QlU S' The Chat Vol. 75 SUMMER 2011 No. 3 C8@ The Quarterly Bulletin of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc. The Ornithological Society of the Carolinas THE CHAT ISSN No. 0009-1987 Vol. 75 SUMMER 2011 No. 3 Editor General Field Notes Editors Kent Fiala, 1714 Borland Road Hillsborough, NC 27278 chat@carolinabirdclub.org North Carolina Christina Harvey South Carolina William Post Briefs for the Files Josh Southern Associate Editor Ginger Travis THE CHAT is published quarterly by the Carolina Bird Club, Inc., 353 Montabello, Bloomingdale, IL 60108-1037. Subscription price $20 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Bloomingdale, IL and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE CHAT, Carolina Bird Club, Inc., 1809 Lakepark Drive, Raleigh NC 27612. Copyright © 201 1 by Carolina Bird Club, Inc. Except for purposes of review, material contained herein may not be reproduced without written permission of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc. Articles Recoveries of Black Skimmers ( Rynchops niger) Banded in South Carolina Katie C. Snipes and Felicia J. Sanders 81 Reports 201 1 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina Marilyn Westphal 88 General Field Notes Summer records and first breeding of Yellow-rumped Warbler ( Setophaga coronata) in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee Richard L. Knight 117 First Photographic Record of Sharp-tailed Sandpiper ( Calidris acuminata ) for North Carolina Greg Massey and Harry E. LeGrand, Jr 120 Fifty Years Ago in The Chat September 1961 122 \Briefs for the Files Spring 201 1 Josh Southern 123 Cover: Black Skimmer. Photo by Felicia Sanders. OCT 1 ft 9flft •s^/SR ARIES. Recoveries of Black Skimmers ( Rynchops niger) Banded in South Carolina Katie C. Snipes' and Felicia J. Sanders2,3 1 College of Charleston Master of Environmental Studies Program, 66 George St. Charleston, SC 29424. 2 South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 220 Santee Gun Club Rd., McClellanville, SC 29458, Sander sF@dnr. sc.gov 3 Corresponding Author Abstract Analysis of 79 recoveries of Black Skimmer chicks banded in South Carolina from 1930-1999 suggests a 2% recovery rate. The majority of recoveries occurred in Florida (58%) but they ranged from Alabama and Tennessee to Nova Scotia. Most of the recoveries during the breeding season occurred in South Carolina indicating skimmers tend to return to colonies near their natal sites to breed. Skimmers that hatch in South Carolina primarily winter on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida although smaller numbers may stay year-round in South Carolina. 54% of the recoveries of dead birds were first-year birds, suggesting that this age class is more vulnerable than after- first-year birds. Human-related causes of death included entanglement in fishing gear, motor vehicle strikes or gunshot wounds. Introduction The Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger ) is a coastal seabird that has an extensive distribution in North and Central America. Breeding colonies are observed along the Atlantic coast as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as parts of Mexico (Gochfeld and Burger 1994; Clapp et al. 1983). On the east coast of North America, wintering birds are more common from South Carolina to Florida (Post and Gauthreaux 1989), along the Gulf Coast, on the coast of Mexico, and on the coast of Central America as far south as Costa Rica (Gochfeld and Burger 1994). They are rarely seen north of North Carolina or as far south as Panama in the winter (Ridgely and Gwynne 1989 cited in Gochfeld and Burger 1994). Some Black Skimmers are non- migratory and may have year-round presence in areas such as Florida and the Gulf Coast of the United States (Gochfeld and Burger 1994). In South Carolina, Black Skimmers congregate at breeding sites in late April or early May. Nesting may continue into August or September (Burger and Gochfeld 1990). Limited information about migratory patterns is available, partly due to relatively few band recoveries and limited band recovery studies. Although 81 82 Recoveries of Black Skimmers Banded in South Carolina 45,592 Black Skimmers have been banded in the United States, only 1,424 (3%) have been recovered (U.S. Geological Survey 2010), and there are no published reports of recovered Black Skimmers banded in South Carolina. This study will analyze recoveries of Black Skimmers banded in South Carolina to identify wintering sites, ages, and causes of mortality. Methods This study analyzed 79 band recoveries between 1930 and 1999 of Black Skimmers banded in South Carolina, based on data provided by the Bird Banding Laboratory of U. S. Geological Survey. The distance between banding and recovery locations was calculated from longitude and latitude information. One record did not have latitude and longitude of recovery and is not included in recovery location results. Nine recoveries were not included in the distance calculation, because they are outside normal breeding or wintering range of this species and are possible errors. One recovery was from Canada, and eight recoveries were located inland. Five of the recovery locations have the same longitude and latitude as a banding location and were also not included in calculation of distance moved. Means are reported + SE. Locations were mapped using a Geographic Information System (ESRI 2009). For this analysis, because all skimmers were banded as chicks, skimmers that were recovered within one year of banding date were categorized as first-year birds. Several birds were caught and released or the band was read with a scope and therefore there was no information concerning the condition of bird at recovery. These band recoveries are not included in the calculation of age or causes of death. Breeding season recoveries were defined as those from May through August and winter recoveries from December through February. Results Between 1930 and 1955, the Bird Banding Lab estimated 2,000 skimmers were banded in South Carolina and 36 (2%) were recovered. Between 1956 and 1999, 2,599 skimmers were banded in South Carolina and 44 (2%) were recovered. Skimmers recovered originated from eight locations and were banded as unfledged chicks from July to August and one in September. A majority of band recoveries were in Florida, but ranged from Alabama and Tennessee to Nova Scotia (Table 1) (Figure 1). Only five recoveries were reported north of South Carolina: Maryland, 31 July 1965; Table 1 . Number of recoveries of Black Skimmers banded as chicks in South Carolina. State Number of Recoveries (%) Florida 45(58) South Carolina 17(22) Georgia 9(11) North Carolina 3(4) Other (Alabama, Maryland, Tennessee, Canada) 4(5) Total 78(100) The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 83 Figure 1. Banding and recovery locations of Black Skimmers banded as chicks in South Carolina. North Carolina, 26 November 1983, 5 November 1938, and 24 January 1940; and Canada, 31 October 1968. Recoveries from the breeding season were from the Gulf Coast of Florida (2 years old, N = 1), Georgia (9 years, N = 2), South Carolina (2-9 years, N = 7), and Maryland (9 years, N = 1). Winter recoveries were from four states: Florida (N = 32), Georgia (N = 4), South Carolina (N = 3) and North Carolina (N = 1). Band recoveries peaked in 1931, 1940 and 1971. Only two recoveries have been reported since 1983 and none after 1999 (Figure 2). Distances moved from banding location to recovery location ranged from 19 to 908 km. The average distance from the banding location to the recovery location was 454 + 31 km (19-908 km, N=64 recoveries). Average distance of first- year birds was 446 + 40 km (18-908 km, N=33) and the distance for birds older than one year was 5 17 + 44 km (60-822 km, N = 19). The band number was reported but no other information was provided for 13% (N=10) of recoveries or the bird was alive when recovered in 9% (N=7) of recoveries. Six of the alive recoveries included location information and are from: Maryland (9 years old, caught during banding effort in July), South Carolina (1 year, captured for scientific purposes and released in June), South Carolina (6 years, captured during banding effort in September), Georgia (first-year, captured for scientific purposes and released in February), Florida (12 years, caught by hand in March) and Florida (4 years, band read from telescope in January). 84 Recoveries of Black Skimmers Banded in South Carolina Figure 2. Number of recoveries of Black Skimmers banded as chicks in South Carolina from 1930 to 1999. Of the birds found dead, the cause of death was unknown for 61% (N=38) of the recoveries. Only 30% (N=24) of the total records have the cause of death included with the recovery location. The majority of the birds in this study that were shot were recovered in the 1930s and 1940s and one in 1968. The cause of death for the oldest skimmer (age 16 years) was predation by a cat (Table 2). A majority of the birds found dead (55%, N=33) were first-year birds. The oldest bird recovered was 16 years old (Figure 3). Table 2. Causes of mortality by age class of recovered Black Skimmers banded as chicks in South Carolina. Cause First-year (% of total dead recoveries) After first-year (% of total dead recoveries) Cause unknown (found dead) 20 (32) 18(29) Shotgun wound 4(6) 6(10) Natural causes (predation, injury, disease, starvation) 6(10) 0(0) Fishing gear entanglement 1(2) 4(6) Motor vehicle strike 2(3) 1(2) Total 33 (53) 29 (47) The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 85 Figure 3. Number and age of recovered Black Skimmers from South Carolina. Discussion Skimmers that hatch in South Carolina primarily winter on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida although smaller numbers may stay year round in South Carolina. The majority of the skimmers recovered in the breeding season were recovered in South Carolina, although the recovery in Maryland indicates some may breed far from their natal site. This movement is consistent with migration patterns in nearby states. Between 1958 and 1963, Black Skimmer chicks were banded on Little Egg Island, Georgia (N=826) (Kale 1967). Nine of these chicks were recovered dead, all in Florida and during the non-breeding season. The average distance from the banding location to the recovery location was 223 km. Between 1996 and 1998, a small number of chicks were banded on the Gulf Coast of Florida (N=207) (Sprandel et al. 1999). Of the fourteen chicks that were re-sighted, all but one individual were re-sighted on the Florida Gulf Coast panhandle; the exception was re-sighted on the coast of Alabama. The average distance from the banding location to the recovery location was 332 km. Black Skimmers are rarely observed inland in the northern hemisphere (Clapp et al. 1983), although some recoveries in this study were from inland Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina. Inland breeding colonies have been present at the Salton Sea in California since the 1970s (Gochfeld and Burger 1994; Grant and Hogg 1976) and several individuals have been observed inland in Mexico (Williams 1982), but inland recoveries on the Atlantic Coast are rare. Hurricanes or strong storms could account for inland recoveries. In 1958, a hurricane on the east coast of the United States 86 Recoveries of Black Skimmers Banded in South Carolina displaced Black Skimmers to Newfoundland, marking the first year that skimmers were reported that far north. The recovered birds were from colonies in Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey (Tuck 1968; Tordoff and Southern 1959). In this study, one recovery was in Nova Scotia, Canada in October 1968. There were several hurricanes on the east coast in the fall of 1968 (Sugg and Hebert 1969), and this could be an explanation for the South Carolina recovery in Canada. Age of recovered skimmers ranged from 0-20 years. Similar to other studies (Burger and Gochfeld 1990), first-year birds in this study were more vulnerable to natural causes of death compared to after-first-year skimmers. The oldest bird recovered, 16 years, was approaching the age of the oldest known skimmer, 20 years (Clapp et al. 1982), but did not die from natural causes. Disease, inclement weather, food shortage, fishing gear entanglement and predation have previously been documented as causes for Black Skimmer mortality (Burger and Gochfeld 1990; Clapp et al. 1983). Gunshot wounds (N=2, Tuck 1968) and vehicle strikes (N=2, Kale 1967) have been reported in other studies but in smaller numbers. Other studies have documented shorebirds and seabirds being hit by motor vehicles (Schorger 1954), especially on bridges over marshes or over causeways. Recovery locations may not be inclusive of all places that birds banded in South Carolina could be recovered. Results of recovery locations depend on the intensity and location of banding and recovery efforts. If banding and recovery efforts are more uniform and inclusive over time, recovery patterns could be different than the results displayed in this analysis. Since no recoveries of Black Skimmers have been reported since 1999, continued banding can expand knowledge about more recent causes of mortality and migratory patterns. Since only 2% of banded birds were recovered, a large banding effort is needed for even a small number of recoveries. The need for more information about migratory patterns was underscored during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf coast. This band recovery study demonstrates that skimmers breeding on the Atlantic coast travel to the Gulf coast during the non-breeding season and consequently are vulnerable to environmental hazards on both coasts. Knowledge of a species’ movement patterns during the non-breeding season is important in interpreting population trends observed on breeding grounds. Acknowledgments We would like to acknowledge the many individuals who banded Black Skimmers, especially E. M. Burton, personnel of the Charleston Museum, and T. A. Beckett III, and who reported recoveries, and to the Bird Banding Lab of the U. S. Geological Survey for providing data. The College of Charleston and Temple College provided GIS and computer support. Audubon South Carolina provided partial funding. We would like to thank Dr. M. Hughes, Dr. P. Jodice, E. Rhodes, L. Eggert, Dr. T. Simons and Dr. W. Post for contributing to earlier versions of this manuscript. The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 87 Literature Cited Burger, J. and M. Gochfeld. 