No. 4 Uf5X bm Vol. 78 The Chat FALL 2014 CB© The Quarterly Bulletin of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc. The Ornithological Society of the Carolinas THE CHAT ISSN No. 0009-1987 Vol. 78 FALL 2014 No. 4 Editor General Field Notes Editors Don Seriff, 7324 Linda Lake Drive Charlotte, NC 28215 chat@carolinabirdclub.org North Carolina Christina Harvey South Carolina William Post Briefs for the Files Josh Southern Associate Editor Judy Walker THE CHAT is published quarterly by the Carolina Bird Club, Inc., 1809 Lakepark Drive, Raleigh NC 27612. Inidvidual subscription price $25 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Pinehurst, NC and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE CHAT, Carolina Bird Club, Inc., 9 Quincy Place, Pinehurst NC 28374. Copyright © 2014 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. Reports 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina Marilyn Westphal 117 General Field Notes First Confirmed Nesting of Pine Siskin in the GSMNP Ron Hoff, Dollyann Myers, and Mike Nelson 150 \Briefs for the Files Summer 2014 155 Cover: Carolina Wren and Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua/ Original watercolor by Leigh Anne Carter. LACarter.com 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina Marilyn Westphal PO. Box 1427, Hendersonville, NC 28793 mjwestph@ret.unca.edu Before summarizing the 2014 Spring Migration Count it might be useful to take a moment to look back at the history and evolution of spring count reports in the Carolinas and their publication in The Chat. The Carolina Bird Club was founded in 1937 as the North Carolina Bird Club and was shortened to the Carolina Bird Club in 1948 after several South Carolina natural history clubs merged with the organization. One of the early purposes stated by the club was to “sponsor Christmas and Spring Bird Censuses by local groups.” Publication of The Chat began in 1937, and by 1938 Christmas Bird Counts were being published and continued to be published until 1977. By 1938 there were already many local clubs conducting Christmas Bird Counts, so publication of the data in The Chat was a convenient method of sharing the information. Spring counts, if they were being conducted in those early years, were much less common and the formats varied from one location to the next. Some areas used the Christmas count format counting all birds within a 15- mile diameter designated circle using the same circle as the Christmas count while others counted all species seen over a period of time, sometimes days and sometimes weeks, during the spring months. Also, unlike the Christmas Count, which was a national effort with data gathered and published by the National Audubon Society, there was no central organization or data collection of spring counts. The first publication of spring counts, called the “Spring Round-Up,” took place in May 1940 and appeared in The Chat in the May-June 1940 issue. Seven areas reported either all birds or all species found on a single day (different days for each group). Areas reporting included Rocky Mount, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, Davidson, Statesville, and Rosscraggen Wood (Arden, Buncombe County). For several years no more spring reports were published in The Chat, but from 1945 to 1950 some Spring Bird Counts were incorporated into the general “Field Notes and News” section of The Chat. Early participation in these counts included Raleigh, Greensboro, Mt. Olive, Durham, and one year each for Lenoir, Chapel Hill, Wilmington, and Henderson. In 1951, for the first time a separate section was designated for the spring counts. In his first summary of the count B.R. Chamberlain noted that “the Spring Count is growing in popularity in our territory. This year one hundred birders in nine groups reported participation.” Those nine groups included Beaufort (NC), Wilmington, Henderson, Raleigh, Durham, Eastover (SC), Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Lenoir. During this first complete decade of reports Wilmington and Greensboro were the most consistent contributors with Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Henderson, 117 118 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina and Lenoir somewhat less consistent. There were also occasional submissions from Beaufort, Elkin, New London, Jefferson, Rockingham, and Pamlico, NC and Charleston, Eastover, Aiken, and Greenville, SC. During the 1960’s and 70 ’s the count grew in popularity and reached a peak in 1977 with 31 groups submitting data to the Chat. Count areas were predominately from the coast, coastal plain, and piedmont with only a few, scattered reports from the mountains. Most consistent contributors continued to be Wilmington, Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, and Morehead City, NC and Charleston and Greenville, SC and sporadic reports from a wide variety of other locations. B.R. Chamberlain continued to summarize the counts for the Chat until 1962. In 1963 Eloise Potter took over the assignment and continued that function for the next ten years. For the remainder of the 1970’s the counts were summarized first by Harry LeGrand, Jr., then by John Fussell. After 1980, spring count reports in The Chat were discontinued because the “count tables have become prohibitively expensive”. It is unfortunate as now an entire decade of spring count data are only available from local groups that have managed to maintain their files. Publication of the Spring Counts resumed in 1992, but with much lower participation, probably, as John Fussell states in his summary, “because the count had not been published in several years.” However, there was another factor that affected count totals for the next several years. In 1991 Jim Stasz of the Maryland Ornithological Society instigated the continent-wide North American Migration Count, which would take place on the second Saturday of May each year. These counts, rather than being based on a 15-mile diameter circle, were to be county-wide counts. The NAMC became widely popular and produced a great deal of interest throughout the country, but became a complication for many groups that had been conducting spring counts for many years based on the Christmas Bird Count method. In the Carolinas there were also many groups who did not want to wait until the second Saturday in May to conduct their surveys, as most migrants that are continuing farther north are well past the Carolinas by that time. Consequently, the reports for the next several years were usually split and somewhat irregular with most South Carolina reports moving into the official NAMC format and most North Carolina reports continuing to use the more familiar method. Also, many of the new groups that joined the Migration Day counts, although numerous, were small, frequently with fewer than 5 participants. By 2004 the North and South Carolina reports were published separately in The Chat. This complicated system continued through the 1990’s, but by 2004 the two methods had gradually merged into the present-day system. In the Carolinas the official NAMC method went out of fashion for several reasons. As mentioned, Carolina birders were not satisfied waiting until the second Saturday in May to conduct the count, but it also became less compelling to stick to the official The Chat, Vol. 