 1621 Apple Valley Drive, Augusta, GA 30906. 706/793-2788. Jack Cooper, Carol Eldridge, Larry Eldridge, John Demko, Adrian DeBiase, Christine Huzella, Sandra Johnson, Paul Koehler, Richard Lux, Susan Turner, Alice Walker, Doug Walker, Calvin Zippier. Counters in Aiken County found 2 Cape May Warblers and 19 Northern Bobwhite, a nice number, as Bobwhite are becoming increasingly hard to find. Beaufort County (Beau): 62 species, 948 individuals. 67° F - 90° F. 6:20 AM - 7:30 PM. Participants: Coordinator Patricia E. Metz, Parkway Business Center, Suite 1000, Business Center Drive, Savannah, GA 31405. 912/652-4415 ext. 103. Clem Dietze, Allan Flock, Paige Mulhollan. Beaufort County's exclusive was a lingering Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Beaufort also reported 3 Baltimore Orioles, an excellent number for this migratory species. 21 22 2000 Spring Migration Day Count in SC Calhoun County (Calh): 71 species, 738 individuals. 70° F- 97° F. 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Participants: Coordinator Robin Carter, 4 165 E. Buchanan Drive, Columbia, SC 29206. 803/788-8820. Dennis Forsythe, Donna Forsythe, Jack Stewart, Lula Stewart. The species found exclusively in Calhoun County was a Horned Lark, a nice find. Charleston County (Char): 141 species, 8682 individuals. 66° F - 90° F. 4:30 AM - 7:30 PM. Participants: Coordinator Perry Nugent, 2260 Dallerton Circle, Charleston, SC 29414. 843/556-3841. Gifford Beaton, Mike Bernard, Jim Brownlee, Danny Carlson, Peg Clarke, Edward Conradi, Joan Hylander, Ann Kent, Perry Nugent, Ernie Prupis, Allen Russell, Ben Smith, Joseph Stevenot, Martha Stevenot, Craig Watson, Betty Zimmerman. All of Charleston's exclusives are, appropriately enough, marsh birds or shorebirds - Virginia Rail, American Oystercatcher, Pectoral Sandpiper, and Common Tern. Cherokee County (Cher): 88 species, 1204 individuals. 70° F - 89° F. 6:00 AM - 11:00 PM. Participants: Coordinator Lyle Campbell, 126 Greengate Lane, Spartanburg, SC 29307. 864/585-1228. Claude Cobb, Ken Garrett, J. B. Hines, Karla Lavender, Maxie Nix, Alan Rose, Ed Wilde, Les Young. The two species exclusive to Cherokee County were a lingering Yellow- bellied Sapsucker and Least Flycatcher, a nice migrant to find in South Carolina. Chesterfield County (Chef): 82 species, 1239 individuals. Temperatures not reported. 6:30 AM - 4:00 PM. Participants: Coordinator Bob Wood, 2421 Owl Circle, West Columbia, SC 29169. 803/791-3833. Among the not-so-easy to find birds on the Chesterfield count were Swainson's Warbler and a late Magnolia Warbler. Colleton County (Coll): 1 17 species, 2584 individuals. 66° F - 90° F. 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Participants: Coordinator Sharon Brown, P. O. Box 327, Adams Run, SC 29426. 843/889-8299. Mrs. M. A. Aldenderfer, Tim Kalbach, Nancy Lyman, Gary Sowell. The species exclusive to Colleton County was the ever-elusive Black Rail, found at Bear Island WMA. The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 23 Fairfield County (Fair): 83 species, 674 individuals. 66° F - 90° F. 5:00 AM - 8:00 PM. Participants: Donna S. Bailey, 176 Raven's Place, Winnsboro, SC 29180. 803/635-7032. Buddy Bailey, Bob Ellis. Among the nice-to-find birds on Fairfield County's tally were Blue-headed Vireos, which breed in small numbers in Fairfield County, as well as migrant Blackooll Warblers and Scarlet Tanager. Georgetown County (Geor): 80 species, 892 individuals. 79° F - 96° F. 6:30 AM -7:00 PM. Participants: Coordinator Jack Peachey 103 Walnut Circle, Conway, SC 29520. 843/347-5810. Charlie Haycock The list of exclusives in Georgetown County included Northern Gannet and American White Pelican. Hampton County (Hamp): 65 species, 883 individuals. 66° F - 98° F. 6:15 AM - 6:30 PM. Participants: Coordinator Carroll Richard, P.O. Box 893, Hampton, SC 29924. 803/943-4661. David Breland, Karen Breland Hampton County reported 3 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Jasper County (Jasp): 128 species, 14266 individuals. 60° F- 90° F. 5:30 AM - 8:30 PM. Participants: Coordinator Patricia E. Metz, Parkway Business Center, Suite 1000, Business Center Drive, Savannah, GA 31405. 912/652-4415 ext. 103. Amy Bess, Chris Graves, Valda Kelly, Mary Ellen Kirkland, Talley Kirkland, Barry Lowes, Philomena Lowes, John Metz, Keith Penrose, Ray Porter, Lauree San Juan, Leanna San Juan, Paul San Juan. Jasper had 6 exclusives: Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, American Avocet, Stilt Sandpiper, and Swamp Sparrow. Lexington County (Lexi): 79 species, 733 individuals. 72° F - 88° F. Times not reported. Participants: Coordinator Molly Bonnell, 220 Cannon Trail Road, Lexington, SC 29072. 803/359-6280. Donna Bailey, Barbara Darden. Painted Bunting was a nice inland find in Lexington County, as well as a Swainson’s Warbler. Oconee County (Ocon): 107species, 1693 individuals. 70° F - 90° F. 6:45 AM - 6:35 PM. Participants: Coordinator Steve Wagner, 316 E. Creswell, Greenwood, SC 29646. 864/223-0416.: Don Cox, Steve Cox, Vicki Cox, Ned Shuler, Teddy Shuler 24 2000 Spring Migration Day Count in SC Oconee County just edged out Jasper for the highest number of exclusives. Exclusives were Common Loon, Cooper's Hawk, Ruffed Grouse, American Pipit, Black-throated Green Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, and Dark-eyed Junco. Richland County (Rich): 86 species, 1030 individuals. 65° F - 97° F. 5:00 AM -5:30 PM. Participants: Coordinator Robin Carter, 4165 E. Buchanan Drive, Columbia, SC 29206. 803/788-8820. Caroline Eastman, Jerry Griggs. Nice finds in Richland County were migratory Northern Waterthrush and Black-throated Blue Warbler. Spartanburg County (Spar): 106 species, 4628 individuals. 71° F - 89° F. 5:00 AM - 11:00 PM. Participants: Coordinator: Lyle Campbell, 126 Greengate Lane, Spartanburg, SC 29307. 864/585-1228. Frankie Altman, Beth Bartel, Anna Bennett, Daniel Bennett, Susan Bennett, Tim Brown, Andrew Campbell, David Campbell, Sarah Campbell, Dan Codispoti, Tom Moore Craig, Linda Deahl, Richard Deahl, Pat Fowler, Roy Fowler, Denis Funk, Robin Gilman, Michele Gilman, Tearesa Glen, John Green, Emma Harrington, Conway Henderson, Marilyn Hubbell, Glenn Englehardt, Jessie Ivy, Jack Jennings, Joel Jones, Herb Kay, Tammy King, Mary Ann Meyers, Angela Miller, Jim Miller, Margaret Miller, Michael Miller, Susan Monk, Bill Moody, Nora Moore, Ken Pearson, Lisa Pearson, Mary Potter, Hugh Pry, Janet Pry, Joanna Rieder, Gretchen Reidsema, Bob Scott, Ginny Scott, Walton Scott, Mac Shealy, Tina Taylor, Dick Thorpe, Lois Thorpe, Gerald Thurmond, Thomas Webster, Chris Welch. Spartanburg County had five exclusives - Willow Flycatcher, lingering Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and a lingering White-throated Sparrow. York County (York): 62 species, 331 individuals. 65° F - 85° F. 5:00 AM - 9:00 AM. Participants: Coordinator David Collopy, 505 N. Confederate Avenue, York, SC 29730. 803/327-8342. For a one man, half-day count, York County reported some fine numbers, including an amazing seven Grasshopper Sparrows. The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 1, Winter2001 25 # Counties Report T — CO o O CM CD M" CO CD CM CO CM CO CM M" o CM CM c- CD CM CM TOTAL Individuals CM CO CM r- CD CM CM CM CM h- h- 5001 208| o n- CM CM CM CD CD ID M- ID CM T— CO O CO O IX) M- CM r - o ID oo ID CM CM CM Chef CM CM CM h- M" CM o 0) 0 CM CO CO CO CD CO M- CM Aike CM h- CD CD ' ID M" CN| Jasp CM co ID CO CM ID ID o ID r- h- CO o CO CO CM — - CO 00 CM oo CM CM CD M" CM CM Cher CM m- r r^- co h- CO Spar CM CM CM o CO CD CM CM CM Lexi CO CM M- - M- Char -= o h- T— CD CO m- ID co 3 CM m- co CD CO ID M- r^ t — CD CO M" CM CD — CO CO h- T— 00 ID Rich CD T ID Fair ID CM CM CM M" CO □r- E TO X '"'T ID CM M- CO CM CD CM CM M- CM CO 00 CO c o o O T— CD CM 1^ M" York T— T_ M- Calh CO V— CM CM 00 Coll CM CO CM CD M- ID CO CD CO CM CM ID CM CD ID ID CD CM CO 1 North American Migration Count Beau ID CO CM ID CD o CM Tj- CD CO 1 South Carolina 13 May 2000 C O —1 c 3 E o O 1 Pied-billed Grebe 1 Northern Gannet lAmerican White Pelican 1 Brown Pelican 1 Double-crested Cormorant lAnhinqa 1 Least Bittern 1 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Eqret ISnowv Eqret 1 Little Blue Heron iTricolored Heron 1 Cattle Eqret 1 Green Heron 1 Black-crowned Niqht-Heron lYellow-crowned Niqht-Heron ! Iniqht-heron sp. IWhite Ibis iGlossv Ibis IWood Stork 1 Black-bellied Whistling Duck 1 1 Canada Goose IWood Duck iGreen-winqed Teal 1 Mottled Duck iMallard 1 Blue-winged Teal 1 Northern Shoveler |scaup sp. 26 2000 Spring Migration Day Count in SC # Counties Report CM CD o CM CO CO LO CO CD o CM CM o CM CO CM CO C- CM TOTAL Individuals CD T — lo CO CM o- co CM M" LO CO LO co CM CO CM LO CO r^- O r- co CM CO m- CD CD CO CO CO LO CD LO CO CM CD LO CM o CO CO LO m- co CD CO CM CM Chef m- CO M- CO Geor to CO CO 1^- r-. i^- CD c 3 CM T_ LO Aike CM CD CO m- r-- CO r- CD CD Jasp CO h- CM CO CM LO CM CM M- CM I-- co h- CO CM CM D- CO CM CM Cher CO CO CO CO CO CM Spar O CO m- co CO CM CM LO LO CM CM CM X c 03 a a> T3 0) V V X -a a; dc -X o 3 Q > T3 T3 3 DC 1 Black Vulture 03 3 3 > > 03 — 3 H £ 5_ Q CO O ISwallow-tailed Kite 03 2 Q. Q. ' T3 03 Q CD 1 Red-tailed Hawk lAmerican Kestrel 1 Ruffed Grouse 03 .X 3 H T3 g 1 Northern Bobwhite IBIack Rail CO DC 03 CL CL 03 O (0 01 a- c 2 llarqe rail sp. (0 DC (0 'c E $ 03 3 C 76 O 03 Q. 3 CL c 03 -C o o c o E £ o o lAmerican Coot I Black-bellied Plover ' IWilson's Plover 03 > o CL T3 03 03 E CD a £ 03 CO Killdeer i— 03 JZ o ro CJ a5 X > o c CO o 03 E < Black-necked Stilt lAmerican Avocet The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 27 # Counties Report CO IO M" CM h- T— CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CO CM CM TOTAL Individuals CO CO CM c- CO CO 05 CO CD m- CD IO CO 1"- CO CO o LO CD CO CM LO CM LO o co CO CO CM h- CD o LO CO CD LO CM LO 9501 CM m i M- r^- h- CO o m- co LO CO 9831 CO o Chef Geor r^- CM CO x LO CM CO LO CD h- CO CM M" CO o CM CD CO Aike LO CM O CM Jasp CO CO CO LO CM M- C- CO CM 1 86321 LO CO o IO CO IO 05 CM CO r-- o h- 00 CO CM LT 00 c- 05 Cher CM Spar M" CD CO •7= Lexi in CO Char IO CD CM CO CM CO M- CM CM CD CO CM CM CO CM CO O o CO M" CO Is- oo o r- CM 00 M- LO CD LO Rich CM (0 Ll_ T_' LL £ ro X d o o O CO CM York T— Calh T_ Coll CM CM CO LO CM - 0O o CO LO CO LO CO CM h- CO CM o CM Beau CM CO T— 13 May 2000 1 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Lesser Yellowlegs ISolitarv Sandpiper IWillet 1 Spotted Sandpiper IWhimbrel iRuddv Turnstone |Red Knot ISanderling ISemipalmated Sandpiper IWestern Sandpiper 1 Least Sandpiper IWhite-rumped Sandpiper d CD a - Q 1 Pectoral Sandpiper (Dunlin 1 Stilt Sandpiper 1 Short-billed Dowitcher Idowitcher sp. ICommon Snipe lAmerican Woodcock 1 Laughing Gull 1 Bonaparte's Gull 1 Ring-billed Gull 1 Herring Gull 1 Gull-billed Tern 1 Caspian Tern iRoval Tern c aJ h- c o E E o O 1 Forster’s Tern 1 Least Tern 1 Black Skimmer 28 2000 Spring Migration Day Count in SC # Counties Report X — CN CN CD N" CO n- x ID CD CD CD CD CO CN o o o CD CD o o D TOTAL Individuals 2261 CD CD 00 00 CO CD O) CN O CD x o ID CO CO 9 ID CO X CD CM ^r x CM O CD CD o CN ID CN co CD 00 CM CO CM ID CD CM CO CN T“ n- co n- D N- Chef CD OO LO CN OO CO O CO CN CO N" CO ID CN CO CD CN CD N" Geor n- CD CO CO CN CN CD N- N- Aike oo (N CM CO CO ID CO CD X N- CM n- CN CD S CO CN CO CN X co CD CD CD O CN 00 Jasp CD O ID CO T — CO CM CD CO co CO ID O OO N" Cher CO CD CN X CO CO CD CN CO N- CO CM oo CD X o CO Spar LO Is* O) 00 CN N- CN CM N" n- CO CN CD CM CD CN X oo ID CD O CM 9 ID 9 CM CO Lexi ID CN N" CO CM CD CO o CO X — CO CO CN CN CO CO CN N- CN oo Char CD CD h- IX CN O CO CN n- CD CM CO CD CN x ID ID oo ID ID CO O x CO CN X N- x CN O CN Rich O CO CD CN X CN -o- nt T“ CD CN CN N- CD OO CM CN N" oo «3 u_ CN CD CM o CM CO CO - ID ' x CO CN CO O CN - x N- LL E (0 X N- x CM CN 3 CN - CO CO D CD CD CD N- d o o O CD X CD NT n- x N" CO CD oo CD D O CO CN D CN D CO D York O' CN CN ID -=' CO CN CN CO CD N" N- CD O Calh CN CO CO O CD CM T“” CO N" x N" O CM ' to CO Coll n- CM CD N" CO CO x V- LD CD CN 00 CD x D CM o N" N- O Beau O CN CN T” ID CN CN CN N- o o CM CO iRock Dove 1 Eurasian Collared Dove iMourninq Dove 1 Common Ground-Dove lYellow-billed Cuckoo [Eastern Screech-Owl 1 Great Horned Owl S Barred Owl [Common Niqhthawk IChuck-will's-widow [Whip-poor-will [Chimney Swift [Rubv-throated Humminqbird 1 [Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-headed Woodpecker [Red-bellied Woodpecker [Yellow-bellied Sapsucker iDownv Woodpecker [Hairv Woodpecker |Red-cockaded Woodpecker [Northern Flicker 1 Pileated Woodpecker [Eastern Wood-Pewee lAcadian Flvcatcher IWillow Flvcatcher 1 Least Flvcatcher 1 Eastern Phoebe [Great Crested Flvcatcher 1 Eastern Kingbird [Homed Lark [Purple Martin |Tree Swallow The Chat , Vol. 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 29 # Counties Report o CO o O’ o o CO o CM CM CM CM CD o CD x — LO LO O CM 00 TOTAL Individuals CO o CO 2691 CO O) Sr LO 6661 5 LO CD 4401 CM io LO M" co 4641 CO r- CM 00 X? o CO CO CM CO CO 3351 CM CO CD CM LO CM ir- CM CO o CO O CM r- co LO CM r- CD CO Chef xr o CM CO CO CO CO M" CO o CO CD o CM CM CO o CM CO CM LO CM CM O 00 CO Geor o CM CO CM CM M" CM T"“ LO CM LO LO Aike to M" co CD CO O CO O' CD CO co CO m- CO CO M" CO CO oo CM oo D- OO LO CM M" CM CO CO CD CD M" Jasp 8 CD CM CM CO M- CD CM CM CD LO r-- CM CD o t= LO M- Cher CO CM CM $ 9 CM CO CO CM O' CM CO co O’ 3 CM LO § CD CO LO Spar IT) CM $ CO CM UM LO CO CO CD LO M- h- CM CO CM LO CM LO o CM CO CM CM o o CO CO LO CM f'- Lexi CO LO o- CM D- CO ’r™ CO CO CO CO CO 00 CM CO CM LO LO LO r- o M" CM Char CM CT) CD M- LO O LO CO CO r- CO CO M" LO M- CM O CO o CM CD CM CM CO T— CD CM oo CM O' CO CO CO Rich CO CM CO CO CM O CM CM CO LO CO h- CO LO O’ T_ CM CO CM CO LO CM 3 CO Fair CD r- CO M" CM O’ CO T— CM CM ^z CM CM CO CM h- l"~ LO CO 03 CM CD £ CD X T— ^z LO CO CO o CO h- h- CD CM CO LO CO M" O' CM CM CO ■ £ O o O CO CM CO o r- CO LO LO CO CO CO LO CO LO CD CO O CO oo co LO CD LO CO CO CD co CM LO M" M" LO CO York ’T”“ CM CO M- LO LO T_ CM CM LO co CO 00 CO CM LO CM Calh o CO M" CO CM O’ CO LO CM h- CM O CD CO LO T— o M- - xr oo T_ Coll r- CM O’ 1''- CM r- CM CO CM LO CO CM CM 00 00 Is- co CM CM CD CO — CO o Beau LO CM CO M" CO CD LO CD CD o O' CM CM CM ■ 13 May 2000 o w -o £ a =3 O cr c 0) sz n o z: iBank Swallow 1 Cliff Swallow iBarn Swallow iBIueJav lAmerican Crow 1 Fish Crow Icrow sp. 1 Carolina Chickadee iTufted Titmouse 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Brown-headed Nuthatch 1 Carolina Wren 1 House Wren 1 Marsh Wren iRubv-crowned Kinalet |Blue-qrav Gnatcatcher 1 Eastern Bluebird IVeerv ISwainson's Thrush IWood Thrush lAmerican Robin |Grav Catbird 1 Northern Mockinqbird 1 Brown Thrasher lAmerican Pipit a c CD <: %— £ 0) O iLoqqerhead Shrike 1 European Starlinq O o> > ■O Cl!' 1 03 Z £ 1 Blue-headed Vireo 1 Yellow-throated Vireo 30 2000 Spring Migration Day Count in SC # Counties Report o CD CO CM LO CO CO CO CM o CD CD CD o i^- o M- = o TOTAL Individuals o r- CM CD r- CM CD CM CM CO CO CM m- co CO CO CM r- CD CM CM co CO o LO CD CD m- CO CD CM o CM r- LO CM 5 CO 10771 o CD 5431 Chef ■sr oo CO CO M- CO LO LO LO CO CM CD CM co CM CM CO CD CO Geor CM M" CM — CO T"" Aike cd \r CM LO CM LO CO M" co CM CM CO CD co CO S 00 CD CO LO oo Jasp CM CD CM CO CO M" CO h- CM CM CM CM Cher CM CO CO T — CD LO CO CO M" CD Spar CO CM LO CM - "tf- CM co LO CO M- CM CO CM o CM O O C i CM Is- LO O Lexi CD N- T“ CM CM CO T — CM CO CO CD M" M" CD CM Char CM LO CM co M- CO CO CM LO CO CO CM CO CM CO co O OO CO Rich CM 3 CO CM CM CO CM CM M" CO co CO r^- re <1) Q (D O 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler 1 Yellow-throated Warbler Pine Warbler Prairie Warbler Palm Warbler CD -Q CD ~C Q O CD CO Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Prothonotarv Warbler CD .Q CD £ a c res ■ 0) E o £ Swainson’s Warbler Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Louisiana Waterthrush CD ■E CD £ r j 3 C Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler Yellow-breasted Chat CD a (D (D H a> E E 3 CO aj a CD £T CD h" JD CD O CO Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Blue Grosbeak Indigo Bunting The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 31 # Counties Report o- = I''- CD o- O’ CO O o CM 03 CO 03 00 03 CM 1 TOTALS | CM TOTAL Individuals r- 3391 oo CO CD o- ID LD CO CD 00 CO CD r^- CO C- 22121 CD CD o CO 10371 m- co CO 00 O o- CO CM r*- CO C D oo m- ID 1 Species 1 1 Individuals! Chef CM M" CM oo M" CD LD CM O' CD 03 CM CO 03 CO CM Geor 03 CO CO o- CM CO CM CM O OO | 892 1 Aike O CD CO CO O’ O CD r- 1109^ 03 co CD CO 00 CM CO o 1 261 7 1 Jasp CD CM CO CM CD CO OO CO 2021 CD CO CM 8331 M" ID oo CM 1142661 Cher CD CD o CM M" CM CM oo ID ID co ID CO CM oo CM oo 00 1 1 209 1 Spar 9 3 CO CM CD CD CD CD CD 03 CD M- 03 CM ID CO CD o 1 4628 1 Lexi r” Is- ID CM - ID 03 1^- co oo r- Char CO M" LO CM M" ID 1 189 O’ CM CO CO CO CM O' CM 00 D CO Rich LD o CM LD CO r- M- h- M- o CD 00 o CO o Fair n- CD ID CD 00 CO O) CD CO CO 00 O’ h- CD L2. £ (O X CD M- CM ID CO CD LD CD 883 1 ' c o o O 00 ID CM 00 CM CO CD CM M- O h~ co CD - h- CO - h- O CO 03 CD York - CM CM CM CM O CD CO CM CD CO CO Calh CD Is- CM ID 00 ID ID CM UM Coll CO CM CM CO OO 00 CM CO ID CO h- CO h- CD T — h- O' 00 LD CM Beau m- CD 00 CD O 00 O CM CD CO CM CD 948 1 13 May 2000 CT C C ZS m "O 0) c '(0 CL 1 Eastern Towhee £ o i— ro Q CO C/3 "c CD E JZ o CD CO | CD Q. CO V. c Q. a. JZ O | CD a CO ■o CD L_ £ O CD Q. CO JZ CD C c CD > CD CO o o CD CL CO -a 0) cr 1 Eastern Meadowlark 1 Lilian's Meadowlark 1 Boat-tailed Grackle Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird d CD TD Z J£L O CD JZ Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole House Finch American Goldfinch £ c CD a CD CD CD 3 O X c- Q CD s— a Q Q T3 C CD CD empid so? C^- a c/3 C/3 a 03 £ _o Id > duck so? C/3 CD O 0) Q CD Individuals 32 2000 Spring Migration Day Count in SC # Counties Report LO CO CO CD CO 186.751 LO LO LO K o o o h~ CO CO 1 1902.51 CO o o o LO CO LO M- CO 00 CO CO CO LO CM CO CO 21.251 CO CM CM TOTAL Individuals Chef 7= CO CO o o o o o a. : X CL X o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Geor CM CN LO O LO h- o o o o CO CM o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Aike CO h- CD CO CO CO X o o o o o LO r-1 CM 00 CM o o o o o LO LO h- o o o LO CM CM CM CO Jasp LO CM M" o o o o CO CO CO LO o o o o o o o o o o Cher CO CD LO CO CO o o o o o LO CM LO o o o o o M- CM CM o o o LO cb CM ~ Spar LO ID CO CO ~r= LO CM CO LO CD CM CO o o o o LO CM CO CO CO CO oo o o o o LO 4 CO CM CD o o o LO o o CO CO o Lexi CO CM LO CO o o o o o O" CD o o o o o CM CM o M- CM o IO o o CM CM Char CO CO LO r-l CM LO O LO o h- CM h- CD o CM LO CO LO ib CO LO LO CM CO LO T— CM CM Rich CO CM CO CO o o o o o M- o o o o o o o o o o o CM CO Fair CO CO 1^- o o o o o M- CD o o o o o o o o o o o LO o E TO x CO r- LO CM LO o o o o o LO CO CO CM o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o O CD CO CO CO LO o o o o o CO o CM o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o York ™ CO o o o o o CM o CM o o o o o o o o o o o o T — Calh "tf- CM O' CO o o o o o LO CM o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Coll io CM T_' CO LO o o o o o IO CO CO CD o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Beau CO CM CM LO CO o o o o o CO o o o o o CM CO CO T— o o o o 13 May 2000 cd c» •rs XI o CD CD ■e TO CL CD CD C O % o £ CD 1— 3 o X ro o (0 3 o X to o -O m s_ o X CO > CO © o c 7 o (0 5_ 3 o X 2 la CD 3 o X o CO a © £ o X CD 3 o X o CD 3 o X "o s CD JD ii 03 o CD OJ ii 03 o a CD aj ii 03 >- (0 n> o c 03 0 CD aj 1 a> js: la CD _CD ii 0 p a 1 CD o XI CD a> ii l— 1 X o CD 0) ii XI o 03 £ 1— CD T3 CD Ll_ CD 1— 3 o X CD JC c> "to CD -a m CD LL CD c 0 CO CD “ 1 CD Li_ % © c o TO CO CD 1— 3 o X TO c o TO CO CD CD ■tr TO CL =tfc £■ TO c o TO CO CD TO 2 Q) m JQ o % cr c o CD 3 o X a c 1 0 CD JD 1 o: c 1 CD CD n TO a % a c 1 CD 1— 1 2 c a o =tfc The Chat , Vol. 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 33 # Counties Report TOTAL Individuals Chef cl : z : 0 0 11 1 0 u o o SZ Cl E to SZ CL E in sz CL E in • ■ 0 o o o o CM • o Geor O) h~ CD CD |<5 mpfj CL E LO o O o Aike 00 o CD ID CD 00 00 O 00 0\l o o in in o CO o ID o CM o ID CM O ID CM ID o Jasp o CD ID co o CD O CD ■ to o in o o in 1 5-10 1 O o o O O O O o Cher Is- o CO CD 00 CD 00 ID D- o Is- 0 1 cd o CO > |SSW9| in i CD CD z co § z ID ID ID ID ID ID ID o Spar h- o oo CD co CD CO ID r- o r- o o CO o> | 15-22 | CD co ID ID ID LO LO ID ID o Lexi CM o h- o 00 ID CD h- CD oo 00 o Char CD CD CO h- ^r co O CD CO 00 m- co 0 o in LU o in LU | E5-10 | |SE5-10 in 6 ui | E5-10 1 O o O O O O 0 o Rich ID CO o CD ID r- r- CD ID CD o o o o z o Z O o O O O o Fair o o o _C Q_ E in SZ CL E LO SZ CL E LO o o £ CO X _ 0 CD CD CD 00 m- CD CO CD 0 o o o CN ■ 1 O CM O CM O M- D 0 o c o o O o O r- CD oo O CD CD CO 6 in $ W5-10| W5-10| 0 1 o O CO O CO O M- o j*: o >- ID CD ID 00 o o o O o Calh D O Is- 1 Is- CD • o LO i z • 0 0 O 0 O CM 1 o Coll II CD CD CM r-- ID co O CD in £ in £ 0 1 in § O ID O o Beau Is- CD O h- o oo CD 00 O CD CM r- UJ CD UJ CD LU CD o 13 May 2000 £ < q UJ cl CL ili CL 3 \- < CL UJ CL UJ l- DAWN AM NOON PM SUNSET NIGHT IWIND: PRE-DAWN 1 DAWN 1 AM NOON PM SUNSET NIGHT |%CL0UDS: PRE-DAWN DAWN AM NOON PM SUNSET NIGHT IPRECIPITATION: General Field Notes Will Cook North Carolina Editor 418 Sharon Road Chapel Hill, NC 27514 cwcook@acpub.duke.edu Dennis M. Forsythe South Carolina Editor Department of Biology The Citadel Charleston, SC 29409 forsythed@citadel.edu Fax: (803) 953-7084 A South Carolina Specimen of the Spotted Towhee William Post Charleston Museum 360 Meeting Street Jon S. Greenlaw 2813 SW 43d Lane Cape Coral, Florida 33914-6024 Charleston, South Carolina 29403 On 19 February 1967, J. O. Watkins collected a Spotted Towhee ( Pipilo maculatus ) at his banding station in Spartanburg, Spartanburg County, South Carolina. The specimen (ChM 67.53; fig. 1) was prepared as a study skin by E. B. Chamberlain. The bird was a female, as determined by plumage. Its age was not determined. The preparator noted that the bird was “quite fat.” Its mass was 45.1 g. Although the plumage was frayed, no molt was evident. Linear measurements, as recorded on the specimen label, were as follows: wing, 80 mm; tail, 87.5 mm; tarsus, 24 mm; bill [exposed culmen], 11.6 mm. R. C. Laybourne of the US National Museum determined that the bird belonged to the subspecies arcticus, which breeds in the northern Great Plains. This record was mentioned by Burton (1970), but at that time maculatus was considered by the American Ornithologists’ Union (1957) to be a subspecies of the “Rufous-sided Towhee” (P. erythrophthalmus). Originally, the Spotted Towhee was described as a distinct species (Swainson 1827, Sibley 1950), but later, based on information that it hybridizes with the Eastern Towhee, it was regarded as conspecific with that species (Sibley and West 1959). More recently, however, the hybridization evidence was reevaluated, and information on vocalizations, sexual dichromatism, and mitochondrial genetics were weighed, which resulted in resurrecting P. maculatus as a separate species (American Ornithologists’ Union 1995, 1998). Specimen or photographic records now also exist for North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The North Carolina record is based on a specimen of P. m. arcticus collected 14 February 1957 at Fayetteville (Hauser 1960, J.A. Gerwin, pers. comm.). The Georgia record is of a male that was photographed 34 The Chat , Vol 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 35 Figure 1 . South Carolina specimen of the Spotted Towhee (ChM 67.53), collected 19 February 1967, Spartanburg, South Carolina, by J.O. Watkins. Digital photograph by P.S. Coleman, archived at Charleston Museum. 36 Spotted Towhee in SC at Atlanta, spring 2000 (P. W. Sykes, Jr., pers. comm.). Interestingly, the single Florida specimen was collected in the same year as the South Carolina bird: a female arcticus (misidentified as a male) from Franklin Co., Florida, 14 December 1967 (Stevenson and Anderson 1994, Bowman 2000, Greenlaw and Engstrom forthcoming). Literature Cited American Ornithologists' Union. 1957. Check-list of North American birds, 5th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. XIII + 691 pp. American Ornithologists' Union. 1995. Fortieth supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Checklist of North American birds. Auk 1 12:8 19-830. American Ornithologists' Union. 1998. Check-list of North American birds, 7th edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. Bowman, R. 2000. Thirteenth report of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. Florida Field Nat. 28:138-160. Burton, E M. 1970. Supplement to South Carolina Bird Life. Univ. South Carolina Press. Greenlaw, J S, and R T Engstrom. First record of Spotted Towhee ( Pipilo maculatus ) in Florida. Florida Field Nat. Forthcoming. Hauser, D C. 1960. A record of Pipilo erythrophthalmus arcticus in North Carolina. Auk 77:349. Sibley, C G. 1950. Species formation in the Red-eyed Towhees of Mexico. Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool. 50:109-194. Sibley, C G, and D A West. 1959. Hybridization in the Rufous-sided Towhees of the Great Plains. Auk 76:326-338. Stevenson, H M, and B H Anderson. 1994. The birdlife of Florida. Univ. Press of Florida, Gainesville. Swainson, W. 1827. A synopsis of the birds discovered in Mexico by W Bullock, F L S, and H S, and Mr. William Bullock, jun. Philos. Mag., new series, 1:364-369; 433-442. INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS www.carolinabirdclub.org/thechat.html BRIEFS FOR THE FILES Ricky Davis 608 Smallwood Drive Rocky Mount, NC 27804 RJDNC@aol.com All Dates Summer 2000 Briefs for the Files is a seasonal collection ofuncommon-to-rare or unusual North and South Carolina bird sightings and events which do not necessarily require a more detailed Field Note or article. Reports of your sightings are due the 20th of the month after the end of the previous season. Winter = December 1 - February 28, due March 20 Spring = March 1 - May 31, due June 20 Summer = June 1 - July 31, due August 20 Fall = August 1 - November 30, due December 20 Reports can be submitted in any format, but I prefer that you type them and list the sightings according to the birds in checklist order ( not according to dates or locations). If you submit your report to me through e-mail, please type your report directly into the message or copy it from a word processing program directly into the message. You may also attach your file to the e-mail, but if you do, please let me know the program used and also send a second version saved as a text ( .txt) file . Suitable reports for the Briefs include any sightings you feel are unusual, rare, noteworthy, or just plain interesting to you in any way! It is my responsibility to decide which reports merit inclusion in the Briefs. Please be sure to include details of any rare or hard-to-identify birds. 1 rely in part on sightings reported in Carolinabirds. Please don ’t, however, rely on me to pick up your sightings from Carolinabirds. Instead, please also send your sightings directly to me as described above. If 1 feel that your sighting warrants a Field Note, I will contact either you or the appropriate state Field Notes editor. You may, of course, submit your Field Note directly to the editor without going through me. COMMON LOON: An unusual summer sighting was of one on L. Hickory, NC, June 7 (Dwayne & Lori Martin). Most summer Commons are found at coastal sites. HERALD PETREL: The only summer Heralds included one intermediate morph off Hatteras, NC, June 4 (Patteson et al.) and two (one dark, one light) off Manteo, NC, June 4 (Focus on Nature Tours). 37 38 Briefs for the Files, Summer 2000 FEA’S PETREL: Two were found this summer, off Hatteras July 15 (Patteson et al .) and off Oregon Inlet July 31 (Focus on Nature Tours). BERMUDA PETREL: The ninth and tenth reports of this species for North Carolina included singles off Oregon Inlet June 2 (Patteson et al.) and June 3 (Focus on Nature Tours). Along with three sightings the week before, during the spring reporting season, a total of 5 this year is truly amazing. CORY’S SHEARWATER: The peak count this summer was of 1,156 off Hatteras July 29 (Patteson et al.). The best total from shore was the 50 seen moving just off the beach at Long Beach, NC, June 16 (Ricky Davis). GREATER SHEARWATER: The peak offshore count was 293 out of Hatteras July 29 (Patteson eial.). Noteworthy sightings near land included three at C. Lookout, NC, June 2 (Clyde Sorenson), one at Long Beach, NC, June 16 (Ricky Davis), and two off Winyah Bay, SC, July 4 (Clay & Pat Sutton, fide Harry LeGrand). MANX SHEARWATER: This species is normally very rare and unexpected off the Carolinas in summer. This year though, they were found multiple times off Hatteras, with singles June 4, July 16, and July 29 (Patteson et al.). AUDUBON’S SHEARWATER: Always of interest from shore, three flew past Long Beach, NC, June 16 (Ricky Davis). WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL: One individual of this exciting, much- sought-after species was found out of Oregon Inlet, NC, in mid-July (Allan Foreman, /z'de Brian Patteson). LEACH’S STORM-PETREL: The best one-day count this summer was the 21 off Manteo, NC, June 4 (Focus on Nature Tours). BAND-RUMPEDSTORM-PETREL: The peak total reported for this species during the summer was 143 off of Oregon Inlet July 29 (Focus on Nature Tours). WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD: The only tropicbirds reported were off Hatteras, with two July 15 and one July 29 (Patteson et al.). AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: Unusual for summer, 12 spent the period of June 26 to the end of July at the Savannah Spoil Site, Jasper County, SC, as noted by Steve Calver. BROWN PELICAN: Very rare and unusual inland sightings of Brown Pelican included one at Falls Lake, NC, July 26 (fide Brian Bockhahn) and one near the dam of L. Jocassee, SC, June 8 (fide Irvin Pitts). ANHINGA: This species is being found inland with more regularity the last several years. One was a good find at a beaver pond complex in northern Johnston County, NC, June 20 (Harry LeGrand). Carolina Bird Club Web Site www.carolinabirdclub.org The Chat, Vol 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 39 MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD: This summer’s frigatebirds involved a female flying north at Hilton Head Island, SC, June 3 (Steve Compton and Margo Digan) and an immature at C. Hatteras, NC, June 6 (Wayne Irvin). GREAT “WHITE” HERON: Extremely rare and totally unexpected was the presence of one at a golf course pond in Brevard, NC (Simon Thompson, sev. obs.). The bird was first located in mid- July and remained through the period. There are no previous mountain area records, and this form had not been seen in the Carolinas since the Pea Island, NC, bird that was present from July 1994 through the following year! GREAT EGRET : Noteworthy mountain reports included nine along the New River, Alleghany County, NC, July 7 (Harrol Blevins) and one near Long Branch Creek, Ashe County, NC, July 8-9 (Tom Howard, Harry LeGrand). REDDISH EGRET: Not very unusual but always exciting, Reddish Egrets included one at Huntington Beach State Park, SC, during June and July (Bob & Barbara Maxwell, Jack Peachey, sev. obs.), one at Litchfield Beach, SC, June 14 (Bob & Barbara Maxwell), and one at the Portsmouth, NC, flats July 13 (fide Taylor Piephoff). WHITE IBIS: This species wandered inland this summer in a very widespread fashion. Some of the more interesting sightings came from the western portions of North Carolina. The best count was of 30 near the French Broad River, Henderson County, June 15, as noted by Wayne Forsythe. Also seven were near Rosman, Transylvania County, June 24 (fide Tom Joyce), and three were found near Boone June 18-19 (Curtis Smalling). Elsewhere one was at Cowans Ford Refuge, Mecklenburg County, June 27 (Danny Swicegood), and one was at Grandview, Forsyth County, July 23 (fide Ramona Snavely). GLOSSY IBIS: An excellent count of 645 Glossies was made at a large wader roost at the Savannah Spoil Site, Jasper County, SC, July 12 (Steve Calver). This has to be one of the highest totals reported for this species in the Carolinas. ROSEATE SPOONBILL: Always a noteworthy find in the Carolinas, one was present at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, all summer. First found in late May, the bird was seen off and on at several locations, either South Pond, New Field, or North Pond (Pat Moore, sev. obs.). Another previous report of a spoonbill at Bird Shoal, Beaufort, NC, May 15 (fide John Fussell) makes one wonder if the two occurrences involved the same individual. CBC Rare Bird Alert (704) 332-BIRD 40 Briefs for the Files, Summer 2000 WOOD STORK: The sighting of 24 in flight along NC 904 June 29 (Katherine Higgins) was interesting since the location was about 19 miles west of US 17 in Brunswick County! Were these headed to the Sunset Beach summering area? Also one was a complete surprise and quite rare at an impoundment at the upper end of Falls Lake, NC, June 29 (fide Brian Bockhahn). Truly inland reports of this species are very rare in North Carolina. RING-NECKED DUCK: Lingering or summering Ring-necks included one at Par Pond, Savannah River Site, SC, June 7-20 (Paul Champlin and Pete Johnson), two at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, July 12 (Steve Calver), and a pair at the Jacksonville Wastewater Treatment Plant, Onslow County, NC, in early July (Nell Moore and Jim O’Donnell). RUDDY DUCK: One was at the Jacksonville W.T.P., NC, in early July (Moore and O’Donnell); and a female with seven chicks provided a rare breeding report for South Carolina at the Savannah Spoil Site June 9 (Steve Calver). MISSISSIPPI KITE: The number of nesting locations for this species in North Carolina continues to increase. A pair in Goldsboro has been present in the same area for three years in a row, and nesting is suspected (fide Eric Dean). A Roanoke Rapids nest has been located (for at least the second year in a row), with young observed this year (Frank Enders); and the Laurinburg area had at least three different known nests (Barbara Gearhart). Also two birds at a nest with at least one young were found in Newport, Carteret County, during July (Susan Arrington, Rich Boyd, Jack Fennell, John Fussell). This nesting represents the first breeding of the species in the outer Coastal Plain for that state. NORTHERN HARRIER: One was extremely early at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, July 31, as noted by Steve Calver. COOPER’S HAWK: Noteworthy coastal summer reports included one near Buck Hall, Francis Marion Nat. For., SC, July 3 (Clay & Pat Sutton ,fide Harry LeGrand), and one at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, June 9 and July 12 (Calver). BROAD- WINGED HAWK: Two were locally rare in summer near Buck Hall, Francis Marion Nat. For., SC, July 3 (Clay & Pat Sutton, fide LeGrand). Nesting of this species is very unusual in the outer Coastal Plain of the Carolinas. GOLDEN EAGLE: A sub-adult was a good find for the summer at Mt. Mitchell, NC, June 4 (Donna Bailey). AMERICAN COOT: A rare summer report for North Carolina was of one on Lake Osceola, Hendersonville, July 7 (Simon Thompson). Most summer Coots are found in more coastal areas. AMERICAN AVOCET: Two were rare inland migrants at Falls Lake, NC, July 13 (Kate Finlayson). WHIMBREL: One provided a very rare inland sighting at Crabtree Lake, Wake County, NC, July 15 (Robert Perkins). The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 41 WESTERN SANDPIPER: Hooper Lane in Henderson County, NC, hosted up to five Westerns July 25 (Wayne Forsyth and Bob Olthoff). This species is considerably less frequent than Semipalmateds as inland migrants. SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER: Inland Short-billeds of note included a good count of 15 at the Winslow Sod Farm, Scotland Neck, NC, July 25 (Elisa Enders), and three to the west at Hooper Lane, NC, the same day (Wayne Forsythe and Bob Olthoff). LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER: One was quite early at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, July 31, as noted by Steve Calver. COMMON SNIPE: One found in the Mills River, Henderson County, NC, area June 29 (Wayne Forsythe) must have been a non-breeding wanderer, as it was just too early for a fall migrant. AMERICAN WOODCOCK: One seen on Roanoke Island, NC, July 4 (Lois Bradshaw, //de Jeff Lewis) was unusual in that this species is very rarely found during the summer season. SOUTH POLAR SKUA: This summer’s sightings included one off Hatteras, NC, June 4, two off Hatteras July 29 (Brian Patteson et al.), and three off Oregon Inlet, NC, July 30 (Focus on Nature Tours). POMARINE JAEGER: The peak offshore total was the 19 off Hatteras July 29 (Patteson et al.). Other reports included two off C. Lookout, NC, July 23 (Brad Carlson and Gordon Smith) and one from shore at Long Beach, NC, June 16 (Ricky Davis). PARASITIC JAEGER: This species is much less common offshore than the Pomarine. This summer singles were found off Hatteras June 14, 17, 18 (Brian Van Druten) and July 15 (Patteson et al.). Also one was seen from shore at Long Beach, NC, June 16 (Ricky Davis). LONG-BILLED JAEGER: Very rare in South Carolina, two were off Murrell’s Inlet June 17 (Jack Peachey and Donna Bailey). There are only about five previous reports for that state. BONAPARTE’S GULL: Very unusual as a summer lingerer, one was at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, June 9-26 (Steve Calver). ARCTIC TERN: This species has been harder to find offshore the last couple of years. Thus of interest was the excellent count of 33 spring migrants off Hatteras, NC, June 3 (Patteson et al.). FORSTER’S TERN: Several inland sightings were reported this summer, including three at Lake Hickory, NC, July 1 1 (Dwayne and Lori Martin) and two at Falls Lake, NC, July 14 (Brian Bockhahn, Kate Finlayson). BRIDLED TERN: Ten off C. Lookout, NC, July 23 (Brad Carlson and Gordon Smith) provided a good count for that locality. SOOTY TERN: This species was present off North Carolina in excellent numbers this summer. The peak counts were 38 on July 15 and 86 on July 29, both off Hatteras (Patteson et al.). Six were also found off C. Lookout on July 29, as noted by Brad Carlson and Gordon Smith. 