1990. The Black Skimmer: Social Dynamics of a Colonial Species. Columbia University Press, New York. Clapp, R. B., M. K. Klimkiewicz, and J. H. Kennard. 1982. Longevity records of North American birds: Gaviidae through Alcidae. Journal of Field Ornithology 53:81-124. Clapp, R. B., D. Morgan-Jacobs, and R. C. Banks. 1983. Marine birds of the southeastern United States. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, FWS/OBS 83/30, Washington, D.C. ESRI. 2009. ArcMap Version 9.3. Environmental Research Institute, Inc., Redlands, California. Gochfeld, M., and J. Burger. 1994. Black Skimmer ( Rynchops niger), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. http://bna.birds.comell.edu/bna/species/108 doi: 10.2173/bna.l08, accessed 25 January 2010. Grant, G. S. and N. Hogg. 1976. Behavior of late nesting Black Skimmers at Salton Sea, California. Western Birds 7:73-80. Kale, H. W. 1967. Recoveries of Black Skimmers banded on Little Egg Island, Georgia. The Oriole 32:13-16. Post, W. and S. A. Gauthreaux, Jr. 1989. Status and distribution of South Carolina birds. Contributions from Charleston Museum, XVIII. Ridgely, R. R. and J. A. Gwynne. 1989. A Guide to the Birds of Panama. 2nd edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. Schorger, A. W. 1954. A study of road kills. The Passenger Pigeon 20:53- 55. Sprandel, G. L., H. A. Bolte and K. T. Bowman. 1999. Wintering locations of Black Skimmers breeding in the Florida Panhandle. Florida Field Naturalist 27:109-1 11. Sugg, A. L. and Hebert, P. J. 1969. The Atlantic hurricane season of 1968. Monthly Weather Review 97:225-239. Tordoff, H. B. and W. E. Southern. 1959. Caspian Tem and Black Skimmer in Newfoundland. Wilson Bulletin 7 1 :385— 386. Tuck, L. M. 1968. Laughing Gulls (. Larus atricilla) and Black Skimmers (Rynchops nigra) brought to Newfoundland by hurricane. Bird-Banding 39:200-208. U.S. Geological Survey. 2010. Summaries of banding and encounter data. http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/homepage/start.cfm. (Accessed March 2010). Williams, S. O. 1982. Black Skimmers on the Mexican Plateau. American Birds 36:255-257. 2011 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina Marilyn Westphal 230 Park Lane, Hendersonville, NC 28791 mjwestph@ret. unca. edu Twenty North Carolina count areas submitted data for the 2011 spring migration count. A Grandfather Mountain count was conducted for the first time, but Alamance County did not submit a report this year. Hanging Rock State Park was included with the mountain region this time since it is actually an outer island extension of the Blue Ridge range. Thus seven counts were submitted from the mountain region, twelve from the piedmont, and once again only one from the under-represented coast. The 2011 count period extended from 27 April to 28 May, with the later counts coming from the high-elevation mountain areas. A total of 418 participants counted 87,361 individual birds and 231 species in 1,276.27 party-hours, with a total of 68.45 birds per party-hour. Party-hours are a measure of effort and are determined by adding the total number of birds counted and dividing that number by the total time in the field of all groups or “parties” of participants in the count. “Parties” usually consist of 1 to 5 participants. Species total was slightly higher than the 229 average for the past five years. Interesting finds included Western Sandpiper and Rusty Blackbird on the Mecklenberg count, Philadelphia Vireo, Sedge Wren, and Gray-cheeked Thrush on the Forsyth count, Lark Sparrow on the Southern Pines count, and Bay-breasted Warbler on the Balsam Mountains count. The Black Mountains count included 32 Red Crossbills, a good number for late May and an early indication of probable breeding in the Black Mountains this year. The Chapel Hill count found only 8 Bald Eagles, which was well below the average for that count in recent years. Other count areas did not show a similar decline this year. Since 2003 at least 4 or 5 counts have included Common Nighthawks, but this year only one count, Southern Pines, located that species. The number of counts reporting Cliff Swallows has increased over the decade from 5 in 2001 and 2002 to 10 in 2010 and 1 1 in 2011, although total numbers have fluctuated. The Jordan Lake count first began reporting larger numbers of Cliff Swallows in the mid-1980s and Cliff Swallows have been reported in larger numbers there than anywhere else until this year when the number of swallows from the Forsyth County count surpassed Jordan Lake. Table 1 shows the number of Cliff Swallows reported at counts that have reported them with some regularity. Several count compilers noted the low number of Wood Thrushes this year, and the data do show a particularly sharp downward overall trend in the past two years. Wood Thrush numbers have been declining for the past several decades, but have declined to their lowest levels in the past two years. The mountain counts have fluctuated more than the piedmont counts 88 The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 89 in the past ten years but show the same overall trend. Figures 1 and 2 compare Wood Thrush numbers per party-hour from the mountains and from the piedmont over the past decade. Only the Buncombe and Henderson counts were utilized for the mountain counts since only data from those two counts were available for every year in the past decade, and from the piedmont only the Forsyth, Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Jordan Lake, Durham, and Wake counts were utilized for the same reason. Table 1. Cliff Swallow numbers in Spring Counts from 1992-2011 (NC indicates no count submitted that year, ND indicates no data available from that year for that count). Key: Hendr — Henderson Co, Catwb — Catawba Co, Forsy — Forsyth Co, CHill — Chapel Hill, Jordan — Jordan Lake, Durh — Durham, Wake — Wake Co, Kerr — Kerr Lake. Hendr Catwb Forsy CHill Jordan Durh Wake Falls Kerr 1992 NC NC 2 4 50 10 0 NC NC 1993 NC NC 0 17 100 6 0 NC NC 1994 NC NC 2 0 106 15 0 NC NC 1995 NC NC 25 ND 135 5 0 NC NC 1996 NC NC 5 3 86 4 0 NC NC 1997 NC NC 0 0 47 4 8 NC NC 1998 NC NC 6 ND 35 22 ND NC NC 1999 NC NC 40 3 125 12 0 NC NC 2000 0 NC 4 0 206 9 0 NC NC 2001 0 NC 2 26 191 36 0 NC NC 2002 0 NC 75 2 184 48 0 NC NC 2003 0 NC 90 16 288 31 12 NC NC 2004 0 80 60 7 214 28 0 45 56 2005 0 NC 32 3 367 32 0 10 7 2006 10 40 27 12 192 39 43 8 15 2007 24 NC 66 2 230 8 24 142 6 2008 0 126 50 1 173 7 24 55 18 2009 5 NC 69 3 142 28 30 31 13 2010 7 NC 30 4 172 1 10 60 20 2011 6 NC 181 39 111 15 10 31 29 Details of individual counts including names of compilers and participants as well as count highlights and species found exclusively on that North Carolina count follow. 90 2011 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina Wood Thrush-Mountains 1.0 0.8 d 0.6 0) o. 0.4 > 0.2 0.0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Figure 1. Wood Thrush numbers from mountain counts 3 O =e 0) Q. JA ro 3 -a ‘S 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 Wood Thrush-Piedmont Figure 2: Wood Thrush numbers from piedmont counts The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 91 Count Area Details Mountains Transylvania County: count date 7 May, 109 species, 2,787 individuals, 21 participants, 55.00 party-hours. Weather: Temperature 50-70°F, mostly sunny after some morning fog, light winds, afternoon shower in some places, elevation range from 2100 to 5600 ft. Compiler: Norma Siebenheller (sieb@citcom.net) Participants: Elaine Badger (feeder), Marvin and Michele Barg, Dorothy Bauer, Pat Blaine (feeder), Ruth Clausen, Elizabeth Galloway, Jerry Griggs, Jeanne Grimmenga, Nancy Iha, Richard Jackson, Mike Judd, Ruth Klock, June Litchfield, Carolyn Mills, Bill Moore, Janie Owens, Norma and Bill Siebenheller, Bill Thomas, Charlie and Linda Threatte, and Connie Updike Exclusives: none Notes: Considering the fact that we had only 23 participants this year and only 7 field parties, my initial feeling is that we didn’t do badly. However, I can’t ignore all the species that we know are here but which were missed — whether because their territories (large lakes, for example) just weren’t covered at all; or too many of our birders cannot identify species by song; or the fact that those who can bird by ear cannot be everywhere in the early morning when singing is at its height; or some of us, because of advancing age, cannot cover the ground as well as we used to do — it is all those things, and more, that keep us from achieving the totals we’d like to have. One particular thing that struck me this year was the fact that 27 of the species on our list were seen by only one party. This, as much as anything, seems to indicate that we simply don’t have enough coverage for a county of this size. It’s hard to believe the birds we missed: no kestrels or peregrines; no owls; no cuckoos. Brown Creeper and Veery were silent and therefore missed in their Parkway haunts. Cerulean Warbler no longer seems to be audible from the Buck Springs trailhead, though it probably is nesting somewhere along the trail. Blue Grosbeak escaped notice, as did Prairie Warbler and Pine Warbler, though surely they are all here — somewhere. Still, there are things to be thankful for, like the weather, which was warm and pleasant at all elevations for much of the day. There were surprises like the Kentucky Warbler in Calvert, the Raven on Frozen Creek Road, all those Chestnut-sided Warblers along the Parkway, Blackburnians still thriving at Pink Beds, a late Swamp Sparrow in Calvert and some lingering Pine Siskins in Sherwood Forest. Give us a dozen sharp young birders to add to our regulars and we’ll set records next year, guaranteed. Norma Siebenheller Great Balsam and Plott Balsam Mountains IBA: count date 21 May, 84 species, 3,196 individuals, 20 participants in 9 parties, 70.50 party- hours. Weather: Mostly sunny and warm, temperatures 55-80°F, with calm to light winds. Elevation range from 3500 to 6100 feet. 92 2011 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina Compiler: Marilyn Westphal (mjwestph@ret.unca.edu) Participants: Tim Carstens, Nancy Casey, Robert Emmott, Tom Flagg, Michael Galovic, Bill Gifford, Barbara Goergen, Sheila Gregor, Jamie Harrelson, Gail and Herman Lankford, Nora Murdock, Bob Olthoff, Sue Perry, Steve Semanchuk, Ray Sharpton, Lou Weber, Marilyn Westphal, Connie and Stan Wulkowicz Exclusives: Least Flycatcher, Black-capped Chickadee, Bay-breasted Warbler Notes: The Balsam Mountains spring bird count is always one of the favorite birding days of the year for many of the participants and this year was no exception. The count was held on May 21st and the weather was wonderful, sunny, with temperatures ranging from 55 to about 80 with calm or only light winds. The count area covers the Blue Ridge Parkway and adjacent trails from just east of the Pisgah Inn to the eastern edge of the Smokies. Although there are lower-elevation sections at the gaps, most of the count takes place in areas exceeding 4500-foot elevations and includes middle- and high-elevation forest as well as mountain balds. The count has been conducted every year since 2006. Most common species found on the count included in order of abund- ance: Chestnut-sided Warbler (366), Dark-eyed Junco (350), Eastern Towhee (225), Veery (147), Black-throated Blue Warbler (146), Canada Warbler (134), Black-throated Green Warbler (133), Ovenbird (119), Red- eyed Vireo (107), and Blue-headed Vireo (106). Species breaking previous high records for the count include Red-eyed Vireo (has never exceeded Blue- headed Vireo before this year and Blue-headed Vireo numbers were lower than they have ever been), Red-breasted Nuthatch (72), Veery (the last two years have been very good for Veery), Hermit Thrush (17 — this thrush has only been found in the Balsam Mountains during breeding season since 2005), Black-throated Blue Warbler, and Indigo Bunting (106). Other than Blue-headed Vireo, species recording the lowest number since the count began included Winter Wren (16), Wood Thrush (5) and American Robin (98). Wood Thrushes are not generally found at the higher elevations of the mountains, but where they are present in this count area, the total this year was less than half the previous low. Late migrants found on the count included one each of Palm, Bay- breasted and Blackpoll Warblers and two Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Other species of local interest included a Black-billed Cuckoo and three Northern Saw-whet Owls. The Black-capped Chickadee song once again dominated much of the count area over the Carolina Chickadee song. Visual verification would indicate that many of these at least were likely Black-capped rather than hybrid chickadees, but of course no DNA testing was possible. The Black-capped song continues to largely be the exclusively heard chickadee song from Black Balsam to Richland Balsam. The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 93 Thanks to the 20 participants in nine teams who spent a total of 70.5 team-hours in the field finding a total of 84 species and enjoying a beautiful spring day in the mountains while helping with the count. Marilyn Westphal Henderson County: count date 14 May, 100 species, 2,381 individuals, 14 participants, 41.25 party-hours. Compiler: Jim Neal (jlbjneal@gmail.com) Participants: Barrie and Paulette Cliff, Nancy Cowal, Denise DuPon, Bill Fisk, Rich Leppingwell, John LoCurto, Barbara and Jim Neal, Janie Owens, Sue Perry, Mark Simpson, Simon Thompson, and Marilyn Westphal Exclusives: none Notes: Saturday, May 14, 2011 was Spring Migration Count day in Henderson County, NC. The weather was partly cloudy with mild temperatures. Fourteen people worked 10 areas in the county and found 100 species and 2,381 individual birds. The 100 species total was the lowest of our 14 years collecting spring migration data, with the previous low being 103 species in 2001 and the highest being 120 species in 2006. The 2,381 total birds are the fourth lowest ever. The lowest total was 2,015 in 1999 when we had 14 people covering only 8 areas and the highest was 3,705 in 2002 when we had 18 people covering the 10 areas. This year there were five areas with more than 100 birds found. The Cedar Waxwing was most numerous at 140, American Crow 133, American Robin 121, the European Starling 115 and the Northern Cardinal 112. These were followed by three species in the 90s: Song Sparrow 98, Eastern Towhee 97, and Canada Goose 95. Mourning Dove, Carolina