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 119 Migration Day methods because, unlike the Christmas Count, there was no centralized compilation and publication of the national NAMC data. It made more sense to continue allowing groups to select a suitable date within the spring migration period and to continue using whatever designated area they had selected, whether it be a circle, a county, or other area as long as the area did not change its boundaries over time. The results produce not so much a snapshot of birds occurring on the same day each year, but a general picture of the species found in the Carolinas during the migration period. By 2013 Spring Counts had almost returned to their height of popularity with a total of 29 groups from North and South Carolina submitting data. Some of these groups have 50 years or more of data, and some have reinstated counts from areas covered many years ago. Comparing data from 30, 40, 50 or more years ago with today can be interesting and instructive. The addition of many counts from the mountains in recent years adds greatly to the complete picture of migration in the Carolinas, but unfortunately it is the coast and coastal plain that are now greatly under-represented. With 5 1 count areas covered on the 2013 Christmas Bird Count in North Carolina including at least 1 3 of them for the coast or coastal plain, there are clearly many more possibilities for expansion of the Spring Migration Count. Digitization of most issues of The Chat has made it much easier to retrieve past data, and eventually all issues will be digitized. At some point it may also become easier and financially practical to digitize the spring counts and publish them directly on the Carolina Bird Club website, although many members will always prefer the print version. A few other states have already moved in the direction of digitization. 2014 Summary No new count areas were included in the 2014 Spring Migration Count in North Carolina, but all 22 of those that participated in 2013 submitted reports this year. Participation was slightly higher (452) than last year (440), but lower than the 2012 high year (492) when the spring weather was extremely mild throughout the state. The 2014 spring count also produced the highest species count (243) since the North and South Carolina count summaries were separated. Total birds in 2014 were also second highest only to the incredibly mild spring season of 20 12 with 93,370 counted in 2014 and 101,149 in 2012. Some notable finds included an Olive-sided Flycatcher and Rusty Blackbird in Forsyth County, Tennessee and Nashville Warblers on the Greensboro count, a King Rail on the Chapel Hill count, a Bam Owl on the Kerr Lake count, a Bank Swallow on the Raven Rock count, and an Eared Grebe and Parasitic Jaeger in Onslow County. Three count areas found lingering Red- necked Grebes from the unusual invasion of this species in North Carolina in late winter. Twenty-two species were found on every count throughout the 120 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina state while 55 species were found on only one count area (see exclusives on individual reports below). Of those 55 species, 37 were found only on the Onslow County count, the only coastal count area in North Carolina. Another 16 species were found everywhere in North Carolina except the high elevation areas of the Great Balsams, Black Mountains and/or Grandfather Mountain counts. Twelve species were found only in the mountains. The Wild Turkey continues to make its comeback in North Carolina with numbers increasing from 127 in 2011, to 188 in 2012, 200 in 2013, and 225 in 2014 with only Wake County not yet finding this species on a count day although it certainly occurs there. Although there is still much concern for the fate of the Wood Thrush, the 2014 count had the highest number of this species in the past five years with a total of 425, which was considerably higher even than the 2012 banner count year with 373. Northern Cardinal, the North Carolina state bird, continues to be the most abundant species on the count with 4,344 found this year. Other species in the top ten most abundant include American Robin, American Crow, Common Grackle, Tufted Titmouse, Canada Goose, European Starling, Carolina Wren, Double-crested Cormorant, and Blue Jay. All of these species except the Double-crested Cormorant are common throughout the state. Details of individual counts including names of compilers, participants, count highlights and a list of species found exclusively on that count follow. Count Area Details Mountains Transylvania County -count date May 1st, 114 species, 3,320 individuals, 24 participants in 9 parties, and 4 feeder- watchers, 73.00 party-hours. Elevation ranges from 2100 to 5600 ft. Weather: Sunny, clear, 57 - 84° F, blue skies, light breezes, a perfect day. Compiler: Norma Siebenheller (sieb@citcom.net) Participants: Marvin Barg, Michele Barg, Dick Blee, Sylvia Blee, Cindy Carpenter, Linda Cooper, Bruce Cox, Susan Goldsworthy, Jerry Griggs, Gary Harris, Kathy Harris, Richard Jackson, Mike Judd, Joan MacDonald, Carolyn Mills, Bill Seibenheller, Norma Seibenheller, Mark Simpson, Barrie Taylor, Charlie Threatte, Linda Threatte, Noel Thumer, Connie Updyke, and Marilyn Westphal Exclusives: none Notes: It was too much to expect that we would equal last year’s all-time high of 124 species, but with perfect weather to enjoy, and a skilled team of participants, we found ourselves well pleased with this year’s count of 1 14. Waterfowl were low, which was not surprising; many had left during the previous week. Northern Saw-whet Owl, which reached the list for the first The Chat, Vol. 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 121 time last year, was heard along the Parkway again. White-throated Sparrow and Swamp Sparrow had departed, while Pine Siskins and Purple Finches, scarce to absent all season, were nowhere to be found. We missed Willow Flycatchers and Orchard Orioles, but were delighted by the growing numbers of Swainson’s Warblers in sites we never knew they existed until recently. A congenial roundup supper finished off a very satisfactory day. Norma Siebenheller Pisgah Ridge, Great Balsam and Plott Balsam Mountains IBA - count date centered around May 18th, 74 species, 2,483 individuals, 17 participants in 10 parties, 59.05 party-hours. Elevation range from 3500 to 6100 feet. Weather: Even with the spread of days available for teams to select, weather conditions during almost the entire period were poor with cold to very cool mornings, generally foggy and windy days and periods of rain. Conditions only improved during the very latter part of the count period. Compiler: Marilyn Westphal (mjwestph@ret.unca.edu) Participants: Tim Carstens, Robert Emmott, Tom Flagg, Barbara Goergen, Sheila Gregory, Gail Lankford, Charlie Lankford, Nora Murdock, Naomi Ottemess, Jim Poling, Catherine Reid, Steve Semanchuk, Mark Simpson, Lou Weber, Marilyn Westphal, Connie Wulcowicz and Stan Wulcowicz Exclusives: Alder Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Black-capped Chickadee Notes: High mountain elevations are particularly difficult to survey during poor weather because cool temperatures and light winds at lower elevations magnify to cold, extremely windy conditions and often dense fog at high elevations. These poor conditions prevailed over almost the entire allowed count period and resulted in lower party-hours, species, and total birds. Cold temperatures, dense fog, wind, and occasional rain shortened time available and kept bird activity to a minimum. Only during the final day of the count period did weather improve and areas covered that day exhibited better numbers. The cold weather also delayed arrival of some species like Alder Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing, and Indigo Bunting to the higher elevations although all three of these species were back up to average or above average levels in the following weeks. The top three most abundant species every year since the count was initiated in 2006 have always been Chestnut-sided Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, and Eastern Towhee and this year was no different. In 20 1 4 the highest total count went to Chestnut-sided Warbler (257) followed by Eastern Towhee (236), and Dark-eyed Junco (169). Junco numbers were well below average even though they were still in the top three. Rounding out the top ten were seven other species that are typically in the top ten including American Robin (133), Black-throated Green Warbler (123), Golden-crowned Kinglet (118), Black-throated Blue Warbler (115), Blue-headed Vireo (106), Veery (96), and Ovenbird (92). 