42 Briefs for the Files, Summer 2000 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: This species has pushed ever farther into the Carolinas. It now seems that a group has established itself as far west as the Conover, Catawba County, NC, area, where up to six are present (Dwayne & Lori Martin). WHITE-WINGED DOVE: One is still holding on at the usual Beaufort, NC, site, at least into June (John Fussell, Simon Thompson et al.). BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO: Once again this species was found in Coastal Plain pocosin habitats during the summer. Three were heard near Great Lake, Croatan Nat. For., NC, June 1 (John Fussell), and two were at Alligator River N.W.R., NC, July 1 3 (Jeff Lewis). Also one found in the shoreline trees at Lake Phelps, NC, June 3 was probably a late migrant (Merrill Lynch). OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER: Very rare and most unusual was the presence of an Olive-sided at the Cooper Road W.T.P., Forsyth County, NC, June 25 and July 9 (Ramona Snavely and Regina Burt). Obviously a non- breeding individual, summer reports in the Carolinas, away from the mountains, are almost unheard of! WILLOW FLYCATCHER: Late, locally rare migrants were found at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, June 2 (George Armistead et al.) and at Ft. Bragg, NC, in early June (Alan Schultz). Also of note, a nest with three eggs of this species was found in the Mills River, Henderson County, NC, area this summer (Wayne Forsythe). Video footage of this nesting provided the county’s first documented breeding evidence. EASTERN PHOEBE: One at Carver’s Gap, Roan Mt., NC, June 16 & 30 (Rick Knight) was considered to be a high-elevation occurrence for the species in summer. SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER: North Carolina’s first documented nesting of this species occurred south of Monroe, Union County. One was found June 1 , and by the sixth, two were at a nest. Three young were raised and apparently fledged by July 15 (Eric Olsen, Anne & Blayne Olsen, m. obs.). Other summer reports of Scissor-taileds included one east of Scotland Neck, NC, June 11 (Jeff Lewis, John Wright) and one in Raleigh, NC, July 10 (Michael Davis, fide Ricky Davis). WARBLING VIREO: Two on territory in Cleveland County, NC, in early June (Jo Ann Martin and Simon Thompson) were locally rare. Even rarer were the two singing Warblings, first found in the spring at Anilorac Farm in Orange County, NC, that remained until at least July 4 (Will Cook). RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH: One found along Table Rock Mt. Road, north of Morganton, NC, June 25 (Dwayne & Lori Martin), was at a rather low elevation of about 1200' for this species during the summer. CEDAR WAXWING: The only eastern summer report of this irregular breeder was of one near Buckhorn Reservoir, Johnston County, NC, June 25 (Ricky Davis). MAGNOLIA WARBLER: Once again, this species was found on territory at Roan Mt., NC, June 28 (Allan Trendy, Len Pardue) and July 1 (Wayne The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 1, Winter 2001 43 Forsythe et al.). This area is easily the best site for breeding season Magnolias in the state. BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER: Late migrants included three singing males in the Ft. Bragg, NC, area in early June (Susan Campbell). YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER: Very rare and unusual were the late (or non-breeding) Yellow-rumpeds found at Ocracoke, NC, June 17 (Peter Vankevich), York, SC, June 19 (Bill Hilton), and the Savannah River Site, Barnwell County, SC, June 24 (Paul Champlin). Of particular interest, the Ocracoke bird was a singing male that was in the same area where one was reported the previous summer! BLACKPOLL WARBLER: Late Blackpolls included singles in Franklin County, NC, June 1 (Ricky Davis), at Bodie Island, NC, Lighthouse woods June 1 (Jeff Lewis), and at C. Lookout, NC, June 7 (John Fussell). AMERICAN REDSTART: One was very late on Roanoke Island, NC, June 7, as noted by Jeff Lewis. SWAINSON’S WARBLER: One on territory near Littleton, Warren County, NC, June 8 (Harry LeGrand), provided a new breeding season locality for that part of the state. SCARLET TANAGER: One on the Milltail Creek, Dare County, NC, BBS June 3 (Merrill Lynch) was considered to be a late migrant. Two on the California BBS in Gates County, NC, June 4 (Lynch) were on the eastern edge of the normal breeding range. And a male singing near Mill Creek, Carteret County, NC, June 14-15 (Jack Fennell, fide John Fussell) was interesting since there are no confirmed nesting records for the county. LARK SPARROW: This species has been known to nest in the Sandhills region of North Carolina. This year several were found at Ft. Bragg in early June (Alan Schultz); and a new location for the species was found along Slate Rd., Scotland County, where three adults and five young were seen June 21-28 (Barbara Gearhart, Wayne Irvin). Also of interest was the adult near the French Broad River, Henderson County, NC, July 3 (Wayne Forsythe), which was not far from the area where one was found during the spring! HENSLOW’S SPARROW: This year’s censuses of the breeding populations at the VOA sites near Greenville, NC, totaled 83 singing males at Site A and 57 males at Site B (John & Paula Wright). PAINTED BUNTING: A female was a late and unexpected visitor at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, June 8 (Jeff Lewis). DICKCISSEL: Summer season reports included up to three in Cleveland County, NC, June 7 (JoAnn Martin and Simon Thompson), two in Henderson County, NC, July 9 (Marilyn Westphal), and one near Pettigrew State Park, NC, June 25 (Harry LeGrand and Jeff Pippen). Also up to three were at a farm near Margaret, Franklin County, NC, during late May and June (Ricky Davis). First definite breeding evidence for the county was obtained June 25, when a female was seen carrying food repeatedly to an area suspected of harboring a nest. 44 Briefs for the Files, Summer 2000 SHINY COWBIRD: The only sighting this summer was of a male at Ft. Macon, NC, in early July (Randy Newman, fide John Fussell). BALTIMORE ORIOLE: One was considered to be a late migrant at Ft. Bragg, NC, in early June, as noted by Alan Schultz. Much more intriguing was the female oriole seen giving food to a juvenile in Raleigh, NC, July 9 (Mark Thompson, fide Harry LeGrand). Although no nest was ever found in the area, this still provided probable breeding evidence for the Raleigh area, which is very rare that far east. RED CROSSBILL: Interesting summer reports included three at Gorges State Park, Transylvania County, NC, June 1 (Harry LeGrand), up to 30 at Balsam Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Buncombe County, NC, June 4 (Wayne Forsythe etal.), and an impressive flock of 80 on Roan Mt., NC, June 16 (Rick Knight). CAROLINA BIRD CLUB MEMBERSHIP The Carolina Bird Club, Inc. is a non-profit educational and scientific association founded in 1937. Membership is open to those interested in the study and conservation of wildlife, particularly birds. Dues, contributions, and bequests to the Club may be deductible from state and federal income and estate taxes. Checks should be made payable to Carolina Bird Club, Inc. and sent to CBC Headquarters, 1 1 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029. DUES (Payable on a calendar-year basis) Individual $ 20.00 Associate (in same household as individual member) $ 5.00 Student $ 15.00 Sustaining (open to businesses) $ 25.00 Patron $ 50.00+ Life Membership (payable in four consecutive $100 installments) . . $400.00 PUBLICATIONS CBC members receive The Chat, a quarterly journal devoted to bird study and conservation, and the CBC Newsletter, which carries information about meetings, field trips, and club projects. Articles intended for publication in The Chat may be sent to the Editor or the appropriate editor listed in the inside front cover. Items for the Newsletter should be sent to its Editor, Clyde Smith, 2615 Wells Avenue, Raleigh, NC, 27608. Send correspondence regarding memberships, changes of address, or requests for back numbers of either publication to CBC Headquarters, 1 1 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601- 1029. OFFICERS President: Len Pardue, 16 The Circle, Asheville, NC 28801 Vice Presidents: Donna Bailey, 176 Ravens Place, Winnsboro, SC 29180 Charlotte Goedsche, 8 Cricket Ln, Asheville, NC 28801 John Wright, 1953A Quail Ridge Road, Greenville, NC 27858 Secretary: Kathleen O’Grady, 1428A Farrington Way, Columbia, SC 29210 Treasurer: Patricia Tyndall, 400 Kilmarnock Ct, Wake Forest, NC 27587 NC Members-at-large: Susan M. Campbell, 144 Pine Ridge Drive, Whispering Pines, NC 28327 Bob Holmes, 4003 Trent Pines Dr, New Bern, NC 28562 Dwayne Martin, 3691 Jinny Lane, Claremont, NC 28610 JoAnn Martin, PO Box 242, Ellenboro, NC 28040 SC Members-at-large Carroll Richard, P.O. Box 893, Hampton, SC 29924 Gary Sowell, 140 Sweetwater Road, Hopkins, SC 29061 Immediate Past President: Bert Fisher, 924 Urban Ave., Durham, NC 27701 Headquarters Secretary: Tullie Johnson, 11 West Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601 Rare Bird Alert: (704)332-BIRD Web Site: www.carolinabirdclub.org z z 01 u 3> X z o 02 w *-* o £ ro x z on 01 m G1 I O H Z Z O X j-h o z n i> & S-s- r— *• n ui r 4^ 4* w Is j Kj © O ...U on 3> 0-- X O r — : FT] 01 o D o o w O C/5 (D hD 3- C CD &> o 5 !i 73 0)_ 0 cq’ O Q>_ © o o o’ *< o CD c_ 0 i-+ d’ o — h o Q> Z q CD °o a p G cn Z ?i& -* U — O CD D KJ W O CO c c/> -D c n o o ro o > r+ 73 73 CD 0)_ 5’ o a cd‘ o’ 3 ^L z o C/> 73 O ro (/> ■vi r+ o> 0) -v| (Q CD 1 CO 73 05 0) Ol a (IH^X “The Chat Vol. 65 SPRING 2001 No. 2 The Quarterly Bulletin of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc The Ornithological Society of the Carolinas THE CHAT (USPS 101-020) Vol. 65 SPRING 2001 No. 2 Published by The Carolina Bird Club, Inc. Editor General Field Notes North Carolina Will Cook Briefs for the Files Associate Editor Bob Wood, 2421 Owl Circle West Columbia, SC 29169 bobwood @ ix.netcom .com South Carolina Dennis M. Forsythe . . . Ricky Davis Andrea Ceselski Editor Emeritus Eloise Potter THE CHAT is published quarterly for $20.00 by the Carolina Bird Club, Inc., with headquarters at the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029. Second-class postage paid at Raleigh, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Carolina Bird Club, THE CHAT, 1 1 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601 -1 029. Articles Shorebird Assemblages of the Cape Romain Region, South Carolina. Sarah L. Dodd and Mark D. Spinks 45 General Field Notes Incidental Cache Use by the Brown Thrasher, with Notes on Secondary Cache Use by Additional Avian Species. Mark J. Komoroski 68 Briefs for the Files, Fall 2000 71 Cover (16-day-old Tufted Titmouse, Just Before Fledging) by Bill Duyck, Asheville, NC Shorebird Assemblages of the Cape Romain Region, South Carolina Mark D. Spinks South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Diversity Section Samworth WMA 420 Dirleton Rd. Georgetown, SC 29440 Abstract We examined abundance and distribution patterns of shorebirds (Charadriiformes: Charadrii) using natural coastal wetlands in the Cape Romain region, South Carolina. Overall, we observed 22 species and 247,574 shorebirds, most of which were Dunlin (31.7%; Calidris alpina ) and Short- billed Dowitcher (26.5%; Limnodromus griseus). Maximum [38,245 (516 birds/km)] and minimum [3,629 (48 birds/km)] counts of shorebirds occurred at the end of March and June, respectively. Species composition and patterns of abundance differed significantly between outer beaches and inner estuarine habitats. Calidris sandpipers [Dunlin, Sanderling ( Calidris alba). Red Knot ( Calidris canutus), and small sandpipers ( Calidris mauri, minutilla, and pusilla)] and plovers [(Black-bellied ( Pluvialis squatarola), Piping (Charadrius melodus), Wilson’s ( Charadrius wilsonia ), and Semipalmated ( Charadrius semipalmatus )] used mostly beaches and sand bars. By contrast, large Scolopacids predominated on oyster banks and docks [Marbled Godwit (. Limosa fedoa), Willet ( Catoptrophorus semipalmatus), and Short-billed Dowitcher] or high sand/mud flats [Whimbrel ( Numenius phaeopus)]-, and American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) used mostly oyster banks. For eight species (American Oystercatcher, Short-billed Dowitcher, Dunlin, Willet, Whimbrel, Wilson’s Plover, and Semipalmated Plover), peak counts of the Cape Romain region during spring and/or fall equaled or exceeded 15% of respective species’ eastern U. S. totals (based on International Shorebird Survey censuses at almost 800 sites east of the 105th Meridian from 1974-1993). Exceptionally high proportions of eastern U. S. totals resulted for spring and fall migrating American Oystercatcher (>46%) and Marbled Godwit (> 20%), and spring migrating Short-billed Dowitcher (30%) and Semipalmated Plover (30%). We conclude that the Cape Romain region is a critical migration- stopover and wintering area for shorebirds using the Atlantic Coast. Moreover, Sarah L. Dodd South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Diversity Section Samworth WMA 420 Dirleton Rd. Georgetown, SC 29440 present address: 222 Alabama Street St. Simons Island, GA 31522 45 46 Shorebird Assemblages of the Cape Romain Region, SC our finding that composition of shorebird assemblages varied considerably between outer beach and inner estuarine habitats suggests that the 5 - 8 km mosaic of habitats stretching from outer barrier islands to inland shallow bays contributes to the high diversity and abundance of shorebirds using the region. Introduction Migrant shorebirds rest and replenish fat reserves at stopover areas, predominately coastal wetland habitats with apparently high concentrations of invertebrate prey (Morrison 1984, Clark etal. 1993, Dinsmore etal. 1998, Page et al. 1999). Several authors ( e.g . Senner and Howe 1984, Myers et al. 1987, Bildstein et al. 1991, Harrington 1995) have addressed the vulnerability of shorebird populations (e.g. North American Red Knots; Clark etal. 1993) that concentrate at only a few stopover sites during migration. Moreover, some authors (How & et al. 1989, Clark etal. 1993, Morrison et al. 1994, Harrington 1995, Gill et al. 1995) have reported significant declines in Western Hemispheric populations of several species of shorebirds (e.g. Black-bellied Plover, Sanderling, Whimbrel, Red Knot, Short-billed Dowitcher, Semipalmated Sandpiper), not including species [Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Piping Plover, and Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis )] listed as Federally Threatened or Endangered (Harrington and Perry 1995). The creation of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN; Myers etal. 1987, Bildstein etal. 1991) in 1985 initiated a large-scale effort to conserve shorebirds by identifying wetlands that support significant concentrations of shorebirds (Harrington and Perry 1995, Page et al. 1999). Wetlands are designated as critical habitat reserves for a species or group of taxa based on overall annual numbers or proportions of species’ flyway populations (Harrington and Perry 1995). Examples of important WHSRN reserves are Delaware Bay (Clark et al. 1993), Bay of Fundy (Hicklin 1987), and San Francisco Bay (Page et al. 1999). Although interior regions are gaining recognition (e.g. Skagen and Knopf 1993, Davis and Smith 1998, Warnock etal. 1998), research in North America has focused on evaluating the importance of stopover sites in coastal Atlantic and Pacific fly ways (Skagen and Knopf 1 993). Despite this emphasis on coastal corridors, Atlantic Coast stopover sites from Florida to North Carolina remain largely undocumented, with the exception of the Outer Banks, North Carolina (Dinsmore et al. 1998) and Cape Romain-Santee Delta region, South Carolina (Marsh and Wilkinson 1991a, Weber and Haig 1996). All three southern Atlantic studies reported significant concentrations of several species of shorebirds. Moreover, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge has recently been designated an International WHSRN reserve. Despite Cape Remain’s recognition as a WHSRN reserve, abundance estimates for shorebirds using the region are conservative. Marsh and Wilkinson (1991a) surveyed little beach habitat and included no coverage of several barrier islands (Bull, Capers, and Dewees) or outer beach habitat on the The Chat , Vol. 65, No. 2, Spring 2001 47 region’s largest barrier island (Cape Island). Consequently, Marsh and Wilkinson did not present data for small Calidris sandpipers, Sanderling, Piping Plover, and Wilson’s Plover. They also reported that their surveys of Dunlin, Red Knot, and Black-bellied Plover were inadequate. Almost a decade later, we initiated a study of shorebirds in the Cape Romain region to obtain current baseline estimates of abundance for all species of shorebirds. In this paper, we examine patterns of migrating and wintering assemblages of shorebirds using natural coastal wetlands in the Cape Romain region with the following objectives: 1) to evaluate spatial variation in composition (overall species composition and abundance) of shorebird assemblages; 2) to assess the relative importance of the region to migrant shorebirds by comparing maximum counts from this study to those from other Atlantic Flyway sites; and 3) to discuss conservation implications, including potential threats to shorebirds using the region. Study Area and Methods We studied shorebirds (Charadriiformes: Charadrii) on the central coast of South Carolina in the Cape Romain region (32° 49’ - 33°05’ N, 79° 20’ -79° 45’ W), which encompasses Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, Capers Island State Heritage Preserve, Dewees Island, and public salt marshes bordering the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIW) from McClellan ville to Isle of Palms (Fig. 1). The Cape Romain region is characterized by several barrier islands with predominately sandy beaches that are separated from the mainland by extensive (5-8 km) Spartina alterniflora marsh, punctuated by shallow bays with expansive mudflats and oyster ( Crassostrea virginica ) beds (Marsh and Wilkinson 1991a). At high tide, shorebirds congregate on oyster banks (narrow, elongated mounds of elevated oyster shell) bordering bays, the AIW, and small estuarine islands; docks and high flats bordering the AIW; and exposed substrate on beaches and sand bars. We surveyed shorebirds using all exposed habitat on the following routes (76 km of linear shoreline with exposed substrate at high tide): 1) Northeastern (NE): Horsehead Creek, Deepwater Point, and Casino Creek oyster banks; Cape and Raccoon Key barrier island beaches; Cape Island inlet and Lighthouse Island South sand bars; White Banks oyster banks, and Marsh Island sand spit; 2) Southwestern (SW): oyster banks, high sand/mud flats, and docks bordering both sides of the AIW from Jeremy Creek (Marker 35) to just south of Dewees Inlet (Marker 115); and 3) Southeastern (SE): southwest Bull’s Bay oyster banks; Bull, Capers, and Dewees barrier island beaches; and Price Inlet sand bar. All sites are federal or state owned and uninhabited, with the exceptions of Dewees Island, which is privately owned and developed with relatively low density housing, and private docks bordering the mainland side of the AIW. All sites are accessible by boat only, with the exception of docks. We did not survey Lighthouse Island or boneyard forest habitat on Capers and Bull islands because at high tide these sites had no exposed habitat used by shorebirds (Dodd and Spinks, pers. 48 Shorebird Assemblages of the Cape Romain Region, SC m 1 A FIG. 1. Location of sites censused in the Cape Romain region on the central coast of South Carolina. See Table 2 for location codes. The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 2, Spring 2001 49 observ.). We also did not survey New and Bird islands because high tides covered them during the study. Bird Censuses. From March - October 1997, January - May 1998, and November and December 1998, we conducted standardized censuses once each month within 2.5 hours of high (> 1.7 m) spring tides for three consecutive days [n = 15 sets (routes 1 - 3) of censuses]. We surveyed shorebirds at high tide because birds congregated on fewer exposed sites than at lower tides, and access to the region is extremely limited at low tide. We randomly chose the day to census each route from the three days with the highest daylight tides for each month. If weather ( e.g . high winds or heavy rainfall) prevented us from completing a route, we censused the entire route on the next day (n = 2 censuses). However, several days of extreme weather conditions prevented us from censusing the SE route in early March 1998 and from completing half the NE route (from Raccoon Key to Marsh Island) in September 1997. In addition, extremely shallow water in Bull’s Bay resulting from winds pushing tides out early prevented us from surveying White Banks (n = 4) and Marsh Island (n = 6) several times. On completed censuses, however, Bull’s Bay islands were used by a small proportion (8%) of shorebirds observed on the NE route. We censused shorebirds from an outboard motor boat or all-terrain vehicle (ATV) using 8.5 X 44 mm binoculars and a 20 X spotting scope. We censused the large offshore sand bar (Lighthouse Island South) and all barrier island beaches by ATV, with the exception of Raccoon Key and the northeast point of Bull Island, where treacherous waters prevented unloading an ATV onto the beach. We unloaded the ATV from the boat onto the northwest end of each beach and maneuvered the ATV parallel to the shoreline towards the southwest end of the beach, where we reloaded the ATV and crossed the inlet to the next beach. We observed birds with the ATV motor turned off. We censused all other sites from an outboard motor boat. All sites surveyed from the boat were narrow, allowing for complete coverage. After encountering birds, the boat handler positioned the boat parallel to the shoreline approximately 20 - 40 m away, and alternated between turning off the engine and moving the boat forward until the observer had recorded data for the entire flock. We checked the marsh-side of high oyster banks for additional birds by standing on top of the oyster bank. To minimize variation among censuses due to human factors, we used the same observer (S. Dodd) and boat operator (M. Spinks) for all censuses. After encountering shorebirds, we recorded data on species, abundance, and behavior (foraging, loafing, preening, alert, flying, or other). We estimated large flocks (> 1 50 birds) by counting across the flock in five’ s for each species present. We counted large flocks at least twice and from at least two locations. We counted flying birds only when they flew prematurely from unsurveyed sites; we estimated flying birds by counting across the flock in tens for each species present. 50 Shorebird Assemblages of the Cape Romain Region, SC We identified most shorebirds to species, but sometimes due to poor viewing conditions we could not distinguish among species of Least, Western, and Semipalmated sandpipers. Consequently, when necessary, we used the taxonomic group, ‘small sandpipers’ for observations of these species. Of the difficult to distinguish Limnodromus genus, we identified only Short-billed Dowitchers during the study, with the exception of one Long-billed Dowitcher (. Limnodromus scolopaceus ) identified by call during a pilot survey in February 1997. Similarly, Marsh and Wilkinson (1991a) reported Long-billed Dowitchers only on one census, but in July. Hereafter, we refer to all dowitchers observed in this study as Short-billed Dowitchers, with the caveat that we may have overlooked some Long-billed Dowitchers. Human Disturbance. We recorded the number of people and dogs at each site during censuses and whether or not birds flushed due to disturbance from humans or dogs. During a pilot census of the AIW in February 1997, we observed that shorebirds using oyster banks at high tide often flushed in response to boat wakes cresting over the bank. Consequently, we quantified boat traffic adjacent to oyster banks by counting the number of boats on the SW route per census period. Data Analysis. We combined observations of Least, Western, and Semipalmated sandpipers and unidentified small sandpipers into the ‘small sandpiper’ group. Hereafter, we refer to this taxonomic group as if it were a species. To represent an annual cycle, we used the most contiguous grouping of censuses from June - October 1997; November and December 1998; and January - May 1998. For the SE route, however, we used data from a census conducted in March 1997 to replace the missing (see above) March 1998 census. For each site, we summarized abundance data by totaling the number of birds for each species from the year divided by the corresponding km of linear shoreline and number of censuses. We analyzed spatial variation in composition (overall species composition and abundance) of shorebird assemblages using Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DC A; Hill 1979), an ordination technique based on reciprocal averaging, but without the corresponding arch distortion in the axes (Gauch 1982). We used ordination because it represents community structure [a matrix of samples (sites) by species (shorebirds)] in low dimensional space by positioning samples with similar composition close together while locating samples with great differences in composition far apart (Gauch 1982). Simultaneously, species that used sites similarly are assigned similar axis scores, whereas species that inhabited different sites receive disparate axis scores. DCA axes are scaled in units of average standard deviation of species turnover so that equal distances in ordination space correspond to equal variation in species composition; a 50% change in species The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 2, Spring 2001 51 composition of samples occurs around one standard deviation, and a complete turnover in species composition occurs over four standard deviations (Gauch 1982). We excluded from the analysis three species (Black-necked Stilt, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Killdeer) that occurred less than five times because inclusion of rare species confounds ordination results (Gauch 1982). In addition, we removed Price Inlet sand bar from the analysis because it was exposed at high tide for only two months. See Colwell and Dodd (1995) and Patten and Rotenberry ( 1 998) for additional analyses of bird communities using DC A. We evaluated variation in axes scores using Wilcoxon 2-Sample Tests with an alpha level of significance of < 0.05 (PC-SAS, Vers. 6.12, SAS 1992). Maximum Counts. For each species, we determined the following peak counts using all censuses: 1) a maximum daily count, using the highest count from one of three routes for spring, fall, and winter; and 2) a maximum count of the region, using the highest count from all three routes combined for each season. We evaluated the relative importance of Cape Romain as a stopover site by comparing maximum counts with those from International Shorebird Survey (ISS, Manomet Observatory for Conservation Science) censuses conducted at almost 800 sites east of the 105th Meridian, U.S. from 1974 - 1993 (Harrington and Perry 1995). By adding maximum counts from ISS sites, Harrington and Perry (1995) calculated a “national” (mostly Atlantic Fly way) spring and fall “total” for each species. Using these totals as an index of eastern U.S. populations, we calculated species’ proportions by dividing maximum counts into corresponding ISS seasonal totals (with the Cape Romain count added in). Results Community Patterns. During one annual cycle, we observed 22 species and 247,574 shorebirds using the Cape Romain region (Table 1). Dunlin (31.7%) and Short-billed Dowitcher (26.5%) comprised most of the birds, followed by small sandpipers (11.5%), and Red Knot (7.5%). Overall, most (66.8%) shorebirds loafed, whereas fewer birds preened (12.9%), foraged (9.8%), flew (7.6%), or exhibited alert (2.6%) behaviors at high tide. However, more Spotted Sandpipers and Black-necked Stilts foraged than loafed, and almost half the Piping Plovers foraged. We observed shorebirds throughout the year with maximum [38,245 (516 birds/km)] and minimum [3,629 (48 birds/km)] counts occurring at the end of March and June, respectively (Fig. 2). Winter (November, December, and January) counts approached the maximum spring count when peak numbers of several species (Marbled Godwit, Short-billed Dowitcher, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, and American Oystercatcher) occurred. Composition (overall species composition and abundance) of shorebird assemblages varied considerably among sites (Fig. 3). Axes one and two explained 68% and 25% of variation in data, respectively. Axis one measured 52 Shorebird Assemblages of the Cape Romain Region, SC □ AIISpp j ■ DUNL i j □ SBDO | B PEEP □ REKN j ■ SAND | □ SEPL | ■ AMOY j Q) □ WILL ■ BBPL □ MAGO BRUTU □ WHIM FIG. 2. Seasonal variation in abundance (birds/km) of shorebirds using the Cape Remain region, SC, from June - October 1997, November and December, 1998, and January - May 1998; data presented for the 12 most abundant species (see Table 1 for codes) and total assemblage of shorebirds (All Spp.). The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 2, Spring 2001 53 FIG. 3. Spatial variation in composition of shorebird assemblages using outer beach (triangles) and inner estuarine/AIW (circles) habitats as portrayed by Detrended Correspondence Analysis. See Tables 1 and 2 for species and site codes, respectively. 54 Shore bird Assemblages of the Cape Romain Region, SC 3.4 standard deviations, representing a gradient of high (> 50%) species turnover from outer beaches and sand bars to estuarine and AIW sites ( e.g . oyster banks and docks; hereafter, referred to as inner habitats). Spanning 2.5 standard deviations, Axis two also represented a gradient exceeding a half change in species composition from outer to inner habitats. Composition differed significantly between outer (n = 16) and inner (n = 22) sites (axis 1 scores: z = - 4.8, P = 0.0001; and axis 2 scores: z = - 2.85, P = 0.004). Calidris sandpipers (Dunlin, Sanderling, Red Knot, and small sandpipers) and all species of plovers used mostly outer beaches and sand bars. By contrast, large Scolopacids and American Oystercatcher used mostly inner habitats: Short- billed Dowitcher, Willet, and Marbled Godwit predominated on oyster banks and docks; Whimbrel frequented high sand/mud flats and oyster banks; and American Oystercatcher used mostly oyster banks. Greater Y ellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, and Ruddy Turnstone used many different habitats, and thus these species occupy the center of ordination space (Fig. 3; see Gauch 1982). At outer beaches and sand bars, species richness and densities (birds/km) varied from 2.9 (Dewees Is.-SW end) to 11.9 (Cape Is.-SW end) species and 29.3 (Bull Is. -middle) to 1406.3 (Dewees Is.