Wren, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Towhee, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal and American Goldfinch were found in all 1 0 count areas. Eighteen species of warblers were seen, with the Common Yellowthroat, Hooded, Black-throated Green, Black-and-white, and American Redstart being the most plentiful. Fifteen of the 18 species nest in the county. No particularly unusual species was found this year. The number of warbler species was two fewer than we normally find and we did not find several birds that have been found on one or more previous counts. We have always conducted our count on the second Saturday in May and this was latest possible date for the count which may have contributed to our missing a few migrating birds. Overall, it was a job well done and I want to thank all those who participated. Jim Neal Buncombe County: count date 15 May, 111 species, 4,148 individuals, 17 participants in 8 parties, 69.50 party-hours. Weather: Morning temperatures hovered in the low to mid-50s with partly cloudy to overcast skies and wind speeds between 0 and 10 mph. Skies remained partly to mostly cloudy in the afternoon, with temperatures in the upper 60s and wind speeds 0-10 mph. Compiler: Jamie Harrelson (jharrelson84@gmail.com) 94 2011 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina Participants: Ashley Case, Nancy Casey, Bill Fisk, Peggy Franklin, Jamie Harrelson, Griffin Hauser, Gail and Herman Lankford, Joe Meyer, Janie Owens, Kitti Reynolds, Russell Roe, Mark Simpson, Tom Tribble, Lou Weber, Marilyn Westphal, Ruth Young Exclusives: Warbling Vireo, Cerulean Warbler Notes: Birding was somewhat slow over much of the count area, most likely due to the cool temperatures. Our total for the count was one species higher than the total last year and was tied with the 2002 count as the second-lowest total in the past eleven years. The total number of birds was slightly below average. The number of participants was below average, possibly impacting our species total for the count. While raptor numbers were low for this count, we did find one very late Northern Harrier. A first for this count was Willow Flycatcher, which was found in two sections: in the vicinity of Warren Wilson College and in the section that includes the North Fork Reservoir. Notably absent from the count were Cooper’s and Broad-winged Hawks, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Cape May, and Pine Warblers. The late date for this count is a likely factor in the absence of some migrants. Numbers for the following species were low compared to the average since 2000: Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Kingbird, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue Jay, Tree Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Gray Catbird, Black-throated Green Warbler, Ovenbird, Song Sparrow, Bobolink, House Finch, and American Goldfinch. Totals were high for Rock Pigeon and Cedar Waxwing. Waxwing numbers were more than twice as high as the previous record for the past eleven years (2004) and almost four times as high as the average since 2000. Thank you to those who helped with the count this year; we hope to see you again next year! Jamie Harrelson Black Mountains IBA: count date 28 May, 60 species, 1,342 individuals, 10 participants in 5 parties, 30.25 party-hours. Weather: Fog in early morning, clearing before noon, temperature 45- 70°F, wind 5-10mph. Compiler: Marilyn Westphal (mjwestph@ret.unca.edu) Participants: Sue Cameron, Chris Kelly, Gail and Herman Lankford, Nora Murdock, Kitti Reynolds, Steve Semanchuk, Mark Simpson, Marilyn Westphal, and Troy Wilson Exclusives: none Notes: The Black Mountains spring bird count covers some of the highest-elevation areas in eastern North America and, although it also includes some lower-elevation areas near the base of the ridge, most of the species found are typical of high elevations in NC and are those more commonly found much farther north. The count was conducted on 28 May. The weather is very changeable in that area and birders often spend much of the morning in the chilly clouds. This year the weather during the count was milder than usual and the early morning fog burned off quickly. A total of 60 species were found, which is about average for the count. The area covered The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 95 is much smaller than the Balsam Mountains count area and includes the Blue Ridge Parkway from mile marker 344 to 360 and adjacent trails, Mount Mitchell State Park, and the forest roads down to the Black Mountains campground. This was the fifth year the count was conducted. Most common species found on the count included: Black-throated Green Warbler (135), Dark-eyed Junco (125), Golden-crowned Kinglet (87), Veery (78), Black-throated Blue Warbler (73), Canada Warbler (67), Blackburnian Warbler (61), Indigo Bunting (56), Blue-headed Vireo (54), and Red-breasted Nuthatch (50). As with the Balsam Mountains count, Veery numbers were at a record high. High numbers were also recorded for Swainson’s Thrush (5 — proof of breeding for this species in the Black Mountains will continue to be sought this year), and for Blackburnian Warbler, a species that seems to be thriving in the Black Mountains this year. Red Crossbill also reached a high count of 32. This looks like it could be a good breeding season for that species, although it is still early as nesting doesn’t usually begin until July. However, the spruce cone crop is looking very good this year. As with the Balsam Mountains count, record low numbers of Blue- headed Vireo and Winter Wren (30 — about half the average number) were found. Golden-crowned Kinglet numbers were also well below average and numbers of this species have followed a steady decline since the beginning of the count, although the number this year may also be at least partially affected by lack of coverage for a certain trail usually covered on the count. As with the Balsam Mountains count Dark-eyed Junco numbers, normally the most common bird on this count, were also below average. The only late migrant found on the count was a Yellow-rumped Warbler. This species has been found during the breeding season at Mount Mitchell on occasion and possible breeding is always suspected. Many thanks to the 10 participants in five teams who spent 30.25 team- hours in the field and walked almost 23 miles covering this rather rugged area. Marilyn Westphal Grandfather Mountain IBA: count date 13 May, 71 species, 786 individuals, 6 participants in 3 parties, 32.00 party-hours. Weather: Low 51-58°F, partly cloudy, winds calm to 5-10mph. Compiler: Jesse Pope (highcountrybirder@yahoo.com) Participants: Bob Cherry, Robin Diaz, Jill Goodwin, Katie Gray, Jesse Pope, Mickey Shortt, and 1 5 owl-prowl participants Exclusives: none Notes: We recorded 71 species and 786 individual birds! Most of the birding was above 4,000 ft in elevation, with some areas as low as 3,500 ft. I was very impressed by the number of species and birds considering we only have 93 species of confirmed breeders within the Grandfather Mountain State Park and the attraction area. More species occur within the Grandfather IBA that would include birds in the Julian Price Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. A few of the birds we encountered were late migrants, and a few 96 2011 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina were suspected breeders as well. One group birded the north side of Grandfather including the Profile Trail and along highway 105 and US 221 back toward the entrance to the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation attraction. Another group headed across the ridgeline of the Grandfather State Park and down to the Blue Ridge Parkway by way of the Grandfather Trail and the Daniel Boone Scout Trail. The final party birded along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Holloway Mtn. Road. I want to thank everyone who helped out with the count this inaugural year including Bob Cherry, Robin Diaz, Katie Gray, Mickey Shortt, Jill Goodwin, and the 15 folks who joined us for an owl prowl that night. We were lucky enough to hear two different Northern Saw- Whet Owls that night! ! Jesse Pope Hanging Rock State Park IBA: count date 4 May, 59 species, 685 individuals, 6 participants in 3 parties, 9.00 party-hours. Weather: Clear, calm, temperature 58 to 70°F Compiler: Ron Morris (ronmorris@triad.rr.com) Participants: Kim Brand, Jean Chamberlain, Howard Coston, Craig McCleary, Ron Morris, Jeremy Reiskind, Liz Schmid, Cindy and Chuck Thompson, and Catherine Thorington Exclusives: none Notes: There were several interesting aspects to this count. This is a very homogeneous count area. It’s almost entirely upland forest with a few streams, plus a snippet of the Dan River at the bottom end of Indian Creek Trail. Because it is so uniform in habitat, it is to be expected that the number of species is relatively low. That’s also a reflection of the small number of counters this park always attracts. Here are some of the lowlights of this year’s count. • one hawk — a Red-shouldered • 3 Red-bellied woodpeckers! • 1 Downy woodpecker! • 4 White-breasted Nuthatches • 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak • 10 thrushes, including Robins and Bluebirds • 12 warbler species Now the highlights: • 110 Red-eyed vireos (probably undercounted) • good numbers of some warbler species: Black-throated Blue, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, Pine, Black-and-white, Ovenbird, Hooded • 12 Scarlet tanagers • a nice male Canada warbler was probably the best bird of the day. No matter how you analyze it, a beautiful morning in a beautiful park! Thanks to everyone for your help. Ron Morris The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 97 Piedmont Iredell County: count date 1 May, 82 species, 1,403 individuals, 7 participants, 30.00 party-hours. Weather: Clear and sunny, temperature 60-80°F, no measurable wind. Compiler: Garnet Underwood (guwood@gmail.com) Participants: Debbie Bimley, Sam Cathey, Cynthia Dickerson, Bill English, Larry Marlin, Garnet and Ron Underwood Exclusives: Nashville Warbler, Vesper Sparrow Notes: Our count location is centered on the South Yadkin River bridge crossing at Chipley Ford Road in northern Iredell County, North Carolina. GPS coordinates N 35.89663 W 80.8997 Four Vesper Sparrows and 20 Grasshopper Sparrows were good counts for our area, as was the flock of nine Double-crested Cormorants. Nashville Warbler was an added bonus. Garnet Underwood Mecklenberg County: count date 30 April, 124 species, 5,993 individuals, 28 participants in 10 parties, 74.00 party-hours. Weather: Sunny, light winds, high temperature around 80°F. Compiler: Jeff Lemons (birdsalot@gmail.com) Participants: Larry and Louise Barden, Robert Bustle, Ron Clark, Susan Ellerman, Jan and Phil Fowler and daughter, Sharon Freedman, Bob and Nancy Haussler, Carol Horton, Ken Kneidel, Dennis Lankford, Jeff Lemons, Jill Palmer, Taylor Piephoff, John Scavetto, Lauren Schnexeider, Dean and Vivian Sprehe, Will Stuart, Chris Talkington, Steve Tracy, Judy Walker, Harriet Whitsett, David and Marcia Wright Exclusives: Western Sandpiper, Rusty Blackbird Notes: The Charlotte Spring Bird Count was held Sat. April 30. This was six days later than the 2010 count. The group managed to locate 124 species on count day plus four count week birds (White-rumped Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Bay-breasted Warbler, Snowy Egret). Many groups noted a lack of new migrants and very few tanagers but as a group a nice selection was found. There were very few lingering ducks, with only Ruddy Duck and Blue- winged Teal located plus a handful of shorebirds, with Solitary Sandpiper being the most numerous. Highlights included: Nineteen warbler species plus one during count week were located vs. 20 warblers in 2010; Grasshopper Sparrows from two separate locations: Pineville and Renaissance Golf Course; a pair of Homed Larks exhibiting aggressive behavior (the date is within the Breeding Bird Atlas Safe Dates indicating probable breeding); a Eurasian Collared-Dove sitting on nest in Pineville; Common Raven at the Vulcan Quarry; seven Yellow-crowned Night-Herons on nests; and Cliff and Bank Swallows. Thanks to all who participated. It was a great count and a beautiful day. Jeff Lemons 98 2011 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina Forsyth County: count date 7 May, 125 species, 4,751 individuals, 40 participants, 71.50 party-hours. Weather: 60-85°F, clear. Compiler: Chuck Thompson (cosmo6190@yahoo.com) Participants: Kim Brand, Howard Coston, Phil Crisp, Doug Demarest, Patty Demarest, David Disher, Susan Disher, Cynthia Donaldson, Gardner Gidley, Margaret Gidley, Bill Gifford, Lucy Gifford, Jim Grizzard, Mary Grizzard, John Haire, Bill Hammond, Elaine Hammond, John Hammond, Susan Hammond, Marbry Hopkins, George Hough, Liza Hough, Royce Hough, Bill Jackson, Ray Kandt, Marilyn McDonald, Tom McKay, Ron Morris, Paul Powers, Jeremy Reiskind, Gene Schepker, Lois Schneider, David Shuford, Miles Silman, Mark Simpson, Allison Sloan, Chuck Thompson, Cindy Thompson, Katherine Thorington, Marilyn Westphal Exclusives: Philadelphia Vireo, Sedge Wren, Gray-cheeked Thrush Notes: Number of participants, party hours, and individual bird count were less than average, while species count was average, and party-hours were above average. The most unusual species found this year included Sedge Wren and Philadelphia Vireo. Three additional species were found during count week, bringing the species count for the period to 128. Chuck Thompson Greensboro: count date 7 May, 124 species, 7,837 individuals, 34 participants, 106.83 party-hours. Weather: Low 46°F-High 72°F, wind 0-10 mph, mostly sunny. Compiler: Elizabeth Link (elzlink@yahoo.com) Participants: Carolyn Allen, Joyce Bartlett, John Bowles, Louise Brown, Stephen Bryant, Dennis Burnette, Sue Cole, Scott DePue, Judi Durr, Tom Gaffney, Herb Hendrickson, Amelia Kane, Margaret Kane, Martin Kane, Craig Lawrence, Jane Lewis, Elizabeth Link, Henry Link, Clarence Mattocks, Gregg Morris, Lynn Moseley, Jean Murdick, Gayle Nadel, Lane Oldham, Danny Royster, Wallace Sills, Lou Skrabec, Lauren Spence, Jim Strickland, Emily Talbert, David Trask, Emily Tyler, Ann Walter-Fromson, George Wheaton, Melissa Whitmire Exclusives: American Wigeon, Pectoral Sandpiper Notes: The weather was perfect for this year’s count, with mild temperatures and lots of sun. However, the exceptional weather did not lead to an exceptional