122 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina It is difficult to compare numbers this year from previous years because numbers of almost all species were down largely because of the weather. No unusual species were found and there were only two late migrants, a Cape May Warbler and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Four Northern Saw-whet Owls, a species that seems rather impervious to poor weather, were heard along the Pisgah Ridge and in the Balsam Mountains. Eleven Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers was a record high with most of those individuals found in the Plott Balsam range. All chickadees reported from Black Balsam/Shining Rock at mile 420 to Roy Taylor overlook at mile 433.3 were reported by participants as either Black-capped or hybrid chickadees since all chickadee songs heard were those of the Black-capped and many that were seen well also exhibited more Black-capped characteristics. Definite identification will have to await further studies and DNA testing. Even though weather conditions were particularly difficult for birding this year, participants continue to love this count and the regulars always look forward to returning every year no matter the weather. Great weather or not it is always a beautiful area to bird and the birding is always interesting. Many thanks to those who participated this year and we look forward to seeing you again next year. Marilyn Westphal Henderson County - count date centered around May 10th, 96 species, 1,612 individuals, 13 participants in 6 areas, 33.75 party-hours. Weather: No data. Compiler: Jim Neal (jlbjneal@gmail.com) Participants: David Alexander, Paulette Cliff, Bill Fisk, Wayne Forsythe, Rich Leppingwell, John LoCurto, Nora Murdock, Barbara Neal, Jim Neal, Frances Ogasawara, Nancy Pelligrini, Mark Simpson and Marilyn Westphal Exclusives: Willow Flycatcher Notes: The 20 1 4 Spring Migration Count for Henderson County was conducted over a 4-day period from May 9 thru 12, 2014. Only 6 of the normal 9 sections were covered contributing to some unusually low numbers. Thirteen (13) participants found only 96 species and 1,612 individual birds. Both species count and total numbers were the lowest in our 17 years of collecting spring migration data. The previous low had been 1 00 species in 201 1 and the highest was 120 species in 2006. The previous low for total individuals was 2,015 in 1999 when 14 people covered 8 sections and the highest was 3,904 in 2012 when 14 people covered all 9 sections. This year there were only 2 species with more than 100 individuals found including Northern Cardinal with a count of 112 and Song Sparrow with a count of 106. The American Robin followed at 82 and the Eastern Towhee and Red-wing Blackbird were tied at 79. Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, The Chat, Vol 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 123 American Robin, Eastern Towhee, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red- winged Blackbird and Common Grackle were found in every count section. Normally 20 species of warbler are found during the count, but this year there were only 13. In Jackson Park only one species, the Common Yellowthroat, was found instead of the usual 14-18 species. Common Yellowthroats nest in the park. Several theories could account for such a low number. Heavy thunderstorms Friday afternoon and evening could have caused all the migrating birds to move out of the park ahead of the storm and those following the storm either stopped short of the park or flew over it. Also, a sewer pipe installation was in progress along one trail in Jackson Park where warblers are commonly found. Of course, the fact that three sections were not covered this year, one of them normally producing several warblers and 400 to 500 birds, greatly influenced the numbers. However, some really good birds were found including Northern Bobwhite, Sora, Semipalmated Plover, Black-billed Cuckoo, Common Nighthawk, Marsh Wren, Grasshopper Sparrow and Bobolink. Overall, it was a job well done, and I want to thank all those who participated. Jim Neal Buncombe County - count date centered around May 10th, 120 species, 5,421 individuals, 19 participants in 9 parties, 67.25 party-hours. Weather: No data. Compiler: Tom Tribble (tntribble@gmail.com) Participants: Phillip Buchanan, Nancy Casey, Kimberly Childs, Doug Johnston, Marilyn Kolton, Gail Lankford, Herman Lankford, Alex Levine, Janie Owens, Patti Liming, Jim Poling, Russell Roe, Steve Semanchuk, Mark Simpson, Liz Skiles, David Stebbings, Simon Thompson, Tom Tribble and Marilyn Westphal Exclusives: Golden-winged Warbler Notes: none Black Mountains IBA - count date centered around May 25th, 63 species, 1,597 individuals, 8 participants in 7 parties, 40.80 party-hours. Elevation range for this count is 3,000 to 6,684 ft. with most of the count area above 4,000 ft. Weather: Cool, morning fog, windy one day, mostly sunny other days. Compiler: Marilyn Westphal (mjwestph@ret.unca.edu) Participants: Luke Cannon, Charlie Lankford, Gail Lankford, Nora Murdock, Steve Ritt, Steve Semanchuk, Mark Simpson, and Marilyn Westphal Exclusives: none Notes: The Black Mountains include many of the highest mountain peaks in the Appalachian chain and the climate resembles more that of Canada than that of the Carolinas. Spring normally arrives very late, which is the reason 124 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina this count is always held the last weekend in May. Following one of the coldest, snowiest winters in the Black Mountains in many years, spring was most welcome for both birds and birders. Even in late May, though, at this elevation early morning temperatures are usually in the 40’s and deciduous trees are just completing foliation. Participants are given a range of dates to complete their section because weather conditions can be very harsh even in late May, so it is best to select a day most suitable for a count. Some participants also complete more than one section, so need more than one day. Since there are few areas in this count below 4000 feet elevation, most species found are those common to high elevation spruce/fir and mixed forest. The ten most common species found this year are largely those most commonly found every year including Dark-eyed Junco (159), Black-throated Green Warbler (148), Cedar Waxwing (105), Golden-crowned Kinglet (99), Blue-headed Vireo (95), Black-throated Blue Warbler (84), Veery (68), Eastern Towhee (66), Blackburnian Warbler (63), and Canada Warbler (61). All except Cedar Waxwing appear on the top ten species most years. This year Cedar Waxwings, although missing earlier in May, flooded the higher elevations by late May. Once again Indigo Buntings, which often appear on the top ten list, were well down the list this year, although many more returned in early June. Numbers of most species were about average compared to previous spring counts although there is always some