-NE end; 3093.5 on Price Inlet sand bar when exposed) birds, respectively (Table 2). At inner habitats, species richness and densities ranged from 0.4 (Casino Creek oyster banks) to 7.9 (Price Inlet oyster banks) species and 1.2 (Matthews Creek oyster banks) to 1888.9 (Graham Creek docks) birds, respectively. Human Disturbance. We observed humans flushing shorebirds during few (7%, n = 3) censuses. In addition, we usually observed no people using sites on NE (median = 0, range = 0 - 32) and SW (median = 0, range = 0-2) routes, whereas we often observed a few people using sites on the SE route (median = 3, range = 0 - 57). We only observed dogs on the SE route (median: 0, range: 0 - 3). Boat traffic on the AIW ranged from 1.2 to 31.8 boats/h (median = 6.6 boats/h). Relative Importance of the Cape Romain Region. Based on maximum daily counts, nine species (American Oystercatcher, Marbled Godwit, Short-billed Dowitcher, Wilson’s Plover, Dunlin, Willet, Whimbrel, Semipalmated Plover, and Red Knot) used one of three routes during fall and/or spring in numbers exceeding 5% of eastern U.S. totals (Harrington and Perry 1995) (Table 3). For these same species, peak counts from the entire region equaled or exceeded 15% of spring and/or fall eastern U.S. totals, with the exception of counts for Red Knot, which approached these proportions during fall (13%). Exceptionally high proportions of eastern U.S. totals resulted for regional peak counts of spring and fall migrating American Oystercatcher (> 46%) and Marbled Godwit (> 20%), and spring migrating Short-billed Dowitcher (30%) and Semipalmated Plover (30%). The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 2, Spring 2001 55 Discussion Based on findings from this study and Marsh and Wilkinson (1991a), we conclude that the Cape Romain region is one of the most important migration- stopover and wintering areas for shorebirds using the U.S. Atlantic Coast. The Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge has recently been recognized as a WHSRN reserve of “international importance” for meeting the criteria of 100,000 shorebirds annually or 15% of a species’ flyway population. Harrington et al. (1989) ranked the importance of ISS marine sites east of the 105th meridian U.S., based on each stopover’s combined species’ proportions of spring and fall “national totals” (also in Harrington and Perry 1995, see methods). Using this index of relative importance, the Cape Romain region (Table 3) ranked second only to Delaware Bay in spring and higher than all presented Atlantic Coast sites during fall. Harrington and Perry (1995) devised another index of relative importance that considers factors (e.g. overall species richness and presence of species shown in the literature to be declining significantly) additional to numbers of birds. Based on Harrington and Perry’s index, Cape Romain (score = 90, using daily or regional peak counts) has a higher “critical value” than Delaware Bay (score = 65), and all potential Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf Coast WHSRN sites (n = 34 with complete data) presented in Harrington and Perry (1995). Delaware Bay is considered one of the most important stopover areas in the Western Hemisphere (Senner and Howe 1984) and has been designated a Hemispheric WHSRN reserve for its importance to spring migrating Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, and Sanderling (Clark et al. 1993). From our study, species’ proportions for American Oystercatcher in both spring and fall and Short-billed Dowitcher and Semipalmated Plover in spring meet the criteria of 30% or more of a species’ flyway population (Table 3) for designation as a hemispheric reserve. Consequently, we recommend that the Cape Romain region be redesignated as a Hemispheric WHSRN reserve and that sites exterior to but bordering the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge (Capers and Dewees islands; salt marshes and bays west of the AIW, and oyster banks bordering both sides of the AIW from McClellanville to Isle of Palms) be included in the reserve. A decade ago (1988-89), Marsh and Wilkinson (1991a) showed that the Cape Romain region supported large concentrations of several species, especially American Oystercatcher and Marbled Godwit. In addition to corroborating their findings, our study documents the importance of the region to several other species, including Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Wilson’s Plover, Semipalmated Plover, and Sanderling. Our study’s NE and SW routes were similar to Marsh and Wilkinson’s two routes, with the exception that our study covered additional habitat (the outer beach on Cape Island and Mathew’s to Awendaw creeks on the AIW). None of the barrier island beaches on our SE route were censused by Marsh and Wilkinson. Despite these differences in area surveyed, some comparisons between counts are warranted. With increased survey effort from our study, peak counts for most species exceeded those from 56 Shorebird Assemblages of the Cape Romain Region, SC Marsh and Wilkinson, especially for species ( e.g . Dunlin) that inhabited predominately beach habitats. However, we obtained lower peak counts of American Oystercatcher and Marbled Godwit, even when considering regional totals from our study. Marsh and Wilkinson’s peak counts of American Oystercatcher (2,482) and Marbled Godwit (735) exceeded those from our study (Table 3) by approximately 30%. Moreover, five of their six counts of oy stercatchers over two winters approximated or exceeded 2,000 birds, whereas our mid-winter counts ranged from 1,035 to 1,707 oystercatchers. Spring and early fall counts of American Oystercatcher, however, are similar between studies. Marsh and Wilkinson’s censuses of wintering Marbled Godwit consistently exceeded 500 birds, whereas our winter counts ranged from 369 to 480 godwits. Differences between studies (i.e. methodology and/or observers) might account for lower counts. For example, Marsh and Wilkinson often censused godwits at their largest roost both before and after high tide, whereas we censused each site only once. Marsh and Wilkinson’s before and after high tide counts (n = 5) suggest an increase (of up to 73%) in godwit numbers one to two hours after high tide. We typically arrived at sites used by most Marbled Godwit (Graham and Venning creeks) around one hour before high tide, which might explain our study’s lower counts. It is more difficult to attribute lower counts of American Oystercatcher to variation among observers because both studies counted'oystercatchers individually (C. Marsh, pers. correspondence) due to their tendency of loafing in small numbers. Of interest, other censuses (South Carolina Dept, of Natural Resources, unpubl. data) conducted in the Cape Romain region during late fall and winter in 1991 (n = 4) and 1992 (n = 3) using identical routes and boat operators (and some of the same observers) to Marsh and Wilkinson also obtained lower Marbled Godwit and American Oystercatcher counts (peak counts = MAGO: 321 1991, 3931992 ; AMOY: 1 ,773 1991 , 2,0081992) than Marsh and Wilkinson (1991a). Limited evidence suggests that the reduced counts of American Oystercatcher since 1988/89 may be attributed to population changes. Marsh and Wilkinson (1991b) reported that numbers of American Oystercatcher using the Cape Romain region declined significantly following Hurricane Hugo (and in the subsequent winter), which came ashore at Cape Romain in 1989 with winds exceeding 100 knots. Marsh and Wilkinson suspected that approximately 400 American Oystercatchers died in the storm. Moreover, nesting effort for American Oystercatcher appears to have declined in the Cape Romain region since 1989 (based on a 50% decline in overall number of nests from 1989 to 1998; SCDNR, unpubl. data). Indeed, summarized Atlantic Coast data (Davis 1999) suggest that breeding numbers of American Oystercatcher are low or declining from Virginia south to Florida. Reduced recruitment to south Atlantic Coast populations combined with the death of several hundred adults could conceivably result in a smaller population a decade later. Alternatively, lower counts may have resulted from distributional shifts (Myers et al. 1987) to other The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 2, Spring 2001 57 wintering areas, perhaps initiated by detrimental changes to foraging habitat by Hurricane Hugo. Conservation Implications. Our finding that composition of shorebird assemblages varied significantly between beach and estuarine/AIW habitats suggests that the 5 - 8 km mosaic of habitats stretching from outer barrier islands to inland bays contributes to the high diversity and abundance of shorebirds using the Cape Romain region. Thus, we suggest that regional biologists and land managers consider potential degradation to both beach and estuarine/AIW habitats when creating future conservation plans for shorebirds. Even private docks bordering the AIW provided habitat at high tide for large congregations of shorebirds, especially Willet, Marbled Godwit, and Short-billed Dowitcher. It is noteworthy that docks provided a refuge from boat wakes (from up to 31.8 boats/h), which often crest over oyster banks at high tide (Dodd and Spinks, pers. observ.). Because shorebirds only used open (i.e. no railings) docks, we recommend that new dock permits adjacent to the AIW be issued with the stipulation that no railings be added. Several species used oyster banks bordering the AIW, bays, and estuarine islands, including American Oystercatcher, which predominated on these elevated oyster shell mounds at high tide. Mining of oyster shell deposits has been an important industry in other areas ( e.g . the Gulf Coast region) where shell is used for multiple purposes, including construction aggregate and preparation of cement (Anderson et al. 1979). Research is currently being conducted to evaluate the use of proteins in oyster shell for various products, including highly absorbent diapers (http://seagrant.orst.edu/plain/scripts/597. html). Consequently, there may be an increased demand for harvesting of oyster shell in the future. We urge state lawmakers to improve existing legislation to prevent the harvest of oyster shell deposits from South Carolina’s estuaries. Shorebirds also used high sand/mud flats bordering the AIW, including migrating Whimbrel, which frequented flats in large numbers during spring. Runoff from increasing housing development adjacent to the mainland side of the AIW could affect the foraging quality of these flats. CBC Rare Bird Alert (704) 332-BIRD 58 Shorebird Assemblages of the Cape Romain Region, SC Mixed species flocks of mostly Calidris sandpipers and plovers (including the threatened/endangered Piping Plover) inhabited beaches and sand bars. A potential threat to shorebirds using beaches and associated flats and sand bars is disturbance from humans, including increasing local ecotourism and use of personal watercraft and sea kayaks. During censuses, we regularly observed low numbers of humans using beaches, especially north of Bull Island. However, based on the projected 0.3% annual increase of people moving to the coast of South Carolina, and an additional 17,700,000 annual visitors (S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control 1998), we anticipate that human use of the Cape Romain area will increase. We recommend that managers monitor human use of beaches and periodically adjust existing rules and the extent of law enforcement to ensure protection of shorebirds from human disturbance. Finally, the apparent decline in wintering numbers of American Oystercatcher compared to a decade ago is worrisome considering Marsh and Wilkinson’s (1991a) finding that the Cape Romain region is the major North American wintering site for American Oystercatcher. We recommend that a study be conducted investigating potential declines in local and regional populations of American Oystercatcher. Acknowledgments We thank P. Wilkinson for acquiring and supervising funding for the study, and staff at Capers Island Heritage Preserve, Cape Romain NWR, and Dewees Island for allowing use of an ATV on beaches. We are grateful to M. Colwell, M. Dodd, and W. Post for thoughtful reviews of the manuscript. Pittman Robertson hunter excise taxes funded all phases of this study. Birds of the Carolinas Student Research Grants Program The Carolina Bird Club’s Birds of the Carolinas Research Grants Program provides funding for undergraduate and graduate students in North Carolina and South Carolina. The program is funded through the generosity of the authors of Birds of the Carolinas (Eloise F. Potter, James F. Parnell, and Robert P. Teulings). Application deadlines and other details will be announced via mail to North Carolina and South Carolina institutions and on the Carolina Bird Club web site. TABLE 1 . Relative abundance and behavior of shorebirds observed in the Cape Romain region, SC during an annual cycle (June - October 1997, November - December 1998, and January - May 1998a). The Chat, Vol 65, No. 2, Spring 2001 59 TABLE 1. Continued Shorebird Assemblages of the Cape Romain Region , SC 60 May include some Long-billed Dowitchers ( Limnodromus scolopaceus). TABLE 2. Description of sites censused in the Cape Romain region, °.C and their use by shorebirds during an annual cycle (June to October 1997, January to May 1998, The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 2, Spring 2001 61 s o-.y ^ w QSL in Sog 0) SZ S. 5 W ° Q -o §1 co CD ^ 00 co CD 1- t- cm m t- C- 2- C- 00 CSI Tt CO CD CM I''- O CD M- r- 00 . — . in cd ^ co cd CD CD s}- CD N- T- ID r- T- CM CO CM N- CO T-' CD 00 CO CD CM CD ID CD CM O O) CD T- CD cd m O T- - »- CSI T- n E Q -o c CD 0) jQ E 0) > o z -O c CD 0) -O o o c TO JO 0) Q. CD o CO o <0 5 3 o <0 x> c jo 0) Q. o JU -O ■g E >. (1) Cl co c o 0. >» 'O c CD CO >s CD 1 m 3 CO 3 CO CO 0. 0 01 CO o (A 0) 3 o 10 ■6 c Cfl 0) a o z Q 1/5 CD 0) JZ tr o c TO c JD CO 2 Q 0/ TO ■D E TO c JD JO <0 CD 0) 3 fl) o CO Q Mean (SD) Mean (SD) Mean (SD) Linear (km) Shorebird Shorebird Species Site (Site Code) Site Description Shoreline8 Abundance Density Richness15 62 Shorebird Assemblages of the Cape Romain Region, SC TABLE 2. Continued. The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 2, Spring 2001 63 8 £ CL O CO CL Q -O CO ~ Q -o CD o a> jr S CO TABLE 3. Relative importance8 of the Cape Romain region, SC, based on maximum daily counts (from one of three routes) and maximum region 64 Shorebird Assemblages of the Cape Romain Region, SC TABLE 3. Continued. The Chat , Vol. 65, No. 2, Spring 2001 65 0 *2 1 £ 5? p n ~~ 8 — n ID lO c Cl CO O «J 8.^ o CO A- to O TO ■■e -6 8.1” o CO rT 00 o 8. CO o to cn c T3 so v; -92 ^ 8. TB 8 ro 05 'c cx t "O — - c ^ E 8. € ^ so o o ro "O so SI) Q) a> 8 "O — t — CO $ £ 8 (D 42 e TS ^ "2 66 Shorebird Assemblages of the Cape Romain Region, SC Literature Cited Anderson, W D, W J Keith, W R Tuten, and F H Mills. 1979. A survey of South Carolina’s washed shell resource. Unpublished report. Bildstein, K L, G T Bancroft, P J Dugan, D H Gordon, R M Erwin, E Nol, L X Payne, and S E Senner. 1991. Approaches to the conservation of coastal wetlands in the western hemisphere. Wilson Bull. 103:21 8-254. Clark, E C, L J Niles, and J Burger. 1993. Abundance and distribution of migrant shorebirds in Delaware Bay. Condor 95:694-705. Colwell, M A and S L Dodd. 1995. Waterbird communities and habitat relationships in coastal pastures of northern California. Conservation Biology 9:827-834. Davis, C A and L M Smith. 1998. Behavior of migrant shorebirds in playas of the southern high plains, Texas. Condor 100:266-276. Davis, M B. 1999. Reproductive success, status, and viability of the American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus). M. Sc. thesis, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, North Carolina. Dinsmore, S J, J A Collazo, and J R Walters. 1998. Seasonal numbers and distribution of shorebirds on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Wilson Bull. 110: 171-181. Gauch, H. 1982. Multivariate analysis in community ecology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U. K. Gill, Jr., R E, C M Handel, and G W Page. 1995. Western North American Shorebirds. Pp. 60-65 in Our living resources: a report to the nation on the distribution, abundance and health of U.S. plants, animals, and ecosystems (E T LaRoe, G S Farris, C E Puckett, P D Doran, and M J Mace, eds.). U. S. Dept. Interior, Natl. Biological Serv., Washington, DC. Harrington, B A. 1995. Shorebirds: east of the 105th Meridian. Pp. 57-60 in Our living resources: a report to the nation on the distribution, abundance and health of U.S. plants, animals, and ecosystems (E T LaRoe, G S Farris, C E Puckett, P D Doran, and M J Mace, eds.). U. S. Dept. Interior, Natl. Biological Serv., Washington, DC. Harrington, B and E Perry. 1995. Important shorebird staging sites meeting Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network criteria in the United States. USFWS unpublished report. Harrington, B A, J P Myers, and J S Grear. 1989. Coastal refueling sites for global bird migrants. Pp. 4293-4307 in Coastal Zone ’89; proceedings of the sixth symposium on coastal and ocean management, the Omni Hotel, Charleston, South Carolina, July 11-14, 1 989 (O T Magoon. H Converse, D Miner, L T Tobin, and D Clark, eds.) Hicklin, P W. 1987. The migration of shorebirds in the Bay of Fundy. Wilson Bull. 99:540-570. The Chat , Vol 65, No. 2, Spring 200 1 67 Hill, M O. 1979. DECORANA-a FORTRAN program for detrended correspondence analysis and reciprocal averaging. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Howe, M A, P H Geissler, and B A Harrington. 1989. Population trends of North American shorebirds based on the International Shorebird Survey. Biol. Conserv. 49:185-199. Marsh, C P and P M Wilkinson. 1991a. The significance of the central coast of South Carolina as critical shorebird habitat. Chat 54:69-92. Marsh, C P and P M Wilkinson. 1991b. The impact of Hurricane Hugo on coastal bird populations. J. of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 8: 327- 334. Morrison, RIG. 1984. Migration systems of some New World shorebirds. Behav. Mar. Anim. 6:125-202. Morrison, R I G, C Downes, and B Collins. 1994. Population trends of shorebirds on fall migration in eastern Canada. Wilson Bull. 1 06:43 1 -447. Myers, J P, R I G Morrison, P Z Antas, B A Harrington, T E Lovejoy, M Sallaberry, S E Senner, and A Tarak. 1987. Conservation strategy for migratory species. Am. Scientist 75: 19-26. Page, G W, L E Stenzel, and J E Kjelmyr. 1999. Overview of shorebird abundance and distribution in wetlands of the Pacific Coast of the contiguous United States. Condor 101:461-471. Patten, M A and J T Rotenberry. 1998. Post-disturbance changes in a desert breeding bird community. J. Field Ornithol. 69:614-625. SAS. 1992. SAS user’s guide: statistics, SAS Institute. Cary, NC. S.C. Dept, of Health and Environmental Control. 1998. The quality of the environment in South Carolina. Unpublished report. Senner, S E and M A Howe. 1984. Conservation of nearctic shorebirds. Behav. Mar. Anim. 5:379-421. Skagen, S K and F L Knopf. 1993. Toward conservation of midcontinental shorebird migrations. Conservation Biology 7:533-541. Warnock, N, S M Haig, and L Woring. 1998. Monitoring species richness and abundance of shorebirds in the western Great Basin. Condor 1 00:589-600. Weber, L M and S M Haig. 1996. Shorebird use of South Carolina managed and natural coastal wetlands. J. Wildl. Mange. 60:73-82. General Field Notes Will Cook North Carolina Editor P.O. Box 3066 Durham, NC 27715 cwcook@acpub.duke.edu Dennis M. Forsythe South Carolina Editor Department of Biology The Citadel Charleston, SC 29409 forsythed@citadel.edu Fax: (803) 953-7084 Incidental Cache Use by the Brown Thrasher, with Notes on Secondary Cache Use by Additional Avian Species Mark J. Komoroski Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Drawer E Aiken, SC 29802 komo@srel.edu Food hoarding is a widespread and complex behavior (Vander Wall 1990). Most research has focused on cache placement or food recovery by the hoarding animal, or on cache theft by conspecifics or by other food-hoarding species. Here, I document the way in which Brown Thrashers ( Toxostoma rufum) used caches likely made by jays or squirrels. I also observed other avian species consuming partial remains of previously opened caches, indicating that more participants may be involved in cache utilization than addressed by recent research. On 6 and 7 October 1990, in Athens, Clarke Co., Georgia, I recorded five instances in which a Brown Thrasher uncovered an acorn while searching the leaf litter beneath redtip shrubs (. Photinia serrulata xfraseri). Observations occurred between 10:45 and 14:00. In each case, the bird opened the acorn using series of two to five rapid strikes, or individual “pile-driver” motions (Skinner 1928). Later observation of the cache area revealed that Blue Jays (■ Cyanocitta cristata ) cached and opened acorns beneath the redtips. At 10:00 on 18 February 2000, in Belvedere, Aiken Co., SC, I observed a Brown Thrasher pile-driving a pecan in leaf litter beneath flowering dogwood (Comas f lor ida), Carolina laurel cherry (Prunus caroliniano ), and redtip. The bird was flushed from the pecan before it was finished eating. Approximately 15 min later, a White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis ) that was searching in the leaf litter found the opened pecan and fed from it. After another 10 min, I examined the remainder of the pecan. I found that most of the nut was removed and that strike marks were present on the husk where a bill likely had glanced off on impact. For several months prior to these 68 The Chat , Vol 65, No. 2, Spring 200 1 69 observations, I often observed eastern gray squirrels ( Scirurus carolinensis ) importing pecans from trees approximately 20 m away and then caching the pecans within the observation area. At 07:50 on 20 February 2000, again at the Belvedere location, I observed a female Eastern Towhee ( Pipilo erythrophthalmus ) picking at an opened pecan in the leaf litter. Almost immediately, the towhee was chased away from the nut by a Blue Jay. The towhee and jay then supplanted each other several times. The opened pecan had strike marks similar to the one described above. The Brown Thrasher behavior has three potential explanations: 1) thrashers cache and later uncache food items; 2) while foraging, thrashers incidentally uncover items that were cached by other animals; and 3) thrashers purposefully search areas where they are likely to find caches. Skinner (1928) noted that Brown Thrashers do carry acorns away from a parent oak tree, but his descriptions suggest that the birds open the nuts immediately after transport instead of caching them. Similarly, Vander Wall (1990) includes no references of cache storage, retrieval, or theft by any mimic thrush (Mimidae). Because other species (jays, squirrels) were observed caching items in the areas where thrashers were seen opening similar items, Brown Thrashers likely use caches uncovered during routine feeding searches. Moreover, while it is possible that thrashers purposefully forage in areas that are likely to hold cached items, all of my observations of uncaching events were of birds that were under trees that had deposited mast by the time the thrashers were seen foraging. Therefore, the incidental cache use hypothesis may adequately explain the behavior. Also, since my observations were made 10 years and > 190 km apart, incidental cache use by thrashers may be widespread both temporally and spatially. The towhee, sparrow, and jay observations demonstrate that the animal that finds and opens the cache may not always be the only animal that consumes it. The jay may have supplanted the towhee to recover its own cache or a cache that the jay itself had pilfered. However, squirrels were seen caching pecans in nearby locations, and thrashers were the only avian species observed opening a pecan. Also, since the pecans (mean length = 3.68 cm; mean width = 2.06 cm, N = 20) may have been too large for the jays to carry (Darley-Hill and Johnson 1981), both birds were likely vying for a squirrel’s cache that was previously pilfered by a Brown Thrasher. I am unaware of other references documenting this secondary use of opened caches. Cache theory predicts that in response to cache loss, caching species should avoid previously pilfered cache sites (Hampton and Sherry 1992; Heinrich and Pepper 1998; but see Baker and Anderson 1995). Long distance transport of hoarded food may occur to avoid detection of cache sites by competitors (Heinrich and Pepper 1998). Although long distance transport of the food item may decrease theft by competitors at the host tree, if species such as Brown Thrashers frequently uncover caches, the benefit of long distance transport will be decreased. These observations indicate that many species may benefit from caches and that the complexity of cache biology may yet remain to be uncovered. 70 Incidental Cache Use by Brown Thrasher Acknowledgments Following the early observations, Barny Dunning encouraged me (eventually) to bring these notes to press. I would like to thank Trey Burdette for tree identifications and Dean Fletcher, Gordie Plague, John F. Cavitt, and three anonymous reviewers for commenting on the manuscript. Manuscript preparation was supported by Financial Assistance Award DE-FC09- 96SR 18546 from the U.S. Department of Energy to the University of Georgia Research Foundation. Literature Cited Baker, M C and P Anderson. 1995. Once pilfered cache sites not avoided by Black-capped Chickadees. Animal Behaviour 49:1599-1602. Darley-Hill, S and W C Johnson. 1981. Acorn dispersal by the Blue Jay ( Cyanocitta cristata). Oecologia 50:231-232. Hampton, R R and D F Sherry. 1992. The effects of cache loss on choice of cache sites in Black-capped Chickadees. Behavioral Ecology 5:44-50. Heinrich, B and J W Pepper. 1998. Influence of competitors on caching behaviour in the Common Raven, Corvus corax. Animal Behaviour 56: 1083-1090. Skinner, M P. 1928. A guide to the winter birds of the North Carolina sandhills. Science Press, Lancaster, PA. Vander Wall, S B. 1990. Food hoarding in animals. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Instructions for Authors www.caroIinabirdclub.org/thechat.html BRIEFS FOR THE FIFES Ricky Davis 608 Smallwood Drive Rocky Mount, NC 27804 RJDNC @ aol.com All Dates Fall 2000 Briefs for the Files is a seasonal collection of uncommon-to-rare or unusual North and South Carolina bird sightings and events which do not necessarily require a more detailed Field Note or article. Reports of your sightings are due the 20th of the month after the end of the previous season. Winter = December 1 - February 28, due March 20 Spring = March 1 - May 31, due June 20 Summer = June 1 - July 31, due August 20 Fall = August 1 - November 30, due December 20 Reports can be submitted in any format, but 1 prefer that you type them and list the sightings according to the birds in checklist order (not according to dates or locations). If you submit your report to me through e-mail, please type your report directly into the message or copy it from a word processing program directly into the message. You may also attach your file to the e-mail, but if you do, please let me know the program used and also send a second version saved as a text (.txt) file. Suitable reports for the Briefs include any sightings you feel are unusual, rare, noteworthy, or just plain interesting to you in any way! It is my responsibility to decide which reports merit inclusion in the Briefs. Please be sure to include details of any rare or hard-to-identify birds. I rely in part on sightings reported in Carolinabirds. Please don’t, however, rely on me to pick up your sightings from Carolinabirds. Instead, please also send your sightings directly to me as described above. If I feel that your sighting warrants a Field Note, I will contact either you or the appropriate state Field Notes editor. You may, of course, submit your Field Note directly to the editor without going through me. RED-THROATED LOON: The only inland Red-throated reported was one at Jordan Lake, NC, Nov. 20 (Ricky Davis). COMMON LOON: Inland Commons included 21 on L. Rhodhiss, NC, Nov. 19 (Dwayne and Lori Martin), 21 on Jordan Lake, NC, Nov. 18 (Karen and Joe Bearden), and one on L. Osceola, NC, Oct. 7 (Ron Selvey). Early inland loons 71 72 Briefs for the Files , Fall 2000 included one at Jordan L. Oct. 8 (Ricky Davis) and one on L. Hickory, NC, Oct. 1 1 (Dwayne and Lori Martin). EARED GREBE: The usual Goldsboro, NC, Wastewater Treatment Plant (W.T.P.) site hosted up to five during the fall, with the first one being noted as early as Aug. 12 (Eric Dean). Others reported included one at the Jacksonville, NC, W.T.P. Aug. 27 (Jim O’Donnell et al .) and three at the Savannah Spoil Site, Jasper County, SC, Sept. 6 - Oct. 25 (Steve Calver). NORTHERN FULMAR: Only one was found this fall, off Hatteras, NC, Nov. 4 (Brian Patteson et al.). BERMUDA PETREL: The year’s sixth report of this species off North Carolina involved one out of Oregon Inlet Aug. 19 (Patteson et al.). It was truly an amazing year for this endangered species, it remains to be seen if this will happen during 2001. HERALD PETREL: This species was once again found off North Carolina multiple times. Out of Oregon Inlet, two were found Aug. 19 and three were seen Aug. 21 (Patteson et al.). From Hatteras, one was found Aug. 27, and an amazing total of four was seen Aug. 26 (Patteson et al.). CORY’S SHEARWATER: One was unusual, seen on the beach north of C. Hatteras, NC, Oct. 27 (Brian Patteson). Also a good count of 202 was off Hatteras, NC, Nov. 4 (Patteson, et al.). GREATER SHEARWATER: The Hatteras, NC, pelagic on Nov. 4 produced a good count of 44 Greaters (Patteson, et al.). MANX SHEARWATER: This species is normally considered very rare in our waters during summer and fall. This year has been different and several were seen this August. Out of Hatteras singles were found on the on the 5th and 27th; and from Oregon Inlet, one was found the 14th, and three were seen on the 20th (Patteson et al.). WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL: One of the most sought-after and memorable birds found on pelagic trips, a White-faced was found off Oregon Inlet Aug. 13 (Patteson et al.). BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETREL: A new record one-day count was obtained Aug. 6 out of Hatteras, NC, when 234 were tallied (Patteson et al). MASKED BOOBY: One was offshore from Oregon Inlet, NC, Aug. 21 (Patteson et al.). Much more unusual were onshore sightings including one ranging from Hatteras Inlet all the way up to Oregon Inlet Sept. 19 until Sept. 25 (M. Wilkinson, Susan Campbell, Pat Moore et al ., Jeff Lewis) and possibly another from C. Hatteras Oct. 27 (Patteson). AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: Always noteworthy in the Carolinas, one was at Beaufort Inlet, NC, Sept. 8 (John Fussell), one was over Huntington Beach State Park, SC, Nov. 10 (fide Jack Peachey), and the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, had some all fall with a peak of 37 Nov. 15 (Steve Calver). GREAT CORMORANT: One was very rare and unusual inland at Jordan Lake, NC, Oct. 30 (Steve Shultz). The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 2, Spring 2001 73 AMERICAN BITTERN: Locally unusual were one at Hooper Lane, Henderson County, NC, Oct. 15 (Wayne Forsythe and Bob Olthoff) and two in the Croatan Nat. For., NC, Oct. 15 (Gene Howe and Judy Flint). LEAST BITTERN: One was rare at the Little Creek Impoundment, Chapel Hill, NC, Oct. 1 (fide Will Cook). Also one was found in the road near the top of Mt. Mitchell, NC, during bad weather Oct. 7 (Michael Morales). The bird was picked up, kept overnight, and released at a lower elevation the next morning! GREAT “WHITE” HERON: The Brevard, NC, bird present from the summer, was still present at the end of the period (Tom Joyce). Another one was found in the Carolinas this fall, that being an individual at Huntington Beach State Park, SC, Nov. 4, as noted by Steve Shultz. Two sightings in the Carolinas at once is definitely unusual. SNOWY EGRET: Good inland reports of this species included one at Hendersonville, NC, Sept. 6-9 (Simon Thompson and Wayne Forsythe), two in Anderson County, SC, Sept. 10 (Sidney Gauthreaux, Jr.), one at Jordan Lake, NC, Sept. 16 (Ginger Travis and Lena Gallitano), and three at the Orangeburg, SC, sod farm Sept. 24 (Tim Kalbach). REDDISH EGRET: Once again this species was found at several sites. The best counts included seven at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, Sept. 20 (Steve Calver) and four at Portsmouth, NC, Aug. 3 (Wayne Irvin). Reports of single birds came from Folly Beach, SC, Sept. 21 (Chuck Hunter ,fide Craig Watson), Sunset Beach, NC, Oct. 8 (Stephen Harris), and Huntington Beach State Park, SC, Oct. 3 (Jack Peachey and Bob Maxwell) until at least Nov. 22 (Kenneth Behrens). CATTLE EGRET: One was locally unusual at L. Crabtree, Wake County, NC, Sept. 19 (Dan Kaplan). GLOSSY IBIS: This species is quite rare inland, thus of note were seven at the Goldsboro, NC, W.T.P. Aug. 25 (Gene Howe), with three still present the following day (Eric Dean et al.). ROSEATE SPOONBILL: The spoonbill present at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, during the summer, was last reported Aug. 27 (Jeff Lewis). Other sightings came from South Carolina where individuals were at Kiawah Island in early August (fide Taylor Piephoff) and at Charleston for about three weeks in September (Craig Watson). WOOD STORK: Very rare and unusual that far inland, one was a surprise seen flying over the Neuse River in Goldsboro, NC, Aug. 28 (Eric Dean). The usual Sunset Beach, NC, summering flock peaked out at about 80 birds (fide Mary McDavit). FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCK: This species staged an impressive influx into the Carolinas this fall. Three were at L. Mattamuskeet N.W.R., NC, Oct. 27 (fide Taylor Piephoff); an impressive flock of up to 26 at North Pond, Pea Island N.W.R., NC, thrilled many observers Oct. 28 - Nov. 21 (Jeff Lewis, Keith Watson, Barbara Gearhart, m. obs.); seven were seen sporadically at 74 Briefs for the Files, Fall 2000 Magnolia Gardens, SC, during late November (fide Perry Nugent, sev. obs.); and one was at Savannah N.W.R., SC, Nov. 24 (Mike Turner). ROSS’S GOOSE: The only Ross’s Geese found in the Carolinas included a group of up to five at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Oct. 28 - Nov. 12 (Jeff Lewis, Keith Watson, John & Paula Wright, m. obs.). BRANT: Quite unusual were the several seen in North and South Ponds, Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Nov. 4-5 (m. obs.). This species normally favors the ocean and sound waters in our area. EURASIAN WIGEON: The only one found away from the usual Pea Island, NC, area was at L. Mattamuskeet, NC, Nov. 2 (Ricky Davis). LONG-TAILED DUCK: One was found at Roanoke Rapids Lake, NC, Nov. 12 (Ricky Davis), providing the only inland report this fall. BLACK SCOTERS: One Black Scoter was at the Townville Access, L. Hartwell, SC, Nov. 24 (Steve Patterson et ai). SURF SCOTER: Inland Surfs included one at the Townville Access, L. Hartwell, SC, Nov. 24 (Steve Patterson et al .) and two at Dreher Island State Park, L. Murray, SC, Nov. 24 (Irwin Pitts). Also a flightless Surf Scoter was seen at Little River Inlet, SC, Aug. 6 for a most unusual August sighting (Merrill Lynch). OSPREY: One was quite late for an inland location in Forsyth County, NC, Nov. 10 (Royce Hough). MISSISSIPPI KITE: Rare mountain reports included singles at Caesar’s Head, SC, Sept. 10 and 27 (Reece & Judy Mitchell, fide Jeff Catlin). NORTHERN GOSHAWK: Most amazing were three different reports of this very rare accipiter. One was over Whiteside Mt., Jackson County, NC, Sept. 16 (Haven Wiley), one was at Simpsonville, SC, Sept. 20 (Pete Worthington), and one was at Mt. Pisgah, NC, Oct. 22 (Roy Sharpton ,fide Bill Sanderson). All three were adults seen well and the South Carolina sighting is one of only a handful of reports, with the species still considered hypothetical in that state. GOLDEN EAGLE: Always noteworthy, the exciting Golden Eagle provided several reports this fall. One was seen at the Mt. Pisgah, NC, hawk watch Oct. 27 (Roy Sharpton, fide Bill Sanderson), an immature was at Open Grounds, Carteret County, NC, Nov. 3 (Jack Fennell, /z'de John Fussell), an adult was at L. Mattamuskeet, NC, Nov. 25 (Rich Boyd and Susan Arrington), and an immature was at Doughton Park, Alleghany County, NC, Nov. 29 (Dan Hayes and Joe Mickey). YELLOW RAIL: The only report was of one seen in a ditch near New Holland, Hyde County, NC, Nov. 7 (Kelly Davis). COMMON MOORHEN: One was unusual at North Pond, Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Nov. 4 (Will Cook et ai, Linda Ward). AMERICAN COOT: Nine seen offshore out of Hatteras, NC, Nov. 4 (Patteson et ai), were unusual and provided a very good count for a pelagic trip! SANDHILL CRANE: Rare were eight at Savannah N.W.R., SC, Nov. 24 (Mike Turner) and one at N. Myrtle Beach, SC, during much of the fall (Rick The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 2, Spring 2001 75 Murray, Jack Peachey). Also rare and unusual were three over Mt. Pisgah, NC, Oct. 7 (fide Bill Sanderson) and two near Weaverville, Buncombe County, NC, Nov. 22 (Tim Lewis). Mountain area reports in fall are almost assuredly migrants a little farther east of the normal migration route in Georgia. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER: The best inland reports included 17 at Hooper Lane, NC, Aug. 31 (Wayne Forsythe and Bob Olthoff), one in Transylvania County, NC, Sept. 3 (Bill & Norma Siebenheller), two at Jordan Lake, NC, Oct. 29 (Ricky Davis), two at the Goldsboro, NC, W.T.P. Oct. 22 (Davis), and one at the Orangeburg, SC, sod farm Sept. 24 (Tim Kalbach). AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER: Once again, many reports of this plover were received from the Carolinas. The best sightings included seven at the Winslow Sod farm, Scotland Neck, NC, Sept 4 (Frank Enders, Ricky Davis), six at Hooper Lane, NC, Sept. 7 (Vin Stanton), up to three at the Orangeburg, SC, sod farm Aug. 20 - Sept. 24 (Mike Bernard, Dennis Forsythe, Tim Kalbach, Lex Glover, Bob Wood, sev. obs.), two at C. Hatteras, NC, Aug. 19 (Gordon Brown), two at the Cherry Hospital, Wayne County, NC, Sept. 4 (Eric Dean), one at Sandhill Turf, Candor, NC, Aug. 21 (Dick Burk), and one at Huntington Beach State Park, SC, Oct. 14 (Judy Walker et al.). BLACK-NECKED STILT: This species is one of the rarest inland shorebirds, thus two at the Goldsboro, NC, W.T.P. Aug. 1 1 (Mark Simpson and Sam Moore) were very good finds. Also three at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, Oct. 3 were late (Steve Calver). Stilts are normally gone from the Carolinas by late September. AMERICAN AVOCET: Very rare inland reports included three at the Goldsboro, NC, W.T.P. Aug. 10-12 (Eric Dean, Gene Howe, Mark Simpson, Sam Moore) and another there Sept. 8 (Howe); an impressive flock of 1 1 at L. Auman, Moore County, NC, Oct. 23 (Dick & Lois Dole); and one at the Jacksonville, NC, W.T.P. Nov. 1 1 (Jim O’Donnell et al.). Impressive coastal counts included 564 at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, Oct. 3 (Steve Calver) and 315 at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Aug. 12 (Jeff Lewis). Also rare and late were six at Huntington Beach State Park, SC, Nov. 22 (Kenneth Behrens). UPLAND SANDPIPER: Numbers of Uplands were down somewhat when compared to previous falls. The best totals reported were the 12 at the Orangeburg, SC, sod farm Aug. 26 (Tim Kalbach) and the 12 at the Bucksport Sod, Horry County, SC, Aug. 26 (Jack Peachey and Gary Phillips). Others included singles at Hooper Lane, NC, Aug. 3 (Wayne Forsythe and Bob Olthoff), Winslow Sod, Scotland Neck, NC, Aug. 5-13 (Elisa, Mary & Frank Enders, Ricky Davis), Savannah Spoil Site, SC, Aug. 18 (Steve Calver), and at C. Hatteras, NC, Sept. 2 (Pat Moore). LONG BILLED CURLEW: Only one was reported this fall, that being at Ft. Fisher, NC, Aug. 1 (Gene Howe and Judy Flint). HUDSONIAN GODWIT: Very rare in South Carolina, a flock of seven was found at Mary’s Pond, Bear Island W.M.A. Sept. 9 (Bob & Barbara Maxwell, Robin Carter and Caroline Eastman, sev. obs.). Four were still present as late 76 Briefs for the Files, Fall 2000 as Sept. 23 (Lex Glover et ai). There are only a handful of good records for that state. RUDDY TURNSTONE: One was a locally good find at Parksville, Clark Hill Lake, SC, Sept. 5-6 (Steve Wagner, Lex Glover). SANDERLING: Inland reports included seven at Falls Lake, NC, Sept. 26 (Mark Johns), three at Hooper Lane, NC, Aug. 2-4 (Wayne Forsythe and Simon Thompson), and from one to three at the Goldsboro, NC, W.T.P. Sept. 9-16 (Eric Dean, Gene Howe). WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER: Inland White-rumped Sandpiper reports were of eight at the Goldsboro, NC, W.T.P. Sept. 9 (Eric Dean and Gene Howe), one at Parksville, SC, Sept. 5-6 (Steve Wagner, Lex Glover), and one at Winslow Sod, Scotland Neck, NC, Sept. 3-4 (Ricky Davis, Frank Enders). BAIRD’S SANDPIPER: The always noteworthy Baird’s was found several times this fall. One was at the Orangeburg, SC, sod farm Aug. 20 (Mike Bernard), one was at Hooper Lane, NC, Aug. 28 (Wayne Forsythe and Bob Olthoff), and one was at L. Crabtree, Wake County, NC, Sept. 19 (Doug Shadwick, Dan Kaplan). PECTORAL SANDPIPER: Late Pectorals included one at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Nov. 4 (Ricky Davis) and one at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, Nov. 15 (Steve Calver). STILT SANDPIPER: Noteworthy inland Stilt Sandpipers involved one at the Bucksport, SC, sod farm Sept. 4 (Jack Peachey and Gary Phillips), two at the Winston-Salem, NC, W.T.P. Sept. 9 (Ramona Snavely et al), and one at L. Crabtree, Wake County, NC, Sept. 1 9 (Doug Shadwick). The peak count noted this fall at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, was 482 on Sept. 20, as noted by Steve Calver. Also up to three were considered late at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Nov. 4 (Kent Fiala et al. , sev. obs.), with one still present Nov. 7 (Jeff Lewis). BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER: The number of reports of this species continues to increase every fall. There were at least eight reports received with the best totals being 10 at Hooper Lane, NC, Aug. 28 (Wayne Forsythe and Bob Olthoff), 10 at the Orangeburg, SC, sod farm Sept. 24 (Tim Kalbach), and five in Henderson County, NC, Sept. 16 (fide Marilyn Westphal). Others of note included one at Calvert, Transylvania County, NC, Sept. 21 (Betty Mcllwain, sev. obs.), one at the Bucksport, SC, sod farm Sept. 3 (fide Jack Peachey), one at Ft. Fisher, NC, Sept. 4 - 9 (Clyde Sorensen, Josh Rose), and C. Hatteras, NC, Sept. 3-4 (Pat Moore et al ., Marcia Lyons). RUFF: Always noteworthy anywhere in the Carolinas, one was at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, Oct. 3 (Steve Calver). WILSON’S PHALAROPE: Only two reports were received this fall with one rare inland at the Goldsboro, NC, W.T.P. Sept. 4 (Gene Howe, Eric Dean) and one at Bear Island W.M.A., SC, Sept. 10 (Mike Bernard). RED-NECKED PHALAROPE: One was rare inland at the Goldsboro, NC, W.T.P. Sept. 9, as noted by Eric Dean and Gene Howe. Also an excellent offshore count of 21 1 was had off of Oregon Inlet, NC, Sept. 2 (Patteson et al). The Chat , Vol. 65, No. 2, Spring 2001 77 RED PHALAROPE: One found at Brevard, Transylvania County, NC, Nov. 10 (Frank McConnell, Linda Candler, Betty Mcllwain, Wayne Forsythe, sev. obs.) provided a very rare inland report, especially for the mountains. POMARINE JAEGER: A good count of 26 was had off Oregon Inlet, NC, Aug. 20 (Patteson et al.). PARASITIC JAEGER: Onshore sightings included one at C. Hatteras, NC, Sept. 6 (Brian Patteson), one at Hatteras Inlet, NC, Sept. 30 (M. Wilkinson), and two from Coquina Beach, Bodie Island, NC, Nov. 3 (Jeff Pippen). LONG-TAILED JAEGER: The only reports included two off Hatteras, NC, Aug. 6 and three off Oregon Inlet, NC, Sept. 4 (Patteson et al.). SOUTH POLAR SKUA: This fall’s skua sightings, all off North Carolina as usual, involved from one to two off Hatteras and Oregon Inlet during the period of Aug. 6 to Sept. 2 (Patteson et al.). LAUGHING GULL: Inland Laughing Gull reports involved one at the Goldsboro, NC, W.T.P. Aug. 26 (Eric Dean et al.) and five at Jordan Lake, NC, Oct. 8 (Ricky Davis). FRANKLIN’S GULL: Very rare in the Carolinas, two Franklin’s at L. Auman, Moore County, NC, Nov. 4 (Dick Dole) were good finds. BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE: One was very early and unusual at Folly Beach, SC, Sept. 23, as noted by Robin Carter and Caroline Eastman. Much less unusual were the five found on the Nov. 4 Hatteras, NC, pelagic trip (Patteson et al.). ROSEATE TERN: Reports of this annual but rare species are always worth mentioning. One at C. Hatteras, NC, Aug. 6-19 (Ferenc Domoki, Gordon Brown) was a good find, but the flock of seven there Sept. 6 (Brian Patteson) was most impressive. INLAND TERNS: Few inland terns were noted this fall. Some of the reports included two Caspians at L. Julian, NC, Sept. 7 (Vin Stanton), six Commons at Jordan Lake, NC, Oct. 8 (Ricky Davis), two Commons at Falls Lake, NC, Sept. 24 (Josh Rose and Frank Rheindt), four Forster’s at Jordan Lake Oct. 8 (Davis), and four Blacks at the Goldsboro, NC, W.T.P. Aug. 30 (Gene Howe). BRIDLED TERN: The best offshore pelagic total reported was the 24 off of Oregon Inlet, NC, Sept. 2 (Patteson et al.). SOOTY TERN: The best offshore totals were off of Oregon Inlet, NC, with 45 on Aug. 19 and 48 on Sept. 2 (Patteson et al.). Much more interesting was the Sooty seen at the shore at Beaufort Inlet, NC, Aug. 17 (John Fussell), the only land-based sighting this fall. EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: New locations for this species included Goldsboro, NC, where a group of up to 20 were seen in the downtown area (Mark Simpson, Sam Moore, Eric Dean, sev. obs.) and near Townville, SC, where one was seen Sept. 13 - Oct. 16 (Jim Edwards, Pete Worthington). The sites at Beaufort, NC, and Conover, NC, continued to host birds. Also singles were found at C. Hatteras, NC, Aug. 5 - 20 (Ferenc Domoki, Pat Moore et al.) and at Hickory, NC, Oct. 6 (Dwayne & Lori Martin). 78 Briefs for the Files, Fall 2000 WHITE-WINGED DOVE: Continuing the trend started several years ago, this species seems to be found more and more. Two were at a Manteo, NC, feeder Nov. 3-9 (Jeff Lewis), two were at a Buxton, NC, feeder Nov. 12 (fide Lewis), one continued at the Beaufort, NC, site (sev. obs.), one was at a Sunset Beach, NC, feeder Nov. 10-16 (fide Mary McDavit), two were on Sullivan’s Island, SC, Nov. 18 until the end of the period (Will Post), and two were on Edisto Island, SC, Nov. 23-25 (Sidney Gauthreaux, Jr.). COMMON GROUND-DOVE: Two at Church Island, Currituck County, NC, Nov. 6 (Harriet Whitsett) were very rare and unexpected for that northern coastal locality. This sighting is all the more amazing since the species has been practically absent from the state for several years now. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO: There were only four reports received, about normal for the fall season. Single birds were found at Riverdale, Craven County, NC, Aug. 20 (John Fussell), Ocean Isle Beach, NC, Sept. 17 (Taylor Piephoff), Hemlock Bluffs, Cary, NC, Oct. 7 (Mark Johns), and Oconee County, SC, Oct. 15 (Pete Worthington). YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO: One was late near Beaufort, SC, Nov. 4, as noted by Merrill Lynch. NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL: Only a few were netted this migration season. Hilton banded one at York, SC, Nov. 30 and Enders netted singles Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at Halifax, NC. None were found elsewhere indicating a poor flight. CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD: One was at a feeder in Deerlake Village, Transylvania County, NC, Oct. 26 - Nov. 21 (Bill & Martha Lovejoy, Bill & Norma Siebenheller). There are only a couple of Calliopes reported for North Carolina, and this is the first mountain sighting. OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER: The always noteworthy Olive-sided was found several times with one near Falls Lake, NC, Aug. 20 (Ricky Davis), one at the Bodie Island, NC, Lighthouse Aug. 27 (fide Jeff Lewis), and one at Jackson Park, Hendersonville, NC, Sept. 3 (Wayne Forsythe and Bob Olthoff). YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER: This species was detected only a handful of times this fall. One was banded at James Island, SC, Sept. 13 (Will Post), one was at Hickory, NC, Sept. 23 (Dwayne & Lori Martin), and one was at Ravenel, SC, Sept. 27 (Perry Nugent et al). WILLOW FLYCATCHER: Rarely identified in the fall, one was at Leland, NC, Sept. 9, as noted by Greg Massey. LEAST FLYCATCHER: One was netted at Sneads Ferry, NC, Aug. 27 (Paul Sykes), providing a locally rare report. Other Leasts included one at Buxton, NC, Sept. 26 (Marcia Lyons), one at Leland, NC, Sept. 9 (Greg Massey), one at Ft. Fisher, NC, Sept. 17 (Massey), and two at Southport, NC, Oct. 8 (Massey). VERMILION FLYCATCHER: North Carolina’s third Vermilion was an immature male at the Cherry Hospital, Wayne County, from Nov. 20 - Dec. 2 (Mark Simpson and Sam Moore, m. obs.). The bird was not found after a snow storm, one wonders if it moved on or did not make it. The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 2, Spring 2001 79 WESTERN KINGBIRD: Four reports of this species were about normal. Single birds were found at Ft. Jackson, Richland County, SC, Sept. 13 (Lex Glover), at Cedar Island N.W.R., NC, Oct. 7 (Edith Tatum et al.), at Buxton, NC, Oct. 15 (Marcia Lyons and Jon Altman), and at Conway, SC, Nov. 11-12 (Steve & Barbara Thomas, Jack Peachey, Gary Phillips). GRAY KINGBIRD: The only one reported this fall was on James Island, SC, Oct. 28 (Dennis & Donna Forsythe). SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER: The nesting Scissor-taileds from the summer near Monroe, NC, were last seen Aug. 1 1 (Anne Olsen). No others were reported for the fall. WARBLING VIREO: Fall Warblings, always noteworthy, included singles at Laurinburg, NC, Sept. 15 (Barbara Gearhart), at Hickory, NC, Sept. 19 (Dwayne & Lori Martin), at Roanoke Island, NC, Sept. 28 (Jeff Lewis), and at Simpsonville, SC, Sept. 28 (Pete Worthington). One at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, Oct. 25 (Steve Calver) was locally very rare and quite late. PHILADELPHIA VIREO: Once again, too numerous to mention all reports, the best one-day totals were of three on Roanoke Island, NC, Sept. 20 (Jeff Lewis) and three at Jackson Park, NC, Sept. 27 (Wayne Forsythe and Ron Selvey). One was rather early in Durham County, NC, Aug. 26, as noted by Tom and Janet Krakauer. COMMON RAVEN: One over Hendersonville, NC, Aug. 10 (Ron Selvey) was considered to be locally unusual. NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW: An excellent count of 570 was had at the Silver Bluff Sanctuary, Jackson, SC, Sept. 25 (Paul Koehler, fide Anne Waters). Congregations of this species rarely reach this size. BARN SWALLOW: Eight were slightly late in the Pea Island N.W.R., NC, area Nov. 4-5 (sev. obs., Wings Over Water). RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH: Two at Simpsonville, SC, Sept. 10 (Pete Worthington) were the earliest reported, but a decent flight of the species did not materialize this fall. GRAY CATBIRD: One at Jackson Park, Hendersonville, NC, Nov. 15 (Ron Selvey) was quite late, especially that far inland. “BREWSTER’S” WARBLER: This hybrid was found twice, with singles at Winston-Salem, NC, Aug. 16 (Ferenc Domoki, sev. obs.) and in Duke Forest, Durham, NC, Sept. 24 (Jeff Pippen). Carolina Bird Club Web Site www.carolinabirdclub.org 80 Briefs for the Files, Fall 2000 “LAWRENCE’S” WARBLER: The much rarer of the two hybrid forms, a male Lawrence’s was found at L. Crabtree, Wake County, NC, Sept. 30 (Joseph Covington). GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER: Noteworthy away from the mountains, migrants were found at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Aug. 26 (Jeff Lewis), at Pee Dee N.W.R., NC, Sept. 24 (Barbara Gearhart), and at Raleigh, NC, Sept. 27 (Dan Kaplan). NASHVILLE WARBLER: This species was reported more than normal this fall. The best reports included two at Roanoke Island, NC, Sept. 16 and two at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Oct. 14 (Jeff Lewis), two in the Jordan Lake, NC, area Oct. 8 (fide Will Cook), singles at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, Oct. 1 1 & 25 (Steve Calver), and one late at Jackson Park, NC, Nov. 6 (Ron Selvey). BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER: One was late at Winston Salem, NC, Nov. 1-4 (Ramona Snavely). BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER: A male was seen briefly but well on Roanoke Island, NC, Oct. 7 (Kent Fiala), providing about the fourth report for that state. YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER: One was locally unusual on Roanoke Island, NC, Oct. 13, as noted by Jeff Lewis. CERULEAN WARBLER: One at Hemlock Bluffs, Cary, NC, Sept. 30 was considered to be locally rare and slightly late (Mark Johns). PROTHONOTARY WARBLER: One at Jackson Park, Hendersonville, NC, Sept. 14 (Wayne Forsythe and Bob Olthoff) was a good find for that location. WORM-EATING WARBLER: Rather late migrants included one at L. Crabtree, Wake County, NC, Oct. 8 (Steve Shultz) and 1-2 at Greenville, NC, Oct. 17 (John Daughtry). CONNECTICUT WARBLER: Reports of this warbler were down with only three being received. One was at Hickory, NC, Sept. 19 (Dwayne & Lori Martin), one was in Duke Forest, Durham, NC, Sept. 25 (Randy Emmitt), and another was in Durham, NC, Oct. 19 (Bruce Young). MOURNING WARBLER: This very rare migrant was also found three times with singles at Carver’s Gap, Roan Mt., NC, Sept. 8 (Rick Knight), at Jackson Park, Hendersonville, NC, Sept. 10-13 (Wayne Forsythe, Ludwig Kempe, Ron Selvey), and at Weymouth Woods, Southern Pines, NC, Sept. 23 (Scott Hartley). WILSON’S WARBLER: This species staged one of its better fall migrations in the Carolinas this year. The best count was three in one area on Roanoke Island, NC, Sept. 16-17 (Jeff Lewis). Other noteworthy sightings included one in Laurinburg, NC, Oct. 3 (Barbara Gearhart), one at Roanoke Island, NC, Nov. 8-9 (Lewis), and one at Savannah N.W.R., SC, Nov. 8 (Dot Bambach et al .) until at least Nov. 24 (Tom Egan and Lex Glover). The Chat, Vol 65, No. 2, Spring 200 1 81 SUMMER TANAGER: One at Carver’s Gap, Roan Mt., NC, Sept. 10 (Rick Knight) was considered unusual at that high elevation. BLUE GROSBEAK: One was quite late at Huntington Beach State Park, SC, Nov. 1 1-22, as noted by Kenneth Behrens. PAINTED BUNTING: One was locally unusual as a migrant at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Oct. 20 (Jeff Lewis). DICKCISSEL: Always noteworthy, Dickcissel reports included singles at Roanoke Island, NC, Sept. 25, Oct. 6 & 12 (Jeff Lewis), Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Oct. 19 (Lewis) and Nov. 3 (Ricky Davis), Wilmington, NC, Aug. 23 (Sam Cooper), Huntington Beach State Park, SC, Oct. 17 (Jack Peachey and Charlie Hancock), and two (netted) at James Island, SC, Oct. 8 (Will Post). Also one frequented a feeder in Brevard, NC, Nov. 21 until the end of the period (Betty Mcllwain, sev. obs.), providing a rare mountain fall occurrence. CLAY-COLORED SPARROW: This species was well-reported this fall. One of the most interesting sightings involved an adult at Winston-Salem, NC, Aug. 26 (Ferenc Domoki). Was this a very early migrant or what? In the mountains, where much rarer than along the coast, one was at Hooper Lane, NC, Oct. 13-16 (Wayne Forsythe and Bob Olthoff). All others found were coastal with the best totals being two at Ft. Fisher, NC, Sept. 26 (fide Taylor Piephoff), two at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Oct. 3 (Jeff Lewis), and two at C. Lookout, NC, Oct. 10 (John Fussell, Wayne Irvin, Jim O’Donnell, Ron Johnson). The only one for South Carolina was at the Savannah Spoil Site Oct. 3, as noted by Steve Calver. LARK SPARROW: Two were good finds at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, Sept. 20 (Steve Calver). Singles were found at C. Lookout, NC, Sept. 16 (John Fussell et ai), at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Oct. 3 (Jeff Lewis), and inland in Saluda County, SC, Oct. 14 (Steve Patterson). GRASSHOPPER SPARROW: Locally unusual migrants included one at Hooper Lane, NC, Oct. 16 (Wayne Forsythe and Ron Selvey) and one at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Oct. 28 (Jeff Lewis and Lee Yoder). LeCONTE’S SPARROW: The best report of this increasingly found sparrow was the 10 at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, Nov. 15 (Steve Calver). Also of note were three at Santee N.W.R., SC, Nov. 5 (Tim Kalbach), one at Ft. Fisher, NC, Oct. 29 (Barbara Gearhart), one near Oriental, Pamlico County, NC, Nov. 13-14 (Jim Ward), one at Pee Dee N.W.R., NC, Nov. 15 (Barbara Gearhart and Wayne Irvin), and one in eastern Richland County, SC, Nov. 26 (Kalbach). LINCOLN’S SPARROW: This species was also reported more than usual. The best counts were an amazing six at Hooper Lane, NC, Oct. 16 (Wayne Forsythe and Bob Olthoff) and three at Valle Crucis, Watauga County, NC, mid. Oct. (Curtis Smalling). Other reports included one at Hospital Fields, Transylvania County, NC, Oct. 30 (Tom Joyce), one at Pee Dee N.W.R., NC, Oct. 17 & 26 (Barbara Gearhart), one in Onslow County, NC, Nov. 1 1 82 Briefs for the Files, Fall 2000 (Jim O’Donnell), one in Townville, SC, Oct. 15 (Sidney Gauthreaux, Jr.), and one at Savannah N.W.R., SC, Oct. 19 (Mary McDavit). SWAMP SPARROW: One was rather early at Jordan Lake, NC, Sept. 16 (fide Will Cook). LAPLAND LONGSPUR: Reports of this species were down somewhat this fall. The best count was of three at Jordan Lake, NC, Oct. 29 (Ricky Davis). Others included singles at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Nov. 3 (Davis), C. Hatteras Nov. 4 (Eric Dean), and in Edgecombe County, NC, Nov. 19 (Davis). SNOW BUNTING: Locally rare in the mountains were two at Mt. Mitchell State Park, NC, Oct. 30 - Nov. 5 (fide Michael Morales and Wayne Forsythe) and one on Black Balsam Knob, Haywood County, NC, Nov. 4 (fide Rick Knight). Another inland sighting involved one at Jordan Lake, NC, Oct. 29, as noted by Ricky Davis. Coastal reports included one at Pea Island N.W.R., NC, Nov. 4 (Davis) and one at C. Hatteras, NC, Nov. 8 (Jon Altman). BOBOLINK: One was rather late at Santee N.W.R., SC, Nov. 5 (Tim Kalbach). YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD: There were three reports of this annual fall visitor, with one at Piney Creek, Alleghany County, NC, Aug. 4 (James Coman), one at Savannah N.W.R., SC, Nov. 1 (Steve & Priscilla Summers), and one in Edgecombe County, NC, Nov. 19 (Ricky Davis). BALTIMORE ORIOLE: A flock of 40+ at Jackson Park, Hendersonville, NC, Sept. 6 was impressive, suggesting a good migration in that area (Wayne Forsythe, Bob Olthoff, Ron Selvey). PURPLE FINCH: A male was very early at Simpsonville, SC, Sept. 10 (Pete Worthington). Does this mean there will be a good flight this winter? RED CROSSBILL: A count of 30 was had near Bass Lake, Moses Cone Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, NC, Oct. 22 (Dwayne & Lori Martin). PINE SISKIN: One at Huntington Beach State Park, SC, Nov. 22 (Kenneth Behrens) was a good find considering that this is not a good flight year. EVENING GROSBEAK: Two at Winston-Salem, NC, Nov. 3-4 (fide Ramona Snavely) were a complete surprise, especially since the species has been practically absent this fall. CAROLINA BIRD CLUB MEMBERSHIP The Carolina Bird Club, Inc. is a non-profit educational and scientific association founded in 1937. Membership is open to those interested in the study and conservation of wildlife, particularly birds. Dues, contributions, and bequests to the Club may be deductible from state and federal income and estate taxes. Checks should be made payable to Carolina Bird Club, Inc. and sent to CBC Headquarters, 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029. DUES (Payable on a calendar-year basis) Individual $ 20.00 Associate (in same household as individual member) $ 5.00 Student $ 15.00 Sustaining (open to businesses) $ 25.00 Patron $ 50.00+ Life Membership (payable in four consecutive $100 installments) . . $400.00 PUBLICATIONS CBC members receive The Chat, a quarterly journal devoted to bird study and conservation, and the CBC Newsletter, which carries information about meetings, field trips, and club projects. Articles intended for publication in The Chat may be sent to the Editor or the appropriate editor listed in the inside front cover. Items for the Newsletter should be sent to its Editor, Judy Walker, 7639 Farm Gate Dr., Charlotte, NC 28215. Send correspondence regarding memberships, changes of address, or requests for back numbers of either publication to CBC Headquarters, 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601- 1029. OFFICERS President: Van Atkins, 2040 Church Creek Dr., Charleston, SC 29414 Vice Presidents: Donna Bailey, 176 Ravens Place, Winnsboro, SC 29180 Dick Blee, 2 Tinequa Dr., Brevard, NC 28712 John Wright, 1953A Quail Ridge Road, Greenville, NC 27858 Secretary: Sue Pulsipher, 2441 Ramey Dr., Linden, NC 28356-9771 Treasurer: Patricia Earnhardt-Tyndall, 400 Kilmarnock Ct., Wake Forest, NC 27587 NC Members-at-large: Susan M. Campbell, 144 Pine Ridge Drive, Whispering Pines, NC 28327 Sandy Cash, 8003 Crenshaw Lane, Durham, NC 27713 Charlotte Goedsche, 8 Cricket Lane, Asheville, NC 28804-1801 Dwayne Martin, 3691 Jinny Lane, Claremont, NC 28610 SC Members-at-large Kathleen O'Grady, 1428-A Farrington Way, Columbia, SC 29210 Gary Sowell, 140 Sweetwater Road, Hopkins, SC 29061 Immediate Past President: Bert Fisher, 924 Urban Ave., Durham, NC 27701 Headquarters Secretary: Tullie Johnson, 1 1 West Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601 Rare Bird Alert: (704)332-BIRD Web Site: www.carolinabirdclub.org t S Z CO C -! I> X z o CO w *-* o X H O w Mi X z a! co m Q I O H 3 z O X o z n i> a h* r~- n ui r -&> 45* W r-J Mi td X CJI J> O'- X j— 5 m CO &i- I cM-bX B i 9S> Vol. 65 The Chat SUMMER 2001 CB@ The Quarterly Bulletin of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc. The Ornithological Society of the Carolinas THE CHAT (USPS 101-020) Vol. 65 SUMMER 2001 No. 3 Published by The Carolina Bird Club, Inc. Editor General Field Notes Bob Wood, 2421 Owl Circle West Columbia, SC 29169 bobwood @ ix.netcom.com North Carolina South Carolina Will Cook Dennis M. Forsythe Briefs for the Files Ricky Davis Associate Editor Andrea Ceselski Editor Emeritus Eloise Potter THE CHAT is published quarterly for $20.00 by the Carolina Bird Club, Inc., with headquarters at the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029. Second-class postage paid at Raleigh, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Carolina Bird Club, THE CHAT, 1 1 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029. Articles 1999-2000 Report of the North Carolina Bird Records Committee. Harry E. LeGrand, Jr., Chairman 83 Capture Rate of American Kestrel During Non-breeding Season Influenced by Sex of Bird in Upstate South Carolina. Samuel H. deMent and Reed S. deMent 90 Fall 2000 North American Migration Count in South Carolina. Donna Slyce Bailey . . 94 General Field Notes First Record of MacGillivray's Warbler for North Carolina. Kelly Davis and John Fussell 108 Briefs for the Files, Winter 2000-01 113 Cover (Carolina Chickadee) by Bill Duyck, Asheville, NC 1999-2000 Report of the North Carolina Bird Records Committee Harry E. LeGrand, Jr. Eric V. Dean Chairman Roger D. McNeill Susan Campbell Simon R. B. Thompson Samuel Cooper Richard J. Davis This report enumerates the decisions of the Carolina Bird Club's North Carolina Bird Records Committee during 1999 and 2000. The Records Committee conducted no review of reports in 1998; thus, this is the first report of the Committee since a 1997 summary (North Carolina Bird Records Committee 1998). Committee voting information is referenced in parentheses (i.e., year report received, reference number). ACCEPTED AS VALID The reported identification is judged to be accurate, and the bird is judged to be of wild origin. Photographs and/or written descriptions of all accepted records have been deposited in the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. Bermuda Petrel ( Pterodroma cahow ) (00-06). One was observed in the Gulf Stream off Oregon Inlet on 2 June 2000 by a large group of birders. The Committee accepted a description provided by Joseph Morlan. Despite a number of recent reports, the Committee has voted on just two previous reports, accepting one with photos in 1996 and considering the other as Unresolved (North Carolina Bird Records Committee 1997). The species is already on the Official List, and this becomes the second accepted record. Bermuda Petrel (00- 18). One was seen by Brian Patteson and other birders on a pelagic trip to the Gulf Stream off Hatteras on 14 August 1999. The Committee accepted a description of the bird written by Steven Mlodinow. The species is already on the Official List, and this becomes the third accepted record. Bulwer’s Petrel ( Bulweria bulwerii ) (00-03). One was photographed in the Gulf Stream southeast of Oregon Inlet on 8 August 1998 by Mary Gustafson. The Committee accepted the photos and the written description presented in LeGrand etal. (1999). This is the second accepted record for the state; the first was a sight record only. Because of the acceptance of photos, the species is elevated from the Provisional List to the Official List. 83 84 1 999-2000 Report of the NC Bird Records Committee Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrel ( Oceanodroma monorhis ) (99-03). One was seen and photographed on a pelagic trip out of Hatteras on 8 August 1998 by Michael O’Brien, Brian Patteson, and many other birders. The Committee accepted the description and photographs presented in O’Brien etal. (1999). This is not only the first record for the state but also for North America (American Birding Association Checklist Committee 2000). The species is hereby added to the state’s Official List. Purple Gallinule ( Porphyrula martinica) (99-06). One was seen by Simon Thompson and other observers in Henderson County on 14 May 1999. The Committee accepted written material and a sketch provided by Thompson. The species is already on the Official List, but this is the first record accepted for the mountain province. Purple Gallinule (00- 1 2). An immature found by Charles Gambill was seen by many other observers at Bodie Island on 29 December 1998. The Committee accepted details written by Harry LeGrand. This is the first winter record accepted by the Committee; the species is already on the Official List. Limpkin ( Aramus guarauna ) (99-02). One was seen and photographed by many birders near New Bern in June 1998. The Committee accepted a written description provided by Dick Shelley and Bob Holmes and a photograph by Ricky Davis. The record has since been published (Shelley and Holmes 1999). This is the third accepted record for the state. As the other two were sight records, this third record, plus the photo, elevate the species from the Provisional List to the Official List. Black-tailed Godwit ( Limosa limosa) (00-07). One bird was observed in flight by Eric Dean near Goldsboro on 23 September 1999. This is the third accepted record for the state, with the others being from the Outer Banks. As one of the two previous birds was photographed, the species is already on the Official List. This is the first inland record. Franklin’s Gull ( Lams pipixcan) (99-05). One adult was seen in a field with Ring-billed Gulls (L. delawarensis ) in Henderson County on 25 November 1998 by Wayne Forsythe and Ron Selvey. The Committee accepted material written by Forsythe. The species is already on the Official List, but this is the first report of the species accepted by the Committee for the mountains. Atlantic Puffin ( Fratercula arctica ) (00-02). Two individuals were seen in the Atlantic Ocean northeast of Oregon Inlet on 30 January 1 999 by Brian Patteson and many other birders. The Committee accepted a written description provided by Jeff Pippen. Based on the Carolina Bird Club Records Committee Regulations, the species is hereby elevated from the Provisional List to the The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 2001 85 Official List, as three records have now been accepted. However, all three are sight records, and photos or a specimen are desired. Anna’s Hummingbird ( Calypte anna ) (00-19). An immature male seen by Judy Walker and many others at her feeder in Charlotte from 29 November 1998 to 4 March 1999, and banded and photographed by Bob and Martha Sargent, was accepted. This is the first record for the state, and acceptance of the written material (from Judy Walker) and the photographs places the species directly onto the Official List. Ash-throated Flycatcher ( Myiarchus cinerascens ) (00-04). One was videotaped in Henderson County on 28 October 1999 by Wayne Forsythe. This is the third accepted state record. As there is an accepted photo for a bird at Pea Island a few years ago, the species is already on the Official List. This is also the first accepted record from the mountains. Ash-throated Flycatcher (00-05). One was observed by a group of six birders at Bodie Island on 7 November 1999. The Committee accepted the description provided by David Hughes. This is the fourth accepted record, the second for the coast; one record is from the eastern Piedmont, and the other record (00-04) is from the mountains. Cave Swallow ( Petrochelidonfulva ) (00-09). One individual was observed by Lori and Dwayne Martin and Dominick and Emma D’Ostilio in Iredell County on 20 December 1999. The Committee accepted both written material from the Martins and a sketch from Dominick D’Ostilio. The species is already on the Official List, and this is the fifth accepted record, but the first true inland one. The other four records are all from coastal (or