count. The count date was later than usual, and as warbler migration seemed to have peaked at least a week before, warbler numbers were lower than usual. Our species count was within the average range for the last ten years (low of 114 species in 2004, and high of 136 species in 2005), helped in part by the number of lingering waterfowl, including American Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal, Red-breasted Merganser, and a female Hooded Merganser with four recently-hatched young. Pectoral Sandpiper, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Bobolink were among species located that don’t always appear for our count. The number of Yellow-crowned Night-Herons was down, due to the apparent failure of one colony — we now have only a The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 2011 99 single nest known to be in the count circle, in a different location from the colony that failed. Elizabeth Link Southern Pines: count date 1 May, 133 species, 6,290 individuals, 21 participants, 69.56 party-hours. Weather: 50-75°F, partly cloudy, wind ESE at l-7mph. Compiler: Susan Campbell — susan@ncaves.com Participants: Rex Badgett, Brady Beck, Carol Bowman, Susan Campbell, J. H. Carter III, Bob Ganis, Chris Ganis, Tom Howard, Alicia Jackson, Linda Jones, Matthew King, Marjorie Ludwig, David McCloy, Carolyn McDermott, Jeff Marcus, Dan Pieroni, Jessie Schillaci, Bruce Sorrie, Lowell and Susan Strine, Cassie Willis Exclusives: Mute Swan, Common Nighthawk, Lark Sparrow Notes: We had nice weather and a good mix of remnant wintering birds as well as early breeders and migrants. The grebes, siskins and Red-breasted Nuthatch were rather late winter holdovers. Mississippi Kite is a frequent migrant here but a first on a spring count. Caspian Tern was definitely our biggest surprise. Due to a number of folks with conflicts, effort was down this year but we did well nonetheless. Susan Campbell Chapel Hill: count date 7 May, 118 species, 8,856 individuals, 41 participants, 128.80 party-hours. Weather: low 55°F, high 74°F; wind WSW 5 mph; mostly cloudy, no rain. Compiler: Will Cook (cwcook@duke.edu) Participants: Sam Baron, Thierry Besanqon, Betsy Bogle, Chuck Byrd, Catherine Carter, Bob Chase, Mary Chase, Will Cook, Anson R. Cooke, Tom Driscoll, Maurice Graves, Steven Graves, Perry Haaland, Rachel Harden, Nancy Hinrichs, Carl Hintz, Loren Hintz, Bo Howes, Dietrick Kessler, Betty King, Jay Linke, Ken Lundstrom, Marty McClelland, Robert Meehan, Marge Miles, David Murdock, Lynn Ogden, Jane Oliver, Candace Owens, Deane Paul, Harriet Sato, Bev Scalise, Chad Schoen, Doug Shadwick, Darryl Spancake, Shelley Theye, Pam Timmons, Ginger Travis, Amalie Tuffin, Phil Warren, and Bob Winstead. Feeder watchers include Florence McCachren, Carolina and Harry Pederson, Joan Redmann, and Jerrold and Joan Walecka. Exclusives: none Notes: The Chapel Hill spring count on May 7 was a fairly uneventful one, with a low 118 species, well below the 10-year average of 124 species. Observer effort was also well below average at 128.8 party-hours (average 153.1), and so the number of individual birds counted was a low 8856 (average 10,994). The number of birds per party-hour was near normal (68.8, average 71.9). The 13-year periodical cicadas were out, but not loud enough to affect the bird counting. 100 2011 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina The one outstanding rarity of the count this year was King Rail: Ginger Travis and Marty McClelland heard two calling from the rushes at the south end of University Lake, which they covered by kayak. This is only our second for the count, with the first only in 2008, though they have nested at Mason Farm. Will Cook and Catherine Carter found a few good birds at the southwest Durham wastewater plant, including both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpipers, and our only Savannah Sparrows of the count. Other goodies included a Hermit Thrush (Shelley Theye) and 3 lingering Pine Siskins (Robert Meehan). Yellow-crowned Night-Herons used to be rare on the count, but lately they’re being found in increasing numbers as more are breeding near impoundments on the outer fringes of Jordan Lake. This year Betty King’s party and Chuck Byrd both got 5 at two different heronries and Will Cook had a flyby far from water in suburban Chapel Hill. Northern Bobwhite is still barely clinging on, with this year’s count doubling last year’s one individual. We set a few record highs: the total of 1 1 Yellow-crowned Night-Herons handily beats the old record of seven set in 2008, Cliff Swallows are thriving at Jordan Lake (39 this year, 26 in 2001), and Song Sparrows continue to colonize suburban streams (69 this year, 59 in 2007). The totals for Mallard and Green Heron were the highest in 10 years. There were no big misses but many low counts. Unusually scarce species included Wood Duck (lowest since 1990), Double-crested Cormorant (1995), Bald Eagle (1997), Eastern Kingbird (1974), House Wren (1996), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (1996), Brown Thrasher (1997), Northern Parula (2000), Yellow-rumped Warbler (2000), Yellow-throated Warbler (2001), Prothonotary Warbler (1999), Ovenbird (1999), Hooded Warbler (1994), Summer Tanager (1999), Eastern Towhee (1999), Common Grackle (1974). The species with the most precipitous decline was Bald Eagle, with 54 in 2009, 37 last year, and just 8 this year. Team honors: Doug Shadwick and Thierry Besampon, covering the northern reaches of Jordan Lake at New Hope Creek, got the top species count with 81, edging out Will Cook’s Mason Farm team with 80. Once again Tom Driscoll and Bo Howes counted the most individual birds, 1262, followed by Pam Timmons and Perry Haaland at Dairyland Road with 1046. Thanks to our dedicated crew of 41 field counters and seven feeder watchers! Charles W. "Will" Cook Jordan Lake: count date 8 May, 133 species, 7,644 individuals, 44 participants in 19 parties, 119.33 party-hours. Weather: Low 55, high 70°F; wind calm to light and variable, overcast with light rain first half of morning. Compiler: Norm Budnitz (rbudnitz@gmail.com) Participants: Barbara Beaman, Elizabeth Bishop, Todd Bishop, Stephen Buczynski, Norm Budnitz, Chuck Byrd, Carl Chelette, Barbara Coffman, Patrick Coin, Will Cook, Anson Cooke, Dwayne Cooke, Tom Driscoll, Lyle Estill, Martha Girolami, Perry Haaland, Walton Haywood, Carol Hewitt, The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 101 Carl Hintz, Loren Hintz, Bo Howes, Betty Kingsley, Gene Kingsley, Beth Mancuso, Phil Manning, Marty McClelland, Steve McMurray, Melinda Meade, Kyle Mills, Mickey Mills, Rick Payne, Carl Rothfels, Harriet Sato, Lois Schultz, Mike Schultz, Doug Shadwick, Pam Timmons, Ginger Travis, Andy Upshaw, David Van Ness, Millicent Van Ness, Phil Warren, Carol Williamson, Rouse Wilson Exclusives: none Notes: May 8, 2011, was a cool and somewhat wet spring day, with temperatures ranging from 55°F in the morning to 70°F in the afternoon. The skies were overcast for most of the day, with light to moderate rain in the early morning. Winds were calm to light and variable. And Brood XIX of the 13-year cicadas was putting on quite a show. At times during the day they could be accused of trying to restrict the audio portion of our program! Because there were a number of other events going on that day (Carolina Bird Club meeting, Mother’s Day, rain), our participation was a bit low. However, those who didn’t make it out missed seeing some very nice birds. Forty- four observers (not much lower than our 10-year average: 47) in 19 parties (10-year average: 22) tallied 7,644 individual birds (mean 8,270) — a little low, but not drastic. But this is what made the day interesting for many of us: We identified 133 species, well above our 10-year average of 125, our highest species count since 2002 when we also had 133. And this was with just 119 party hours in the field, well below our average of 141. Fewer observers in fewer parties and less cumulative time in the field usually mean lower numbers of species and individual birds, as seemed to be the case last year. But that was not the case this year. Read on for some of the highlights, more or less in phylogenetic order. Ring-necked Duck, 4: ties the record from 2002 — Carol Williamson and Carl Chelette; Will Cook and Carl Rothfels. Common Merganser, 2: ties the record from 2005 — Perry Haaland and Pam Timmons. Peregrine Falcon, 1 : third sighting in the history of the count — Lois and Mike Schultz. King Rail, 4: found again by kayak — Marty McClelland and Ginger Travis. One wonders how many more are out there in places we never get to. Lesser Yellowlegs, 8: recent record (208 in 1979 when the lake was being filled) — Lois and Mike Schultz. Semipalmated Sandpiper, 4: first sighting in 10 years — Lois and Mike Schultz. Wilson’s Snipe, 1: second sighting in 10 years — Norm Budnitz and Gene Kingsley. Caspian Tern, 1 : third sighting in 10 years — Lois and Mike Schultz. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 1: second sighting in 10 years — Anson Cooke, Dwayne Cooke, and Harriet Sato American Pipit, 1: first spring sighting since 1979 (when lake was being filled) — Will Cook and Carl Rothfels. 102 2011 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina Blackburnian Warbler, 1: first since 1997 — Carol Williamson and Carl Chelette. As seems to be the case every year, we generated a few new record numbers for some species: Red-headed Woodpeckers, 36 (previous high was 32 in 2010); Fish Crows, 58 (57 in 2010); Northern Mockingbird, 169 (157 in 2003); Cedar Waxwing, 366 (209 in 1999); and Chipping Sparrows, 223 (222 in 2010). This year, a record low number of Wood Thrushes — 19 — was reported. This is not only way below the 10-year average of 60, but is way below the previous low count of 30, taken in 1977, the first year of the count, when only 24 people in 1 1 parties were counting. Other people throughout North Carolina have reported anecdotally similar low numbers of Wood Thrushes this spring. Breeding Bird Surveys in eastern North America have noted on- going declines of this species for more than a decade. On a happier note, I believe we have a new record for number of species seen by one party. My data in electronic format only go back to 1998, and I have not delved into the hard-copy older data, but I believe the count of 95 species seen by Will Cook and Carl Rothfels sets a new record. The previous high of 93 species was seen by Ricky Davis in 2009, and he was freelancing, finding birds in many count areas, and therefore many habitats, all over the count circle. Congratulations, Will and Carl. Thank you all for counting. Norm Budnitz Durham: count date 1 May, 115 species, 6,124 individuals, 17 participants in 12 parties, 72.50 party-hours. Weather: Temperature 55-74°F, skies clear, wind east 5-10mph. Compiler: Mike Schultz (ross.gull@frontier.com) Participants: Brian Bockhahn, Brian Bomberg, Norm Budnitz, Will Cook, Tom Driscoll, Cynthia Fox, Gene Kingsley, Tom Krakauer, Robert Meehan, Stephen Ruezynski, Lois Schultz, Michael Schultz, Doug Shadwick, Deck Stapleton, Amalie Tuffrn, Edith Tatum, Scott Winton Exclusives: American Bittern Notes: This year’s count was held on May 1st, the latest date ever in our history. The results varied from our norm as one might expect, with better numbers of summer residents, especially flycatchers, and far fewer Yellow- rumped Warblers. Our total species was a surprisingly low 115, down from an average of 120. Our effort in terms of hours and miles was at the lower end of our normal, so this may have had more to do with it than anything else. Wood Thrushes have been of special interest lately, and this year’s count of 27 is nearly 50% below average for us, but not a record low. The numbers for the past few years, however, have been showing a steady steep decline. Michael Schultz The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 103 Wake County: count date 14 May, 109 species, 3,211 individuals, 26 participants in 12 parties, 47.00 party-hours. Weather: Nice weather throughout the day. Temperatures 55-75°F with increasing breezes to 5-10 mph and partly cloudy skies. Compiler: John Connors (John.Connors@ncmail.net) Participants: Julie Angerman- Stewart, Joe Bearden, Karen Bearden, Erla Beegle, Tom Bobalek, Brian Bockhahn, Sherree Brasher, Halbert Carmichael, John Connors, John Dole, Lena Gallitano, Diane Hardy, Sue Harvey, Lily Ivanov, Mark Johns, Will Kimler, Jim Mulholland, Monica Nees, Ed Owens, Louise Romanow, Annie Runyan, Patricia Savage, Clyde Smith, Bill Swallow, Erik Thomas, Mary Waller Exclusives: none Notes: Some interesting observations include: Common Loon (1) at Lake Wheeler; Great Egret (12) at three locations, which further begs the question are they nesting nearby; Hooded Merganser (1) at Lake Benson; Ring- necked Duck (2) at Yates Mill Pond. Most remarkable were Mississippi Kites (2) seen by John Connors flying above fields near Yates Mill Pond, and a Northern Harrier (1) seen by Jim Mulholland at the Mid-Pines fields. A Bobwhite (1) was heard by John Dole nearby. Encouraging was the number of Loggerhead Shrikes (9)— all separate adults — found at Lake Benson, Mid-Pines, Prairie Ridge and the NCSU Vet School. Tree Swallows were found at Lake Wheeler and Falls Lake; 17 species of warblers were found including: Yellow (4), Chestnut-sided (3), Magnolia (3), Black- throated Blue (7), Yellow-rumped (1), Black-and-white (5), American Redstart (16), and Northern Waterthrush (2). This is good diversity for so late in migration. A Kentucky Warbler was found on territory along Swift Creek below Lake Wheeler dam. Most wheat at Mid-Pines had been harvested and Bobolinks had disappeared, but Savannah Sparrows (6) remained on site. Grasshopper Sparrow (1) was found at Mid-Pines, and the Field Sparrow (7) population at Anderson Point seems to be growing. Significant misses include: Nightjars continue to be difficult to find — no Common Nighthawks have been seen in downtown Raleigh this season. Local breeders not found include: Prairie Warbler and Prothonotary Warbler. Falls Lake was included in this year’s count, but Lake Raleigh, Lake Johnson and Walnut Creek were not. Umstead State Park had limited coverage. Cliff Swallows continue nesting in northern Wake County along Neuse River bridges and have colonized bridges adjacent to Anderson Point. Great Blue Heron colonies seem to be thriving, though no active colonies are easily visible along count routes. Great Egret populations continue to expand. Purple Martin colony at University Club is near capacity; Prairie Ridge colony has increased, while that at the NC Museum of Art is empty. Anderson Point colony has not re-established. Meadow habitat at Prairie Ridge and Anderson Point continues to progress; Field Sparrows have begun using both sides, and Eastern Meadowlarks are well established at PR. John Connors 104 2011 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina Falls Lake: count date 27 April, 121 species, 5,621 individuals, 10 participants in 8 parties, 63.25 party-hours. Weather: Mostly cloudy, rain at midday, temperature 64- 76°F. Compiler: Brian Bockhahn (birdranger248@gmail.com) Participants: Herb Amyx, Brian Bockhahn, Ed Corey, Deborah Robertson, Jeri Smart, Josh Southern, Sterling Southern, Deck Stapleton, Brian Strong, Patty Tice Exclusives: Northern Shoveler Notes: The eighth Falls Lake Spring Bird Count was held on April 27, 201 1 under mostly cloudy skies with midday rain and temperatures 64-76°F. Ten observers in 8 parties tallied a record-setting 121 species, one more than our previous record in 2007 and that was with 19 observers! We also tallied a record-high 5,621 birds, which means we worked harder and smarter! First records: Northern Shoveler at Rollingview; Dark-eyed Junco near the dam; 2 Grasshopper Sparrows along Camp Kanata Road. Second records: female Red-breasted Merganser off Sandling Beach; Great Egret at Rollingview; Common Tern off Rollingview perched on buoys; Third records: Pied-billed Grebe in Wake Forest; Laughing Gull at Highway 50 boat ramp; Blackpoll Warbler at Sandling Beach; three parties reporting Pine Siskin. Misses: second time missing Chuck- will’ s-widow; third time we’ve missed Yellow-billed Cuckoo; first time missing Purple Martin and third time missing American Redstart! Many thanks to everyone who volunteered to count! Brian Bockhahn Kerr Lake: count date 28 April, 111 species, 3,109 individuals, 13 participants in 8 parties, 41.75 party-hours. Weather: Cloudy, moderate winds and mild temperatures. 