fluctuation from year to year. No particular trends were notable except Hermit Thrushes continue to spread to lower elevations in the Black Mountains into areas that are almost entirely deciduous forest. Late migrants on the count included one Palm Warbler and one Yellow- rumped Warbler. Two Yellow-rumped Warblers continued to be found in the area through at least mid-June. Although no Alder Flycatchers were found on the count as they are a very late migrant, one did appear by early June and remained through the month. Swainson’s Thrushes, which have been reported on this count in a small area of the Black Mountains since 2006, were found again this year. This small population of generally 4 to 6 singing males has been studied every year through the breeding season since 2007. The continued presence every year of this species would seem to indicate some breeding success. As usual, Northern Saw-whet Owls and Red Crossbills were found in the count area again. The Black Mountains is one of the most reliable places to find Red Crossbills in the southern Appalachians. This can be a difficult count for teams to schedule because of the extreme weather conditions, so many thanks to the participants for the flexibility and persistence needed to complete their sections. Marilyn Westphal The Chat, Vol 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 125 Grandfather Mountain IBA - count date May 16th, 66 species, 803 individuals, 5 participants in 4 parties, 29.50 party-hours. Weather: Temperature 31-48° F, mostly cloudy, wind 5-25mph with gusts to 40mph. Some fog and occasional drizzle in some locations. Compiler: Jesse Pope (highcountrybirder@yahoo.com) Participants: John Caveny, Bob Cherry, Robin Diaz, Jesse Pope and Mickey Shortt. Exclusives: none Notes: none Hanging Rock State Park IBA - count date May 7th, 74 species, 711 individuals, 13 participants, 20.50 party-hours. Elevation range 1200-2400 feet. Weather: 50-70°, fog early/sunny late. Compiler: Phil Dickinson (pdickins@triad.rr.com) Participants: Jean Aldridge, Mary Franklin Blackburn, Jean Chamberlain, Carol Cunningham, Phil Dickinson, Kerry Eckhardt, Kendall Harden, Craig McCleary, Chris Menten, Ron Morris, Wayne Petel, Meline Price and Chuck Thompson Exclusives: none Notes: The morning started cloudy at the river with the Visitor’s Center parking lot and mountain socked in. However, by the end of the count, we were soaking in rays under a cloudless sky. Although some areas started slow because of the clouds, we ended up with 74 species. For the sixth year in a row since we resumed the count in 2009, we exceeded our previous high. A tally of 7 1 1 individual birds was significantly higher than in recent years. Last year, we had 72 species and only 588 birds, with no clouds. Three Orchard Orioles were a first for the park, and we added Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Common Yellowthroat and Yellow-throated Warbler to our spring count list. Most of these birds were found along or near the River Bluffs Trail that opened just last year. Warblers were well represented, perhaps because spring was a few days late and our count a few days earlier than previously. Seventeen warbler species included good numbers of Ovenbird, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green and Black-throated Blue Warblers. Prothonotary and Prairie Warblers were observed only for the second time. Alas, we did not find a Swainson’s Warbler this year after observations in 2012 and 2013. Once again Red-eyed Vireo was the most common species. They were joined by a surprising 10 White-eyed but only one Blue-headed Vireo. Consistent with past counts, we only found 5 Wood Thrushes. Phil Dickinson 126 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina Piedmont Iredell County - count date April 27th, 102 species, 1,320 individuals, 6 participants, 12.00 party-hours. Weather: 53-82° F, pleasant, sunny day. Count area: Circle centered on South Yadkin River Bridge - Chipley Ford Road in Northern Iredell County. Compiler: Ron Underwood (rongto@gmail.com) Participants: Debbie Burnley, Cynthia Dickerson, Larry Marlin, Janice Powell, Garnet Underwood and Ron Underwood Exclusives: none Notes: The Iredell County Spring Migration Count was held on Sunday, April 27, 2014. Weather was sunny and calm. Temperatures started at 52 and ended the day at 82 F. We had two groups of three covering the northern part of Iredell County and a small sliver of Alexander County. Count circle is centered on the South Yadkin River bridge on Chipley Ford Road in northern Iredell County. Ron Underwood Mecklenburg County -count date April 26th, 126 species, 4,750 individuals, 28 participants in 10 parties, 85.25 party-hours. Weather: No data. Compiler: Jeff Lemons (birdsalot@gmail.com) Participants: Larry Barden, Louise Barden, Robert Bustle, Ron Clark, Susan Ellerman, Jan Fowler, Phil Fowler, Sharon Freedman, Robert Gilson, Jim Guyton, Pat Hooten, Dave Hooten, Ken Kneidel, Tom Ledford, Jeff Lemons, David Lovett, Carol Lovett, Jill Palmer, Taylor Piephoff, Tammy Sanders, Tom Sanders, John Scavetto, Don Seriff, Steve Tracy, Judy Walker, Pam Whistler, David Wright, Marcia Wright. Exclusives: Peregrine Falcon Notes: There were 28 Birders in 10 groups recording 126 species plus one Count Week species. The five year average is 128 and the five year mean is 126. Group leaders recorded all 63 of their checklists on ebird. Highlights included a Black-billed Cuckoo found at Evergreen Nature. Another Black-billed Cuckoo was found at a different location inside the circle the day after the count. Black-billed Cuckoo has been located during the count the last two out of three years. A Sedge Wren that was located in Pineville was the second found in the last three years. A possible Philadelphia Vireo was heard on Count Day and another Philadelphia Vireo was well seen by another birder in a different location the day after the count. Philadelphia Vireo has not been seen during previous counts. Peregrine Falcon was new to the count. One was seen on top of a downtown building and at the tally-up we observed a Peregrine Falcon sitting on a nest via a web cam from the terrace of the 40th floor of One Wells Fargo Center. This was the third year in a row with 23 Warbler species recorded. A pair of Chuck-will’s-widow was located The Chat , Vol. 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 127 at one of the last known remaining locations in Mecklenburg County for the species. However, this bird may not remain much longer as clearing was in progress for houses next to this site, and the patch of woods that the other was calling from is slated for a hotel in the near future. Misses included White-crowned Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow and Lincoln’s Sparrow. Other misses included Great Homed Owl, Tree Swallow, Acadian Flycatcher and most ducks after a winter that had an unusually large number of ducks in the area. Only one Blue-winged Teal was located in addition to local Mallards. Jeff Lemons Forsyth County - count date May 3rd, 134 species, 5,502 individuals, 48 participants in 13 parties, 100.00 party-hours. Weather: Partly cloudy, 52- 75°F, average wind speed 6 mph. Compiler: Ron Morris (ronmorris@triad.rr.com) Participants: Mary Franklin Blackburn, Kim Brand, Becky Clark, Mike Conway, Phil Crisp, Carol Cunningham, Larry Davis, Linda Davis, Phil Dickinson, David Disher, Susan Disher, Cynthia Donaldson, Kerry Eckhardt, Susan Fulton, Nathan Gatto, Carol Gearhart, Bill Gifford, Elnora Gore, John Haire, Sven Hailing, Bill Hammond, Elaine Hammond, John Hammond, Susan Hammond, Marbry Hopkins, Royce Hough, Norma-May Isakow, Bill Jackson, Kitty Jensen, Jim