near-coastal) counties - Carteret, Craven, Onslow, and Dare. Black-throated Gray Warbler ( Dendroica nigrescens) (00-15). One was observed by Kent Fiala on Roanoke Island on 7 October 2000. This is the fourth accepted record for the state, and thus the species is already on the Official List. However, there is no photo or specimen yet for the state. MacGillivray’s Warbler ( Oporornis tolmiei ) (00-20). An individual found freshly road-killed in central Hyde County on 6 November 1998 (by Kelly Davis) was accepted. The Committee accepted the written material provided by John Fussell, who examined the specimen, which has been deposited at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. The Committee also accepted a confirmation letter from the Museum’s John Gerwin in lieu of viewing the specimen or a photograph of the specimen. This is the first record for the state, and acceptance of the description and the specimen (through the confirmation letter) places the species on the Official List. 86 1999-2000 Report of the NC Bird Records Committee Brambling ( Fringilla montifringilla ) (99-04). A winter-plumaged individual at a feeder in Brevard was videotaped by Shawn Stevens on 31 October 1998. The Committee accepted the photographic evidence (videotape and/or still photos from the tape), but no written description was available for review. A copy of the videotape has been deposited at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences for permanent documentation of this first state record, adding the species to the Official List. UNACCEPTED SIGHTING The bird is judged to be a species other than that reported, or the bird is insufficiently documented to identification of the species reported. Yellow-billed Loon ( Gavia adamsii ) (96-18). One was reported along the southern coast in December 1995. A first vote yielded an Unresolved verdict, and the description was sent to outside review. The outside reviews were mixed, and some indicated that Common Loons (G. immer) could not be completely eliminated. A second Committee vote returned a “Not Accepted” verdict, based on these reviews. The Yellow-billed Loon has been found at a number of lakes in the northeastern United States but perhaps has not previously been reported as valid on the Atlantic coast (and not in North Carolina). The report might well have been correct, but the Common Loon is quite numerous on the Atlantic, and some purported Yellow-billed reports from the East likely involved Commons. White-chinned Petrel ( Procellaria aequinoctialis) (96-14). One was reported (and photographed at a distance) in the Gulf Stream off the coast in October 1996. A first vote yielded an Unresolved verdict, and the report was sent to several birders (around the world) familiar with the species. These outside reviews were mixed. Outside reviewers mentioned that this species can easily be confused with the Westland Petrel (P. westlandica) and the Parkinson’s Petrel (P. parkinsoni ), though the latter two are not found in the Atlantic. (The White-chinned is found in the oceans of the southern hemisphere, including the South Atlantic.) As there is no confirmed record of White-chinned Petrel from the United States (American Birding Association Checklist Committee 2000), and as the outside reviews were mixed, the Committee’s second vote gave a “Not Accepted” verdict. In summary, the Committee felt that there was not strong enough documentation of this single-observer report to place the species on North Carolina’s Provisional List, even though the species may have been correctly identified. Magnificent Frigatebird ( Fregata magnificens ) (00-1 1). One report from the inner Coastal Plain during December 1998 was not accepted. One or two reviewers were not convinced the bird was even a frigatebird, but the main concern was that the description was not thorough enough to rule out other The Chat , Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 2001 87 frigatebird species, as a far inland report in December would be highly unusual even for a Magnificent Frigatebird, which is seen once or twice a year coastally during the warmer months. There is one record of Lesser Frigatebird (F. ariel ) from Maine (American Birding Association Checklist Committee 2000). White-tailed Kite ( Elanus leucurus ) (00-21). A previously published sight report from Davie County in November 1946 (Knox 1947) was not accepted. A number of Committee members believed that the bird was likely a Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus). The species is already on the Official List, with three accepted records, one having been photographed from Fort Fisher (though full details of this latter record have yet to be published). White-tailed Kite (00-22). A sight report from the eastern Coastal Plain in January 2000 was not accepted. Several Committee members felt that the bird was misidentified and was probably a Northern Harrier or a Rough-legged Hawk ( Buteo lagopus ), both of which were seen by other observers in the same area during the same time period. Common Greenshank ( Tringa nebularia ) (00-01). One was reported from the Outer Banks in spring 1 994. This single-observer sight report contained meager details, and the observer even indicated that the report was likely not convincing. There are no accepted records for this Old World shorebird in North Carolina. Brown Skua ( Catharacta lonnbergi ) (96- 1 2). One bird was well described and photographed from the Gulf Stream in May 1993. A first vote by the Committee yielded an Unresolved vote, primarily because none of the Committee members who voted on this report was familiar with this species. As a result, the report and photos were sent for outside review to several ornithologists around the world familiar with skuas and with this southern hemisphere species. A second Committee vote gave a “Not Accepted” verdict, based on the fact that review comments were mixed, with one or two reviewers believing the bird to be a Brown and others concerned about variation in South Polar Skua (C. maccormicki ). The skua taxonomy is unsettled as to how many species there are, and some species have color phases. The reported identification might well be a correct one, and it is hoped that one of the national records committees - either the American Ornithologists’ Union or the American Birding Association - can review the photos and text and make a determination. However, for the present, there are no accepted North American records for Brown Skua (American Birding Association Checklist Committee 2000). Lazuli Bunting ( Passerina amoena ) (00-10). Two males reported from a feeder in the eastern Piedmont in spring 1996 were not accepted. The details were too brief for acceptance, as well as the seeming unlikelihood of two males 58 1 999-2000 Report of the NC Bird Records Committee together at a feeder. The species is already on the Official List, as the sole accepted record was also accompanied by a photo. UNACCEPTED ORIGIN The reported identification is judged to be accurate, but the origin of the bird is uncertain (and thus might not be of natural origin). Black-bellied Whistling-Duck ( Dendrocygna autumnalis ) (00-16). An individual photographed from the northern coast in spring 1998, as reported in Lee (2000), was considered not to be of wild/natural origin. The Committee did not see or review the photograph for accuracy. There are no accepted records of wild individuals of this species in North Carolina. White-faced Whistling-Duck ( Dendrocygna viduata) (00-17). An individual photographed from the northern coast in spring 1998 (Lee 2000), with the above species of waterfowl, was considered not to be of wild/natural origin. The Committee did not see or review the photograph for accuracy. There are no accepted records of wild individuals of this species in North Carolina, nor has a record of a bird judged to be wild been accepted for the United States (American Birding Association Checklist Committee 2000). UNRESOLVED Further consideration by the Committee is needed. Franklin’s Gull (99-01). A sight report of an individual seen in the southern mountains in late fall 1997 was unresolved (i.e., more than 50% accept votes but at least 25% non-accept votes). The details were ruled to be inclusive for some Committee members to feel certain that the species was correctly identified. The species is already on the Official List, but this was apparently a first report for the mountain region. Cave Swallow (00-08). A sight report of multiple birds from the southern coast in late fall 1999 was unresolved. Though the species was likely correctly identified, the details did not completely rule out Cliff Swallow ( Petrochelidon pyrrhonota ) for some Committee members. Smith’s Longspur ( Calcarius pictus ) (00-13). A sight report of one in the Piedmont in early January 1 998 was unresolved. Some members felt the details did not exclude Lapland Longspur (C. lapponicus) or other sparrow-like birds. Smith’s Longspur is already on the Official List, with three accepted records. White-winged Crossbill ( Loxia leucoptera ) (00-14). A sight report of an adult male from the mountains in June 1998 was unresolved. Several reviewers were not convinced that an immature or variant Red Crossbill (L. curvirostra ) was The Chat , Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 2001 89 eliminated, as they may have wingbars (and the bird was seen with a flock of Red Crossbills). This would presumably be the first summer report for the state for White-winged Crossbill, which is already on the Official List (with a number of winter records). Discussion The review of reports by the North Carolina Bird Records Committee for 1 999-2000 resulted in adding seven species to the North Carolina Official List. Bulwer’s Petrel, Limpkin, and Atlantic Puffin have been elevated from the Provisional List; and Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrel, Anna’s Hummingbird, MacGillivray’s Warbler, and Brambling have been directly added to the Official List. The Provisional List has lost the three species mentioned above. The current Official List is 427 species, and the Provisional List is now 14 species, for a total of 441 species on the state’s Accepted List. Literature Cited American Birding Association Checklist Committee. 2000. ABA Checklist: Birds of the continental United States and Canada. American Birding Association. Knox, C. 1947. White-tailed Kite reported from Davie Co., N.C. Chat 1 1:15. Lee, D S. 2000. Photograph of Black-bellied and White-faced Whistling-Ducks from North Carolina, with comments on other extralimital waterfowl. Chat 64:93-99. LeGrand, H E, Jr., P Guris, and M Gustafson. 1999. Bulwer’s Petrel off the North Carolina coast. North American Birds 53:1 13-1 15. North Carolina Bird Records Committee. 1997. 1996 report of the North Carolina Bird Records Committee. Chat 61:260-264. North Carolina Bird Records Committee. 1998. 1997 report of the North Carolina Bird Records Committee. Chat 62:180-182. O’Brien, M, J B Patteson, G L Armistead, and G B Pearce. 1999. Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrel. North American Birds 53:6-10. Shelley, D and B Holmes. 1999. Limpkin documented in Craven County, North Carolina. Chat 63:83-84. Carolina Bird Club Web Site www.carolinabirdclub.org Capture Rate of American Kestrel During Non- breeding Season Influenced by Sex of Bird in Upstate South Carolina Samuel H. deMent 137 Creek Road East Greenwood, SC 29646-8513 Reed S. deMent 137 Creek Road East Greenwood, SC 29646-8513 sdement@selfmemorial.org Introduction Assuming equal distribution of male and female American Kestrels ( Falco sparverius ) according to genetic frequency, a near equal capture rate might be anticipated (Cooke etal. 1987). Conversely, it is known that during the nesting season males tend to provide most of the female’s energetic needs, so males would be more available for capture during the breeding season (Dawson et al. 2001 ). Blood parasite status may reduce prey gathering ability and motility, and hence capture rate (Dawson etal. 2000). A study during the kestrel non-nesting season, which has been roughly established in South Carolina as August through March (Clark 1983; Cely et al. 1988), was undertaken. Bal-chatri noose traps were employed during the study period from fall 1996 through spring 2001 . All kestrels captured and banded from two adjacent banding locations in Abbeville and Greenwood Counties, South Carolina, were included in the study. Birds were captured without regard to sex. Common house mice ( Mus musculus ) were captured from a local roller mill with live traps according to Bub (1991). Birds were sexed according to North American Bird Banding guidelines and aged as HY (Hatch Year) or AHY (After Hatch Year) accordingly (North American Bird Banding Manual 1991, 1997). Birds were weighed to the nearest 0.1 gram. Blood was collected with a 23 gauge needle from a superficial vein between the hallux and second toe after thorough alcohol cleansing, and blood was smeared on a glass slide for air drying. Smears were stored at room temperature until Wright/Giemsa staining on an automated hematology Stainer and forwarded to Dr. Thaddeus Graczyk for blood parasite qualitative identification in a blinded fashion. Wing cord was measured at the capture site to the nearest millimeter. Bird status, time and date of capture, and location were recorded prior to release. All studies were performed in accordance with Master Banding permit 22771. Statistical application was advised by Professor Bruce White at Lander University, which compared males vs. females applying probability formula and Z chart comparison. Methods 90 The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 2001 91 Results Sixty-six kestrels were captured during the study period, 42 male and 24 female. The null hypothesis of equal capture rate was rejected, and an alternate hypothesis of male > female capture success was accepted. Wing cord, weight, age, and parasite status are recorded in the Table. Tukey t tests on male vs. female weight and wing cord were statistically significant at P < 0.05. No difference was seen in the age of males (HY = 2, AHY = 1) for males vs. females with non-paired two-tailed t test. Blood parasite studies were performed on 24 of the 66 birds captured. Of the 24 studied, 4 of 18 males harbored Hemoproteus, and one had Plasmodium. For females, 6 of 6 harbored Hemoproteus. During the study, 21 recaptures were recorded. Fourteen were males and seven females. Two recoveries were documented during the study, one road kill male in the vicinity of the capture site was found shortly after capture, and one freshly dead female found during the kestrel nesting season on 7 June 2001 (originally banded on 30 November 1996). Young birds were described at the site by the person who returned the female kestrel’s band. Discussion The observed discrepancy between capture rate for males vs. females may be attributed to several factors. The 100% Hemoproteus infestation incidence in females compared to 28% (. Hemoproteus plus Plasmodium ) is noteworthy and may explain the discrepancy, although females are larger than males and are more successful in allocating energy to reduce parasite burden (Dawson et al. 2001 ; Wheeler etal. 1995). It is unclear whether the winter population in the South Carolina Piedmont is predominately resident ( Falco sparverius sparverius ) or migratory ( Falco sparverius ), although a previous study suggests that they are migratory (Cely et al. 1988). In the current study area, however, paired kestrels have been identified during the breeding season, and the female bird recovered during the breeding season support both resident and migratory populations in the study area. Whether the aforementioned discrepancy represents increased population density of males in the study area is unclear, although migrating males generally are the first to return to nesting areas, while females tend to remain closer to breeding grounds (Clark 1983). Since females assume the primary role in species propagation, they simply may be more hesitant to take risks. Studies of wintering kestrels show that females out compete males for prime hunting habitat (Ardia et al. 1997). This Piedmont area is heavily forested, with limited open areas in stable Mennonite farm areas providing prime but limited American Kestrel habitat. This results in concentration of several raptor species that share similar habitats. Nest box placement studies and future band recoveries should help further clarify the kestrel population in the study area (Rohrbaugh et al. 1997). 92 Capture Rate of American Kestrel Influenced by Sex Data Body Wgt Wing Cord Parasites N Size Retrap Age* Total Number HY/AHY GRS/Mean MM/Mean Positive/ ±SD ±SD ± SD # Studied Males 1 05 ,5±8.5 1 86.5±4.6 4+1/18 42 14 1.38±0.5 Females 1 1 9. 1 ± 1 7 1 93 .2±3 .9 6/6 24 7 1.38±0.5 * HY = Hatch Year; AHY = After Hatch Year Acknowledgments We thank the Hematology Section of Self Memorial Hospital, Greenwood, SC, for the slide preps; Professor Bruce White of the Lander University Mathematics Department for statistics; Dr. Thaddeus Graczyk of the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health for parasite identification; and Don Houston, owner of Greenwood Roller Mills for the wild mice. Literature Cited Ardia, D R and K L Bildstein. 1 997. Sex-related differences in habitat selection in wintering American Kestrel ( Falco sparverius). Animal Behaviour 53:1305-1 1. Bub, H. 1991. Bird Trapping and Bird Banding. Cornell Press, Ithaca, NY. North American Bird Banding Manual, Vols I, II. 1991, 1997. Canadian and U.S. Fish and Wildl Service. Cely, J E and J A Sorrow. 1988. American kestrel and Common Barn-owl nest box use in South Carolina. Non-Game Heritage Trust Publication. South Carolina Wildl & Marine Resources Dept. (2). Clark, N. Eastern Birds of Prey. 1983. North Country Press, Thorndike, ME. Pp 61-67. Cooke, F and P A Buckley. 1987. Avian Genetics. Academic Press, London. Pp 95-96. Dawson, R H and G R Bartolotti. 2001. Sex-specific association between reproductive output and hematozoan parasites of American Kestrels. Oecologia 126:193-200. Dawson, R H and G R Bartolotti. 2000. Effects of hematozoan parasites on condition and return rates of American Kestrel. Auk 1 17:373-80. Rohrbaugh, R W and R H Yahner. 1997. Effects of macrohabitat and microhabitat on nest-box use and nesting success of American Kestrels. Wilson Bull. 109:410-423. The Chat , Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 200 1 93 Wheeler, B K and W S Clark. 1 995. North American Raptors. Academic Press, London. P 133. Birds of the Carolinas Student Research Grants Program The Carolina Bird Club’s Birds of the Carolinas Research Grants Program provides funding for undergraduate and graduate students in North Carolina and South Carolina. The program is funded through the generosity of the authors of Birds of the Carolinas (Eloise F. Potter, James F. Parnell, and Robert P. Teulings). Application deadlines and other details wdl be announced via mail to North Carolina and South Carolina institutions and on the Carolina Bird Club web site. Fall 2000 North American Migration Count in South Carolina Donna Slyce Bailey 176 Raven's Place Winnsboro, SC 29180 On September 16, 2000, the Fall 2000 North American Migration Count was held in 1 1 counties across South Carolina. 20,093 individuals in 200 species were tallied by the reporters. 104 observers divided into 75 parties covered 1 1 counties. Despite a lower number of counties than usual participating, 29 species of warbler were found, including multiple reports of Golden-winged Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, and Blackburnian Warbler. Warbler species reported by only one county include Orange-crowned Warbler (Georgetown), Cape May Warbler (Fairfield), Prothonotary Warbler (Charleston), Louisiana Waterthrush (Georgetown), and Canada Warbler (Spartanburg). Compared to last year's tally of 25 warbler species reported from 1 2 counties, it was a better day for warbler diversity in 2000. Five Nashville Warblers were reported from four different counties (Aiken, Colleton, Fairfield, and Lexington), perhaps amounting to a "wave" of migration. Ten species of birds were reported from every county, indicating widespread and adaptable species. These ten species are: Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Mourning Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Blue Jay, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Mockingbird, and Northern Cardinal. As befits their top predator status, the number of Red-tailed Hawks is lower than the numbers of the other species. Among the highlights of the Fall 2000 North American Migration Count are a Bicknell's Thrush, found in Colleton county and carefully identified by song, and American White Pelicans, found in Jasper county. 28 species were “exclusives,” found only in one county. The exclusives are distributed as follows: Charleston: 4 Cherokee: 2 Colleton: 2 Fairfield: 2 Georgetown: 5 Jasper: 9 Spartanburg: 4 94 The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 200 1 95 County Summaries Aiken County (AIKE): 103 species, 2022 individuals. 60° F to 75° F. Start Time: 6:35 AM Stop Time: 7:55 PM Coordinator: Anne Waters 1621 Apple Valley Drive Augusta, GA 30906 706/793-2788 Participants: Gary Gray, Judy Gregory, Christine Hadley, Gene Howard, Joan Howard, Sandra Johnson, Paul Koehler, Mark Komorski, Richard Lux, Alice Walker, Doug Walker, Vernon Waters Aiken County found 2 early Blue-winged Teal among a nice selection of waterfowl that included the more expected Canada Goose, Wood Duck, and nice numbers of Mallard. Beaufort County (BEAU): 52 species, 610 individuals. Temperatures not recorded. Start Time: 2:22 PM Stop Time: 7:37 PM Coordinator: Robin Carter 4165 East Buchanan Drive Columbia, SC 29206 803/782-8820 Participants: Caroline Eastman, Heidi Hoerman Beaufort County reported two nice to find species - Seaside Sparrow (one of only two counties to do so for the Fall 2000 Count) and Marbled Godwit. Charleston County (CHAR): 144 species, 4602 individuals. 65° F to 90° F. Start Time: 5:30 AM Stop Time: 9:30 PM Coordinator: Perry Nugent 2260 Dallerton Circle Charleston, SC 29414 843/556-3841 Participants: Mike Bernard, Jim Brownlee, Sue Brownlee, George Crumley, Janice Fanning, Dennis Forsythe, Donna Forsythe, Dot Glover, Brad Jaynes, Ben Smith 96 Fall 2000 North American Migration Count in SC Charleston's four exclusives were Least Bittern, Yellow-crowned Night-heron, Chuck-will's-widow, and Prothonotary Warbler. Cherokee County (CHER): 78 species, 1408 individuals. 68° F to 84° F. Start Time: Not reported Stop Time: Not reported Coordinator: Lyle Campbell 126 Greengate Lane Spartanburg, SC 29307 864/585-1228 Participants: Claude Cobb, David Collopy, Ken Garrett, J. B. Hines, Myra Hines, Karla Lavender, Maxie Nix, Alan Rose, Ed Wilde The two species exclusive to Cherokee County were Cedar Waxwings (perhaps a little early) and an amazing three Bachman's Sparrows (a species that is difficult to find in the South Carolina Piedmont). Colleton County (COLL): 1 16 species, 2375 individuals. 61° F to 75°F. Start Time: 7:10 AM Stop Time: 6:00 PM Coordinator Sharon Brown P. O. Box 327 Adams Run, SC 29426 843/889-8299 Participants: Mrs. M. A. Aldenderfer, Robin Carter, Caroline Eastman, Heidi Hoerman Bicknell's Thrush and a nice King Rail were the two species exclusive to Colleton County. Fairfield County (FAIR): 74 species, 595 individuals. 50° F to 70° F. Start Time: 4:30 AM Stop Time: 8:00 PM Coordinator: Donna Slyce Bailey 176 Raven's Place Winnsboro, SC 29180 803/635-7032 Participants: Buddy Bailey, Bob Ellis The species found exclusively in Fairfield County were Gray-cheeked Thrush and Cape May Warbler. The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 2001 97 Georgetown County (GEOR): 1 14 species, 1563 individuals. 61° F to 75° F. Start Time: 5:30 AM Stop Time: 6:30 PM Coordinator: Jack Peachey 103 Walnut Circle Conway, SC 29520 843/347-5810 Participants: David Donmoyer, Renee Lamm, Murray Honick, Barbara Maxwell, Bob Maxwell, Gary Phillips, Paul Rogers Great Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Louisiana Waterthrush are among the species exclusive to Georgetown County. Nice numbers of Piping Plovers round out Georgetown's list of exclusives. Hampton County (HAMP): 51 species, 812 individuals. 62° F to 85° F. Start Time: 7:00 AM Stop Time: 4:30 PM Coordinator: Carroll Richard P.O. Box 893 Hampton, SC 29924 803/943-4661 Hampton County reported 1 1 Northern Bobwhite, a species increasingly hard to find in South Carolina and the highest number of bobwhite found in the state for this count. Hampton County also reported 3 Purple Gallinules, always a nice find. Jasper County (JASP): 76 species, 2021 individuals. 70° F to 80° F. Start Time: 5:30 AM Stop Time: 6:00 PM Coordinator: Patricia E. Metz Parkway Business Center, Suite 1000 Business Center Drive Savannah, GA 31405 912/652-4415 ext. 103 Participants: Amy Bess, Chris Graves, Valda Kelly, Mary Ellen Kirkland, Talley Kirkland, Barry Lowes, Philomena Lowes, John Metz, Keith Penrose, Ray Porter, Lauree San Juan, Leanna San Juan, Paul San Juan Jasper County had a long list of exclusives, including American White Pelican, Gadwall, Mississippi Kite, American Coot, and Least Flycatcher. Jasper also had an assortment of shorebirds that were exclusives, including Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Stilt Sandpiper, and Buff-breasted Sandpiper. 98 Fall 2000 North American Migration Count in SC Lexington County (LEXI): 52 species, 1 197 individuals. Temperatures not reported. Start Time: 7:00 AM Stop Time: 8:00 PM Coordinator: Molly Bonnell 202 Cannon Trail Road Lexington, SC 29072 803/359-6280 Participants: Andrea Ceselski Lexington County was among those reporting somewhat early Palm Warblers, as well as one of the five Nashville Warblers found on count day. Spartanburg County (SPAR): 92 species, 2888 individuals. 68° F to 84° F. Start Time: Not reported Stop Time: Not reported Coordinator: Lyle Campbell 126 Greengate Lane Spartanburg, SC 29307 864/585-1228 Participants: Frankie Altman, Laura Bannon, Beth Bartel, Tim Brown, Sarah Campbell, Alan Chalmers, Dan Codispoti, Tom Moore Craig, Linda Deahl, Richard Deahl, Glenn Englehardt, David Ferris, John Freeman, Sheena Freeman, Robin Gilman, Milady Gonzalez, Chip Green, Conway Henderson, Jessie Ivy, Tammy King, Michael Miller, Bill Moody, Nora Moore, Mary Ann Myers, Bob Powell, Doug Raynor, Bob Scott, Ginny Scott, Walton Scott, Mac Shealy, Dick Thorpe, Lois Thorpe, Gerald Thurmond Four species were found exclusively in Spartanburg County: Common Nighthawk, Canada Warbler, Field Sparrow, and Purple Finch. North American Migration Count South Carolina The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 2001 99 S £ % Ife u # a- _l ro HmHor»H rornrNo^rNifNHovOLninHmoovocoNHONoo m h co rg o ororcorNinNrMH n rg rM h o n o h to h rM cm rM h m h rsi t h t tT or rg ui h 00 m m rsi m n in cm oo o ro to > > iu > CD in iis^ in ro > CD 5rT3 O S o 5 U JO o o a ■O T3 £ p .9 3 ^ u O o OJ CL Q_ u # tn _i ^ F 5 P H c (NHfM'tmvomwt’-|^aiHN\rvOHTforNmoooco fM 'd" ^ rsl ifl m N o H ^ O ’-t cn H 'rH K 04 UD 04 (U ,'±L v# <-» 1 2 -y* o sz $ -5 ■a ro (U x to OJ c -a 2 is g ■S. « 1 S acncr m ro Jn ^ m i~ q. vi t ox) ^i~roOx:oa)___- OIcQZwua:m^^< lip ro ■ a) a; J«£ • i— CL Z3 >■ O OJ CD SZ CL C £ ^ Z3 O O COO = Z <-> «- c U § re O) £ V- « £ O _0 Q. 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(U cu to i_ (u lu cf (b 5 0 76 1 TO OJ o> c i* 5 * = E 5 aj on o ro z: m !!!!!!! 1111111 1111111 ■' ■ lllllii lllllll # Counties ' TOTAL Reporting 16 September 2000 AIKE BEAU CHAR CHER COLL FAIR GEOR HAMP JASP LEXI SPA&: Individuals Species Barn Swallow • • - 3 38 2 1 2Q 1 1:152: ’• ' 142 I Blue Jay 67 6|1|||| 76 - S§|| 14 ||| 1 1 41 61 393 l: The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 2001 103 coHOMflTHHNcooiDntoo'^HH^moo^Ho^ooo^airNno rH rH r— I t— I I ▼— I rH HinoiDOCONNcoininHoocomH^D^incooDninNooi-t CTirMNCOfNrMOCC rH l/l h rH hvONhhhNI/I rH to rH m ro rH rsi rsi m m h to rH & rsi Ot "vf co to rM rb rM co in co in in t ifl h Kin tM ^ m ro ro n T to m fNI H CO fM ff\ fM to ffS^TNi:: rri. 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S ^ CL ~ro^ ro ^ ^ c 9 ro E O 3 < X -a archilocus sp? l;||l||j 1 TOTALS Species 103 52 144 78 116 74 1114 51 76 52 92 200 Individuals 2022 610 4602 1408 2375 595 1563 812 2021 1197 2888 20093 # Counties TOTAL Reporting 16 September 2000 AIKE BEAU CHAR CHER COLL FAIR GEOR HAMP OASP LEXI SPAR Individuals Species Observers 17 3 11 9 2 3 8 1 12 2 36 104 Parties 8 1 6 10 5 1 lllll; 1 8 1 31 75 106 Fall 2000 North American Migration Count in SC ro h in o h o m n to o m o lo cr> ooo o O LD t-h vo cr> rsi CO o r\ t-i LO in tn io o o o th av r>i o o o oo rg cr> ooo 9R orsioooo i-imoooo • cm > ooo -h vo oo m in o o o in ^ vo o o o ooo ooo rsi »-• rovooooo in^roooo ooo ooo co vq rn 00 in ro aJ- in o o o o o oo o o o o ooo ooo oo in o o o o in i\ o o o o ooo ooo ro rsi in cm o o o o rsi ooo ooo ooo ooo ^ t-i in in o o o o in ro o o o o vo ro ro ooo t-4 'vr o o o o o ro in o o o o o o o o o o rsi ro o o o o ’-n oo o o o o ooo ooo co in in O' o th o . inrvooino in in in ooo HO 00 OV *4 ro t-i V) c 3 O u =tfe ro > § 'aT i_ ■M O (U - "S’ 1- o a, cu c= _£= ro ~ 4=; u -Q o in i/i in in 0 a> qj ro *a > aj > ZZZZZI (U » c £ S o 5 o in 13 co in 10 > .gj £ t! ro -Q a. O =tfc =& Hours Owling 1,5 0 3 0.6 0 2 0 0 4,5 - 3 14.6 Miles Owling ||||||: 0 0 1 0 0 Q 0 6 - 22 32 #parties owling 1 0 3 2 0 1 0 0 3 - :: .4 14 # observers owling l||li|i 0 :3 2 0 1 0 0 9; -|||||l:i 22 # Counties TOTAL Reporting 16 September 2000 AIKE BEAU CHAR CHER COLL FAIR GEOR HAMP JASP |_EXI SPAR Individuals Species The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 200 1 107 co oo N ^ n VDVD N CO CO IS <5 O O fN mi o « O o o o o o o o I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I o O O O , V *— I . — C T-< i o o o o s ON ONNOO o , m lo ooooooo ooooooo rt y-l tf in O VO XO CO is |S i rsi rn in N ^ « LO LO LO LO LO ► co co cn rsi tj- n co CO VO N CO CO N CO o o . Don’t fill in the subject line. As your message, simply put, “subscribe carolinabirds” (without the quotes). You will receive a confirmation and more information shortly. Submissions for Briefs for the Files should be sent directly to Ricky Davis. BRIEFS FOR THE FIFES Ricky Davis 608 Smallwood Drive Rocky Mount, NC 27804 RJDNC@aol.com All Dates Winter 2000-01 Briefs for the Files is a seasonal collection of uncommon-to-rare or unusual North and South Carolina bird sightings and events which do not necessarily require a more detailed Field Note or article. Reports of your sightings are due the 20th of the month after the end of the previous season. Winter = December 1 - February 28, due March 20 Spring = March 1 - May 31, due June 20 Summer — June 1 - July 31, due August 20 Fall - August 1 - November 30, due December 20 Reports can be submitted in any format, but I prefer that you type them and list the sightings according to the birds in checklist order (not according to dates or locations). If you submit your report to me through e-mail, please type your report directly into the message or copy it from a word processing program directly into the message. You may also attach your file to the e-mail, but if you do, please let me know the program used and also send a second version saved as a text ( txt.) file. Suitable reports for the Briefs include any sightings you feel are unusual, rare, noteworthy, or just plain interesting to you in any way! It is my responsibility to decide which reports merit inclusion in the Briefs. Please be sure to include details of any rare or hard-to-identify birds. I rely in part on sightings reported in Carolinabirds. Please don't, however, rely on me to pick up your sightings from Carolinabirds. Instead, please also send your sightings directly to me as described above. If I feel that your sighting warrants a Field Note, I will contact either you or the appropriate state Field Notes editor. You may, of course, submit your Field Note directly to the editor without going through me. RED-THROATED LOON: The only inland report received was of one on the pond at the US 64 and NC 42 interchange in eastern Edgecombe County, NC, Feb. 25 (Ricky Davis). RED-NECKED GREBE: This always noteworthy species was found several times in North Carolina, with two on the Bodie-Pea Islands CBC Dec. 28 (fide 113 114 Briefs for the Files, Winter 2000 - 01 Paul Sykes), one on the Wilmington CBC Dec. 30 (fide Sam Cooper), and one at the Avon pier Feb. 25 (Josh Rose). EARED GREBE: The Goldsboro, NC, Wastewater Treatment Plant (W.T.P.) once again hosted wintering Eareds, with from one to three being seen (Eric Dean, sev. obs.). Other reports included 1-2 at C. Hatteras, NC, Dec. 27 until at least early February (Harry LeGrand, Brad Carlson, sev. obs.), one at Myrtle Beach, SC, Dec. 9 (Murray Honick), and one at the Savannah River Site, SC, Dec. 21 (Anne Waters). WESTERN GREBE: One was seen at the pier in Avon, NC, Feb. 19-21 (Bob Holmes, Wade Fuller, sev. obs.), providing a very rare sighting for the Carolinas. NORTHERN FULMAR: The only ones found this winter were three off Hatteras, NC, Feb. 18 (Brian Patteson et al.). BLACK-CAPPED PETREL: This species winters off our coast, usually in the Gulf Stream waters. Thus one found several miles inshore of the stream out of Hatteras, NC, Feb. 18 (Patteson et al.) was surprising. SOOTY SHEARWATER: One on a Hatteras, NC, pelagic Feb. 3 (Patteson et al.) was very rare. There are only a handful of records of this species off our coast in winter. DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: This species continues to increase as an inland winter resident. An impressive count of 1,075 on Jordan Lake, NC, CBC Dec. 31 (fide Norm Budnitz) bears this out. ANHINGA: A few individuals of this species often linger into early winter in the Carolinas. Thus of note were five at Kinston, NC, Dec. 13 (Gene Howe). LEAST BITTERN: A very rare winter sighting of this species was had at L. Mattamuskeet, NC, Dec. 9, as noted by Brad Carlson and Gordon Smith. GREAT ’’WHITE” HERON: The bird at Brevard, NC, present since the summer, was last seen about Jan. 25 (fide Norma Siebenheller). It is interesting to note that when individuals of this form end up in the Carolinas, they seem to hang around for long periods. REDDISH EGRET: One on the Charleston, SC, CBC Dec. 24 provided a rare winter report for this species (fide Ed Blitch III). CATTLE EGRET: Lingering or wintering Cattle Egrets included two at Savannah N.W.R., SC, Dec. 4 (Lex Glover et al.), one at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, Dec. 15 (Steve Calver), and one on the L. Mattamuskeet, NC, CBC Dec. 29 ( fide Allen Bryan). GREEN HERON: Winter reports of Green Heron were up this year. Two were found on the Charleston, SC, CBC Dec. 24 (fide Ed Blitch III), one was on the C. Hatteras, NC, CBC Dec. 27 (fide Harry LeGrand), one was at Sunset Beach, NC, Jan. 1 (Ricky Davis) and Jan. 21 (Will Cook and Randy Emmitt), and one was at Brevard, NC, Dec. 7 and 15 (Betty Mcllwain). The latter sighting was quite rare and unusual for the mountains. FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCK: This species continued its presence in the Carolinas from the fall season. The fall’s Savannah N.W.R., SC, bird was last reported Dec. 3 (Noel Warner and Terry West); and the Magnolia Gardens, SC, The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 2001 115 flock of four to seven was seen until at least Dec. 16 (Steve Compton). Others included one at the Goldsboro, NC, W.T.P. Dec. 1 until Jan. 1 (Josh Rose and Frank Rheindt; m. obs.), and a flock of 1 1 at the Crow Hill Impoundment, Carteret County, NC, Dec. 14 (fide John Fussell). GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: The only reports this winter were of one on the L. Mattamuskeet, NC, CBC Dec. 29 (Will Cook) and four at Santee N.W.R., SC, Jan. 9 (Lex Glover). ROSS’S GOOSE: Always noteworthy, this species was found a handful of times. One was on the Bodie-Pea Islands, NC, CBC Dec. 28 (Paul Sykes), one was on the L. Wateree, SC, CBC Jan. 5 (Lex Glover et al.), and one was at the Silver Bluff Audubon Sanctuary, SC, Feb. 22-28 (Anne Waters). TUNDRA SWAN: Reports of Tundra Swan away from the usual wintering areas included one on L. Hickory, NC, Jan. 1 3-22 (Dwayne & Lori Martin) and ten in flight over the Goldsboro, NC, W.T.P. Dec. 6 (Ricky Davis). EURASIAN WIGEON: The Greenfield Lake, Wilmington, NC, bird returned for its third winter in a row (Greg Massey, sev. obs.) and remained until the end of the period. BLUE- WINGED TEAL: One at Beaver Lake, Asheville, NC, Jan. 2 (Tim Lewis) provided a rare winter mountains report. CINNAMON TEAL: This winter there were three Cinnamon Teal reported. One at the Goldsboro, NC, W.T.P. Dec. 2 (Eric Dean et al., m. obs.) remained until the spring season. Another was found at L. Medcalf, Sunset Beach, NC, Dec. 10 and remained until at least Feb. 5 (Mary McDavit, m. obs.). One was also present at Savannah N.W.R., SC, from Feb. 4 (Barry Lowes) to Feb. 16 (Jack Peachey and Gary Phillips). The latter bird probably is the same individual that has been found at that refuge for about three years in a row. REDHEAD: Some excellent counts of this species were had inland with 132 on L. Julian, Buncombe County, NC, Feb. 28 (Wayne Forsythe and Ron Selvey) and 150 at Blewett Falls Lake Dam, NC, Feb. 28 (Dick Burk). COMMON EIDER: Eiders were scarce this winter, thus Of note was the flock of nine on the Bodie-Pea Islands, NC, CBC Dec. 28 (fide Paul Sykes). The only other Common was at Atlantic Beach, NC, Feb. 22 until the end of the period (John Fussell). HARLEQUIN DUCK: A female ranged between the Avon., NC, and Rodanthe, NC, piers from Jan. 27 until at least Feb. 25 (Brad Carlson, sev. obs., Jeff Lewis), for one of the few reports of this species during the last several years. LONG-TAILED DUCK: Always noteworthy inland, reports of this duck included from one to four at Jordan Lake, NC, Dec. 3 1 until Jan. 7 (Will Cook, sev. obs., Ricky Davis), one on the Greensboro, NC, CBC Dec. 16 (fide Dennis Burnette), and one at Roanoke Rapids Lake, NC, Jan. 28 (Davis). On the coast, one was locally rare on the Hilton Head, SC, CBC Dec. 16 (fide Joe Williams). COMMON GOLDENEYE: This species was reported in a widespread fashion this winter. Most counts were of a few birds, but the best total was the 22 at Jordan Lake, NC, Jan. 7 (Ricky Davis). 