74-78°F. Compiler: Brian Bockhahn (birdranger248@gmail.com) Participants: Brian Bockhahn, Adam D’Onofrio, Bryce and Lori Fleming, Paul Glass, Fred Lobdell, Carol Mauzey, Grace McCrowell, Paul Scharf, Harry and Sandra Shoffner, Clyde Smith, and Deck Stapleton Exclusives: none Notes: The eighth Kerr Lake Spring Bird Count was held on April 28, 2011 under cloudy skies with some moderate winds and mild temperatures, 74-78°F. Twelve counters in eight parties recorded 111 species and 3109 individuals. We found many good birds, but with some misses the 1 1 1 ties our record low from the first year of the count! This shows that Kerr Lake always puts up big numbers! First records: 1 Merlin near the Kerr Lake Dam; 1 Homed Lark in farm areas around Palmer Springs. The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 105 Second records: 1 Laughing Gull reported from Henderson Point and 1 below the dam, same bird? Fourth records: 1 Greater Yellowlegs and 2 Least Sandpipers from a farm pond in Middleburg that’s becoming infamous for shorebirds; 1 Bobolink in Palmer Springs. Misses: Bonaparte’s Gull, Caspian Tern, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Ruby- crowned Kinglet, Palm Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Many thanks to everyone who volunteered to count! Brian Bockhahn Raven Rock State Park: count date 30 April, 113 species, 4,656 individuals, 16 participants in 10 parties, 75.50 party-hours. Weather: Temperature 46-77°F, wind east 0-5mph, morning and afternoon sunny, water open. Count circle center at junction ofNC 210 and SR 1434. Compiler: Erik R. Thomas (erthomas@.ncsu.edu) Participants: Jim Bateson, David Brown, Stephen Buczynski, David DuMond, Paul Hart, Tom Howard, Bobby Lutfy, Tim McGreal, Jeff Mielke, Larry Rose, Karin Reese, Kevin Reese, Mitch Reese, Erik Thomas, Amber Williams, Sandra Williams. Exclusives: none Notes: The total of 113 species was a little higher than last year’s 110. Good finds included Blackburnian Warbler by Tim McGreal, a Magnolia Warbler by Paul Hart, and Veeries by David Brown and David Dumond. Three different parties reported Bobolinks. Coast Onslow County: count date 30 April, 151 species, 6,634 individuals, 22 participants in 11 parties, 70.25 party-hours. Weather: A pleasant spring day, temperature 55-78°F, skies clear, wind from southeast at 7 to 13mph. Compiler: Andy Webb (andywebb2008@live.com) Participants: Clancy Ballenger, Rich Boyd, Susan Boyd, Jim Craig, Wade Fuller, John Fussell, A1 Gamache, Buddy Garrett, Barbara Gould, Martin Korenek, Jim O’Donnell Sr., Dick Parmore, Steve Shaffer, Mark Shields, Bruce Smithson, Kelly Tingle, Tim Trott, Jake Vitak, Andy Webb, Elizabeth White, Amy Williamson, and Kelly Zivicki Exclusives: Northern Gannet, Brown Pelican, Great Cormorant, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Clapper Rail, Black- bellied Plover, Wilson’s Plover, Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Black-necked Stilt, Willet, Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Sanderling, Dunlin, Short-billed Do witcher, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Forster’s Tern, Least Tern, Black Skimmer, Saltmarsh Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow, Painted Bunting, Boat-tailed Grackle Notes: The 16th annual Onslow County Spring bird count was held Saturday April 30, 2011. It was a very pleasant spring day, with great 106 2011 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina weather for birding. The temperatures ranged from a low of 55 to a high of 78, which was slightly above average temperatures for this date, visibility was unrestricted and skies were mostly clear. The wind was from the southeast at 7 mph occasionally gusting to 13 mph. There were 22 observers in 1 1 parties who tallied 6,634 individual birds (count mean 7,086), and 151 species (count mean 152), during 70.25 party hours in the field. There was one species located that was a first for this count. The most interesting find was a Horned Grebe found by John Fussell, Barbara Gould, and Tim Trott at Bear Island. This species is not unusual for Onslow County, but this was the first recorded on count day. Other good finds included Northern Harrier, Merlin, Marbled Godwit, American Woodcock, and Saltmarsh Sparrow. Most abundant species on the count were Laughing Gull (280) and Mourning Dove (265) which were no surprise. We had count highs for Wild Turkey with (23), both Turkey (162) and Black Vultures (13), Sandwich Tern (213), Great Crested Flycatcher (124), Blue Jay (87), American Crow (124), Northern Mockingbird (134), Northern Cardinal (178), Common Grackle (228), Orchard Oriole (62), and House Finch (37). Some notable misses were Red-breasted Merganser, Little Blue Heron, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Great Homed Owl, Common Nighthawk, Blue-headed Vireo, and Louisiana Waterthrush. All in all it was a great day to be birding with a great team of birders. Onslow County is a large geographical area and the challenge is getting enough birders in the field to obtain adequate coverage. I would like to thank Jake Vitak, a park ranger at Hammocks Beach State Park, for providing coverage and transportation via boat and ATV, and Marty Korenek and his team of three that provided coverage, although sparse, at Camp Lejeune. Thanks for counting. Andy Webb Table 1. 201 1 spring counts in North Carolina The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 107 total r-H o cn o On o O cn _ < o O o o P r- O cn cn o r- oo r— _ CN o •— i o O CN p o p P o O o o CN ' — 1 p cn p O o in o O oo d d d d d d d d d d d d d -H 1 d d d d d d d d d IT) _ ON o n- "Pi o — o P o P* "P O o r- P o o o oo o o p p p oo o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o CN p p CN d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d On o in o o m o o o o o o o o o CN ■*t o o o o o o o OO p p o o o o o o o o o o o O o o o o o p o o " O d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d NO 00 r- cn in cn >n oo ”3- m ^t r- m ON r- cn r- CN NO CN o _ t— m ON o 00 in n Buncg in cn oo t> On m >n CN o cn HendJ in in On NO NO NO “ Balsg in " NO cn Trans g NO t" r_l IT) T-< n- U M o 3 C Q § P .SP jg ^ ffl G G q e o *§ 1 = f2 ° U £ £ K O o -S o § U D O O m 108 2011 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina o o o o o o o © — < © — ■ OO © © *- i*-Hr-*©r-fOt-~0©’-<0 © csi- © © © O © © cn ©> © C> ©"© .© © — ©r4 ©©©©©©©©©<©©©©© . , © oo cn © © © © ©©cn©©©oo© — '^©©©©©cn©© pied ©©©©©©— i ©©'st-r-^©©©©©©^©^©©©© ©©<©©<©<©© ©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©CD©© . „©©©©©©© ©©©-=*—< © © © cn — ©'srooo©©© — mtris ©©©©©©© ©©©^©©©©©©©©©©©©©© ©©©©©©<© ©©©©©©<©©©©©"©© ©©<©©© total © (N © © c- >— ' n- © cn cn ' — 1 © — 1 — r^nO'. 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Tufted Titmous z -a V in c3 (L> -O CD !S -o > © 3 id Eastern Bluebir Veery Gray-cheeked 1 H in "c O C/5 ’S 00 Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush American Robii Gray Catbird Northern Mock Brown Thrashe B ■ C/3 C «3 CD © ' O s w ■ American Pipit 1 3 4 0.00 0.00 0.00 Cedar Waxwing 46 29 140 611 23 2 49 416 165 328 293 58 366 82 46 51 83 64 27 2879 2.79 2.22 0.38 Ovenbird 16 119 6 75 13 16 45 4 16 15 42 83 67 62 16 29 58 31 16 729 0.95 0.47 0.23 Worm-eating Warbler 1 2 9 9 2 11 1 6 32 0.07 0.01 0.09 Louisiana Waterthrush 6131 1 1 122491562 8 53! 0.04 0.04 0.00 The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 113 or^'-rto'oo^ooo — oooooo o o o ~ r- "t coast ppinppp't'— ipppuopppppp p o ir, -• ri oc oooooooooooooooooo oooooo . , .'3-ooinoOcoin^C'-coO'tcNO^t'~cNoo vo o O co CN ^ pied O— '^OOOp oo 75 CN IN CN N- VO sj <*! X 3 « ^ ^ j= •£ i> ^ "S © 3 “ ^ ^ t* "o C U ?*v C 2 o =3 m § p 11 k i“ m b £ „ H ^ ra u o pq plh go 2; ^ o *8 I o B ffi < s_ 3 © 2 4^ s jy •fi ■§ C« S3 £ £ C3 H 3r,2S o 2 S3 c3 e M a £ £ -a * > Oh OQ Warbler 21 135 12 28 135 7 41 1 3 4 1 | 388 1.24 0.01 0.00 Canada Warbler 4 134 32 67 49 1 1 5 .. 293 0.94 0.01 0.00 Wilson’s Warbler 1 1 2 0.00 0.00 0.00 Yellow-breasted Chat 4 6 2 1 1 6 7 1 1 40 50 32 2 12 23 20 39 265 0.04 0.24 0.56 Eastern Towhee 85 225 97 105 48 51 6 15 104 100 115 106 180 101 125 40 58 33 38 33 1665 2.02 1.13 0.47 114 2011 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina coast 'S N O o o o CO © CO O' © © © © © © © © © r— © ■-4 IS £ species Bachman’s Sparro Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Lark Sparrow Savannah Sparrow C c3 © 00 <3 © © o © t/3 CO C3 >-4 G Saltmarsh Sparrow Seaside Sparrow Fox Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow a. « -C3 © 2 1 ■5 B $ $ Dark-eyed Junco Summer Tanager Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal O o T3 u m C3 CO © CO in O Pi Blue Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Painted Bunting Bobolink PjA 0 5 T3 U 00 c $ ■a a> C* Eastern Meadowla Rusty Blackbird Common Grackle Boat-tailed Grackl 0 U "O D © C3 0) © c £ 2 PQ Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 115 © © o o pied NO O t-~ n tj- »— I oo oo CO O —I ro On N C/3 t>o a g >n 2 § 2 | s JS 1 -2 O o P 3c Jj o gja-g g ± ^ £ u 8 e s =l‘Hl » S£o»u^b^ 8 s -e % S "2 1 « 2£oSu5qS Grdfr c ' : B1 PI Mts Buncos! —I NO NO t~- OO c-~ Hendry Bals Trans ^ o '1 a co a cx ^ to o .CO a ^ .22 unw'j; £ C 3 o o £ o X) a H S-H ca >N , > . e a a 22 2 3 3 .S 2 O O C3 > uus: a « 5 2 o j£ 2 sasa 3 F* M >3 O § * g oo u 00 15 S T3 CIS D H PQ X CQ CQ O EC a X2 a c ^ -a a to 2ojOD_!to!u hfflEmcooia 116 2011 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina Table 2. Summary of party hours and miles party-hours canoe/ kayak/ feeder total on foot by car boat night watch Transylvania 56.00 8.00 48.00 12.00 Balsam Mtns 70.50 60.25 15.75 1.50 Henderson 41.25 16.25 25.00 Buncombe 69.50 28.00 41.50 0.30 Black Mtns 30.25 20.75 9.50 1.50 Grandfather 32.00 ND ND 2.50 Hanging Rock 6.00 5.00 1.00 Iredell 30.00 5.00 25.00 1.00 3.00 Mecklenberg 74.00 63.50 10.50 1.50 Forsyth 72.00 67.00 5.00 Greensboro 106.83 81.33 25.50 Southern Pines 69.56 31.00 38.56 4.75 8.50 Chapel Hill 128.80 105.80 19.00 4.00 2.50 19.00 Jordan Lake 119.33 76.00 31.83 11.50 2.75 16.00 Durham 72.50 62.00 10.50 2.00 Wake 47.00 44.00 3.00 2.00 Falls Lake 63.25 55.50 7.75 2.75 Kerr Lake 41.75 32.50 9.25 1.25 Raven Rock 75.50 43.50 32.00 1.20 Onslow 70.25 24.75 41.50 5.00 total 1276.27 830.13 400.14 15.50 32.50 58.50 party-miles canoe/ kayak/ total on foot by car boat night Transylvania 273.00 11.00 262.00 1.00 Balsam Mtns 220.90 46.70 180.40 10.00 Henderson 226.55 13.05 213.50 Buncombe 331.00 20.00 311.00 3.00 Black Mtns 51.20 22.70 33.50 10.00 Grandfather 49.80 9.90 39.90 2.50 Hanging Rock 37.00 17.00 20.00 Iredell 50.00 2.00 48.00 Mecklenberg 295.00 43.50 251.50 Forsyth 115.00 40.00 75.00 Greensboro 396.00 84.10 311.90 Southern Pines 399.40 21.50 377.90 Chapel Hill 196.75 72.50 118.50 5.75 0.75 Jordan Lake 199.10 56.30 135.80 7.00 16.00 Durham 91.15 49.25 41.90 Wake 103.50 36.50 67.00 5.00 Falls Lake 104.50 41.50 63.00 4.00 Kerr Lake 102.10 21.50 80.60 1.00 Raven Rock 397.90 31.50 366.40 10.00 Onslow 416.00 19.50 378.50 30.00 total 4055.85 660.00 3376.30 12.75 93.25 General Field Notes General Field Notes briefly report such items as rare sightings, unusual behaviors, significant nesting records, or summaries of such items. First, second, or third sightings of species in either state must be submitted to the appropriate Bird Records Committee prior to publication in The Chat. Summer records and first breeding of Yellow-rumped Warbler ( Setophaga coronata) in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee Richard L. Knight 804 North Hills Drive, Johnson City, TN 37604 r knight 8@earthlink. net The Myrtle subspecies of the Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata coronata ) breeds in the boreal forest zone of the northeastern and north-central US from Maine to Minnesota, across most of Canada except in the southwest, and through much of Alaska (Dunn and Garrett 1997). In the East, this species has shown a gradual summer range expansion southward along the Appalachian Mountains in recent decades. The first summer records for West Virginia occurred in 1975, with nesting confirmed there in 1987 (Buckelew and Hall 1994). Summering Yellow-rumped Warblers were first reported in the mountains of northern Virginia in 1992 and in the Mt. Rogers area of southwestern Virginia by 2001. Breeding evidence was noted in the northern counties of that state in 1995, 2001, and 2004 (Rottenbom and Brinkley 2007). The first summer records from the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee came from Roan Mountain, which sits astride the border of these two states, as do some other peaks mentioned in this article. In late June 1993, John Gerwin, curator with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, observed a female Yellow-rumped Warbler carrying nest material (Lewis 1993). On 16 July 1993, he showed the nest to the author and, as we watched, both adult warblers repeatedly fed the nestlings small green caterpillars and small moths. After several minutes we witnessed the two young fledge. The nest was located about 20-25 ft above the ground in a Red Spruce (Picea rubens) beside the paved US Forest Service road that runs from Carver’s Gap to Roan High Knob, just above the Balsam Road turnoff at approximately 6000 ft elevation on the North Carolina side. Gerwin later collected the nest, and it i$ in the NC Museum of Natural 117 118 Summer Records and First Breeding of Yellow-rumped Warbler Sciences’ Bird Collection. This sighting represented not only the first summer record in the mountains south of Virginia, but also the first breeding record south of West Virginia. Table 1 documents subsequent summer records from this site for at least seven years through 2010. Most of these observations have been of one singing male per year. A pair was seen in 2010 (Migrant in press) along the Roan High Bluff trail, but no other breeding evidence was obtained that year, in part because the area was closed for road and facility work on 7 July. Table 3. Summer records of Yellow-rumped Warbler in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Records cited in this table are taken from “Briefs for the Files” in The Chat and “The Summer Season” in The Migrant (including one issue in press). Location | Date | Evidence | References Roan Mountain (NC/TN) 1993 late Jun - mid Jul pair, 2 young Migrant 64:89, this paper 1994 Jun 4 1 male Migrant 65:65 1997 Jul 4 1 male Migrant 68:137 2000 Jun 23 1 male Migrant 71:123 2005 Jun 17, Jun 26 1 male Migrant 76:148, Chat 69:170 2006 Jun 25 - Jun 28 2 males Migrant 77:148, Chat 70:132 2007 Jun 10 1 male Migrant 78:143, Chat 71:137 2010 Jun 8 -Jul 6 pair Migrant (in press), Chat 74:1 14 Unaka Mountain 2000 Jun 8 - Jun 27 1 male Migrant 71:123 (TN/NC) 2002 Jun 18 pair Migrant 73:1 15 Mount Le Conte (TN) 2000 Jun 14- Jul 11 1 male Migrant 71 : 123 Craggy Gardens (NC) 2001 Jun 9 1 male Chat 66:34 Mount Mitchell (NC) 2001 Jun 11 1 male Chat 66:34 2004 Jun 19 -Jun 22 1 male Chat 68:172 2005 early Jun 1 male Chat 69:170 Clingman’s Dome 2004 Jul 4 1 male Chat 68:172 (NC/TN) 2010 Jul 1 - Jul 4 1 male Migrant (in press) Grandfather Mountain 2006 Jun 20 1 male Chat 70:132 (NC) Mount Kephart (NC/TN) 2007 Jun 6 2 males Migrant 78:143, Chat 71:137 Mount Guyot (NC/TN) 2010 Jul 1 - Jul 4 1 male Migrant (in press) Tricomer Knob (NC/TN) 2010 Jul 1 - Jul 4 1 adult, 1 young Migrant (in press), Chat 74:1 14 Table 1 also lists all of the published breeding season records of Yellow- rumped Warblers in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, with a total of 21 records from 10 sites. All records have occurred in the last two decades, with the majority in the last decade. Most records involved single males, some of which appeared to be territorial. The span of dates for most records was brief, often just 1 or 2 days. In many instances, however, this may have simply represented a lack of follow-up. All of the locations are in the spruce or spruce-fir belt at high elevation. At Roan Mountain, most of the sightings have occurred in areas with a small deciduous component or an edge effect created by a road. Five of the sites The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 119 listed in Table 1 are in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Mt. Le Conte, Clingman’s Dome, Mt. Kephart, Mt. Guyot, and Tricomer Knob), which contains the largest "island" of spruce-fir forest in the southern Appalachians. However, more records have come from Roan Mountain than any other site, perhaps due to its more northerly location or to more consistent coverage there. North Carolina’s second breeding record came during 1-4 July 2010, when Tom Howe observed an adult Yellow-rumped Warbler feeding a recently fledged juvenile along the Appalachian Trail at the Tricomer Knob Shelter in the Smokies (Migrant in press). Tricomer Knob is near the junction of Swain and Haywood Counties, North Carolina, with Sevier County, Tennessee. Southern (2010) erroneously placed this record in Avery County in early June. On the Tennessee side of Unaka Mountain on 18 June 2002, Allan Trently observed a pair of Yellow-rumped Warblers near an unoccupied nest; however, the ownership of the nest could not be confirmed (Lewis 2002). In addition to these records, there are a few summer reports from sites well away from the mountains in both states. Such sightings are typically regarded to be tardy migrants or non-breeding wanderers. Acknowledgments I thank John Gerwin for showing the 1993 nest to me. Also, I appreciate the comments from Christina Harvey, John Gerwin, and an anonymous reviewer who improved the manuscript. Literature Cited Buckelew, A. R., Jr. and G. A. Hall. 1994. The West Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas. University of Pittsburgh Press, PA. Dunn, J. L. and K. L. Garrett. 1997. A Field Guide to Warblers of North America. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston and New York. Lewis, R. P. 1993. The season: Eastern mountain region. Migrant 64:88-89. Lewis, R. P. 2002. The summer season: Eastern mountain region. Migrant 73:114-115. Rottenbom, S. C. and E. S. Brinkley. 2007. Virginia’s Birdlife: An Annotated Checklist, 4th edition. Virginia Avifauna No. 7, Virginia Society of Ornithology, Lynchburg. Southern, J. 2010. Briefs for the files. Chat 74:107-116. First Photographic Record of Sharp-tailed Sandpiper ( Calidris acuminata) for North Carolina Greg Massey1 and Harry E. LeGrand, Jr.2 ‘10216 Timber Ridge Ct„ SE, Leland, NC 28451-8536 2NC Natural Heritage Program, 1601 MSC, Raleigh, NC 27699-1601 On 15 October 2010 around 14:30, Mark Jones, Harry Sell, Amy Williamson, and the senior author observed a rather brightly colored juvenile Sharp-tailed Sandpiper ( Calidris acuminata ) at the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area in New Hanover County, North Carolina. It was resting on the beach with numerous other shorebirds. Prior to seeing the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, they had found an adult Pectoral Sandpiper (C. melanotos ) in nonbreeding plumage approximately 50 yards from where, moments later, they saw the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. The irony of this first sighting was that a discussion took place regarding the Pectoral Sandpiper and how it was different from the Asian stray, the Sharp- tailed Sandpiper. A few minutes after that discussion, Williamson pointed out a brownish-backed sandpiper sitting on the beach with a small group of shorebirds that had grayer back color, including Dunlins (C. alpina ), Black- bellied Plovers ( Pluvialis squatarola), and Short-billed Dowitchers (. Limnodromus griseus ). The observers immediately identified the brownish- backed bird as a juvenile Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, a rather easy identification in that age and plumage. The flock flushed several times because of vehicle traffic but settled down each time, allowing additional observations and photographs. The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was observed and photographed by all four observers as close as 10 m, for a total observation time of about 30 minutes. Distinguishing field marks included size similar to Pectoral Sandpiper, uniformly brownish back, and a very prominent rufous cap above a clearly defined and bold supercilium. It had all-yellow legs and a buffy breast with only slight streaking. The bird also had a distinct eye ring. Several other local birders were contacted. Dr. James Parnell joined the group about an hour later, and they relocated the bird with a large mixed flock of other shorebirds on the edge of a marsh and mudflats almost directly across from the original sighting. Parnell was also able to get close-up photographs of the bird. Unfortunately, the bird was not seen on the following day despite some birders’ spending most of the day in the area. This is the second record of Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in North Carolina, with the first occurring only in the previous year. A juvenile was seen by Bob Holmes at a sod farm in Craven County on 31 August 2009 (Holmes 2011). However, that individual was not photographed. The NC Bird Records Committee accepted both of these records (LeGrand et al. 2011). As the Fort Fisher bird was photographed at close range (Figs. 1-2), acceptance of photos places the species onto the Official List. 120 The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 121 Figure 1. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, NC, 15 October 2010. Photo by Greg Massey. Figure 2. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper standing next to a Short-billed Dowitcher (right). Photo by Greg Massey at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, NC, 15 October 2010. Literature Cited Holmes, B. 2011. First North Carolina record of a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata). Chat 75: 57-58. LeGrand, H. E., Jr., K. E. Camburn, S. Cooper, R. J. Davis, E. V. Dean, W. K. Forsythe, J. S. Pippen, M. H. Tove, and R. L. Tyndall. 2011. 2010 report of the North Carolina Bird Records Committee. Chat 75:1-5. Fifty Years Ago in The Chat — September 1961 Gilbert J. Bristow’s President’s Report reported that at the April meeting in Whiteville, all officers were re-elected and all committees were re- appointed. The present membership was “one of the largest in the history of the club, around 1250” [much larger than today’s membership]. The financial condition of the club was sound. Other recent meetings had been at Cashiers in spring 1960, Blowing Rock in the fall, and Hilton Head Island in mid-winter with “good attendance”. Attendance at the Whiteville meeting was 90, and 96 bird species were observed “under ideal weather conditions”, highlighted by a Cattle Egret. Upcoming meetings were scheduled for Clemson in fall, Mattamuskeet in winter, and Cashiers in spring. Wendell Smith reported on eight years of observations near North Wilkesboro. Most notable were a Black Rail feigning injury in Surry County 16 July 1959 and another in North Wilkesboro 21 May 1961. Gaston Gage published a six-year study of the behavior of a pair of Northern Mockingbirds that were resident in his yard. B. R. Chamberlain summarized the 1961 Spring Count. There were 17 counts, up from 12 in 1960. In each count that was done both years, the number of species was greater in 1961, and most individual counts were up as well. Charlotte had an unprecedented species count of 1 12. Bank and Cliff Swallows, which had rarely been seen in previous counts, were reported in several inland counts. The Charleston count included a Bachman’s Warbler, “presumably the same bird that has been found in the Bull’s Island area for several years”. Harry T. Davis reported on the year’s banding activities between Cape Lookout and Ocracoke. Band recoveries since 1960 included Brown Pelicans, Royal Terns, and Black Skimmers recovered in Florida. Also, an Evening Grosbeak banded at Raleigh was recovered in Massachusetts. In General Field Notes, two Magnificent Frigatebirds were reported at Garden City, SC 12 June 1961. A Northern [now Red-necked] Phalarope was seen at Lake Murray, SC, 22 May 1961. This was the first SC record since 1934. On 20 May 1961, 38-40 Mississippi Kites were seen at the Wateree State Prison Farm, SC. This was regarded as a large number. Greg Massey reported that a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was seen at Wilmington for one day only on 1 June 1961. This was the first record for the Wilmington area, and the editor noted that the first record for the state was at Southern Pines on 6 April 1953, and that the only other records for the state were one seen at Chapel Hill 19 June 1953 and one in Beaufort County on 27 June 1956. 122 BRIEFS FOR THE FILES Josh Southern 203 Hyannis Drive Holly Springs, NC 27540 joshsouthem79@gmail.com (All dates Spring 2011, unless otherwise noted) 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. Reports may be submitted in any format, but I prefer that you use email, list multiple sightings in taxonomic order (rather than by date or location), and type your report directly into the body of the email. If your sightings are in a file, please copy-and-paste the text into the body of the email, rather than sending an attachment. 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. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: 12 were seen in North Augusta, SC, 30 Apr (Paul Koehler, Lois Stacey). Stacey notes that this species has been present in the central Savannah River area since at least 2007, and breeding was confirmed in nearby Augusta, GA, last year. Cinnamon x Blue-winged Teal: A hybrid drake was seen and photo- graphed in the company of other Blue-winged Teal on Lake Junaluska, NC, 3 Apr (Paul Super) through 6 Apr (multiple observers [m. obs.]). Winter December 1-February 28 Spring March 1-May 31 Summer June 1-July 31 Fall August 1 -Nov ember 30 due March 20 due June 20 due August 20 due December 20 123 124 Briefs for the Files — Spring 2011 Northern Shoveler: Eight, seven drakes and one hen, on Salem Lake in Winston-Salem, NC, 18 May (John Haire) were somewhat late. Northern Pintail: A female on Salem Lake in Winston-Salem, NC, 18-20 May (John Haire) was especially late. Common Eider: Three birds, two first-year males and a female, seen off-and-on during the winter, were seen again at Port Macon State Park (SP) in Atlantic Beach, NC, on the late date of 17 Apr (Haven Wiley, et al.). One seen at Hatteras Inlet, 29 May (Brian Patteson, et al.) was unusual. Surf Scoter: Inland sightings included a juvenile on Reedy Creek Lake in Umstead SP, Raleigh, NC, 2 Apr (Nathan Swick) and three on Lake Junaluska, NC, 3-4 Apr (Paul Super, Nathan Gatto, m. obs.). White-winged Scoter: One on the Salt Pond at Cape Point, Buxton, NC, 28-30 May (Marshall Illiff, et al.) was unusual for the date. Bufflehead: One, possibly injured and therefore unable to migrate, was seen on the Jordan Lake, NC, Spring Bird Count (SBC), 8 May (Norm Budnitz). Common Goldeneye: A female on the Ivy River in Marshall, NC, 19 Apr (Kevin Caldwell) was somewhat late and unusual for the mountain region. Red-breasted Merganser: Seven, two drakes and five hens, on Salem Lake in Winston-Salem, NC, 15 Mar (Phil Dickinson) were unusual so far inland. Four females in a group at New River Inlet, Pender Co, NC, 28 May (Ricky Davis) were quite late and possibly attempting to summer in the area. Ring-necked Pheasant: One was seen associating with a Wild Turkey at Congaree National Park (NP), SC, 12 Mar (John Galbary, fide John Grego). Grego notes that a pheasant was first heard in the park two years ago. As there are no wild populations of this species known to remain in that region, one has to wonder where the bird came from. Pacific Loon: One was seen just off the rocks at Ft Fisher, NC, 25-28 Mar (Daniel Hueholt, Greg Massey). Common Loon: One on Lake Crabtree in Morrisville, NC, 21 May (Mike Turner) and 30 May (Joseph Covington) was somewhat late. Horned Grebe: The 190 on the Newport River off the Carteret County Game Land, 2 Mar (John Fussell) were a good count. One at Hammocks Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, 30 Apr 2011, North Augusta, SC. Photo by Lois Stacey. The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 125 Beach SP, NC, seen during the Onslow Co SBC, 30 Apr (Fussell, Barbara Gould, Tim Trott) was somewhat late and a first for that spring count. Red-necked Grebe: One, nearly in full breeding plumage, was seen on the Neuse River, just S of New Bern, NC, 16 Mar through 2 Apr (A1 Gamache, m. obs.). Another individual was seen just off the rocks at Ft Fisher, NC, 25 Mar (Daniel Hueholt). Western Grebe: Of the five seen there in February, three remained off Cape Point, Buxton, NC, when photographed 18 Mar (Eric Frey). An individual was seen on the Neuse River, just S of New Bern, NC, 16 Mar through 2 Apr (A1 Gamache, m. obs.). Fea’s Petrel: Over the course of 19 nearly-consecutive pelagic trips out of Hatteras, NC, in late May and early June, single individuals were found 20 May, 31 May, 5 June, and 6 June; and two were seen 29 May (Brian Patteson, et al.). European Storm-Petrel: Two, possibly three, were seen on a pelagic trip out of Hatteras, NC, 31 May (Brian Patteson, et al.). White-tailed Tropicbird: Eight to nine were seen over the course of 19 nearly consecutive pelagic trips out of Hatteras, NC, in late May and early June (Brian Patteson, et al.), providing an impressive springtime tally of a species more typical of summer p( Red-billed Tropicbird: An adult found near the Salt Pond at Cape Point, Buxton, NC, 24 May (Marcia Lyons) was seen off- and-on by several birders through 10 June (Adam D’Onofrio). A juvenile was seen on a pelagic trip out of Hatteras, NC, 5 June (Brian Patteson, et al.) Wood Stork: One at Greenfield Lake in Wilmington, NC, 5 Mar (Daniel Hueholt) was somewhat early. A first-year bird photographed in Ocracoke, NC, 7 Mar (Carol Pahl) was locally unusual. Masked Booby: A third-summer bird was seen on a pelagic trip out of Hatteras, NC, 1 June (Brian Patteson, et al.) providing the first sighting of this species in our region in nearly three years. Brown Booby: A juvenile bird was seen on a pelagic trip out of Hatteras, NC, 5 June (Brian Patteson, et al.). Interestingly, the last sighting of this species during a Patteson pelagic trip took place exactly six years prior! Anhinga: Two on the S end of Lake Norman, Mecklenburg Co, NC, 7 Apr (David & Marcia Wright) were unusual for a site so far from the coast. Two active nests found inside a small Great Blue Heron colony at East Prong, Slocum Creek, in the Croatan National Forest (NF) near Havelock, NC, 1 1 May (John Fussell) were locally unusual. ic trips. Red-billed Tropicbird, 24 May 2011, Cape Point, NC. Photo by Sidney Maddock. 126 Briefs for the Files — Spring 2011 American White Pelican : Remaining later into the spring than is typical for the species was an individual at Pea Island NWR, NC, 12-28 May (Jonathan & Tiffany Vande Kopple, Jeff Lemons). American White Pelican, 28 May 2011, Pea Island NWR. Photo by Jeff Lemons. American Bittern: One seen in a wetlands area near UNC-Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co, NC, 29 Mar through 3 Apr (Tom Sanders, Tammy Sanders) was a good find for that site. Least Bittern: One seen at Cowans Ford WR, Mecklenburg Co, NC, 27 Apr-1 May (Tom Sanders, Ron Clark) was unusual for a site so far from the coast. More than 20 were counted at the Piney Island Bombing Range, Carteret Co, NC, in late May (John Fussell, John Voigt) at a site that is “apparently an important breeding area for the species.” “Great White Heron” : One was seen and photographed along the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive in the Savannah NWR, SC, 24-29 May (Peter Range). This subspecies of the Great Blue Heron is not found in our region very often. Great Egret: Twelve on the Raleigh, NC, SBC, 14 May {fide John Connors) provided an impressive count for a piedmont location in the spring. Snowy Egret: Farther inland than usual were two at Me Alpine Creek Park in Mecklenburg Co, NC, 2 May (Tom Sanders, Ron Clark, Jan Fowler, Phil Fowler). Reddish Egret: One seen over Harkers Island, NC, 29 April (Bryan Pfeiffer, et al.) provided a rare springtime sighting. Black-crowned Night-Heron: An adult flushed on the Roanoke River, between Hamilton and Quitsna, NC, 14 May (Harry LeGrand) was unusual for that inland site. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron: Outside of the coastal plain, nesting was reported at Miller Park in Winston-Salem, NC, where five were building nests 24 Mar (Phil Dickinson); just outside of downtown Charlotte, NC, where 3-4 nests were observed 28 March (Jeff Lemons); at Hamilton Lakes Park in Greensboro, NC, a previously documented nesting site (Henry Link); and in Chapel Hill, NC, where a pair was seen nesting in April (Jim Wilde, fide Cynthia Fox). White-faced Ibis: One was found in the company of Glossy Ibises in the impoundment along the entrance road to Mattamuskeet NWR, NC, 28 Apr (David Clark). If accepted by the NC Bird Records Committee, this sighting will provide the second accepted record for NC. The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 127 Roseate Spoonbill: Individuals were seen at Bear Island WMA, SC, 16 May (Paul Kalbach) and 31 May (Mary Foster); and on Dewees Island, SC, 30 May (Lori Sheridan Wilson). Black Vulture: One in Duck, NC, 17 Apr (Jeff Lewis) was locally unusual. Swallow-tailed Kite: One over Pea Island NWR, NC, 18 Mar (Brian Patteson) was somewhat early. Six over Buxton, NC, 15 Apr (Eric Frey) pro- vided an excellent count for the Outer Banks. One over Mills Road Savanna in Croatan NF, NC, 26 Apr (Bryan Pfeiffer, et al.) was locally unusual. Nine near Lock and Dam No. 1 on the Cape Fear River, Bladen Co, NC, 29 May (Ricky Davis) provided a good count. Surely this species is breeding in that area, but evidence of breeding has yet to be documented in NC. Northern Harrier: Late were individuals over Snowbird Lodge near Robbinsville, NC, 23 Apr (Simon Thompson); Hofmann Forest, Onslow Co, NC, 30 April (Rich & Susan Boyd, Wade Fuller); Butner Gamelands in Durham Co, NC, 1 May (Norm Budnitz); Mid-Pines Rd in Raleigh, NC, 14 May (Jim Mulholland, et al.); and VOA Site A in Beaufort Co, NC, 17-18 May (Harry LeGrand). Broad-winged Hawk: In the Mill Creek area of Carteret Co, NC, a site where the species has apparently nested for several years, one or two were seen in May (Jack Fennell). An adult was seen circling over Makatoka Rd in the Green Swamp, Brunswick Co, NC, 29 May (Ricky Davis). Davis notes that “this species nests in this coastal county every year, but in very low numbers.” Clapper Rail, atop grocery carts, 2 May 2011, Florence, SC. Photo by Shawn Smolen-Morton. 128 Briefs for the Files — Spring 2011 Swainson’s Hawk: One seen at Alligator River NWR, NC 13 Mar (Jeff Lewis) was probably one of the two that wintered at that site. Rough-legged Hawk: One photographed in flight over Falls Dam in N Raleigh, NC, 8 Mar (Ali Iyoob) was the first sighting made in Wake County in over a decade. Merlin: One on James Island, Charleston Co, SC, 17 May (Dennis Forsythe) was quite late. Clapper Rail: One photographed atop a cart outside a grocery store in Florence, SC, 2 May (Shawn Smolen-Morton) was unusual for a location so far outside of the tidal zone. Sora: Four at Huntington Beach SP, SC, 29 Mar (Chris Hill, et al.) was a good count. One at the pig lagoon at the NCSU Research Farms off Lake Wheeler Rd in Raleigh, NC, 9 May (Steve Shultz) was locally unusual. Purple Gallinule: Totally unexpected was one seen at a pond in a residential area of Huntersville, NC, 10-13 May (Lisa Gaffney, m. obs.), a first for Mecklenburg County. Purple Gallinule, 1 1 May 2011, Huntersville, NC. Photo by John Haire. Sandhill Crane: A migrating flock of 14 cranes was observed near Hooper Lane in Henderson Co, NC, 12 Mar (Nathan Gatto). Four were seen in Columbia, SC, 12 Mar (Ann Nolte, John Grego). Five were seen at Miller Park in Winston-Salem, NC, 20 Apr (Gatto). One was photographed in a field near Rougemont, NC, 25 April (Brandon Sherrill). Two were photographed in the campground at Cape Point, Buxton, NC, 9 May (Pat & Neal Moore, Jeff Lewis). The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 129 American Golden-Plover: More likely in our region during fall migration, sightings of individual golden-plovers were made at Hooper Lane in Henderson Co, NC, 3-7 Apr (Wayne Forsythe) and on Ocracoke Island, NC, 20 May (Helmut Mueller). Semipalmated Plover: Inland sightings included one at Lake Conestee in Greenville, SC, 4 May (Paul Serridge); one at Lake Raleigh in Raleigh, NC, 14 May (Mike Turner); three at Lake Crabtree, Wake Co, NC, 21 May (Turner); and one at Cowans Ford Wildlife Refuge (WR), Mecklenburg Co, NC, 22 May (Jeff Lemons). Black-necked Stilt: One in Beaufort, SC, 18 Mar (Buddy Campbell) was somewhat early. More than 80 at Bear Island Wildlife Management Area (WMA), SC, 3 Apr (Rob Biller) made a good count for the date. Several observed at Piney Island Bombing Range from late April to late May (John Fussell, John Voigt, Noelle Ronan) were apparently breeding at that site. Willet: Individuals at Sandling Beach, Falls Lake, NC, 1 May (Dan Kaplan) and on Lake Junaluska, NC, 8 May (Connie & Stan Wulkowicz) were great finds for sites so far from the coast. Sandhill Cranes, 9 May 2011, Cape Point Campground, Buxton, NC. Photo by Jeff Lewis. Whimbrel (European subspecies), 6 Apr 2011, between Avon and Buxton, NC. Photo by Eric Frey. Upland Sandpiper: Seven were seen and heard vocalizing at Dobbins Farm in Townville, SC, 17 Apr (Matt Malin), providing a rare springtime report. Whimbrel: An individual of the European subspecies was photographed on the beach between Avon and Buxton, NC, 6 and 12 Apr (Eric Frey). Hudsonian Godwit: One, beginning to molt 130 Briefs for the Files — Spring 2011 into breeding plumage, was found amongst more than 50 Marbled Godwits on the mudflats at Fish Haul Creek, S end of Hilton Head Island, SC, 26 Mar (Bev Schneider). White-rumped Sandpiper: Inland sightings included one at the McAlpine Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in Mecklenburg Co, NC, 27 Apr (Tom Sanders, Ron Clark); one at Lake Crabtree, Wake Co, NC, 21 May (Mike Turner); and three at Lake Crabtree, 29 May (Ali Iyoob). Purple Sandpiper: Two on the jetty at Ft Macon in Atlantic Beach, NC, 12 May (A1 Gamache) were somewhat late. Dunlin: Inland sightings included six photographed on a drawn-down Salem Lake in Winston-Salem, NC, 16 Apr (John Haire); one at Lake Crabtree, NC, 13 May (Thierry Besan^on); and one at Wallace Farms in Mecklenburg Co, NC, 16-18 May (Jeff Lemons, Kevin Metcalf). Wilson’s Phalarope: The Savannah Spoil Site in Jasper Co, SC, had the spring’s only sightings of this rare migrant — one on 29 Apr and two on 14 May (Steve Calver). Sabine’s Gull: One was seen from a fishing boat off Oregon Inlet, NC, 24 Apr (Eric Frey), providing the first sighting of this rare vagrant in almost three years. Bonaparte’s Gull: One seen on the Jordan Lake, NC, SBC, 8 May (Patrick Coin) was somewhat late. Little Gull: A juvenile was found amongst a flock of Bonaparte’s Gulls at the inlet between Ocean Isle Beach and Sunset Beach, NC, 6 Mar (Taylor Black-headed Gull: Two were at Cape Point, Buxton, NC, 3 Mar (Eric Frey). Laughing Gull: One photographed on Lake Junaluska, NC, 14 May (Connie & Stan Wulkowicz, Bob Olthoff) was a great find for a site so far from the coast. Iceland Gull: A first-year bird seen on James Island, Charleston, SC, 12 Mar (Dennis Forsythe) may have been the same bird seen around Charleston Harbor during the winter. One was seen at Ebenezer Point on Jordan Lake, NC, 12 Mar (Andrew Thornton). A first year bird was photographed in Surf City, NC, 15 Apr (Doug Johnston) and was reportedly quite tame. One was seen near the Visitor Center at Pea Island NWR, NC, 1-13 May (Neal Moore, Jeff Lewis, Peggy Eubank, Steve Hersey, Jay Ross). Black-headed Gull, 3 March 2011, Cape Point, NC. Photo by Eric Frey. The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 131 Lesser Black-backed Gull: A third-cycle, near-adult photo- graphed on Lake Norman, Meck- lenburg Co, NC, 13 Mar (David Wright) was unusual so far inland. An adult at New Topsail Inlet, at the S end of Topsail Beach, NC, 28 May (Ricky Davis) was late. Glaucous Gull: Sightings were made of a first-winter bird on the spit at Ft Fisher, NC, 1 1 May (Greg Massey, Harry Sell, James Parnell); one at Hatteras Inlet, NC, 21-23 May (m. obs.); and a “very- worn” first-cycle bird at New Topsail Inlet, at the S end of Topsail Beach, NC, 28 May (Ricky Davis). Roseate Tern: One was seen and photographed during a Patteson pelagic trip out of Hatteras, NC, 1 June (Brian Patteson, et al.) for the first time since Dovekie: An injured and emaciated Dovekie was found on the beach of Kiawah Island, SC, 9 Mar (Charles Marti, Sarah Ernst) and was taken to a wildlife rehabilitator, but died soon thereafter. Long-billed Murrelet: A moribund bird was found in Emerald Isle, Carteret Co, NC, 29 Apr, and was delivered to the Museum of Natural Sciences {fide Brian O’Shea). White-winged Dove: One was photographed at a feeder outside an office in Surfside Beach, SC, 19 May (Murray Honick). Common Ground-Dove: A pair was seen in flight where NC-70 crosses the North River, just N of Beaufort, NC, 29 Apr (Bryan Pfeiffer, et al., fide Ali Iyoob). This species has become virtually absent from NC in the past decade. Black-billed Cuckoo : Reports outside of the NC mountains included one heard calling at Pee Dee NWR, NC, 29 Apr (Eddie Owens); one heard calling at Bunched Arrowhead Heritage Preserve in Travelers Rest, SC, 8 May (Derek & Melissa Aldrich); and one seen on James Island, Charleston, SC, 1 1 May (Dennis Forsythe); Long-eared Owl: A moribund bird, apparently hit by a car, was found by park staff at Carvers Creek SP, near Spring Lake, Cumberland Co, NC, 21 Mar {fide Scott Hartley). the spring of 2006. Dovekie, 9 March 2011, Kiawah Island, SC. Photo by Sarah Ernst. Iceland Gull, 15 Apr 201 1, Surf City, NC. Photo by Doug Johnston. 