Martin, Craig McCleary, Laura McGowen, Theresa McGowen, Tom McKay, Ron Morris, Ann Newsome, Jeremy Reiskind, Rob Rodgers, Shelley Rutkin, Gene Schepker, Miles Silman, Ann Stupka, Bill Sugg, Chuck Thompson, Cindy Thompson, Maulik Trivedi and Gray Tuttle. Exclusives: Olive-sided Flycatcher, Rusty Blackbird Notes: (Records are for 1992 - 2014) The most unusual sighting was an Olive-sided Flycatcher. Fairly regular at Reynolda Gardens’ Lake Katharine during migration, this was the first ever on a Forsyth County spring survey. A Bald Eagle in its fourth-year was only the second, following last year’s first sighting. Two Rusty Blackbirds were the first on a spring survey since 2008. Significantly higher than average numbers included Double-crested Cormorants (58), Turkey Vultures (115), Black Vultures (52), Red-eyed Vireos (105), White-eyed Vireos (21), Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (105), American Robins (669), Gray Catbirds (94), and Ovenbirds (23). Much lower than average numbers were Chimney Swifts (58) and Cedar Waxwings (89). Warblers were well represented with 28 species, including Blue-winged, Kentucky and Wilson’s. Eleven count week species included a pair of Dickcissels that stayed around for over a week. Ron Morris Rockingham County - count date May 8th, 116 species, 2,257 individuals, 7 participants in 6 parties, 32.40 party-hours. Weather: Calm, clear skies, 128 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina temperatures 52-90°F. Compiler: Brian Bockhahn (birdranger248@gmail.com) Participants: Brian Bockhahn, Dennis Burnette, Ed Corey, Ann Walter- Fromson, Carl Ganser, Gregg Morris and Martin Wall. Exclusives: none Notes: The second Rockingham County Spring Bird Count was held as a test run with clear skies and no winds. Seven observers in six parties tallied an amazing 116 species and 2,257 birds. From the rare list: a very late Ruddy Duck; three parties reporting Green Heron; single and separate Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs; three parties reporting Common Raven; Hermit Thrush and Veery nocturnal flight calls; and Warbling Vireo. Two count week birds were missed on count day including Semipalmated Sandpiper and Bobolink. Misses include Common Nighthawk, Red-headed Woodpecker, Ruby- crowned Kinglet, Chestnut-sided Warbler and Northern Waterthrush. Many thanks to everyone who volunteered to count! Brian Bockhahn Greensboro - count date May 3rd, 136 species, 7,555 individuals, 39 participants, 107.20 party-hours. Weather: High temperature 75°F, low 51°F. Sunny, winds variable, averaging 21 mph, highest gust 29 mph. Compiler: Elizabeth Link (elzlink@yahoo.com) Participants: Nancy Adamson, Carolyn Allen, Diana Bowman, Jane Blackburn, Dennis Burnette, Lynn Burnette, Frank Cashwell, Toni Davis, Steve Davis, Scott DePue, Judi Durr, Jim Eldrett, Lisa Hayes, Judy Hoag, Mike Howard, Craig Lawrence, Jane Lawrence, Elizabeth Link, Henry Link, Clarence Mattocks, Lyn McCoy, Gregg Morris, Ron Morris, Jean Murdick, Lane Oldham, Sandy Post, Ann Presnell, Danny Royster, Wallace Sills, Lou Skrabec, Jim Strickland, Lauren Spence, Ann Stieghner, Emily Talbert, Emily Tyler, Ann Walter-Fromson, George Wheaton, Melissa Whitmire, and Peggy Young. Exclusives: Northern Shoveler, Tennessee Warbler, Nashville Warbler Notes: The 2014 Spring Bird Count was held in Greensboro on Saturday, May 3rd. The weather was almost perfect for finding birds: sunny, with light variable breezes. The results were well above our average, with a total count of 136 species, tying a previous high total in 1999. The number of individuals was also high, at 7,555. An additional 10 species were found during count week. Notable species included a number of waterfowl winter stragglers including Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, Ruddy Duck, Northern Shoveler, Red- breasted Merganser, Common Loon, and Homed Grebe; and one species, Red-necked Grebe, that would be unusual on the Christmas Count and was a The Chat, Vol 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 129 first for our spring count. We found 25 species of warblers, with notables among those being single Tennessee, Nashville, and Yellow-throated Warblers. Thirty-nine counters participated, logging 107.2 party hours and 319.4 total party miles. While the number of participants was slightly over our average, the number of party hours logged was well below our average of 135. Elizabeth Link Southern Pines - count date April 27th, 129 species, 6,684 individuals, 32 participants in 12 parties, 71.25 party-hours. Compiler: Susan Campbell (susan@ncaves.com) Participants: Jennifer Archambault, Brady Beck, Doreen Blanchette, Carol Bowman, Susan Campbell, Jay Carter, John Finnegan, Bob Ganis, Tina Ganis, Gabriella Gonzales-Garrison, Mike Greene, Scott Hartley, Stephanie Horton, Wayne Irvin, Alicia Jackson, Charlie Jones, Linda Jones, Nick Kunz, Marjorie Ludwig, Jeff Marcus, David McCloy, Carolyn McDermott, Bill Mullin, Dan Pieroni, Jon Rouse, Bruce Sorrie, Lowell Strine, Susan Strine, Rick Studenmund, Dave Williamson, Nancy Williamson and Anne Wilson. Exclusives: Mute Swan, Little Blue Heron, Lark Sparrow Notes: We had a good volunteer turnout this year. Apparently we picked a good date for the count with minimal conflicts for our usual participants. We also had good weather for count day. Little Blue Heron and Warbling Vireos were a big surprise and it was no surprise that a couple of Homed Grebes were still present considering the unusual numbers of Red-necked Grebes that had been in the Piedmont in late winter. Sandpipers such as the Pectorals are probably here each season, but go unnoticed in our area in spring. Susan Campbell Chapel Hill - count date May 10th, 115 species, 8,157 individuals, 38 field observers, 114.85 party-hours. Weather: Low 66°F, high 86°F; wind SW 10- 20 mph; mostly cloudy-partly cloudy, no rain. Compiler: Will Cook (cwcook@duke.edu) Participants: David Anderson, Sam Baron, Lucas Bobay, Norm Budnitz, Chuck Byrd, Jesse Cavenar, Sue Cavenar, Carl Chelette, Carol Chelette, Judith Collins, Will Cook, Barbara Driscoll, Tom Driscoll, Kent Fiala, Jill Froning, Jim George, Mary George, Grace Gilbert, Caroline Gilmore, Maurice Graves, Perry Haaland, Bobbie Hahn, Sam Jolly, Gene Kingsley, Brendan Klick, Ken Lundstrom, Donald McCormack, John McVay, Ashley Meagher, Lynn Ogden, Kim Peacock, Mike Schultz, Pam Timmons, Mike Tove, Ginger Travis, Amalie Tuffin, Rosalyn Walk, and Scott Winton. Exclusives: Hooded Merganser, King Rail Notes: The Chapel Hill spring count on Saturday, May 10, 2014 found a paltry 116 species, 7 below the 10-year average of 123 species and the lowest 130 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina for the count since 1974. The number of individual birds counted was a little low (8157, average 9326), but matched the below-average observer effort of 114.85 party-hours (average 132.1). We were hindered by strong southwesterly winds all day, which kept the birds down and made it hard to hear distant songs. And we especially missed the participation of Doug Shadwick on this count. Doug, who often turned in the highest species totals of all our counters, was ill and unfortunately passed away the next month. The number of birds per party-hour was 71.0, very close to the average of 70.3. Sora was the bird of the count, heard by Scott Winton in the wetlands at the Little Creek impoundment, only the third on a Chapel Hill count. Ginger Travis and Marty McClelland canoed the upper reaches of Jordan Lake to find a record-setting five King Rails, our fourth count record! These rails were in the Cub Creek section of the lake, in two areas where they had