116 Briefs for the Files, Winter 2000 - 01 COMMON MERGANSER: There were more Common Merganser reports than normal this winter. Locally noteworthy sightings included seven at Jordan Lake, NC, Jan. 27 (Will Cook et al.), three at L. Townsend, Guilford County, NC, Feb. 17 (Dennis Burnette et al.), three in Transylvania County, NC, in early February (Tom Joyce), two near Furman, Hampton, SC, Jan. 24 (Lex Glover and Steve Lohr), and two on the Beaverdam arm of Falls Lake, NC, Dec. 27 (Brian Bockhahn). Singles were found at Kinston, NC, Dec. 8 until the end of the month (Betty Grady, Gene Howe, sev. obs.), L. Hickory, NC, Dec. 23 (Dwayne & Lori Martin), L. Julian, NC, Dec. 3 1 (Wayne Forsythe), and on the Shelby, NC, CBC Dec. 30 (Simon Thompson et al.). And finally the best wintering area for the species in the Carolinas, Phelps Lake, NC, hosted a large flock again with the highest count being 280 Dec. 26 (Derb Carter). RED-BREASTED MERGANSER: The best inland totals reported included 22 on L. Julian, NC, Feb. 26 (Marilyn Westphal) and 20 at the Hendersonville, NC, W.T.P. Dec. 3 (Wayne Forsythe and Westphal). OSPREY : In North Carolina wintering Ospreys can normally be found in very small numbers along the southern coastal areas. Thus of note were Ospreys found outside this region. Rare inland were one at the Goldsboro W.T.P. Dec. 2 (Eric Dean and Brian Pendergraft), one at Raven Rock State Park Dec. 16 (fide Paul Hart), and an amazing seven on the New Bern CBC Dec. 18 (fide Bob Holmes). Also of note were one at Duck Woods Golf Course on the Outer Banks Feb. 7 (Neal Moore), and one on the Pamlico County CBC Dec. 19 (fide Liz Lathrop). NORTHERN GOSHAWK: This very rare visitor was found twice with an immature bird on the C. Hatteras, NC, CBC Dec. 27 (Derb Carter, Wayne Irvin, Keith Andre) and an adult on the north end of Roanoke Island, NC, Jan. 5 & 1 3 (Jeff Lewis). GOLDEN EAGLE: Always noteworthy in the Carolinas, rare coastal reports included one on the ACE Basin, SC, CBC Dec. 31 (fide Pete Laurie) and another (or the same bird) at the Yawkey Wildlife Center, Georgetown, SC, Feb. 23 (fide Gary Phillips). Less unusual but still of interest was the immature in Alleghany County, NC, from late November until at least Dec. 23 (fide James Coman). YELLOW RAIL: The only report of this elusive winter resident was of three at the Samworth W.M.A., Georgetown County, SC, Dec. 29, as noted by Lex Glover. BLACK RAIL: One was very rare and unusual away from the immediate coast at the Conway, SC, W.T.P. Jan. 15-16 (Gary Phillips and Lex Glover). PURPLE GALLINULE: This species is very rare in North Carolina during winter, thus of interest was the wing salvaged at Alligator River N.W.R. in January (Jeff Lewis). SANDHILL CRANE: Some of the most interesting reports of this annual visitor included four in the Mills River, Henderson County, NC, area Dec. 6- 1 2 (Wayne Forsythe), from two to three in the Murrell’s Inlet, SC, area Jan. 21-26 The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 2001 117 (Judy Walker etal., Gary Phillips), and several on the Santee N.W.R., SC, CBC Dec. 30 (Lex Glover). WILSON’S PLOVER: Five Wilson’s on the Charleston, SC, CBC Dec. 24 ( fide Ed Blitch III) provided the only report of this rare-in-winter species. LONG-BILLED CURLEW: The six on the McClellanville, SC, CBC Dec. 1 6 ( fide Perry Nugent) constituted an excellent total for this species in the Carolinas. SPOTTED SANDPIPER: Spotted Sandpipers were widely reported this winter. The best total was the 10 on the Hilton Head Island, SC, CBC Dec. 16 (fide Joe Williams). Others included singles at Goldsboro. NC, Dec. 1 (Josh Rose and Frank Rheindt), at Myrtle Beach, SC, Dec. 1 1 (Jack Peachey), on the Morehead City, NC, CBC Dec. 17 (fide John Fussell), on the Santee N.W.R., SC, CBC Dec. 30 (Lex Glover), at Beaufort, NC, Jan. 27 (Simon Thompson), and along the Haw River just north of Jordan Lake, NC, Jan. 28 (John Terborgh). SANDERLING: A very rare inland winter sighting was of one on the Columbia, SC, CBC Dec. 17 (fide Robin Carter). STILT SANDPIPER: The only known wintering site for Stilt Sandpiper in the Carolinas is at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC. The peak count this year was 131 on Dec. 16, as noted by Steve Calver. GREAT SKUA: The only report of this annual species was of three out of Hatteras, NC, Feb. 18 (Brian Patteson et al.). LAUGHING GULL: Early returnees were 12 at the Jacksonville, NC, W.T.P. Jan. 31 (John Fussell). One in High Point, NC, Dec. 14 (Hop Hopkins) was very rare that far inland in winter. LITTLE GULL: North Carolina had the only Little Gulls reported this winter. The best counts included four off Hatteras Feb. 1 8 (Patteson et al.), three at C. Hatteras point Feb. 4 (sev. obs.), and three at Atlantic Beach Feb. 22 (John Fussell). Others were singles at Pea Island N.W.R. Jan. 16 (Linda Ward and Skip Hancock), Rodanthe Jan. 21 (Eric Dean), and at Wrightsville Beach Feb. 4 (Sam Cooper); the latter providing a rare local sighting. BLACK-HEADED GULL: The only one found this winter was at C. Hatteras, NC, Feb. 3-4 (Eric Dean et al., sev. obs.). CALIFORNIA GULL: Once again, this species was present in the C. Hatteras, NC, area with one there Dec. 27 (fide Harry LeGrand), two there Jan. 27 (Brad Carlson), and then one again Feb. 3-4 (Eric Dean et al., sev. obs.). THAYER’S GULL: At least three (maybe one or two more!) were found at C. Hatteras, NC, Feb. 17 (LeGrand et al.) providing a probable record one-day total. ICELAND GULL: The only one reported this winter was an adult “Kumlien’s” at C. Hatteras, NC, Feb. 17 (LeGrand et al.). LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL: Lessers are increasing as inland visitors each year. Of note in Wayne County, NC, were one Dec. 9 and four Dec. 16 (Eric Dean). One was at the Raleigh, NC, W.T.P. Dec. 21 (Brian Bockhahn) and a first-winter bird was at Roanoke Rapids Lake, NC, Jan. 28 (Ricky Davis). 118 Briefs for the Files , Winter 2000 - 01 Others included singles at Greenville, NC, Dec. 31 (fide John Wright), at New Bern, NC, Dec. 1 8 (fide Bob Holmes), and at the Jacksonville, NC, W.T.P. Jan. 3 1 (John Fussell). Other reports of note in North Carolina included three locally unusual birds at C. Lookout Jan. 27 (Fussell) and an impressive peak count of 65 in the C. Hatteras area Dec. 3 (Brian Patteson). In South Carolina, one was at Huntington Beach State Park Feb. 24 (fide Gary Phillips) and one was at Litchfield Beach Dec. 28 (Lex Glover). GLAUCOUS GULL: The only one reported was a first-winter bird that hung out near C. Hatteras, NC, Point beginning Dec. 17 (Stephen Harris) for the whole winter. GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL: This species is also increasing inland each year. The best counts received included an impressive 48 on the Wayne County, NC, CBC Dec. 16 (fide Eric Dean) and eight on the Falls Lake, NC, CBC Dec. 30 (fide Brian Bockhahn). “HYBRID” GULLS: Intensive gull watching at C. Hatteras, NC, Feb. 1 7 once again proved just how confusing the gull situation there can be. There were at least two Herring X Lesser types, one Herring X Glaucous, one Herring X Thayer’s, and one Thayer’s X Iceland type observed (LeGrand et al.). One has to really study these birds carefully when trying to find the rare one, and be prepared to accept the fact that some will not exactly fit the description of anything! BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE: Only one onshore report was had with a single bird at C. Hatteras, NC, Jan. 13 (Russ & Patricia Tyndall). SANDWICH TERN: This species normally is gone from the Carolinas by December. Thus of note were three on the Hilton Head Island, SC, CBC Dec. 1 6 (fide Joe Williams) and two on the Morehead City, NC, CBC Dec. 17 (Mike Tove). RAZORBILL: There was a major flight into North Carolina waters this winter, although not quite as big as the flight of 1994-95. The best counts included 300 Feb. 3 and 830 Feb. 18, both off Hatteras (Brian Patteson et al.). From shore, 20 were at C. Hatteras Feb. 18 (Russ & Patricia Tyndall), two were on the Bodie-Pea Islands CBC Dec. 28 (fide Paul Sykes), one was at Rodanthe Feb. 25 (Josh Rose), and one was at Ft. Fisher Dec. 31 (Ricky Davis). ATLANTIC PUFFIN: North Carolina’s fourth report involved an amazing count of 24 off of Hatteras Feb. 18 (Patteson et al.). Needless to say, this was the largest count of Puffins ever recorded this far south along the Atlantic coast. WHITE-WINGED DOVE: Reports of this now annual species included one on the Bodie-Pea Islands, NC, CBC Dec. 28 (fide Paul Sykes) and one near Washington, NC, Jan. 26 (Jeff Lewis). CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW: This is a rare wintering species in North Carolina with only a few records. Thus of note was one photographed at Buxton on the C. Hatteras, NC, CBC Dec. 27 (Paul Sykes et al.). WHIP-POOR-WILL: This uncommon wintering species in southeastern North Carolina was found twice with singles on the Wilmington CBC Dec. 30 ( fide Sam Cooper) and the Southport CBC Dec. 31 (Ricky Davis). The Chat , Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 2001 119 BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD: This was a huge winter for Black chinned Hummingbirds in the Carolinas, with five being banded by Susan Campbell. North Carolina Black-chinneds included an immature male at Sunset Beach from early December until at least Feb. 1 (Mary McDavit, m. obs.), a female at Goldsboro Dec. 2 until early January (fide Eric Dean), an immature female at Charlotte early December until January (Ray & Linda Munozs), and an immature male at Wilmington during January (fide Susan Campbell). In South Carolina, an immature male was at Myrtle Beach January until late February (fide Campbell). The four documented in North Carolina were more than that state previously had altogether and the South Carolina one was only the second documented in that state. EMPIDONAX FLYCATCHERS: Rare empidonax flycatchers this winter included an empidonax sp. near Conway, SC, Dec. 8 (Gary Phillips), a calling Least Flycatcher at Buxton, NC, Dec. 29 (Brian Patteson), and a silent empidonax at Buxton Dec. 27 (Paul Sykes et al .) which was felt to be an Acadian Flycatcher. The latter bird, which would be extremely rare and unexpected, shows that silent empids in winter are very problematical, even when studied very closely and carefully. VERMILION FLYCATCHER: The male Vermilion which showed up near Goldsboro, NC, during late November, was last seen Dec. 2, right before the big early snowfall the next day (fide Eric Dean). WESTERN KINGBIRD: Always noteworthy in winter, Westerns found included one at Hemingway, Williamsburg County, SC, Dec. 29 (Lex Glover) and one at Ocracoke, NC, Jan. 28 (Kendrick Weeks et al.). WHITE-EYED VIREO: Good winter reports for inland areas involved two on the Wayne County, NC, CBC Dec. 16 (fide Eric Dean) and one at Howell Woods, Johnston County, NC, in mid January (Jamie Sasser). NORTHERN RAVEN: Away from the mountains, this species has been present in downtown Winston-Salem and Greensboro, NC, for some time now. Add to these a new Piedmont location; one in Davidson County halfway between Thomasville and Lexington, as noted Dec. 14 by Joe Poston. In Winston-Salem a nest with young was observed as early as Feb. 25 (Ramona Snavely and Regina Burt). Other reports included two on the Greensboro CBC Dec. 16 (fide Dennis Burnette) and two on the Henderson County CBC Dec. 17 (fide Wayne Forsythe). BARN SWALLOW: The only winter report was of one at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, Jan. 4 (Steve Calver). HOUSE WREN: One was locally rare and unusual in the mountains at Mills River, Henderson County, NC, Jan. 28 (Wayne Forsythe and Marilyn Westphal). BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER: Higher than normal numbers were found away from the coastal plain this winter. Good counts of three each were had on the Durham, NC, CBC Dec. 17 (fide Mike Schultz) and the Chapel Hill, NC, CBC Dec. 24 (fide Will Cook). Also one was on the Raleigh, NC, CBC Dec. 16 (Dan Kaplan). 120 Briefs for the Files, Winter 2000 - 01 GRAY CATBIRD: Excellent for winter were the five on the Raven Rock State Park, NC, CBC Dec. 16 (fide Paul Hart). ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: This species is rarely found in the piedmont during winter, thus of note were singles on the Chapel Hill, NC, CBC Dec. 24 (Doug Shadwick) and the Jordan Lake, NC, CBC Dec. 31 (fide Norm Budnitz). NASHVILLE WARBLER: This rare but regular wintering warbler was found once with an individual near Conway, SC, Dec. 21 (Gary Phillips). NORTHERN PARULA: Very rare in winter on the Outer Banks, one was at Roanoke Island Dec. 1 2 & 1 8 (Jeff Lewis); and an amazing count of three birds was had on the C. Hatteras CBC Dec. 27 (fide Harry LeGrand). MAGNOLIA WARBLER: Extremely rare was the Magnolia found at Savannah N.W.R., SC, Jan. 20 (Mike Chapman et al.). Winter reports of this warbler for the Carolinas are almost nonexistent. CAPE MAY WARBLER: This species is reported somewhere in the Carolinas almost every winter. This season’s was at a feeder at Howell Woods, Johnston County, NC, Feb. 28, as noted by Jamie Sasser and Melissa Miller. BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER: One of our rarer winter warblers, the Black- throated Blue was located an amazing four times. One wintered at Durham, NC, Dec. 2 until at least Jan. 30 (Owen McConnell); one was present in Hillsborough, NC, for several days in late January until found dead on the 31st (Randy Dunston); one was on the Hilton Head Island, SC, CBC Dec. 16 (fide Joe Williams); and one was at Brookgreen Gardens, SC, Feb. 23 (fide Gary Phillips). YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER: Locally good winter finds were singles on the C. Hatteras, NC, CBC Dec. 27 (John Fussell) and the Ocracoke, NC, CBC Dec. 30 (Jeff Beane et al.). BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER: This warbler was widely reported across the Carolinas this winter. The best totals included an impressive 1 1 on the Hilton Head Island, SC, CBC Dec. 16 (fide Joe Williams) and six on the Lake Mattamuskeet, NC, CBC Dec. 29 (fide Allen Bryan). Harder to find further inland, one at Charlotte, NC, Dec. 30 (fide Wayne Covington) was noteworthy. AMERICAN REDSTART: This species is very rarely found in winter, thus of note were two on the Hilton Head Island, SC, CBC Dec. 16 (fide Joe Williams) and one at Charlestowne Landing, Charleston County, SC, Feb. 6 (Dennis Forsythe et al.). NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH: Always noteworthy in winter, one was at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, Jan. 4, as noted by Steve Calver. WILSON’S WARBLER: This species normally is found once or twice somewhere in the Carolinas each winter. This season was exceptional throughout the southeast. There were at least four reports this year with two at Savannah N.W.R., SC, Dec. 4 (Lex Glover, Giff Beaton etal.), one in Franklin County, NC, Nov. 30 & Dec. 1 8 (Sharon Funderburk), one on the Durham, NC, CBC Dec. 17 (Mike & Lois Schultz), and one at Conway, SC, Dec. 21 (Gary Phillips). The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 2001 121 YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT: This species was also found more than usual with reports including two on the Bodie-Pea Islands, NC, CBC Dec. 28 (fide Paul Sykes), one at L. Mattamuskeet, NC, Dec. 29 (fide Allen Bryan) and Feb. 24 (Jamie Sasser et al.), one at Howell Woods, NC, Feb. 13 & 23 (Jamie Sasser), one on the Southport, NC, CBC Dec. 31 (Ricky Davis, John Fussell, Jim O’Donnell), and one on the ACE Basin, SC, CBC Dec. 31 (fide Pete Laurie). SUMMER TANAGER: A very rare and unusual winter report of Summer Tanager was provided by a female at a feeder in N. Myrtle Beach, SC, Jan. 5 & 2 1 (Craig Smith, Rick Murray). The observers did rule out the more expected Western Tanager the couple of days it was seen. WESTERN TANAGER: This species is practically annual as a winter visitor. This year’s reports included one at Fayetteville, NC, Jan. 1 (Bob Perkins), one at Washington, NC, in early February (fide Taylor Piephoff), and one at Straits, Carteret County, NC, Jan. 15-27 (Don & Carolyn Hoss, Susan Campbell). CLAY-COLORED SPARROW: Two reports of this rare wintering sparrow included one in Wayne County, NC, Dec. 5 (George Armistead and Marshall Iliff) and one on the Southern Lake Norman, NC, CBC Dec. 17 (fide Taylor Piephoff). LARK SPARROW: Always a good find in the winter, Lark Sparrow reports involved one at a feeder in Gloucester, Carteret County, NC, Jan. 20 (Jack Fennell, Libby Liles, John Fussell) and one east of Rocky Mount, NC, Feb. 1 1 (Ricky Davis). GRASSHOPPER SPARROW : Noteworthy reports included up to three at the Samworth W.M.A., SC, Dec. 13 (Jack Peachey etal.) until at least Jan. 1 (Tim Kalbach) and eleven different birds at Alligator River N.W.R., NC, Feb. 8-9 (Jeff Lewis). The latter count is easily a record winter count for this species. HENSLOW’S SPARROW: This elusive sparrow was found at several places this winter. Up to three were at the Samworth W.M.A., SC, until at least Jan. 20 (Lex Glover et al.), one was in Berkeley County, SC, Jan. 29 (Dennis Forsythe), and an impressive count of seven different individuals was had at the Savannah River Site, SC, Jan. 6-8 (Paul Champlin). LeCONTE’S SPARROW: LeConte’s Sparrows continued to be reported widely. The best counts included an amazing total of 19 at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, Dec. 16 & Jan. 4 (Steve Calver), up to ten at the Samworth W.M.A., SC, during late December until at least Jan. 20 (Lex Glover et al., Chris Hill, Tim Kalbach), up to five at the Savannah River Site, SC, as late as Jan. 23 (Glover, Paul Champlin etal.), and three in Pamlico County, NC, Dec. 19 (fide Liz Lathrop). Others of note involved one at Vultare, Northampton County, NC, Jan. 28 until the end of the season (Ricky Davis), one at Cowan’s Ford Refuge, NC, Feb. 10 (Stephen Harris), two at Sandhills N.W.R., SC, Feb. 18 (Glover), and one at Huntington Beach State Park, SC, Jan. 26 (Gary Phillips). LINCOLN’S SPARROW: Reports were numerous this winter and the best count received was six at Alligator River N.W.R., NC, Jan. 16-17 (Jeff Lewis). Others of note included one on the Charlotte, NC, CBC Dec. 30 (fide Wayne 122 Briefs for the Files, Winter 2000 - 01 Covington), one on the L. Mattamuskeet N.W.R., NC, Dec. 29 ( fide Allen Bryan), one at Bird Shoal. Beaufort, NC, Dec. 21 (John Fussell), one near Darlington, Halifax County, NC, Feb. 11 (Ricky Davis), one at Pee Dee N.W.R., NC, Dec. 1 6 (fide Laura Fogo), and one at the Samworth W.M.A., SC, Jan. 1 (Tim Kalbach) until at least Feb. 2 (Jack Peachey and Bob Maxwell). DARK-EYED “OREGON” JUNCO: This rare western form was located twice with one in Lexington County, SC, Feb. 4- 1 1 (Molly Bonnell and Andrea Ceselski) and one near Rosman, Transylvania County, NC, from late February until early March (fide Norma Siebenheller). LAPLAND LONGSPUR: The only winter reports of this species involved individuals on the Greenville, NC, CBC Dec. 3 1 (fide John Wright) and the L. Wateree, SC, CBC Jan. 5 (fide Donna Bailey). BLUE GROSBEAK: Extremely rare in winter, one was found near the Samworth W.M.A. on the Litchfield-Pawley’s Island, SC, CBC Dec. 28 (Chris Hill ,fide Jack Peachey). PAINTED BUNTING: The only ones reported this winter came from the usual wintering sites in Carteret County and on the Outer Banks. The best counts were three at a feeder in Morehead City during December (John Fussell) and two at Buxton on the C. Hatteras CBC Dec. 27 (fide Harry LeGrand). One was also a good find to the north on the Bodie-Pea Islands CBC Dec. 28 (Allen Bryan et al.). DICKCISSEL: Rare and noteworthy in winter, singles were found at Buxton, NC, Dec. 27 (Paul Sykes et al.) and Jan. 14 (Pat & Neal Moore), and at Conway, SC, Jan. 18 (Gary Phillips). Also the one from the fall season in Transylvania County, NC, was last seen Dec. 14 (Betty Mcllwain). BREWER’S BLACKBIRD: This species is quite local in its occurrence in the Carolinas. In North Carolina the only usual spot is the large farm in Carteret County, and there were at least nine there during late January (Jack Fennell, John Fussell, sev. obs.). In South Carolina, 40 were on the Columbia CBC Dec. 17 (fide Robin Carter), and an impressive flock of 200 was found near Bowman, Orangeburg County Dec. 9 (Lex Glover). RED CROSSBILL: The count of 102 on the Stone Mountain, NC, CBC Dec. 30 (fide John MacConnell) was truly amazing; and the only crossbill outside of the mountains was a one-day wonder at a feeder in Chapel Hill, NC, Jan. 31 (Doug Shadwick). EVENING GROSBEAK: Grosbeaks were practically non-existent in the Carolinas this winter. One wonders if the six found on the Jordan Lake, NC, CBC Dec. 31 (fide Norm Budnitz) were completely lost! Instructions for Authors www.carolinabirdclub.org/thechat.html CAROLINA BIRD CLUB MEMBERSHIP The Carolina Bird Club, Inc. is a non-profit educational and scientific association founded in 1937. Membership is open to those interested in the study and conservation of wildlife, particularly birds. Dues, contributions, and bequests to the Club may be deductible from state and federal income and estate taxes. Checks should be made payable to Carolina Bird Club, Inc. and sent to CBC Headquarters, 1 1 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029. DUES (Payable on a calendar-year basis) Individual $ 20.00 Associate (in same household as individual member) $ 5.00 Student $15.00 Sustaining (open to businesses) $ 25.00 Patron $ 50.00+ Life Membership (payable in four consecutive $100 installments) . . $400.00 PUBLICATIONS CBC members receive The Chat, a quarterly journal devoted to bird study and conservation, and the CBC Newsletter, which carries information about meetings, field trips, and club projects. Articles intended for publication in The Chat may be sent to the Editor or the appropriate editor listed in the inside front cover. Items for the Newsletter should be sent to its Editor, Judy Walker, 7639 Farm Gate Dr., Charlotte, NC 28215. Send correspondence regarding memberships, changes of address, or requests for back numbers of either publication to CBC Headquarters, 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601- 1029. OFFICERS President: Van Atkins, 2040 Church Creek Dr., Charleston, SC 29414 Vice Presidents: Donna Bailey, 176 Ravens Place, Winnsboro, SC 29180 Dick Blee, 2 Tinequa Dr., Brevard, NC 28712 John Wright, 1953A Quail Ridge Road, Greenville, NC 27858 Secretary: Sue Pulsipher, 2441 Ramey Dr., Linden, NC 28356-9771 Treasurer: Patricia Earnhardt-Tyndall, 400 Kilmarnock Ct., Wake Forest, NC 27587 NC Members-at-large: Susan M. Campbell, 144 Pine Ridge Drive, Whispering Pines, NC 28327 Sandy Cash, 8003 Crenshaw Lane, Durham, NC 27713 Charlotte Goedsche, 371 Ox Creek Rd., Weaverville NC 28787-9765 Dwayne Martin, 3691 Jinny Lane, Claremont, NC 28610 SC Members-at-large: Kathleen O'Grady, 1428-A Farrington Way, Columbia, SC 29210 Gary Sowell, 140 Sweetwater Road, Hopkins, SC 29061 Immediate Past President: Bert Fisher, 924 Urban Ave., Durham, NC 27701 Headquarters Secretary: Tullie Johnson, 1 1 West Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601 Rare Bird Alert: (704)332-BIRD Web Site: www.carolinabirdclub.org £ Z CO 1> X .X CO w w Z H Z' w z ^ Cm CO m CD j Q H X Z D Z m o z n 3> O S-* n u\ 4* rO ui 0- ■£> r-J m co G>L , u-nl OM'o'f' The Chat ( Vol. 65 FALL 2001 No. 4 The Quarterly Bulletin of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc. The Ornithological Society of the Carolinas Vol. 65 THE CHAT (USPS 101-020) FALL 2001 No. 4 Published by The Carolina Bird Club, Inc. Editor General Field Notes Bob Wood, 2421 Owl Circle West Columbia, SC 29169 bobwood@ix.netcom.com Briefs for the Files . . . North Carolina South Carolina Will Cook Dennis M. Forsythe Associate Editor Editor Emeritus THE CHAT is published quarterly for $20.00 by the Carolina Bird Club, Inc., with headquarters at the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029. Second-class postage paid at Raleigh, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Carolina Bird Club, THE CHAT, 1 1 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1029. Articles A 20-year Record of Migratory Bird Movements in the Black River Swamp of South Carolina. Thomas B. Mowbray, Lex Glover, Abby Whitaker, Noora Singh 123 Overlooked Bird Reports from South Carolina in the 16th Century. David W. Johnston 137 General Field Notes Scarlet Ibis Found Breeding in South Carolina. David Chamberlain 142 Briefs for the Files, Spring 2001 146 index to Voi. 65 157 Cover (White-breasted Nuthatches) by Bill Duyck, Asheville, NC A 20-year Record of Migratory Bird Movements in the Black River Swamp of South Carolina Thomas B. Mowbray Biology Department Salem College Winston-Salem, NC 27108 Lex Glover POBox 117 Lugoff, SC 29 Abby Whitaker Biology Department Salem College Winston-Salem, NC 27108 Noora Singh Biology Department — Salem College Winston-Salem, NC 27108 Introduction For over 26 years Evelyn Dabbs has operated a bird banding station at her home on the Black River Swamp, 12 miles east of Sumter, South Carolina. Dabbs and others have banded birds continuously at the site on the eastern edge of the swamp just north of U.S. Highway 378 since 1976. The effort started modestly, out of an interest in merely documenting the local avian fauna near her home and establishing a record of the migrant species using the Black River corridor, but it soon expanded into a major project that included the education of school children and local residents about the biology of birds and the importance of preserving habitat to maintain bird diversity. While carrying out Evelyn’s pet objective of education, the banders were collecting a great deal of valuable data on the composition and dynamics of the local avian community and on migratory movements of birds through this part of the South Carolina Low Country. This paper summarizes the nearly 14,000 banding records reported at the Black River Swamp from 1980-2000. Emphasis is on the phenology and species composition of the spring (March - May) and fall (August - November) migration along the Black River corridor and, albeit briefly, the species composition and population dynamics of the summer and winter birds at the site. The fall and spring migratory data represent the 20-year banding records of Dabbs, Glover, and Mowbray. All records included in the report are a part of the permanent data base for the Black River Swamp site at the USFWS Migratory Bird Banding Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. All species are listed in the order of the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds (Am. Ornithol. Union 1998), and names follow the Identification Guide to North American Birds (Pyle 1997). Study Area and Methods. The approximately 1 km long study site is on a slight bluff overlooking the eastern portion of the Black River Swamp. The eastern portion of the site 123 124 Black River Swamp Migratory Bird Movements consists of flat, agricultural fields dissected by a network of tree-dominated hedgerows and shrubby drainage ditches. The portion of the study site directly adjacent to the river has mature upland hardwood forest on the well-drained areas and mature bottomland hardwood forest on the floodplain. The upland forest forms a narrow band, 100 to 200 m in width, extending parallel with the river. The elevational drop from the top of the bluff to the floodplain averages 5- 10 m. The bottomland hardwood forest represents the dominant forest of the entire Black River floodplain and is more than 3 km wide at the study site. The mist nets at the banding site were located on the slopes of the bluff in the upland forest and in an adjacent east-west oriented hedgerow. Nets were sometimes also set up in hedgerows and shrubby drainage areas to the east, in the cultivated fields. The mist nets used at the site were standard 2.1 x 13m and 2.1 x 9 m, 4-tier, 30 mm mesh nets. All were placed within mature forest or hedgerows in narrowly cleared lanes 1-1.5 m in width. During the period reported in this study, 6 to 24 nets operated at any one time, and the nets were open each banding date from 2-10 hours. The days of operation varied, but over the 20-year period the operation adequately spanned the entire spring and fall migrations. The daily banding records have been consolidated, for space and convenience of reporting, into five, 6-day (or in a few cases 7-day) periods per month. The number of birds reported for each period represents all the birds captured during those days throughout the entire 20 years of data collection but does not represent a consistent banding effort. Some dates represent significantly more or less banding effort than others, thus making the use of this data inappropriate as a basis either for direct comparisons with other banding stations, or for descriptions of temporal changes in the occurrence or absolute abundance of species at this banding station. The importance of this data to the ornithological literature is in its documentation of the diversity of the avian species that occur in this part of the South Carolina Low Country during spring and fall migration, the relative abundance of the different species during these periods, and the long-term phenological record of their occurrence. During the period 1980-2000, three intensive studies were conducted during the fall migration (August - November). In the fall of 1991, Glover banded daily. Glover and Dabbs banded several days each week throughout the entire fall of 1990 (Glover and Dabbs 1991). In 1999 Mowbray banded several days each week throughout the fall. The data collected during these more intensive studies is included in this report. Results During the 20 years of banding at the Black River Swamp reported in this paper, nearly 14,000 individual birds representing 105 different species were banded. The 1 05 species include birds considered permanent residents, summer residents, winter visitors, and spring and fall transients, based on the date(s) of their occurrence and the length of stay at the site. Although the banding data for the summer months of June and July and winter months of December, January, The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 4, Fall 2001 125 and February are not included here, they are available and can be inferred from the discussion of the breeding and wintering birds here. Permanent, Summer (Breeding) and Wintering Bird Communities. The species composition of the summer and winter bird communities at the Black River Swamp consists of a mix of permanent residents and migrants and is typical of the bird communities found during these seasons throughout much of the South Carolina Coastal Plain (Post and Gauthreaux 1989). Common permanent residents at the site include Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Carolina Chickadee, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, Eastern Bluebird, Chipping and Field Sparrows, Blue Jay, Brown Thrasher, Mourning Dove, and Loggerhead Shrike (Tables 1, 2 and 3). During the summer several species of migrants join the permanent residents to form a typical breeding bird community consisting of over 50 species. Neotropical migrants that breed in the area, along with the permanent residents, include Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Acadian and Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Wood- Pewee, Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos, Northern