132 Briefs for the Files — Spring 2011 Selasphorus Hummingbird: A female of the genus Selasphorus was seen feeding on Red Buckeye flowers in the meadow of Reynolda Gardens in Winston-Salem, NC, 19 Apr-2 May (Phil Dickinson, et al.). Though most likely a Rufous, it’s difficult to rule out Allen’s without having the bird in hand. Olive-sided Flycatcher: One was photographed at Reynolda Gardens in Winston-Salem, NC, 12 May (John Haire). Alder Flycatcher: At least six were heard along Black Balsam Trail, off the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) in Haywood Co, NC, in mid-May (Michael Bernard). Two were seen at Mt Mitchell SP, NC, 31 May (Bob Olthoff, Mark Simpson, Marilyn Westphal). Willow Flycatcher: One found singing in Manteo, NC, 25 May (Jeff Lewis) was unusual for that coastal location. Two in Mecklenburg Co, NC, 19 May (John Scavetto) were also locally unusual. Eastern Kingbird: Four at Cape Lookout, NC, 3 Apr (John Fussell, et al.) made a good count for that somewhat early date. Gray Kingbird: One was seen and photographed along Lee Buck Rd near Winnabow, Brunswick Co, NC, 4-6 May (John Ennis, m. obs.). Gray Kingbird, 5 May 2011, Winnabow, NC. Photo by John Haire. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: An adult male photographed on a power-line along Lake Wheeler Rd, at the NCSU Research Farms, Raleigh, NC, 3 Apr (Paula Page) was reportedly first seen there a week or two prior. An adult male returned to last year’s successful nesting site along Gunter Rd near Piedmont, SC, 25 Apr (Jeff Catlin, Jane Kramer). An adult male was seen near the museum at Ft Fisher, NC, 29 Apr (Mark Galizio). Fork-tailed Flycatcher: One was seen briefly and photographed along Slate Rd in the Sandhills Game Land, Scotland Co, NC, 25 Apr (John Haire, Gene Howe, Gil Miller), providing NC with its third record. Notably, the bird’s yellow crown, a field mark rarely seen or noted in field guides, was visible in the photographs. The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 133 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, 3 April 2011, Raleigh, NC. Photo by Paula Page. Warbling Vireo: At least two were heard singing at Lookout Shoals Lake, on the side in Catawba Co, NC, 22 Apr and 30 May (Monroe Pannell), though no evidence of nesting was found. Common Raven: A pair exhibited courtship behavior in an industrial plant near Moncure, SE Chatham Co, NC, in late March (fide Doug Pratt). Two were seen near McLeansville, NE Guilford Co, NC, 29 Mar (Dennis Burnette, Mark Rose). Also found in the NC piedmont were individuals in downtown Chapel Hill, NC, 1 Apr (Derb Carter); in a shopping center in Durham, NC, 6 Apr (Scott Winton); and in E Warren Co, NC, 29 May (Harry LeGrand). Horned Lark: Two at the Renaissance Golf Course in Charlotte, NC, 30 Apr (Jeff Lemons, Taylor Piephoff, Don Seriff) were somewhat late. Three seen at North River Farms in Carteret Co, NC, on the late date of 22 May (John Fussell, Jack Fennell) were suggestive of breeding in the area. Breeding Bird Surveys (BBS) found three in Currituck Co, NC, 21 May (Jeff Lewis); six or seven in a recently plowed field in N Orange Co, NC, 22 May (Norm Budnitz, Mike Schultz); and 17 in Northampton Co, NC, 29 May (Elisa Enders). Tree Swallow: Two in an area of numerous dead trees at Piney Island Bombing Range, Carteret Co, NC, 24 May (John Fussell, John Voigt) were suggestive of breeding. Red-breasted Nuthatch: Individuals at Bond Park in Cary, NC, 24 Apr (Eddie Owens) and in the Elizabethan Gardens, Manteo, NC, 1 May (Jeff Lewis) were somewhat late. Cedar Waxwing: A flock of more than 400 in the Red Hill area of NE Edgecombe Co, NC, 1 May (Ricky Davis) was unusually large for the date, as “wintering flocks usually start fragmenting in April.” A flock of 75 in Columbia, SC, 7 May (John Grego) and 366 on the Jordan Lake, NC, SBC, 8 May (fide Norm Budnitz) were also large counts for May. Chestnut-collared Longspur: A female was photographed on the lawn near the museum at Ft Fisher, NC, 25 Apr (Bruce Young) and was seen by 134 Briefs for the Files — Spring 2011 multiple birders in the following week until last reported 2 May (Kevin Metcalf). This sighting provides NC with its second record of this species from the Great Plains. Louisiana Waterthrush: One in the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo, NC, 4-10 Mar (Jeff Lewis) was locally unusual. Golden-winged Warbler: An encouraging count of six was made at Shady Grove Gardens & Nursery in Ashe Co, NC, 29 May (Isaac Kerns). Blue-winged Warbler: Sightings outside of the mountains included individuals at McDowell Nature Preserve, Mecklenburg Co, NC, 15 Apr (Kevin Metcalf); in Huntersville, NC, 17 Apr (Jeff Lemons); at Mason Farm in Chapel Hill, NC, 18 Apr (Robert Meehan) through 21 Apr (Mark Kosiewski); and at Hamilton Lakes Park in Greensboro, NC, 19-24 Apr (Henry Link). Orange-crowned Warbler: Individuals were seen in Mecklenburg Co, NC, where also heard singing, 15 Apr (Tom Sanders); at Jackson Park in Hendersonville, NC, 22 Apr (John Lindfors); and at Reynolda Gardens in Winston-Salem, NC, 21-24 Apr (John Haire). Connecticut Warbler: A male was heard singing and seen briefly at Kituwah Mound in Swain Co, NC, 18 May (Jeremy Hyman). Mourning Warbler: One, singing, was seen in Hamilton Lakes Park in Greensboro, NC, 1 May (Henry Link, Scott Depue, Rob Rachlin, Danny Royster, Melissa Whitmire). Cape May Warbler: A winter-plumaged female found in a mixed flock on James Island, Charleston, SC, 15 Mar (Dennis Forsythe) may have over- wintered in the area, as it was quite early for a migrant. One near Tryon, Polk Co, NC, 6 Apr (Simon Thompson) and two near Falls Lake, NC, 7 Apr (Ali Iyoob, Kyle Kittelberger) were somewhat early. Cerulean Warbler: Counts along the BRP included four north of Asheville, NC, 20 Apr (Simon Thompson, et al.); six at Tanbark Tunnel (milepost 374) on 30 Apr Cerulean Warbler, 1 1 May 201 1, Tanbark (Eddie Owens); and three at the Tunnel, BRP, NC. Photo by Jeff Lemons. Tanbark Tunnel, 11 May (Jeff Lemons). A count of two on a survey of the Roanoke River between Hamilton and Quitsna, NC, 14 May (Harry LeGrand) was a disappointingly low number for that local population. The Chat, Vol. 75, No. 3, Summer 201 1 135 Yellow-r umped Warbler: A male photographed near the campground at Mt Mitchell SP, NC, 30 May (Isaac Kerns) was suggestive of breeding in that area. Yellow-throated Warbler: The 16 in the Haywood Landing area of the Croatan NF, NC, 16 Mar were a good count for that date (John Voigt). Cassin’s Sparrow: North Carolina’s first Cassin’s Sparrow was found off Slate Rd in the Sandhills Game Land, Scotland Co, NC, 20 Apr (Gil Miller) and was seen and heard by many visiting birders as it “skylarked” through 6 May. Bachman’s Sparrow: Two were found singing along the Shoestring Savannah Trail in the Green Swamp, NC, 29 Mar (Daniel Hueholt). Seven were counted at Brosnan Forest, SC, 13 Apr (Dennis Forsythe). A nest with four juveniles was found on Camp Lejeune, NC, 7 May (John Voigt, Jenna Bergier). One was found at Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve in Lexington Co, SC, 1 May (Irvin Pitts). Clay-colored Sparrow: Of the birds that wintered at North River Farms, Carteret Co, NC, nine remained 10 Apr and four remained 24 Apr (John Fussell, Jack Fennell). Vesper Sparrow: Sightings included one on the lawn at the WTP in Henderson Co, NC, 26 Mar (Wayne Forsythe, Ron Selvey); two in a recently burned field at Mason Farm in Chapel Hill, NC, 3 Apr (Nathan Swick); one in a pasture with short grass in Hiddenite, NC, 8 Apr (Ron Underwood); and one in a horse pasture near Falls Lake, NC, 9 Apr (Ali Iyoob). Lark Sparrow: One was seen at Carolina Sandhills NWR, SC, 18 Apr (Lee Adams). Savannah Sparrow: Late to depart were six along Mid-Pines Rd during the SBC in Raleigh, NC, 14 May {fide John Connors) and one at Piney Island Bombing Range, Carteret Co, NC, 24 May (John Fussell, John Voigt). Grasshopper Sparrow: One singing bird at North River Farms in Carteret Co, NC, 24 Apr (John Fussell, Jack Fennell) was thought to have overwintered, as none were seen later in the season. Henslow’s Sparrow: Four were seen in a grassy powerline cut in the Southwest Prong Flatwoods Natural Area, Croatan NF, NC, 25 Mar (John Fussell), a reliable wintering location for the species. Six were counted in the wetter areas of the now decommissioned Voice of America Site A in NW Beaufort Co, NC, 18 May (Harry LeGrand). Saltmarsh Sparrow: One found on the SBC in Onslow Co, NC, 30 Apr ( fide Andy Webb) was somewhat late. Harris’s Sparrow: The bird that wintered near Waterloo, Laurens Co, SC, remained until at least 1 May (Gene Ott ,fiide Lex Glover). White-crowned Sparrow: The 15 at North River Farms, Carteret Co, NC, 24 Apr (John Fussell, Jack Fennell) provided a good count. One in Mecklenburg Co, NC, 19 May (John Scavetto) was late. Dark-eyed Junco: One near the dam on Falls Lake, 27 Apr {fide Brian Bockhahn) was late and a first for that SBC. 136 Briefs for the Files — Spring 2011 Indigo Bunting: Four at Cape Lookout, NC, 3 Apr (John Fussell, et al.) were somewhat early. Painted Bunting: An adult male photographed on a feeder in Bear Creek, Chatham Co, NC, (Shawn Poe) was a first for that county. An immature male found singing along Leggett Rd just E of Rocky Mount, NC, 2 May (Ricky Davis) was also locally unusual. Dickcissel: First arriving at North River Farms, Carteret Co, NC, 8 May, 1 1 singing males were present by 22 May (John Fussell, Jack Fennell). One was seen in Townville, SC, 6 May (Jim Edwards, Jane Chew, Bing Somers). A pair was seen at Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro, NC, 1 1 May (Eric Dean). A pair was seen on Whitehouse Rd in Columbia, SC, 1 5 May (John Grego). Up to three were seen along Miller Rd in Charlotte, NC, 12-16 May (Kevin Metcalf, John Scavetto, Jeff Lemons). Two were seen in Currituck Co, NC, 22 May (Jeff Lewis). Two pairs were on territory at Harris Farm in E Franklin Co, NC, 25 May (Ricky Davis). Up to six were seen on Stough Rd in Cabarrus Co, NC, 15-31 May (Stephanie Jones, m. obs.). Orchard Oriole: A male, molting into adult plumage and photographed at the Sea Pines Forest Preserve in Hilton Head, SC, 25 Mar (Carolyn Sedgwick) was quite early. Red Crossbill: Sightings included two in the Snowbird Mountains, NC, 1 1 Apr (Cherrie Sneed); two at the summit of Pine Mountain, Oconee Co, SC, 29-30 Apr (Roger Smith, Steve Compton); seven in the Beacon Heights area of the BRP (milepost 305), 15 May (Robert Williams); and 1 1 near the nature museum on Grandfather Mountain, NC, 28 May (Jesse Pope). The 32 recorded on the Black Mountains, NC, SBC, 28 May ( fide Marilyn Westphal) were a record number for that count. White-winged Crossbill : An adult male that visited a feeder in Henderson, NC, 14- 20 Apr (Al Catlett) was quite unexpected. Common Redpoll: One was photographed near the Salt Pond at Cape Point, Buxton, NC, 7 Mar (Greg Hudson). One visited a feeder in Southern Shores, NC, 1 1 Mar ( fide Jeff Lewis). A female visited a feeder in Browns Summit, Guilford Co, NC, 1 1- 14 Mar (Julien McCarthy, m. obs.). Pine Siskin: The 15 near Merrimon, NC, 19 Apr (Holly Powell) and one in Gastonia, NC, 12 May (Steve Tracy) were late to depart. Common Redpoll, 7 March 2011, Cape Point, NC. Photo by Greg Hudson. CAROLINA BIRD CLUB www.carolinabirdclub.org The Carolina Bird Club is a non-profit organization which represents and supports the birding community in the Carolinas through its official website, publications, meetings, workshops, trips, and partnerships, whose mission is • To promote the observation, enjoyment, and study of birds. • To provide opportunities for birders to become acquainted, and to share information and experience. • To maintain well-documented records of birds in the Carolinas. • To support the protection and conservation of birds and their habitats and foster an appreciation and respect of natural resources. • To promote educational opportunities in bird and nature study. • To support research on birds of the Carolinas and their habitats. Membership is open to all persons interested in the conservation, natural history, and study of wildlife with particular emphasis on birds. 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ANNUAL DUES Individual or non-profit $25.00 Associate (in same household as individual member) $5.00 Student $15.00 Sustaining and businesses $30.00 Patron $50.00 Life Membership (payable in four consecutive $100 installments) $400.00 Associate Life Membership (in same household as life member) ..$100.00 ELECTED OFFICERS President Marion Clark, Lexington, SC mclark66@sc.rr.com NC Vice-Presidents Dwayne Martin, Hickory, NC redxbill@gmail.com Mark Buckler, Corolla, NC mbuckler@audubon.org SC Vice-President Paul Serridge, Greenville, SC paulserridge@gmail.com Secretary Phil Fowler, Concord, NC janmfowler@gmail.com Treasurer Judi Durr, Kernersville, NC judibird904@yahoo.com NC Members-at-Large David McCloy, Pinehurst, NC dmccloy@mindspring.com John Voigt, Emerald Isle, NC jvoigt@coastalnet.com Katherine Higgins, Mouth of Wilson, VA kathwrens@gmail.com Ron Clark, Kings Mountain, NC waxwing@bellsouth.net SC Members-at-Large Don Faulkner, Easley, SC donrfaulkner@aol.com Irvin Pitts, Lexington, SC pittsjam@windstream.net EX-OFFICIO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS Chat Editor Kent Fiala, Hillsborough, NC chat@carolinabirdclub.org Newsletter Editor Steve Shultz, Apex, NC newsletter@carolinabirdclub.org Web site Editor Kent Fiala, Hillsborough, NC webeditor@carolinabirdclub.org Immediate Past President Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte, NC PiephoffT@aol.com HEADQUARTERS SECRETARY Dana Harris CBC, 1809 Lakepark Drive, Raleigh NC 27612 hq@carolinabirdclub.org ■o to c/> TO 00 Q Q- <=> £ 0)S o S'* O) * =! .E to e "O _ TO O m .£> .E c "D C O .2 o ^ CD — -n CL CO TO +■* TO 3 9088 01641 6984 m CO in w o tr o