not been found before. American Coot was another rarity, only the third in thirty years, found by Pam Timmons and Perry Haaland at a farm pond off Dairyland Road. The five Chuck-wilPs-widows heard by two parties was the second best showing ever for this locally uncommon species. Other good birds included a Hooded Merganser (with young seen later), 2 Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, 2 Gray- cheeked Thrushes, and our first Bay-breasted Warbler in a decade. The best count week bird was a Black-billed Cuckoo photographed at Mason Farm. We set two record highs this year: 5 King Rails (4 in 2013, average 0.7) and an astounding 32 Swainson’s Thrushes (23 in 1980, average 9.7). Other unusually abundant species included 4 Broad- winged Hawks (average 2), 58 Eastern Wood-Pewees (29), 10 Blue-headed Vireos (4.7), 96 Brown-headed Nuthatches (68, second highest), 15 Northern Waterthrushes (7), and 6 Magnolia Warblers (1.5). We didn’t have any big misses or set any record lows, but the count of 30 House Sparrows is remarkable: it’s the lowest since 1973 and well below the 10-year average of 62. Other notably low counts included 23 Double-crested Cormorants (average 137, lowest since 1982), 4 Osprey (13), 3 Eastern Whip- poor-wills (8.5), and 23 Hooded Warblers (45, lowest since 1989). Team honors: Pam Timmons and Perry Haaland, covering the Dairyland Road area, turned in the top species count with 79, edging out four other teams in the mid-70s. The team of Tom & Barbara Driscoll and Donald McCormick counted the most individual birds, 1,054. Thanks to the 38 counters for your help! Charles W. “Will” Cook Jordan Lake - count date May 4th, 125 species, 8,169 individuals, 43 participants in 21 parties, 123.75 party-hours. Weather: It was a beautiful day, with temperatures ranging from 52°F in the morning to 82°F in the afternoon. Winds were calm under clear skies and no precipitation. Compiler: Norm Budnitz (nbudnitz@gmail.com) The Chat , Vol. 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 131 Participants: Julie Angerman, Patsy Bailey, Eliabeth Bishop, Todd Bishop, Lucas Bobay, Betsy Bogle, Stephen Buczynski, Norm Budnitz, Carl Chelette, Carol Chelette, Barbara Coffman, Patrick Coin, Will Cook, Tom Driscoll, Perry Haaland, Mary Harbison, Loren Hintz, Bo Howes, Helen Kalevas, Gene Kingsley, Mark Kosiewski, Tom Krakauer, Jennifer Maher, Beth Mancuso, Marty McClelland, Prank McKeever, Steve McMurray, Ashley Meagher, Micky Mills, Judy Murray, Rick Payne, Beverly Scalise, Mike Schultz, Josh Southern, Sterling Southern, Jennifer Stanley, Brian Strong, Pam Timmons, Ginger Travis, Andy Upshaw, Margaret Vimmerstedt, Rouse Wilson and Joe Zellers Exclusives: none Notes: Forty-three observers (just under our 10-year average of 45) in 21 parties participated. We counted 8,169 individual birds (avg. 8,033) and 125 species (avg. 124) in 124 party hours (avg. 127). We had several species of special interest this spring including: **Lesser Scaup - 4, found by Lucas Bobay. (Last recorded in 1987!) ** White- winged Scoter- 1 , found by Lucas Bobay. (New to the spring count!) **Pied-billed Grebe - 2, one found by Will Cook and one by Steve McMurray. ** Cattle Egret - 1, this bird was found by Andy Upshaw, Rouse Wilson, and Joe Zellers. (This species was last recorded on this count in 1996!) **Lesser Yellowlegs - 6, five found by Julie Angerman, Marty McClelland, and Ginger Travis, and one found by Loren Hintz and Margaret Vimmerstedt. **Merlin - 1, found by Will Cook. Some of the record highs for this year include: Lesser Scaup - 4 (previous high was 2 in 1983); Great Egret - 9 (8 in 2002); Ring-billed Gull - 664 (640 in 1994); and Black-throated Blue Warbler - 108 (72 in 1998). What a year for those warblers. Participants: A few notable misses this year were Sharp-shinned Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, American Coot, Eastern Screech-Owl, Great Homed Owl, Loggerhead Shrike (it looks like the Pea Ridge Road pair are gone), and House Wren. Will Cook and Lucas Bobay tallied 82 species this year, while Patsy Bailey, Norm Budnitz, Gene Kingsley, and Ashley Meagher found 81 species. Norm Budnitz Durham -count date April 27th, 1 18 species, 5,944 individuals, 24 participants in 10 parties, 65.50 party-hours. Compiler: Mike Schultz (ross.gull@frontier.com) Participants: Patsy Bailey, Brian Bockhahn, Norm Budnitz, Lee Chen, Will Cook, Sheree Davis, Tom Driscoll, Tracy Feldman, Kent Fiala, Steve Foster, Caroline Gilmore, Gene Kingsley, Mark Kosiewski, Tom Krakauer, Marcia Mandel, Brian Murphy, Jill Paul, Chad Schoen, Mike Schultz, Deck Stapleton, Edith Tatum, Elizabeth Tove, Mike Tove and Scott Winton 132 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina Exclusives: none Notes: none Wake County - count date May 10th, 111 species, 3,105 individuals, 22 participants in 9 parties, 40.00 party-hours. Weather: 65-85° F, winds calm at 5-10 mph, partly cloudy 50% cloud cover. Compiler: John Connors (jconnorsbird@gmail.com) Participants: Julie Angerman, Joe Bearden, Karen Bearden, Erla Beegle, Sherree Brasher, Halbert Carmichael, Tiffany Collier, John Connors, Ed Corey, Dan Harvey, Sue Harvey, Anne Hicks, Mark Johns, Ed Landi, Mike Pollard, Diane Pulvino, Eric Pulvino, Clyde Smith, Blanda Spence, Randy Whittington, Kari Wouk and Larry Zoller. Exclusives: none Notes: Nice weather prevailed throughout the day with temperatures ranging from 65-85°F, calm winds and partly cloudy skies. Due to difficulties in recruiting observers Falls Lake, Walnut Creek, Theys Farm and Lake Raleigh were not included in this year’s count. It was a generally cool, wet spring and seemingly delayed migration. Some interesting observations include: Common Loon (1) at Lake Benson; out of season female Northern Harrier found at Mid-Pines; Northern Bobwhite was heard at Mid-Pines and another possibly at Schenck Forest; only one Loggerhead Shrike again this year; Tree Swallow (4) were found using duck boxes at Lake Benson; only 5 Cliff Swallows found on count day, but within a week the nest colonies were full; two Common Raven were found at Umstead State Park and are likely nesting at a quarry nearby; 19 species of warbler were found including: Yellow (1), Chestnut-sided (1), Magnolia (3), Black- throated Blue (23), Black & White (5), American Redstart (28), and Northern Waterthrush (4), but only one Blackpoll Warbler. Yellow-breasted Chat (5) were found at several sites. Most wheat at Mid-Pines had not been harvested, which resulted in a large flock of Bobolink (105) visiting the site. Grasshopper Sparrows (2) were singing on territory at Mid-Pine and lingering Savannah (7) and Swamp Sparrows (1) were found. Field Sparrow (4) numbers remain low. Significant misses include: Great Egret, American Kestrel, Nightjars, Prairie and Kentucky Warbler. Other notable observations include: •Great Blue Heron colony is easily visible at Shelley Lake. •Purple Martin colony at University Club is near capacity; and Prairie Ridge colony has expanded dramatically. •Meadow habitat at Prairie Ridge and Anderson Point are well established; Field Sparrows are using both sites, and Yellow-breasted Chats have begun to breed at PR. John Connors The Chat, Vol 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 133 Falls Lake - count date April 22nd, 116 species, 3,767 individuals, 13 participants in 7 parties, 56.25 party-hours. Weather: Mostly cloudy skies, light winds, temperature 47-75 °F. Compiler: Brian Bockhahn (birdranger248@gmail.com) Participants: Herb Amyz, Pat Amyx, Brian Bockhahn, Kate Boyson, Ed Corey, Chris Hill, Jason Howard, Joe Judge, Deborah Robertson, Josh Southern, Sterling Southern, Deck Stapleton, Bob