Parula, Prothonotary, Yellow-throated, Prairie, Kentucky, and Hooded Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrush, Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo and Painted Buntings, and Orchard Oriole. The wintering community, although more dynamic as a result of the sporadic appearance of winter irruptives, is both rich in species and high in individual species abundance. Common migrants that winter at the site include Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, House Wren, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warblers, Savannah, Song, Swamp, and White-throated Sparrows, and Dark-eyed Junco. Occasionally these species are joined by large numbers (25-50) of Fox and White-crowned Sparrows, and during cold northern winters when seeds in arctic and boreal regions are scarce a variety of irruptives including Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, and Evening Grosbeak occur at the site and add diversity to the late-winter bird community (Wootton 1996, Dawson 1997, Adkisson 1999). Fall Migration. Fall migration on the Black River Swamp extends from August - November, with continuous activity throughout the entire 4-month period. Table 1. During fall migration most species have fairly protracted periods of migration, with different aged individuals and sexes migrating at different times. Often adults, presumably failed breeders and nonbreeders, disperse southward before successful breeders and immatures (Rimmer and McFarland 1998, Rising and Flood 1998, Mowbray 1999). This is reflected in the peak of activity, which is also protracted, often extending over a full two-week period. Species diversity (species richness; Krebs 2001) of the migrants is slightly greater in fall than spring, with as many as 100 species in fall and generally fewer than 90 in spring. In fall, migration begins the first week of August, with increased movement by several species of summer residents. Generally the first species 126 Black River Swamp Migratory Bird Movements to begin major migratory activity in the area is Prothonotary Warbler. By the second week of August migration is well under way, with Prothonotary Warbler being joined by several other summer residents, including Yellow- throated and Hooded Warblers, Northern Parula, Summer Tanager, Acadian Flycatcher, and Orchard Oriole. Activity continues to build through August and early September with the addition of more summer residents, including Great Crested Flycatcher, Swainson’s Warbler, Wood Thrush, Blue Grosbeak, and Indigo Bunting, and the first appearance of transients, such as Black-and- White Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, American Redstart and Ovenbird. By mid- September migration is in full-swing, with the continued addition of more transient species, including Veery, Yellow Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, and Scarlet Tanager. Peak migration occurs between September 25 and October 3, when as many as 45 species of migratory birds are regularly recorded. Species commonly banded then include Eastern Wood-Pewee, Veery, Gray-cheeked, Swainson’s and Wood Thrushes, Gray Catbird, White-eyed, Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, Scarlet and Summer Tanagers, Rose-breasted and Blue Grosbeaks, Indigo Bunting, and up to 28 species of warbler. Migration begins to taper off after the first week of October, and the few late migrants (such as the Magnolia Warbler, Black- throated Blue Warbler, and Palm Warbler) begin to decline in numbers. The end of fall migration is marked by the arrival of the first of the winter visitors, Eastern Phoebe and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and by late October the residents of the Black River Swamp winter bird community begin to arrive in force. This late burst of activity includes White-throated, Chipping and Song Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hermit Thrush, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Several species occur at the site during fall migration that do not during spring migration. These species, which appear to follow a more easterly fall migratory route, include Least Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Winter Wren, Philadelphia Vireo, Golden-winged, Canada, Bay-breasted, Blackburnian, Tennessee, Nashville, Connecticut, Mourning, and Chestnut- sided Warblers, and Scarlet Tanager (Rimmer and McFarland 1998, Mowbray 1997, 1999). Several species that pass through the area in both spring and fall appear to be slightly more numerous during fall migration than spring migration, including Blue-winged and Magnolia Warblers. Because of the unequal amount of banding time however, these differences might not be statistically significant. Spring Migration. Spring migration extends from March - May on the Black River Swamp. Table 2. The overall length of the migratory period is somewhat shorter for most species in spring than in fall, and the peak of activity is also compressed into a shorter period of time (often less than a week). Diversity (species richness) is slightly lower in spring than fall, as several transient species that regularly move through the area in the fall are absent during spring migration. It is difficult to establish when spring migration begins, as the routine daily movements of the winter visitors are difficult to distinguish from migratory The Chat, Vol 65, No. 4, Fall 2001 127 movements. By early March, however, migration appears to begin with the departure of several species of winter visitors and occasional winter irruptives, including Dark-eyed Junco, American Robin, Song Sparrow, Eastern Phoebe, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, and Evening Grosbeak. By mid-March several other species begin their departure, and migration is definitively underway. This second wave of departures includes Chipping and White-throated Sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. Migratory activity remains confined primarily to the departure of the winter visitors and irruptives until nearly mid- April and the appearance of the first few species of summer residents and northern transients. The first of these to arrive in the area include Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Parula, and White-eyed Vireo, but they are closely followed by Prothonotary Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Hooded Warbler, and Red-eyed Vireo. By the third week in April activity rapidly picks up, as more transients begin to appear. By the last week of April peak migration occurs, with as many as 40 species of migrants regularly being recorded. Species routinely banded during this one-week period include Acadian and Great Crested Flycatchers, Veery, Swainson’s and Wood Thrushes, Gray Catbird, White-eyed, Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, Summer Tanager, Rose-breasted and Blue Grosbeaks, Indigo Bunting, Orchard and Northern Orioles, as many as 15 species of warbler, and the last of the departing Chipping and White-throated Sparrows. Spring migration tapers off gradually through May as the final numbers and composition of the summer community becomes established. The activity of birds during this period wanes significantly and does not pick up again until the first migrants begin to move about in late July and early August. Species Recapture. During the 20-year period of 1980-2000, 381 individuals of 44 species were recaptured at the site, most of these being either permanent residents, breeders, or wintering birds. Few transients were recaptured (Table 3). Most recaptures were of permanent resident and neotropical migrants that breed at the site, including Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Northern Cardinal, Downy Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadee, Great Crested and Acadian Flycatcher, Orchard Oriole, Prothonotary Warbler, and Wood Thrush. The only wintering species consistently recaptured at the site was White-throated Sparrow. For migratory species recapture data can be used to establish fidelity of individuals to specific sites. The recapture data for the Black River Swamp suggests that several species of summer residents have a high degree of fidelity to the site and return annually after their initial banding. Species showing a high degree of fidelity include Great Crested Flycatcher, Indigo Bunting, Prothonotary Warbler, and Wood Thrush (all returning annually for up to 4 years). White-throated Sparrow also returns regularly to the Black River Swamp. Recapture data, when gathered over a long period of time, can also be useful in establishing species longevity. In this study several records may be significant in helping to determine the longevity of certain species. Of 128 Black River Swamp Migratory Bird Movements particular significance in this regard is the recapture of a Prothonotary Warbler eleven years after its initial banding, a remarkable record for this long-distance migrant. Average life span for this species is 2.44 yr, with a minimum longevity of 4 yr 1 1 mo, and a previous record longevity for a banded female 8 yr (Petit 1999). Other records of interest include Blue Jay (11 years), Tufted Titmouse (10 years), and the Great Crested Flycatcher (7 years). The 7-year longevity of Great Crested Flycatcher is another example of a fairly long life span for a species that annually migrates from South Carolina to Middle America (Am. Ornithol. Union 1998). Although recapture data can also be used to determine annual survival rates, no conclusions regarding survival can be drawn from our data, as banding effort over the years was inconsistent. A Special Note During the 20-year period of 1980-2000, Dabbs gave banding demonstrations and presentations to 270 groups of school-aged children and 70 groups of adults (6,366 individuals) from throughout South Carolina. In addition to the banding demonstrations and presentations, Dabbs and her family made their facilities available for extended periods of time (1-2 full days) for Audubon groups and college and university classes. During the period 42 Audubon groups and 14 university classes from North and South Carolina (a total of 1 ,678 individuals) visited the site for one- to two-day field experiences. Thus, over the 20-year period a total of 8,044 individuals enjoyed the Black River Swamp while being treated to a bird banding demonstration and presentation on the biology of birds. From all of us who have had the opportunity to participate in one or more of these special visits, a hearty expression of our thanks and appreciation to Evelyn and her husband (Tommy), their entire family, and the lengthy list of volunteers who over the years have given so freely of their time. Instructions for Authors www.carolinabirdclub.org/thechat.html The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 4, Fall 2001 129 Evelyn Dabbs continues to band birds at her home on the Black River Swamp after more than 25 years. Photo by Bob Wood. 130 Black River Swamp Migratory Bird Movements 0) E CD > O Z « O) < E * o ts “|CMCMCOf^COT-r-CM O £| (Ml y- \n -*t T- h- o CO T— CO r- CD $ J^cogT-OnT-ng oo°n® cocvit- 2 co o rvi ^ rvi OOfflT- Jjr- ^2 T- CM 8 8 6 00 OJ E w 1° CL *“ E CO CM CO CO Sj cvl CM CM ® CM CD Q. *| ir O o _co m a> ~ _ g CM CM 8)2t- ? 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Number of recaptures for each species each year after initial banding. 134 Black River Swamp Migratory Bird Movements Ui c T3 C 0 n 0 o> 00 (O LO CO CM CO CM CM CM CM CO CM CO CM CO CD CO CM 00 CM 00 CM COCOT-T-M’CO^-CMr- CO O) 00 CO 1- T- CO 0 o o w, a a> ~o o § a> 5 .9-5 m (/> = 5 m n i T5 0 DC 5 o % I ■* 2- o co 5> Q--o ° 15 JQ C >* £ 0 lit o >! z 0 1_ 0 O o p o * XJ >2 O <0 ™F 0 a. o E S £ 0 0 »- 0 0 su £ o > B ■D > &-o ? > 0 0 ■S ~6 £ 0 5 DC 0 0 ■o 0 O !E o >» CO 0 O ® = 0 *- ffl O £ si £ 0 0 TJ 3 0 2 « E 0 E £ H 13 24 n "O c ® 0 13 i- 0 5£: 0 > .c 0 c .E £ o O *s s» 0 m o 0 O) c 5 1 §i |l ■5 0 3 0 DC LLfl n U) ^ I | Is^ii £^s = .t: .£ O £ "o 0 >» t 0 U a 0 t 0 0 P E £ o > x 5 < a z The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 4, Fall 2001 135 CM CO o> c ■5 c 0 JQ O) CO CM in o (0 (0 (0 © > CO in CO CM CM CD CO CM h- CM 1^ CM CO CO G> 2 T- CM CO ^ g CM CD CM 00 CM T- in § CM CM CM CO CMIOCMJ^C0$£cMt-O) CO CO CO © o © a c n © A I OS -Q CO 0) .Q w CO 5 2 0L P f a. £ E v ® 5 t = o © z > m 3 X Q) © -a c c ± £ -o O J3 « (D £ c £ -g o o t o 2 > o o CL O Z X 05 - S I ra 3 $ Q. (D 8 £ C 0 £ S 3 CO cn sjj CO Q. 5: o x. x. (0 « 8 S ■° i =5 © § if Its aw :* o> © CO a CO O aw ^ f s Ss“ gijif £ =5 P O — Z CD JE O giS *= 0 2 S O fr- o £ 0 o X 0 £ < 136 Black River Swamp Migratory Bird Movements Literature Cited Adkisson, C S. 1999. Pine grosbeak ( Pinicola enucleatof). In Birds of North America, No. 456 (A Poole and F Gill, eds.). Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. American Ornithologists’ Union. 1998. AOU checklist of North American birds. 7th ed. Washington, DC. Dabbs, E V, and L Glover. 1991 . Atlantic Fly way review, Region I: Black River Swamp banding station, Sumter, SC. N. Am. Bird Bander. Dawson, W R. 1997. Pine siskin ( Carduelis pinus). In Birds of North America, No. 280 (A Poole and F Gill, eds.). Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, DC. Krebs, C J. 2001. Ecology: Experimental analysis of distribution and abundance. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. NY. Mowbray, TB. 1997. Swamp sparrow (Melospiza georgiana). In Birds of North America, No. 279 (A Poole and F Gill, eds.). Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, DC. Mowbray, T B. 1999. Scarlet tanager ( Piranga olivacea). In Birds of North America, No. 479 (A Poole and F Gill, eds.). Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Petit, L J. 1999. Prothonotary warbler ( Protonotaria citrea). In Birds of North America, No. 408 (A Poole and F Gill, eds.). Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Post, W and S A Gauthreaux, Jr. 1989. Status and distribution of South Carolina birds. Charleston Museum, Charleston, SC. Pyle, P. 1 997. Identification guide to North American birds. Part 1 , Columbidae to Ploceidae. Slate Creek Press. Bolinas, CA. Rimmer, C C and K P McFarland. 1998. Tennessee warbler ( Vermivora peregrina ). In Birds of North America, No. 350 (A Poole and F Gill, eds.). Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Rising, J D and N J Flood. 1998. Baltimore oriole ( Icterus galbula). In Birds of North America, No. 384 (A Poole and F Gill, eds.). Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Sprunt, A, Jr, and E B Chamberlain. 1970. South Carolina birdlife. Univ. of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC. Wootton, J T. 1996. Purple finch ( Carpodacus purpureus). In Birds of North America, No. 208 (A Poole and F Gill, eds.). Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, DC. Overlooked Bird Reports from South Carolina in the 16th Century David W. Johnston 5219 Concordia Street Fairfax, Virginia 22032 Heretofore, the earliest recognized bird report from South Carolina has been the account of William Hilton’ s exploration in 1 663 (Wayne 1910; Sprunt and Chamberlain 1949). Along the coast from Port Royal to the Edisto River, Hilton wrote: “The Country abounds with Grapes, large Figs, and Peaches; the Woods with Deer, Conies, Turkeys, Quails, Curlues, Plovers, Teile, Herons; and as the Indians say, in Winter, with Swans, Geese, Cranes, Duck and Mallard, and innumerable of other water-Fowls, whose names we know not, which lie in the Rivers, Marshes, and on the Sands....” (Hilton 1664:8). In the same account he reported “...Deer and Turkies every where; we never going on shoar, but saw of each also Partridges great store, Cranes abundance.... Also in the River we saw great store of Ducks, Teile, Widgeon, and in the woods great flocks of Parrakeeto’s....” (Hilton 1664:10). Also “...we kill’d of wild-fowl, four Swans, ten Geese, twenty nine Cranes, ten Turkies, forty Duck and Mallard, three dozen Parrakeeto’s, and six or seven dozen of other small Fowls, as Curlues and Plovers, &c.” (Hilton 1664:15). Although Hilton’s bird names are mostly too general for precise identification, the Turkies must have been Meleagris gallopavo , the Quails and Partridges, Northern Bobwhites ( Colinus virginianus), the Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, and the Parrakeeto’s, the Carolina Parakeet ( Conuropsis carolinensis ). The reported abundance of birds, especially the waterfowl in winter and shorebirds, in South Carolina in the 1 7th century is similar to reports from Virginia at the same time (David W. Johnston, unpubl. data). A century before Hilton’s journey, a French expedition led by Captain Jean Ribaut (also known as Ribault or Ribauld) landed in May 1562 at the River of May (St. John’s River) in northeastern Florida (Ribauld 1563). From there he made an excursion northward along the coast to present-day South Carolina arriving at Portus Regalis (Port Royal) on 17 May 1562 (Connor 1927). At least two versions of the excursion are known. Thomas Hacket (in Connor 1927) translated the original French version into English, which translation included observations from the Port Royal area: “Also an innumerable sorte of wylde foule of all sorts, & in litle Islandes at the entrye of this hauen on the East Northest syde, there is so great number of Egreps that the bushes be all whyte & couered with them, so that one may take of the yonge ones with his hand as many as he wyll carye away. There be also a number of other foules, as Hernes, Bitters, Curlues, And to be short, there is so many small byrdes that it is a straunge thyng to be sene.” A similar but slightly different version has been found in the British Museum, wherein Ribaut wrote about 137 138 Overlooked Bird Reports from 16th Century SC “...guinea foule and innumerable wildfoule of all sortes, and in a lyttell ilande at the entrye of this haven, on the est northerest side, there is so great numbre of egretes that the bushes be all white and covered with them, so that one may take of the yong ones with his hande as many as he will carry awaye. There be also a nombre of other foule, as herons, bytters, curleux, and to be shorte, so many smale birdes that yt is a straung thing to be sene” (Connor 1927:92). The addition of “guinea fowle” must have referred to the Wild Turkey. Rene Laudonniere paraphrased Ribaut’s account of this venture to Port Royal in 1562 by adding: “Advancing through these woods, we saw turkeys flying everywhere and grey and red partridges [probably the Northern Bobwhite], differing from ours mainly in size. We also heard deer and saw bears, lynxes, leopards...” (Lawson 1992:23). As with bird reports of other early North American explorers, most of the names are too general for specific identification. “Bytters” might have referred to the American Bittern ( Botaurus lentiginosus), “egretes” might have been any of several species, and “curleux” are unidentifiable. Even so, Ribaut’s description of the bird life, as well as that of animals and plants, provides an early picture of natural history in coastal South Carolina. After constructing Charlesfort at Port Royal, Ribaut left men to guard it, then departed for France on 1 1 June. Ultimately Charlesfort was destroyed by the Spanish. A second French expedition to “New France” ( i.e . , northeast Florida) took place in 1564, this one under the leadership of Rene Laudonniere. Accompanying him was Jacques Le Moyne De Morgues (15307-1588), a special painter and mathematician. His duties were “to make an accurate description and map of the country and drawings of all curious objects.” He accompanied Laudonniere on his exploring trips up the St. John’s River from Fort Caroline at the river’s mouth, thereby giving him impressions of Indian life styles and wildlife. One of the French commanders, Le Vasseur, sailed northward to the Port Royal region, and Le Moyne reportedly accompanied him. Soon thereafter the Spanish attacked the French at Fort Caroline and killed most of its inhabitants, including Jean Ribaut, who had returned to Florida in 1565. Le Moyne and Laudonniere managed to escape and sailed to England in 1565. Exactly where and when Le Moyne completed 42 paintings of the Florida and South Carolina travels is unclear. Theodore de Bry purchased Le Moyne’s drawings in London and published them in 1591 (Bry 1591). These drawings have been reproduced several times (Lorant 1946; Allen 1951; Hulton 1977b), most of them dealing with scenes of Indian life, Fort Caroline, and travels along the St. John’s River. Only one of the originals has survived: “Life at Fort Caroline.” Among the 42 illustrations published by de Bry is one entitled, “The French Reach Port Royal,” and in it three French vessels are depicted entering the islands of Port Royal Sound (Fig. 1). The caption in Hulton (1977a: 140) contains the statement: ”On penetrating these [islands and forests] they could see turkeys or peacocks flying past and deer ranging through the forest.” Four 140 Overlooked Bird Reports from 16th Century SC the wilderness of South Carolina....” (Allen 1951:440); the description of the Le Vasseur/Le Moyne trip to Port Royal in Lawson ( 1 993 :92) strongly suggests only a brief visit of a few days. And on page 441 Allen unfortunately labelled Le Moyne’s drawing of “The French Reach Port Royal” as “Life at Fort Caroline.” Acknowledgments Thomas W. Simpson, Marcus B. Simpson, Jr., and two anonymous reviewers read an earlier draft of the manuscript and offered useful comments. Literature Cited Allen, E G. 1951. History of American ornithology before Audubon. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, new series, 41 (part 3:386-591). Bry, T de. 1591. America. Part II. J. Wecheli, Frankfurt, Germany. Connor, J T 1927. Jean Ribaut. Whole & true discouerye of Terra Florida. [A facsimile reprint of the London edition of 1563.] Florida State Historical Society, Deland, FL. Hilton, W. 1664. A Relation of a discovery lately made on the coast of Florida, (From Lat. 31. to 33 Deg. 45 Min., North-Lat.). Printed by J C for Simon Miller at the Star neer the West-end of St. Pauls, London. Also in Peter Force’s Collection of Historical Tracts, Vol. IV (No. 2):3- 1 6, 1847. Published by Peter Smith, Gloucester, MA, in 1963. Hulton, P. 1977a. Work of Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues. Huguenot artist in France, Florida, and England. Vol. I. British Museum Publications, London. Hulton, P. 1977b. Work of Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues. Huguenot artist in France, Florida, and England. Vol. II. The Plates. British Museum Publications, London. Lawson, S. 1992. Foothold in Florida: Eye-witness account of four voyages made by the French to that region and their attempt at colonisation 1562- 1568. Based on a new translation of Laudonniere’s L’Histoire notable de la Floride. Antique Atlas Publications, West Sussex, England. Le Moyne De Morgues, J. 1586. La clef des champs, pour trouuer plusieurs animaux, tant bestes qu’oyseaux, avec plusiers fleurs & fruits. Imprime aux Blacke-friers, pour Jaques le Moyne, dit le Morgues paintre, London. Lorant, S. 1946. New world: First pictures of America made by John White and Jacques le Moyne and engraved by Theodore de Bry with contemporary narratives of the Huguenot settlement in Florida 1562-1565 and the Virginia colony 1585-1590. Duell, Sloan & Pearce, New York. Ribauld, J. 1563. Whole and true discouerye of Terra Florida. Translated from French and printed by Rouland Hall for Thomas Hacket, London. The Chat , Vol 65, No. 4, Fall 2001 141 Sanders, A E, and W D Anderson, Jr. 1999. Natural history investigations in South Carolina from colonial times to the present. University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC. Sprunt, A, Jr, and E B Chamberlain. 1949. South Carolina bird life. University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC. Wayne, A T. 1910. Birds of South Carolina: Contributions from the Charleston Museum, Charleston, SC. Birds of the Carolinas Student Research Grants Program The Carolina Bird Club’s Birds of the Carolinas Research Grants Program provides funding for undergraduate and graduate students in North Carolina and South Carolina. The program is funded through the generosity of the authors of Birds of the Carolinas (Eloise F. Potter, James F. Parnell, and Robert P. Teulings). Application deadlines and other details will be announced via mail to North Carolina and South Carolina institutions and on the Carolina Bird Club web site. 144 Scarlet Ibis Breeding in SC Scarlet Ibis in faded plumage (Post and Gauthreaux, 1 989; Belser, 1 989). None of these birds was found nesting. The ibis found at Buckfield Plantation backwater was a dark, vivid pink, Smithe color 13 - geranium pink with black wing tips (Smithe, 1975). This color is but one hue off of scarlet (color 14). The feet, legs, lores, and orbital area of this bird were bright scarlet. The color of the soft parts of this bird was much deeper than those of the white ibis nesting nearby. The bill was dark brown grading into pink near its base. The iris was blue. The identification of this bird is complicated by the question of whether it is a Scarlet x White Ibis hybrid or whether it is a Scarlet Ibis in faded plumage. Discussion of the plumage is further complicated by the fact that the Scarlet Ibis takes three to four years to obtain its full adult plumage but may be sexually mature at three years (Bent, 1926). In South America, the older, blood red adults are known to nest first followed by those in faded plumages, supporting the assertion that not all nesting Scarlet Ibis are in full adult plumage (Bent, 1926). Scarlet Ibis x White Ibis hybridization is noted by Selby (2000), who describes the plumage as “variable rosy-pink.” Careful examination of the photographs by Dr. Dennis Forsythe led him to support the identification in favor of the “true” Scarlet Ibis rather than the hybrid. The plumage of this particular specimen is in keeping with the third nuptial described by Oberholser as “similar to nuptial adults, but head and neck paler - peach red to rose red.” Additionally, this species is known to lose its color rapidly in captivity, resulting in a rose tone rather than the deep scarlet found in South America. This phenomenon has been attributed to a lack of carotenoids in the diet, an item formerly supplied by tropical crustaceans abundant in coastal South American waters (Bent, 1926; Fox, 1962). Given the fact that plumage color is determined by the diet at the time the feathers were acquired, it seems apparent that this bird traveled a considerable distance from a tropical locale (Bird, 1997). One puzzling aspect of the identification was the iris color. Palmer describes the Scarlet Ibis iris as “very dark brownish.” The iris of this bird was blue, as is that of the White Ibis. Dr. Richard Banks of the Smithsonian Institution questioned if Palmer was correct since no other authors offer an iris color. He also postulated that eye color may be related to age (Banks, 2001). The bird was extensively photographed with both 300 mm and 400 mm lenses by the author and Dr. Murry Thompson on April 16 and again on April 1 8, 2001 . (Photos page 142.) The bird was last observed on April 20. A strong windstorm passed through the area on April 22, and a revisit to the site on April 30 found the nest and those of adjacent White Ibis destroyed and much of the rookery abandoned. The immature Scarlet Ibis, like the White Ibis, is known to disperse over great distances (Palmer, 1962). Deprived of the tropical marine crustaceans that provide vivid plumage, this bird was fading as it adapted to life in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. If this individual is determined to be a Scarlet The Chat , Vol. 65, No. 4, Fall 2001 145 Ibis ( Eudocimus ruber), it will be the first recorded in South Carolina and the first to have been found nesting in the state. Literature Cited American Ornithologists Union, 1998. Checklist of North American Birds, 7th ed., Washington, D.C., The Union. Banks, Richard, National Museum of Natural History, personal communication, June 1, 2001. Bent, A C. 1926. Life histories of North American marsh birds, Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum Bulletin 135, Washington, DC. Belser, C G. 1989. Scarlet ibis or hybrid white ibis x scarlet ibis in South Carolina. Chat 53:90-91. Bird, D M. 1997. Colorful birds, Bird Watcher’s Digest 20:118. De Santo, T. 1997. Pink and orange ibises in Coastal Georgetown County, South Carolina. Chat 61:54-56. Forsythe, D M. The Citadel, personal communication, July 2001. Fox, D L. 1962. Carotenoids of the scarlet ibis. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 5:31- 43. Howell, A H. 1932. Florida bird life. Florida Department of Game and Freshwater Fish and Bureau of Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture, NY. Oberholser, H C. 1974. Bird life of Texas. University of Texas Press, Austin. Palmer, R S (ed.). 1962. Handbook of North American Birds. Yale University Press, New Haven. Post, W and S A Gauthreaux, Jr. 1989. Status and distribution of South Carolina Birds: Contributions from the Charleston Museum, XVIII, Charleston. Sibley, D A. 2000. Sibley guide to birds. National Audubon Society, Alfred Knopf, New York. Smithe, F B. 1975. Naturalist’s color guide. American Museum of Natural History, NY. Wilson, A. 1808-1818. American Ornithology, 8 vols., Bradford and Inskeep, Philadelphia. CBC Rare Bird Alert (704) 332-BIRD The Chat , Vol 65, No. 4, Fall 2001 147 RED-NECKED GREBE: This species was reported only from the Huntington Beach State Park, SC, area with one March 9 (Jim Edwards et al.), three March 15 (Mike Bernard et al.), and one March 24 (Gary and Miles Phillips). EARED GREBE: Locally rare were one at Huntington Beach State Park, SC, March 9 (Jim Edwards et al.) until March 15 (Mike Bernard et al.), and two at Lake Crabtree, Wake County, NC, March 13 (Jeff Pippen). HERALD PETREL: This species continues to be found regularly each season. This spring’s five sightings included singles off Hatteras, NC, May 19 and June 2 (Brian Patteson et al.), off Oregon Inlet, NC, May 25 and June 1 (Patteson et al.), and off Oregon Inlet May 26 (Mike Tove et al.). FEA’S PETREL: Two off Oregon Inlet, NC, May 25 (Patteson et al.) provided the only report of this rare but annual species. BERMUDA PETREL: Another individual of this much-sought-after species was found off North Carolina, with one off Oregon Inlet May 27 (Tove et al.). There are now about 12 reports of this bird for the state. MANX SHEARWATER: Manx Shearwater is a regular late-spring migrant off our coasts. This year’s reports were of one flying past Cape Hatteras, NC, May 26 (Russ & Patricia Tyndall), two off Oregon Inlet, NC, May 27 (Tove et al.) and one off Hatteras, NC, the same day (Patteson et al.). WILSON’S STORM-PETREL: One of the better totals for spring, a count of 512 Wilson’s was had off Oregon Inlet, NC, June 1 (Patteson et al.). LEACH’S STORM-PETREL: Numbers were down somewhat this spring with the best one-day count being 27 off Oregon Inlet, NC, June 1 (Patteson et al.). WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD: One adult White-tailed off Oregon Inlet, NC, June 1 (Patteson et al.) provided the only sighting this spring. RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD: The rare Red-billed Tropicbird was found twice with singles off Oregon Inlet, NC, May 27 (Tove et al.) and off Hatteras, NC, June 2 (Patteson et al.). It had been several years since this species had been reported from North Carolina waters. AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: Four were late at the Savannah Spoil Site, Jasper County, SC, May 25, as noted by Steve Calver. MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD: Only two reports of this annual visitor were received, one at Portsmouth, NC, March 23 (Terri Maness) and one north of Cape Hatteras, NC, May 30 (J. Holland). AMERICAN BITTERN: Noteworthy inland bitterns included one near Boone, NC, April 14-25 (Curtis Smalling) and one migrating over the Harris Farm, Franklin County, NC, May 2 (Ricky Davis). Also one at Bodie Island, NC, May 31 (Jeff Lewis) was late. LEAST BITTERN: Always noteworthy, especially inland, one was heard in the Butner Game Lands, Durham County, NC, April 29 (Norm Budnitz et al.), and one was at Riverbend Park, Catawba County, NC, May 12 (David Campbell, fide Dwayne & Lori Martin). GREAT EGRET: Locally unusual in spring, one was in Transylvania County, NC, March 24 (Betty Mcllwain). Also, along the French Broad River, 148 Briefs for the Files, Spring 2001 Henderson County, NC, one was present April 16-17, and two were there May 16 (Ron Selvey, Wayne Forsythe). SNOWY EGRET: Good inland spring reports included one at Lake Osceola, Hendersonville, NC, April 25 (Ron Selvey, Marilyn Westphal), one at the Little Creek Impoundment, Chapel Hill, NC, May 2 (Rob Gluck), one at Buckhorn Reservoir, Wilson County, NC, May 4 (Ricky Davis), and one along the French Broad R., Henderson County, NC, May 30 (Wayne Forsythe and Marilyn Westphal). LITTLE BLUE HERON: Inland sightings of this wader involved two at Columbia, SC, and one at the Orangeburg, SC, Sod Farm April 22 (Tim Kalbach), one at the Little Creek Impoundment, Chapel Hill, NC, May 10 (Shantanu Phukan), and one along the French Broad River, Henderson County, NC, May 19-29 (Wayne Forsythe, Bob Olthoff, Marilyn Westphal). BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON: Noteworthy inland sightings included five at Granby Park, Columbia, SC, April 1 (Tim Kalbach) and one at L. Osceola, Hendersonville, NC, April 14 (Ron Selvey, Wayne Forsythe, Marilyn Westphal). GLOSSY IBIS: Reports of inland Glossies are always worth mentioning. This spring an excellent count of 12 was had from Brickhouse Road, Durham County, NC, May 11 (Stephen Perry) and one was in extreme eastern Edgecombe County, NC, April 1 (Ricky Davis). ROSEATE SPOONBILL: The only spoonbill found this spring was at Bray Plantation, Beaufort County, SC, in early May (Ann Shahid, fide Taylor Piephoff). MOTTLED DUCK: One at Huntington Beach State Park, SC, April 18 (Jack Peachey et al .) provided only about the second sighting for the park. This species seems to be slowly spreading northward with several reports from the northern coastal regions of South Carolina now available. Observers in North Carolina need to check all Mallard look-alikes! CINNAMON TEAL: The male that spent the winter at L. Medcalf, Sunset Beach, NC, was still present as late as April 4 (Mary McDavit). REDHEAD: This species was present in larger than normal numbers this winter. The best inland early spring count was an impressive 100 on L. Julian, Buncombe County, NC, March 5 (Wayne Forsythe and Simon Thompson). COMMON EIDER: The wintering female at Atlantic Beach, NC, was last seen March 8 (John Fussell et al.). WHITE-WINGED SCOTER: Five females on L. Julian, NC, March 24 were good finds for the mountains (Wayne Forsythe, Bob Olthoff, Marilyn Westphal). HOODED MERGANSER: A female and six young were seen near Trenton, Jones County, NC, May 10 (Clancy Ballenger). This makes a couple of years in a row for breeding in this eastern locality. COMMON MERGANSER: Spring reports of this noteworthy species included 8 at L. Crabtree, Wake County, NC, March 18 (Ricky Davis, Bob The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 4, Fall 2001 149 Perkins, Kent Fiala, Harry LeGrand), four still there April 1 (Fiala), and two at Buckhorn Reservoir, Wilson County, NC, April 8 (Davis). RED-BREASTED MERGANSER: An excellent inland sighting included 40 on L. Julian, NC, April 3 (Tom Joyce). Also late inland spring migrants included one at Jordan Lake, NC, May 13 (Shelley Theye et al .) and one east of Rocky Mount, NC, May 20 (Ricky Davis). SWALLOW-TAILED KITE: This species is a regular spring visitor to North Carolina but all sightings are worth mentioning. This year reports were numerous, including one at Ocracoke April 8 (Peter Vankevich, fide Hal Broadfoot, Jr.), one at Bodie Island April 9 (fide Jeff Lewis), one in Tyrrell County April 12 (fide Lewis), one southwest of Havelock in the Croatan Forest April 29 (John Fussell et al.), two in Holly Shelter Game Land April 29 (Jeremy Hyman etal.), one inland at Norfleet, eastern Halifax County May 12 (John Wright), and one at Alligator River N.W.R. May 27 (Wayne Irvin). The Buxton, Cape Hatteras area, as usual, hosted Swallow-taileds with one April 21 (Russ & Patricia Tyndall) and up to three by May 2 (Sidney Maddock). The only real interesting South Carolina report was of one slightly early at Sandy Island, Georgetown County March 24 (Jack Peachey and Bob Maxwell). MISSISSIPPI KITE: Two were a complete surprise very early at Savannah N.W.R. , SC, March 3, as noted by Andrea Ceselski and Molly Bonnell. This date is over a month early for normal arrival of this species. This location also produced the best spring count for the species when 22 were counted May 1 (Giff Beaton and Paul Lehman). In North Carolina, where spring coastal reports are regular, the most northerly sighting included two north of Sanderling on the Currituck Banks May 22 (John Fussell et al.). NORTHERN HARRIER: One at Hooper Lane, Henderson County, NC, May 24 (Wayne Forsythe and Ron Selvey) was very late, especially for that mountain locality. BROAD-WINGED HAWK: Noteworthy eastern reports included one at Conway, SC, April 10 (Gary Phillips), one in the Green Swamp, NC, May 27 (Ricky Davis), and one in Onslow County, NC, May 12 (John Fussell). A good count, for so early in the season, was a migrating “kettle” of 20+ over Winston- Salem, NC, April 3 (Ramona Snavely). GOLDEN EAGLE: This spring’s reports of the rare Golden Eagle included one at Piney Creek, Alleghany County, NC, March 5-6 (James Coman); one near Linville, NC, May 4 (Shantanu Phukan); and an adult at Savannah N.W.R., SC, March 3 (Robin Carter and Caroline Eastman), providing a very rare coastal occurrence. VIRGINIA RAIL: Of interest was one found on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus April 13, which was picked up and later released at nearby Jordan Lake (Ginger Travis). SORA: Another grounded migrant rail was the Sora found exhausted below Brinegar Cabin on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Wilkes County, NC, April 29 (fide James Coman). 150 Briefs for the Files, Spring 2001 LIMPKIN: This species staged a minor influx into South Carolina this spring. The state’s third documented Limpkin was photographed at Savannah N.W.R. March 1 (Giff Beaton and Tom Egan) and was still being seen as late as May 5 (Tim Kalbach). Another was found at Magnolia Plantation, Charleston County May 13 (Perry Nugent et al.), and two were photographed at the Port Harrelson Boat Landing, Bucksport, Horry County May 31 (Andy Day, fide Lex Glover). Are drought conditions in Florida responsible for the increase in sightings the last couple of years? SANDHILL CRANE: Rare sightings involved one near the French Broad River, Henderson County, NC, March 1-13 (Marilyn Westphal, Wayne Forsythe), one over Transylvania County, NC, April 28 (Nancy lha, fide Norma Siebenheller), and one at the Greenville, NC, W.T.P. from late April into May (J.K. Williams, John Wright). BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER: One was a good find inland at the drawn-down Tar River Reservoir, Nash County, NC, May 10 (Ricky Davis). AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER: This species is very rarely found in spring, thus of note were four at the Savannah Spoil Site, Jasper County, SC, April 25, as noted by Steve Calver. SEMIPALM ATED PLOVER: Four were good finds at the French Broad River, Henderson County, NC, May 28 (Wayne Forsythe). The peak count at the Tar R. Res., NC, was 51 on May 16 (Ricky Davis). AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER: This species was again found nesting on rooftops in Atlantic Beach, NC, where 2-3 pairs were seen feeding young by May (John Fussell). AMERICAN AVOCET: Nesting in the Carolinas by this species is truly a rare event, thus of note was a nest with four eggs at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, May 25 (Steve Calver). Unfortunately the nesting attempt had failed by early June. SOLITARY SANDPIPER: The Tar R. Res., NC, hosted good numbers of this migrant this spring with the peak count being 43 on May 16 (R. Davis). SPOTTED SANDPIPER: The peak count for the Tar R. Res., NC, was 57 on May 16 (Davis). UPLAND SANDPIPER: Sightings of this species were down again this spring. The only Uppies reported were one north of Scotland Neck, NC, April 1 (R. Davis), three at the Orangeburg, SC Sod Farm April 22 (Tim Kalbach), and one still there April 27 (Robin Carter and Dennis Forsythe). LONG-BILLED CURLEW: Only one was reported this spring, that being at Shackleford Banks, Carteret County, NC, April 1 (John Fussell) and April 14 (fide Fussell). MARBLED GOD WIT: The 250 Marbleds on Ocracoke Island, NC, March 24 (Jeff Lewis) provided an impressive count for that locality. WESTERN SANDPIPER: Three was the peak count for this species at the Tar R. Res., NC, May 14 (Ricky Davis). LEAST SANDPIPER: This species was found in excellent numbers at several inland sites this spring. The peak count at the Tar R. Res., NC, was 28 1 on May The Chat , Vol. 65, No. 4, Fall 2001 151 10, as noted by Ricky Davis. Davis also had a count of 165 at the Goldsboro, NC W.T.P. April 8. WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER: Noteworthy inland reports included three at the Tar R. Res., NC, May 7 (Ricky Davis), five near the French Broad R., Henderson County, NC, May 18 (Wayne Forsythe and Bob Olthoff), and one at the Dobbins Farm, Townville, SC, May 25 (Bob Maxwell). PECTORAL SANDPIPER: Early inland migrants included one at Newton, Catawba County, NC, March 1 1 (Dwayne & Lori Martin), three near Raleigh, NC, March 16 (Dan Kaplan, Steve Shultz), and seven at Hooper Lane, Henderson County, NC, March 21 (Wayne Forsythe). The peak inland count reported was the 55 at the Goldsboro, NC W.T.P. April 8 (Ricky Davis). PURPLE SANDPIPER: One on the C. Lookout, NC, jetty April 1 (John Fussell) was locally unusual, as were seven on the beach at Bird Island, Sunset Beach, NC, April 6 (Mary McDavit). This species lingered later than usual with nine on the Little River Inlet, SC, jetty May 18 (Ginger Travis and Cathy Packer) and three on the Fort Macon, NC, jetty May 19 (Randy Newman). RUFF: The only report this spring was of two different birds at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, with one April 25 and another May 2 (Steve Calver). This locale has become one of the more consistent sites for this species the last couple of years. SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER: A rare mountains sighting was of one at L. Atagahi, Transylvania County, NC, May 12, as noted by Dick Blee, fide Norma Siebenheller. WILSON’S PHALAROPE: Locally rare and unusual were single Wilson’s at Huntington Beach State Park, SC, April 28 (Reggie Daves, fide Jack Peachey) and in the mountains near the French Broad R., Henderson County, NC, May 14 (Wayne Forsythe, Bob Olthoff, Marilyn Westphal). GREAT SKUA: The pelagic trip off of Hatteras, NC, on March 3, produced the only spring reports of this rare but regular species (Brian Patteson et al.). SOUTH POLAR SKUA: Only one was found this spring off North Carolina, with an individual off Oregon Inlet May 25 (Patteson et al.). POMARINE JAEGER: The 18 off Hatteras, NC, May 26 (Patteson etal.) was the peak one-day total this spring. PARASITIC JAEGER: Noteworthy reports of this species included one at Litchfield Beach, SC, March 16 (Brenda Tekin), one off Onslow Beach, NC, May 12 (fide John Fussell), two at C. Hatteras, NC, May 26 (Russ & Patricia Tyndall), and one offshore of Hatteras June 3 (Patteson et al.). LONG-TAILED JAEGER: One off Hatteras, NC, May 28 (Patteson et al.) was the only one reported this spring. LAUGHING GULL: Two were early inland migrants at Kehukee Pond, Scotland Neck, NC, March 1 1, as noted by Ricky Davis. LITTLE GULL: The only Littles reported this spring were two off Hatteras, NC, March 3 (Patteson et al.). THAYER’S GULL: One off Hatteras, NC, March 3 provided a good offshore sighting (Patteson et al.). 152 Briefs for the Files, Spring 2001 ICELAND GULL: An adult was a good find at C. Hatteras, NC, March 4 (Mike Tove, John Fussell et al., sev. obs.). GLAUCOUS X HERRING HYBRID: An individual, presumed to be this species mix, was a surprise at New Bern, NC, on the late dates of May 8-10 (Bob Holmes, Ed Kerl). BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE: One was late and unusual near shore at Oregon Inlet, NC, May 30 (fide Taylor Piephoff). CASPIAN TERN: Locally rare inland was a Caspian at L. Junaluska, Haywood County, NC, April 6 (Alex Netherton). The peak inland count reported farther east was 13 at Buckhorn Res., Wilson County, NC, April 8 (Ricky Davis). ARCTIC TERN: This species was down again offshore this spring with two off Oregon Inlet, NC, May 26 (Mike Tove et al.) being the only ones reported. FORSTER’S TERN: One at L. Julian, NC, April 13 (Simon Thompson and Wayne Forsythe) was a good find that far west. LEAST TERN: Two at a pond near Stateburg, Sumter County, SC, May 19 (Dennis Forsythe) were excellent finds that far away from the coast. BRIDLED TERN: The peak count tallied this spring off North Carolina was the 30 off Oregon Inlet May 28, as noted by Mike Tove et al. SOOTY TERN: Six off Hatteras, NC, June 2 (Patteson et al.) was the best count reported. RAZORBILL: This species wintered in excellent numbers off North Carolina this year. The pelagic trip off Hatteras March 3 counted 252 still in our waters (Patteson etal.). Also one, seen from the Cedar Island-Ocracoke ferry, was late and out-of-place on the Pamlico Sound, NC, April 14 (fide Taylor Piephoff). WHITE-WINGED DOVE: One frequented a feeder in Wilmington, NC, May 14-15 (Bruce Smithson), providing the only report this spring. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO: One at Conway, SC, March 23-25 (Gary Phillips) was an early migrant. SHORT-EARED OWL: This species was found lingering at Alligator R. N.W.R., NC, throughout May. Six were seen May 16 (Bryan Watts, Keith Watson, Chuck Hunter) and four were still present June 1 (Jeff Lewis). With this many birds present in one area this late, it is possible that breeding could be taking place; a real unusual event for the state. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER: There was a rash of late sightings of sapsuckers this spring, including singles at Spartanburg, SC, May 12 (Lyle Campbell), at Jordan Lake, NC, May 13 (fide Norm Budnitz), and at Falls Lake, NC, May 15 (Brian Bockhahn). OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER: One was a good find at Deerwood, Transylvania County, NC, May 1 7 (Dick Bite, fide Norma Siebenheller). Much more unusual and locally very rare was the Olive-sided found near Southern Shores, Dare County, NC, May 22 (Jeff Lewis, John Fussell et al.). WILLOW FLYCATCHER: Noteworthy spring sightings away from the mountains included one near Gaffney, SC, May 12 (Ken Garrett , fide Lyle Campbell) and one in eastern Moore County, NC, May 12 (Bob Perkins). The Chat, Vol 65, No. 4, Fall 2001 153 EASTERN KINGBIRD: One was rather early in Tyrrell County, NC, March 31, as noted by Jeff Lewis. SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER: During the first week of May, Scissor- taileds returned to the site of last year’ s nesting near Monroe, NC (Anne Olsen). The birds were observed building a nest in the same tower that was used last year. The only other report received was of one near Elgin, SC, May 26 (fide Robin Carter). LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE: This species was reported considerably more frequently this spring than in past years. Of particular interest was the nest with 4-5 young that was photographed in Jones County, NC, during May (Clancy Ballenger, Wayne Irvin). Also of note, a shrike in Catawba County, NC, during May was at the western edge of known summer occurrence in that state (Dwayne & Lori Martin). YELLOW-THROATED VIREO: Some rather early arrivals included singles at Jordan Lake, NC, March 1 1 (Judy Murray), at Roanoke Island, NC, March 12 (Jeff Lewis), and near Fairfield, SC, March 16 (Donna Bailey). WARBLING VIREO: One was rather early at Beaver Lake, Asheville, NC, April 12 (Simon Thompson). The Warblings that spent last summer at Anilorac Farm, Orange County, NC, returned by April 26 when two were seen by Doug Shadwick. A nest was found by May 13, thereby providing nesting evidence for the second year in a row (Alan & Sally Johnston). Other spring migrants found in the east included one along Mid-Pines Road, Raleigh, NC, April 29 (Kent Fiala), one near Weldon, NC, May 12 (Harry LeGrand, Merrill Lynch), two at Norfleet, Halifax County, NC, May 20 (Ricky Davis) and one at the Tar R. Res., Nash County, NC, May 20 (Davis). PHILADELPHIA VIREO: This species is quite rare as a spring migrant in the Carolinas. This year there were two reports, one on the USC campus, Columbia, SC, April 24 (Caroline Eastman) and one on Roanoke Island, NC, May 15 (Jeff Lewis). COMMON RAVEN: This species has been nesting in downtown Winston- Salem, NC, for some years now. This spring an interesting behavior was observed. During May, a pair was seen feeding a nestling in one nest while at the same time incubating eggs in a second nearby nest (Regina Burt, Linda Davis, Ramona Snavely)! TREE SWALLOW : South Carolina’ s first documented nesting of this species was had at Table Rock State Park this spring. At Table Rock State Park this spring, four adults were observed flying in and out of nest boxes as early as May 4 (Paul Lehman). A nest with 9 eggs was found May 29, and at least five young were seen several weeks later (Scott Stegenga). SEDGE WREN : One was locally rare at Hospital Fields, Transylvania County, NC, April 23 (Betty Mcllwain), as was one along the French Broad River, Henderson County, NC, April 26-29 (Marilyn Westphal). MARSH WREN: Noteworthy inland reports included one at the Broad River W.M.A., SC, April 28 (Tim Kalbach), one at Butner Game Land, Durham County, NC, April 29 (Norm Budnitz et al), and one along the French Broad 154 Briefs for the Files, Spring 2001 River, Henderson County, NC, as late as May 12-20 (Marilyn Westphal etal., Wayne Forsythe). HERMIT THRUSH: One was rather late at Spartanburg, SC, May 12 (fide Lyle Campbell). AMERICAN PIPIT: An excellent count for the mountains was the 400 along Jeffress Road, Henderson County, NC, March 14, as noted by Wayne Forsythe and Ron Selvey. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: One at Raleigh, NC, April 13 was a good find for spring (Dan Kaplan). NASHVILLE WARBLER: This species gets progressively harder to find as one heads east from the mountains. Eastern sightings this spring included singles at Huntington Beach State Park, SC, April 30 (Jack Peachey and Paul Rogers), Cary, NC, May 1 (Steve Shultz), Bodie Island, NC, May 2 (Jeff Lewis and Jill Froning), and Southern Shores, NC, May 21-22 (Lewis). CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER: At least three different individuals on the Outer Banks, NC, May 18 indicated a better-than-average movement for that coastal locality (Jeff Lewis). BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER: Lewis found considerably more Blackburnians than what would normally be expected along the coast of North Carolina this spring. On May 20 he found singles on Roanoke Island and at Alligator R. N.W.R., and then he had another at Bodie Island May 24. In South Carolina, one found at Table Rock State Park April 14 was rather early for the Carolinas (Scott Stegenga). YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER: One was locally unusual at C. Lookout, NC, March 31 (John Fussell). BAY-BREASTED WARBLER: One was a good find on Roanoke Island, NC, May 14, as noted by Jeff Lewis. BLACKPOLL WARBLER: The migration of this species through the Carolinas seemed to peak about 1-2 weeks late, as evidenced by the impressive one-day count of 33 along the Currituck Banks, NC, May 24 (Jeff Lewis). CERULEAN WARBLER: Numbers of this species along the Roanoke River, NC, have been declining the last couple of years. Thus encouraging was the 38 singing males located during a census May 12-14 (Jean Richter). BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER: Locally noteworthy nesting reports included a female feeding two fledglings in Fairfield County, SC, May 12 (Donna Bailey) and a nest at Ft. Bragg, NC, in early May (J.H. Carter, fide Susan Campbell). PROTHONOTARY WARBLER: Rather early were Prothonotaries at Mayesville, SC, March 17 (Evelyn Dabbs) and Alligator R. N.W.R., NC, also March 17 (Linda Ward). NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH: Two were early at the Savannah River Site, SC, March 23 (Paul Champlin). LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH: One provided a very rare and unexpected local report at C. Lookout, NC, March 31 (John Fussell). The Chat, Vol 65, No. 4, Fall 2001 155 CONNECTICUT WARBLER: Only two reports of this rare warbler were received. One was at Jackson Park, Hendersonville, NC, May 17 (Ron Selvey) and one was found at the Savannah River Site, SC, May 21 (fide Paul Champlin). MOURNING WARBLER: Jackson Park hosted the only one reported this spring, that being on May 4, as noted by Wayne Forsythe and Ron Selvey. WILSON’S WARBLER: One at Jackson Park, Hendersonville, NC, April 4 was considered to be too early for a migrant, thus possibly a wintering bird (Wayne Forsythe, Ron Selvey, Bob Olthoff). Other easterly sightings of note included one at the Savannah River Site, SC (Paul Champlin), one in Durham, NC, May 17 (Frank Rheindt), one in Orange County, NC, May 18 (Brian Bockhahn), one at Southern Shores, NC, May 21-22 (Jeff Lewis), and one on Roanoke Island, NC, May 23 (Lewis). CANADA WARBLER: The farthest east this species was recorded was at Bodie Island, NC, when one was present May 18 (Jeff Lewis). CLAY-COLORED SPARROW: One was found singing at Cowan’s Ford Refuge, Mecklenburg County, NC, May 5 (Taylor Piephoff and Rob Van Epps), providing a very rare spring sighting of this species. Of interest, this bird was very near the area where one was found during the past winter! LARK SPARROW: Noteworthy spring reports included one at Folly Beach, SC, April 1 1 (Steve Patterson) and two at the Bodie Island, NC, lighthouse May 6 (Jeff Lewis). LeCONTE’S SPARROW: This species had a better than average winter season this year in the Carolinas. Of interest was the number of lingering spring reports. Five were still at the Savannah River Site, SC, March 31 (Paul Champlin), two were at Santee N.W.R., SC, April 22 (Tim Kalbach), one was still at Vultare, Northampton County, NC, April 22 (Ricky Davis), one was near the Orangeburg, SC Sod Farm April 27 (Robin Carter and Dennis Forsythe), and one was at Broad River W.M.A., SC, April 28 (Tim Kalbach). LINCOLN’S SPARROW: This species was also found more than usual this spring with sightings including one at Alligator R. N.W.R., NC, March 23 (Jeff Lewis), one at Broad River W.M.A., SC, April 28 (Tim Kalbach), two near Bass Lake, Blowing Rock, NC, May 1 (Jason Bulluck), one near Irmo, Lexington County, SC, May 2 (Robin Carter), one at the French Broad River, Henderson County, NC, May 12 (Marilyn Westphal and Len Pardue), and one at Jackson Park, NC, May 14 (Ron Selvey). WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: One was quite late at Manteo, NC, May 26, as noted by Jeff Lewis. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW: Noteworthy late lingerers/migrants included one at the Savannah Spoil Site, SC, May 6 (Steve Calver, Robin Carter et al .) and one at the Bodie Island, NC, lighthouse May 15 (Jeff Lewis). DARK-EYED JUNCO: One at the Dare Bombing Range, Dare County, NC, May 27 (Merrill Lynch) was quite late. LAPLAND LONGSPUR: Very rare as a spring migrant, one was late at the Cedar Island, NC, ferry terminal April 14 (fide Taylor Piephoff). 156 Briefs for the Files, Spring 2001 DICKCISSEL: The only reports received involved returning birds to two areas of last year’s spring sightings. One was back at the Anilorac Farm, Orange County, NC, site May 27 (Shelley Theye and Jill Froning), and a pair was back at the site just north of Southport, NC, May 26 (Ricky Davis). Breeding evidence was noted at Southport with copulation behavior and nest-building happening. Check the summer report for information about breeding at the Orange County site too. YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD: Rare spring occurrences happened at each end of North Carolina this year. An adult male was at a feeder in Morehead City April 12 (John Fussell); and a female/immature male was near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Great Smoky Mntns. N. P. April 15 (Jeff Llewellyn), providing a potential first park report. RUSTY BLACKBIRD: One in the Croatan Nat. Forest, NC, April 26 (John Fussell) provided a rather late sighting for that species. BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE: A pair was observed at the Potato Creek Landing area of Clarendon County, SC, March 16 (Steve Patterson). Of interest, the female was seen carrying nesting material, and this area is considerably farther inland than the known nesting sites near L. Moultrie. PURPLE FINCH: Five were a surprise as they flew past the Bodie Island, NC, lighthouse April 21 (Russ & Patricia Tyndall). EVENING GROSBEAK: A male at a feeder in Ridgeland, Jasper County, SC, May 30-June 1 (fide Will Post) was totally unexpected since the species was practically absent from the Carolinas during the past winter. Carolinabirds Carolinabirds is an Internet e-mail discussion group about birds and birding in the Carolinas. Subscribers frequently post sightings to it similar to those found in Briefs for the Files, but unusual behavior receives more attention. Subscriptions are free. To subscribe, address an e-mail message to . Don’t fill in the subject line. As your message, simply put, “subscribe carolinabirds” (without the quotes). You will receive a confirmation and more information shortly. Submissions for Briefs for the Files should be sent directly to Ricky Davis. Index to Volume 65 of The Chat A Abbeville County, SC, 90 Aiken County, SC, 7, 21, 68, 94, 95 American Birding Association, 87 American Birding Association Checklist Committee 2000, 84, 86, 87, 88 American Birds, 112 American Ornithologists Union, 34, 87, 123 Anhinga, 142 Athens, GA, 68 Atlanta, GA, 36 Atlantic Coast, 45 Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, 47 Awendaw Creek, 55 B Bailey, Donna, 7, 8, 21, 23, 94, 96 Banks, Richard, 144 Barnwell County, SC, 7 Bay of Fundy, 46 Beaufort County, SC, 21, 95 Belvedere, SC, 68 Bird Records Committee, NC, 1999-2000 Report, 83 Bittern, American, 13 Black River Swamp, 123 Blackgum, Swamp, 142 Bluebird, Eastern, 125 Bobwhite, Northern, 137 Bodie Island, NC, 84, 85 Bonnell, Molly, 9, 23, 98 Brambling, 86 Brevard, NC, 86 British Museum, 137 Brown, Sharon, 22, 96 Browning, Becky, 108 Buckfield Plantation, 144 Bull Island, 46 Bunting, Indigo, 125 Bunting, Lazuli, 87 Bunting, Painted, 125 Button Bush, 142 C Calhoun County, SC, 22 Campbell, Lyle, 8, 9, 22, 24, 96, 98 Campbell, Susan, 83 Cape Island, 47 Cape Romain, SC, 45 Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, 46 Capers Island, 46 Cardinal, Northern, 94, 125 Carter, Robin, 9, 22, 24, 95 Carteret County, NC, 85 Casino Creek, 47 Catbird, Gray, 125 Chamberlain, David, 142 Chamberlain, E B, 34 Charlesfort, 137 Charleston County, SC, 8, 22, 94, 95 Charlotte, NC, 85 Cherokee County, SC, 8, 22, 96 Cherry, Carolina Laurel, 68 Chester County, SC, 8 Chesterfield County, SC, 22 Chickadee, Carolina, 94, 125 Clarke County, GA, 68 Colleton County, SC, 22, 94, 96 Conway, Albert, 8 Cooper, Samuel, 83 Craven County, NC, 85 Crossbill, Red, 88 Crossbill, White-Winged, 88 157 158 Index, Vol. 65 Cuckoo, Yellow-billed, 125 Curlew, Eskimo, 46 D Dabbs, Evelyn, 123, 129 Dare County, NC, 85 Davie County, NC, 87 Davis, Kelly, 85, 108 Davis, Ricky, 83, 84 Dean, Eric, 83, 84 Deepwater Point, 47 Delaware Bay, 46 deMent, Reed, 90 deMent, Samuel, 90 Dewees Island, 46 Dodd, Sarah, 45 Dogwood, 68 D’Ostilio, Dominick, 85 D’Ostilio, Emma, 85 Dove, Mourning, 94, 125 Dowitcher, Long-billed, 50 Dowitcher, Short-billed, 45 Dunlin, 45 Edisto River, 136 F Fairfield County, SC, 8, 23, 94, 96 Fall 1999 North American Migration Count in South Carolina, 7 Fall 2000 North American Migration Count in South Carolina, 94 Fayetteville, NC, 34 Fiala, Kent, 85 Finch, Purple, 125 Florida, 34, 36, 112, 137, 142 Flycatcher, Acadian, 125 Flycatcher, Ash-throated, 85 Flycatcher, Great Crested, 125 Flycatcher, Least, 126 Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied, 126 Forsythe, Dennis, 144 Forsythe, Wayne, 84, 85 Fort Caroline, 138 Fort Fisher, 87 Franklin County, FL, 36 Frigatebird, Lesser, 87 Frigatebird, Magnificent, 86 Fussell, John, 85, 108 G Gallinule, Purple, 84 Gambill, Charles, 84 Georgetown County, SC, 8, 23, 94, 97 Georgetown, SC, 142 Georgia, 34, 112 Gerwin, John, 85, 108 Glover, Lex, 123 Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray, 127 God wit, Black- tailed, 84 Godwit, Marbled, 45 Graczyk, Thaddeus, 90 Graham Creek, 54 Greenbriar, 141 Greenlaw, Jon, 34 Greenshank, Common, 87 Greenville, NC, 2 Greenwood County, SC, 90 Grosbeak, Blue, 125 Grosbeak, Evening, 125 Grosbeak, Rose-breasted, 126 Gulf Stream, 83, 86, 87 Gull, Franklin’s, 84, 88 Gull, Ring-billed, 84 Gustafson, Mary, 83 H Hampton County, SC, 9, 23, 97, 142 Harrier, Northern, 87 Hatteras, 83 Hawk, Red-tailed, 94 Hawk, Rough-legged, 87 Hemoproteus, 91 Henderson County, NC, 84, 85 Heron, Great Blue, 94 The Chat, Vol 65, No. 4, Fall 2001 159 Heron, Little Blue, 142 Heron, Tricolored, 142 Hilton, William, 137 Holmes, Bob, 84 Horsehead Creek, 47 Hughes, David, 85 Hummingbird, Annas, 85 Hurricane Floyd, 7 Hurricane, Hugo, 56 I Ibis, Glossy, 142 Ibis, Scarlet, 142 Ibis, White, 142 International Shorebird Survey, 45 Iredell County, NC, 85 Isle of Palms, SC, 47 J Jasper County, SC, 9, 23, 97 Jay, Blue, 68,94, 125 Johnston, David, 137 Junco, Dark-eyed, 125 Justice, Michael J., 1 K Kestrel, American, 90 Killdeer, 51 Kingfisher, Belted, 94 Kinglet, Golden-crowned, 125 Kinglet, Ruby-crowned, 125 Kite, White-tailed, 87 Knot, Red, 45 Komoroski, Mark, 68 L Lake Mattamuskeet, 108 Lander University, 90 Laudonniere, Rene, 138 Laurel, MD, 123 Laybourne, R.C., 34 LeGrand, Harry, 83, 84 Le Moyne De Morgues, Jacques, 138 Lexington County, SC, 9, 23, 94, 98 Lighthouse Island, 47 Limpkin, 84 Longspur, Lapland, 88 Longspur, Smith’s, 88 Loon, Common, 86 Loon, Yellow-billed, 86 Louisiana, 142 M Mallard, 137 Manomet Observatory for Conservation Science, 5 1 Maple, Red, 142 Marsh Island, 47 Massachusetts, 112 Martin, Dwayne, 85 Martin, Lori, 85 Mattamuskeet NWR, 108 Matthews Creek, 54 McClellan ville, SC, 47 McNeill, Roger, 83 McPhersonville, SC, 141 Metz, Patricia E., 9, 21, 23, 97 Miskell, K., 1 Mlodinow, Steven, 83 Mockingbird, Northern, 1 , 94 Morehead City, NC, 108 Morlan, Joseph, 83 Mowbray, Thomas, 123 Murfreesboro, NC, 2 N New Bern, NC, 84 North Carolina, 34 North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, 83, 85, 86, 108 Nugent, Perry, 8, 22, 95 160 Index, Vol. 65 O O’Brien, Michael, 84 Oconee County, SC, 23 Ocracoke Island, NC, 112 Onslow County, NC, 85 Oregon Inlet, 83 Oriole, Northern, 127 Oriole, Orchard, 125 Outer Banks, 46, 87 Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter, 108 Ovenbird, 126 Oystercatcher, American, 45 P Parakeet, Carolina, 1 37 Parula, Northern, 125 Patteson, Brian, 83, 84 Paulson, Dennis, 112 Pea Island, 85 Peachey, Jack, 8, 23, 97 Pelican, White, 94 Petrel, Bermuda, 83 Petrel, Bulwers, 83 Petrel, Westland, 86 Petrel, White-chinned, 86 Phoebe, Eastern, 126 Piedmont, 85, 87, 91 Plasmodium, 91 Plover, Black-bellied, 45 Plover, Piping, 45 Plover, Semipalmated, 45 Plover, Snowy, 46 Plover, Wilson’s, 45 Port Royal, SC, 137 Post, William, 34 Price Inlet, 47 Puffin, Atlantic, 84 R Raccoon Key, 47 Redstart, American, 126 Redtip, 68 Ribaut, Jean, 137 Richard, Carroll, 9, 23, 97 Richland County, SC, 9, 24 Roanoke Island, 85 Robin, American, 127 S San Francisco Bay, 46 Sanderling, 45 Sandpiper, Least, 50 Sandpiper, Semipalmated, 50 Sandpiper, Spotted, 5 1 Sandpiper, Western, 50 Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied, 125 Sargent, Bob, 85 Sargent, Martha, 85 Selvey, Ron, 84 Shelley, Dick, 84 Shorebirds, 45 Shrike, Loggerhead, 125 Shuler, Teddy, 7 Singh, Noora, 123 Siskin, Pine, 125 Skua, Brown, 87 Skua, South Polar, 87 Slater Museum of Natural History, 112 Smithsonian Institution, 144 South America, 142 South Carolina, 137 South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control, 58 South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 56 Sparrow, Chipping, 125 Sparrow, Field, 125 Sparrow, Fox, 125 Sparrow, Savannah, 125 Sparrow, Song, 125 Sparrow, Swamp, 125 Sparrow, White-crowned, 125 Sparrow, White-throated, 125 Spartanburg, SC, 34 Spartanburg County, SC, 9, 24, 34, 94, 98 The Chat, Vol. 65, No. 4, Fall 2001 161 Spinks, Mark, 45 Spring 2000 North American Migration Count in SC, 21 Squirrel, Eastern gray, 69 Stevens, Shawn, 86 Stilt, Black-necked, 51 Stork, Wood, 141 Storm-Petrel, Swinhoe’s, 84 Sullivan’s Island, SC, 142 Sumter County, SC, 123 Swallow, Cave, 85, 88 Swallow, Cliff, 88 T Tacoma, WA, 112 Tanager, Scarlet, 126 Tanager, Summer, 125 Texas, 142 Thompson, M., 144 Thompson, Simon R.B., 83, 84 Thrasher, Brown, 68, 125 Thrush, Bicknells, 94 Thrush, Hermit, 1 25 Thrush, Swainsons, 127 Thrush, Wood, 125 Titmouse, Tufted, 94, 125 Towhee, Eastern, 69 Towhee, Rufous-sided, 34 Towhee, Spotted, 34 Turkey, Wild, 137 Turnstone, Ruddy, 54 U USFWS Migratory Bird Banding Laboratory, 123 US National Museum, 34 Veery, 126 Venning Creek, 56 Vireo, Philadelphia, 126 Vireo, Red-eyed, 125 Vireo, White-eyed, 125 Vireo, Yellow-throated, 127 Vulture, Turkey, 94 W Wagner, Steve, 23 Walker, Judy, 85 Warbler, Bay-breasted, 126 Warbler, Blackburnian, 94, 126 Warbler, Black-and-white, 126 Warbler, Black-throated Blue, 126 Warbler, Black-throated Gray, 85 Warbler, Blue- winged, 94, 126 Warbler, Canada, 94, 126 Warbler, Cape May, 94 Warbler, Chestnut-sided, 126 Warbler, Connecticut, 108, 126 Warbler, Golden-winged, 94, 126 Warbler, Hooded, 125 Warbler, Kentucky, 125 Warbler, MacGillivray’s, 85, 108 Warbler, Magnolia, 126 Warbler, Mourning, 110, 126 Warbler, Nashville, 94, 126 Warbler, Orange-crowned, 94, 125 Warbler, Palm, 126 Warbler, Prairie, 125 Warbler, Prothonotary, 94, 125 Warbler, Swainsons, 126 Warbler, Tennessee, 94, 126 Warbler, Worm-eating, 126 Warbler, Yellow, 126 Warbler, Yellow-rumped, 125 Warbler, Yellow-throated, 125 Waters, Anne, 7, 21, 95 Waterthrush, Louisiana, 94, 125 Waterthrush, Northern, 126 Watson, J.O., 34 Wax Myrtle, 142 Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, 46 Whimbrel, 45 Whistling-Duck, Black-bellied, 88 Whistling-Duck, White-faced, 88 Whitaker, Abby, 123 White, Bruce, 90 Willet, 45 Winyah Bay, 142 Wood, Bob, 22 Wood-Pewee, Eastern, 125 Woodpecker, Downy, 125 Woodpecker, Red-bellied, 125 Wren, Carolina, 125 Wren, House, 125 Wren, Winter, 126 Y Yellowlegs, Greater, 54 Yellowlegs, Lesser, 51 York County, SC, 24 CAROLINA BIRD CLUB MEMBERSHIP The Carolina Bird Club, Inc. is a non-profit educational and scientific association founded in 1937. Membership is open to those interested in the study and conservation of wildlife, particularly birds. Dues, contributions, and bequests to the Club may be deductible from state and federal income and estate taxes. Checks should be made payable to Carolina Bird Club, Inc. and sent to CBC Headquarters, 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1 029. DUES (Payable on a calendar-year basis) Individual $ 20.00 Associate (in same household as individual member) $ 5.00 Student $ 15.00 Sustaining (open to businesses) $ 25.00 Patron $ 50.00+ Life Membership (payable in four consecutive $100 installments) . . $400.00 PUBLICATIONS CBC members receive The Chat, a quarterly journal devoted to bird study and conservation, and the CBC Newsletter, which carries information about meetings, field trips, and club projects. Articles intended for publication in The Chat may be sent to the Editor or the appropriate editor listed in the inside front cover. Items for the Newsletter should be sent to its Editor, Judy Walker, 7639 Farm Gate Dr., Charlotte, NC 28215. Send correspondence regarding memberships, changes of address, or requests for back numbers of either publication to CBC Headquarters, 1 1 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601- 1029. OFFICERS President: Van Atkins, 2040 Church Creek Dr., Charleston, SC 29414 Vice Presidents: Donna Bailey, 176 Ravens Place, Winnsboro, SC 29180 Dick Blee, 2 Tinequa Dr., Brevard, NC 28712 John Wright, 1953A Quail Ridge Road, Greenville, NC 27858 Secretary: Sue Pulsipher, 2441 Ramey Dr., Linden, NC 28356-9771 Treasurer: Patricia Earnhardt-Tyndall, 400 Kilmarnock Ct., Wake Forest, NC 27587 NC Members-at-large: Susan M. Campbell, 144 Pine Ridge Drive, Whispering Pines, NC 28327 Sandy Cash, 8003 Crenshaw Lane, Durham, NC 27713 Charlotte Goedsche, 371 Ox Creek Rd., Weaverville NC 28787-9765 Dwayne Martin, 3691 Jinny Lane, Claremont, NC 28610 SC Members-at-large: Kathleen O'Grady, 1428-A Farrington Way, Columbia, SC 29210 Gary Sowell, 140 Sweetwater Road, Hopkins, SC 29061 Immediate Past President: Bert Fisher, 924 Urban Ave., Durham, NC 27701 Headquarters Secretary: Tullie Johnson, 11 West Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601 Rare Bird Alert: (704)332-BIRD Web Site: www.carolinabirdclub.org n*“i • * ir^i+Ht‘rw Sc o o CD r+ 5' o -♦» o 0) 0 H *< D- O -* 2 =? ^ 0 -si o co to o 2 0 55. o 3 0 ro -I a o c f =F -* 3 — O ft) D w w o to :E Z 01 C-m 3> Z Z O 01 W O ■T H O • = r-J Z z ui oi m q i a h z z a z *-* o 2: n i> 5"! n m r M f-.J 01 Z ai 3> !> Z rn 01 73 ? * o o a o 0) "a o t/> (Q 3* Z o ro -g o M -n| (O O 0 i> "0 o> 0 ai « Heckman BINDERY, INC. Bound-Tb-Please® JULY 02 N. MANCHESTER, INDIANA 46962