Winstead Exclusives: none Notes: The 11th Falls Lake Spring Bird Count was held on April 22, 2014 under mostly cloudy skies, light winds, and temperatures from 47-75°F. Count week birds include a Broad- winged Hawk at Blue Jay Point during the Songbird Festival. FIRST RECORDS: The early count bode well for lingering waterbirds. The lakes center had 4 White-winged Scoters, 3 Homed Grebes, 1 Red-necked Grebe and a Great Black-backed Gull. SECOND RECORDS: Ruddy Duck at lakes center and a Winter Wren in Wake Forest. THIRD RECORDS: American Woodcock at Beaverdam Recreation Area. OTHER GOODIES: Red-breasted Merganser, Herring Gull, Common Tem, Hermit and Swainson’s Thmshes. MISSES: Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Wood Pewee for the second time, Acadian Flycatcher for the first time, House Wren for the third time, Cedar Waxwing for the fourth time, American Redstart for the fourth time and Yellow-breasted Chat for the first time. Many thanks to everyone who volunteered to count! Brian Bockhahn Kerr Lake - count date April 24th, 118 species, 4,251 individuals, 14 participants in 7 parties, 55.25 party-hours. Weather: Temperature 37-72°F, light winds, mostly clear skies. Compiler: Brian Bockhahn (birdranger248@gmail.com) Participants: Jeff Blalock, Brian Bockhahn, Adam D’Onofrio, Bryce Fleming, Lori Fleming, Paul Glass, Jerry Klingenburg, Bill Lindenmuth, Joyce Lindenmuth, Fred Lobdell, Grace McCrowell, Paul Scharf, Clyde Smith and Deck Stapleton Exclusives: Bam Owl Notes: The 11th Kerr Lake Spring Bird Count was held on April 24, 2014 with mostly clear skies, light winds and temperatures from 36-72°F. Fourteen observers tallied an amazing 118 species and 4,251 birds. The early count date made for some great lingering water birds, but because of it we missed some of the later migrants like Pewees and Cuckoos. NEW TO SPRING CHECKLIST: Two Ruddy Ducks at Henderson Point, a lingering lone Red-necked Grebe above the dam and a Bam Owl seen and 134 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina heard near the state line near a hog farm. SECOND RECORDS: Eight Lesser Scaup at Henderson Point, a Herring Gull above the dam, a Merlin above the dam, and two parties reporting a pair of Dark-eyed Juncos. THIRD RECORDS: Seven Ring-necked Ducks at Dick Cross and one Homed Grebe above the dam. Other good finds include Bufflehead, Forster’s Tem, Eastern Screech Owl, House Wren, Blue-winged Warbler and Northern Waterthrush. MISSES: Nothing off A-list, but misses include Northern Bobwhite for the third time, both Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Eastern Wood Pewee for the third time, Black-throated Blue Warbler for the second time, and Louisiana Waterthrush and Kentucky Warbler. Many thanks to everyone who volunteered to count. Brian Bockhahn Raven Rock State Park - count date April 26th, 129 species, 5,122 individuals, 17 participants in 12 parties regular, 2 participants in 2 parties owling, 82.00 party-hours. Weather: Temperature - 50-80° F; Wind southeast at 0-10 mph.; Water open. A.M. mostly cloudy; P.M. mostly sunny. Count circle center at junction of NC 210 and SR 1434. Compiler: Erik R. Thomas (erthomas@ncsu.edu) Participants: John Bartlett, David Brown, Stephen Buczynski, Jeffrey Davidson, Robin Dodsworth, David DuMond, Tom Howard, Paul Hubert, Frank Little, Susan Little, Prudence Mainor, Tim McGreal, Jeff Mielke, Mitch Reese, Megan Rumbley, Erik Thomas and Amber Williams Exclusives: Bank Swallow Notes: Our total of 129 species set a new record, breaking our old record of 127 set last year. Unusual finds included Pied-billed Grebe by John Bartlett, Brown Creeper by Jeff Davidson, Swainson’s Warbler by Paul Hubert, and Pectoral Sandpiper and American Pipit by Amber Williams and Pmdence Mainor. Key misses were Bobolink and Grasshopper Sparrow. Erik R. Thomas Roanoke Rapids - count date April 28th, 96 species, 1,725 individuals, 5 participants in 2 parties, 13.25 party-hours. Weather: Morning 50°F, light rain. Afternoon 55°F, showers, lOmph winds. Compiler: Fred Lobdell (fplobdell@embarqmail.com) Participants: Brandy Bockhahn, Brian Bockhahn, Ann Brice, Fred Lobdell and Paul Scharf Exclusives: none Notes: This year we had 5 participants in two parties, an increase of one in both categories. Our species total was 96, well above last year’s 82 and our best ever. This is the second time in the past 3 or 4 years that we’ve found The Chat, Vol. 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 135 a Cattle Egret. Other species of note were the Red-breasted Mergansers, Homed Grebes, Greater Yellowlegs, Homed Larks, a Cerulean Warbler, and a nice flock of Bobolinks in a pasture. We had originally scheduled this count for Tuesday, the 29th, but in view of the weather forecast for this part of the state we moved it to the 28th and were very glad we did. Fred Lobdell Coast Onslow County - count date April 25th, 170 species, 9,115 individuals, 20 participants in 11 parties, 72.50 party-hours. Weather: Temperature 52-79°F, mostly sunny, south winds 8-15 mph with occasional gusts above 20mph. Average humidity 86%. Compiler: Andy Webb (andywebb2008@live.com) Participants: Candra Biggerstaff, Rich Boyd, Susan Boyd, Jim Craig, John Deluca, Ed Dombrofski, Shun Endo, Wade Fuller, John Fussell, A1 Gamache, Buddy Garrett, Barbara Gould, Gil Grant, Guy McGrane, Jim O’Donnell, Laura O’Donnell, Bruce Smithson, Tim Trott, Andy Webb, and Elizabeth White Exclusives: American Wigeon, American Black Duck, Black Scoter, Red- throated Loon, Eared Grebe, Northern Gannet, Brown Pelican, Snowy Egret, Tri-colored Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Clapper Rail, Black-bellied Plover, Wilson’s Plover, Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Black-necked Stilt, Willet, Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Dunlin, Stilt Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Laughing Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Least Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tem, Black Skimmer, Parasitic Jaeger, Nelson’s Sparrow, Saltmarsh Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow, Painted Bunting, Boat-tailed Grackle Notes: The 19th annual Onslow County Spring Migration bird count was held Friday April 25, 2014. There were 20 birders in the field covering 1 1 different areas within the county. Birders were in the field for a total of 72.5 hours, and covered 365 miles totaling 9,1 15 total birds and 1 70 species, which broke the past high count record of 165 set in 2010. Congratulations to everyone who participated and made this possible. There were three species new to count day: American Pipit found by Jim & Laura O’Donnell and Guy Me McGrane, Winter Wren found by Bruce Smithson and Shun Endo, and Palm Warbler found by Rich & Susan Boyd and Wade Fuller. Even though these species were new to count day, they are not uncommon in the county. Several parties had late departing Swamp Sparrows, and one party an Eastern Phoebe. John Deluca had a Sedge Wren aboard Camp Lejeune. The most abundant species on the count was Laughing Gull ( 1 1 99) followed by Brown Pelican (686) which is not uncommon. We had many species with 136 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina count highs. Some of the notable count highs were Lesser Scaup (10), Black Scoter (16), Wild Turkey (60), and Whimbrel (53). Some notable misses were Bobolink, Kentucky Warbler, Hairy Woodpecker, and White-breasted Nuthatch. The one notable count low was Northern Bobwhite with only one lone bird located. Overall it was a good day to be birding with a great team of birders. The temperatures were a little above normal with a high temp of 79°F for the day, and a minimum temperature of 52°F. It was mostly sunny with winds out of the South sustained about 8 to 15 miles per hour with occasional gusts above 20 miles per hour, and the average humidity of 86 percent. Thanks for counting! Andy Webb The Chat , Vol 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 137 Table 1 . Summary of party hours and miles party-hours feeder total on foot by car by bike boat night watch Transylvania 73.00 23.00 50.00 2.00 15.00 Balsam Mtns 59.05 31.00 19.40 1.50 Henderson 33.75 17.00 16.75 Buncombe 67.25 29.50 37.75 Black Mtns 40.80 29.30 11.50 0.50 Grandfather 29.50 Hanging Rock 20.50 18.00 2.50 Iredell 12.00 5.00 7.00 Mecklenburg 85.25 71.75 13.50 3.50 Forsyth 100.00 92.00 8.00 Rockingham 32.40 24.50 7.90 4.25 Greensboro 107.20 86.45 22.75 Southern Pines 71.25 26.25 45.00 2.50 3.00 Chapel Hill 114.85 99.20 10.65 5.00 2.75 10.15 Jordan Lake 123.75 97.55 12.95 1.25 12.00 0.50 Durham 65.50 59.50 5.50 1.50 0.5 Wake 40.00 37.00 3.00 Falls Lake 56.25 52.00 4.25 3.75 Kerr Lake 55.25 41.50 13.75 2.25 Raven Rock 82.00 36.25 35.25 10.50 3.50 Roanoke Rapids 13.25 7.25 2.00 4.00 Onslow 72.50 43.00 26.50 3.00 4.30 total 1355.30 927.00 355.90 5.25 30.50 32.80 28.65 party-miles total on foot by car by bike boat night Transylvania 299.00 16.00 283.00 Balsam Mtns 159.35 31.50 103.60 Henderson 106.30 11.60 94.70 Buncombe 266.00 19.00 247.00 Black Mtns 71.50 29.80 41.70 Grandfather 60.35 13.35 47.00 Hanging Rock 18.20 13.70 4.50 Iredell 75.00 3.00 72.00 Mecklenburg 320.00 39.50 280.50 Forsyth 155.00 45.00 110.00 Rockingham 90.75 15.25 75.50 4.00 Greensboro 319.40 54.40 265.00 Southern Pines 325.50 20.50 305.00 Chapel Hill 181.00 79.20 97.80 4.00 3.00 Jordan Lake 217.48 81.48 122.00 2.00 12.00 Durham 82.30 49.20 33.10 Wake 81.50 35.00 46.50 Falls Lake 108.00 41.00 67.00 1.50 Kerr Lake 129.45 24.95 104.50 1.50 Raven Rock 434.85 26.00 401.00 7.85 14.10 Roanoke Rapids 29.50 2.50 20.00 7.00 Onslow 365.00 29.00 327.00 9.00 16.00 total 3895.43 680.93 3148.40 9.00 32.85 40.10 Table 2. 2014 Spring Counts in North Carolina 138 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina coast CD Is- ^ T- 3^d pied party-h( 2.15 0.00 0.29 mtns per| 0.78 0.02 total 2421 4 298 Onsl 4/25 108 12 RoRa 4/28 117 5 RaRo 4/26 120 35 Kerr $ = " Falls 4/22 92 17 Wake 5/10 163 2 Durh 4/27 93 53 Jord 5/4 124 44 ChHI 5/10 144 54 SoPi 4/27 184 4 15 CD a- 5/3 438 29 Rock 5/8 53 4 Fors 5/3 196 13 Meek 4/26 233 6 Ired 4/27 23 2 Hang 5/7 5 Grdfr CO d Bl Mts in CM LO Bunc 5/10 117 2 Hend is- Bals o CM Trans 5/1 65 2 to s n O ■*— CM odd § co £= £ cd (-1 cd ■o § O CD ^ CD T- T- O T- m o o o d d d d o o d d t- o o o d d s I s 1 §> w Q. 3 CD 9- $ = 0) -c CD 3 O S GO Z s> s ■| 8 co 0) I * ■> CO Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser 2 * 7 2 6 25 5 11 58 0.01 0.05 0.15 Ruddy Duck 1 1 1 5 7 2 257 274 0.02 3.54 Duck sp. 4 4 0.00 The Chat, Vol. 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 139 coast 0.01 0.83 0.04 0.94 0.14 0.01 1.06 2.15 0.01 9.46 0.01 0.07 0.30 0.07 0.08 0.08 0.17 0.01 0.59 pied 0.02 0.09 0.11 0.02 0.02 0.01 2.24 0.01 0.00 0.65 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.01 mtns 0.02 0.03 0.25 0.00 0.00 0.12 0.04 total 30 9 225 3 176 30 18 8 1 77 2304 7 686 2 667 44 5 2 6 8 109 1 10 43 Onsl 1 60 3 68 10 1 77 156 1 686 1 5 22 5 6 6 12 1 43 RoRa - CM $ 2 CO RaRo 4 16 1 9 6 19 7 Kerr 9 22 9 9 6 464 32 1 Falls tx, CM ro T- T“ CM _ ^ 00 CO r- (j) xT Wake 03 1 n ^ ^ CM CM Durh 8 764 1 69 8 9 Jord 1 11 2 363 163 9 1 9 ChHI ^ ^ § CO CM SoPi ™ CO t- in CM § CM 03 Q C7 5 2 2 1 220 125 1 10 1 Rock T- £ T- Tt CO Fors N- * - S £ ? Meek T- T- ^ 03 T- N- CO Ired CO 'sf CM CO CM Hang in cm Grdfr CM Bl Mts CO CM Bunc 3 3 62 6 Hend i — co "3- Bals CO t- Trans ^ -O £ 0 c m w 2 0 2 o c O § o3 ® 5 r n u ■C 13 o o Z Q E ^ bo O Q) CD CL 03 _ X ^ O CD CD g, 1 >- 03 m O) LLI 3 w >, S 2 2°^ 6 o w 5 c CD C lisle O CD ' CD c ' x > I 9 O o ■e ro s js h O O0Q 140 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina CD CM CO O CO V- CD 'Cj- 0 0^0 h- T- h-- ID O t- o t- d T- o o d d o o o o o o r- a> t-; q q t- d d d d o o o ^ co s to O CM CO v- d d d o o ■<- o o d d h- o o co o d o o d o o o o Trans K ® 2 CM “ CM ID 1 Jord ChHI SoPi Grbr Rock Fors Meek I red Hang Grdfr Bl Mts Bunc Hend Bals CM O’ CO CD ^ 00 ® ^ ID ID CO 0 m 3 > 0 2 Q. 3 « h- o CD ail CL CD j; *fA C\3 m lil ^ w -o d 1 1 O 2 00 z .£ X d CL CD o x: o 0 o 0 . 0 Q. "O 0 .2 0 I?1 O © co cr © X i5 "O i M d is © cr •- CL C CL D) 'Ft 0 C d ooo;o^>w o ° 0 c W 0 C O J I Semipalmated Plover 1 66 67 0.00 0.91 Piping Plover 6 6 0.08 Killdeer 4 10 3 18 29 16 15 17 20 33 32 7 j 13 15 16 51 5 62 366 0.05 0.30 0.86 American Oystercatcher 12 12 0.17 The Chat, Vol. 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 141 to If) CO CO coast O ^ O (Offl t d d d o d cm pied 0.28 0.18 0.01 0.04 mtns ■q- ^ o o o o d d o total 6 285 190 59 69 215 Onsl 6 7 1 47 69 180 RoRa in co co RaRo m in co CM , O 1= Q- O CO CO o $ 5 £ 0 +; C g O T3 0 O C | S |5 E O X3 ■= I- T3 o cl O) 55 ~ — 0 Q. c E co 0 co co 0 Q. Q. 0 y- T3 Q. Q. C= ‘q. ■d ro u c CO c co — to co S5 w 0 % 0 03 _l 0. 0 -Q.-0 O E = '§ E C ±£ O o += x: □ COCO o o o T3 o o > X3 > 0 c co o CD ® 5 E 0 < cl 2 w co ‘0 CO ^ x: s s- c o CQ Laughing Gull 1199 1199 #### Ring-billed Gull 18 1 42 7 664 69 723 47 168 183 1922 1.81 2.52 Herring Gull * 2 2 1 222 227 0.01 3.06 Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 1 0.01 142 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina coast pied mtns total Onsl RoRa RaRo Kerr Falls Wake Durh CD o o 00 o d o o o o o d r- O) N CM ^ (N O t- If) O) S (M o o o n r o T- O O o o o odd 00 LD O O 00 o o o o t-COCDOOt-oOCN OTfOOOOOT- d'ddddddd CD T- CM CM O o o o o o d d d d T- & Jord ChHI SoPi Grbr Rock Fors Meek I red Hang Grdfr Bl Mts Bunc Hend Bals CM 00 00 Trans CD iZ 1 "Co i i =3 03 O o o o K E £ 'z .§ CD o ^ F | W 5. 1 I o co J2 cr c/j m S d C > co o c n Q 1 I | O 3 O O E o o i5 (o S >- CO CD o C > II? S (5 2 co m t co c CD ID O CQ Northern Saw-whet Owl 1 4 2 7 0.02 Common Nighthawk 1 3 24 28 0.00 0.03 Chuck-wills-widow 2 * 1 34 5 7 6 2 12 5 74 0.07 0.07 Whip-poor-will 1 1111234 11103 3 59 0.00 0.06 0.04 The Chat, Vol: 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 coast pied mtns total Onsl RoRa RaRo Kerr Falls Wake Durh Jord ChHI SoPi h- Grbr ™ Rock Fors Meek I red Hang Grdfr Bl Mts Bunc Hend Bals Trans ^ •<— O d d o r- cm o d d 03 -rt T" O o o T3 i £ co 5 .!= X! X =3 O 01 rt 1^. CO T- lO T- O d d d d O CO I — o O CO o o odd o in m to oo co o r- o d odd CD CD 1.1 .£-8 ■§ ® ■§ ^ s | | o -F ^ -9 ^ ±S TO T3 0 0 0 co oi oh £ -t co ® ^r 03 II 03 03 C-3 -0 s. ® = 13 CD 0 -Q Q. T3 0 0 Q_ ^■§ ■8 2 8^ 00 co T- T- O O o do oo o t- o o t- o o o o d d d d d ^r CN d co - SB co C\J ^ Tt- ^ X OH o •*“ i — O CM t— odd ro Tt 03 CO CM t- O odd r- co co CM 03 CM CM o CD Q. -i 8 CL 5 -o 0 0 ro c -g o o w 2? 03 CL 0 O 0 S CL O LU < 143 Willow Flycatcher 3 3 0.01 Least Flycatcher 28 28 0.09 Eastern Phoebe 52 8 6 67 8 1 6 10 51 38 25 22 32 46 49 26 17 13 16 24 1 1 519 0.46 0.39 0.01 Great Crested Flycatcher 1 1 8 4 5 37 13 13 29 162 98 95 33 46 17 27 81 13 91 774 0.04 0.70 1.26 144 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina coast -vf CM O OO CD O' CD C D r~ x~ N ffi N 00 CDt- T-r^-LDM- CO O t-lO’c- d do dodo evidd o oi d pied 0.48 0.02 0.59 0.12 0.05 0.01 1.49 1.93 2.09 0.47 0.01 0.02 0.01 1.03 0.21 0.57 0.00 0.50 0.86 1.50 mtns 0.09 0.10 0.02 1.05 0.01 1.65 0.78 1.86 0.00 0.16 0.10 0.66 0.31 0.04 0.81 0.86 total 512 17 640 131 390 8 1975 2161 2724 484 60 15 14 1195 418 680 1 502 1270 1796 Onsl CO co ^ CO N ^ « r _ O C-g T~ cn d- ^ v- in co co t- co RoRa r- “ CM CM CM £ S CD RaRo °° co ™ co r- § w N $2 CD CO ^ r- ^ ^ oi o Kerr 31 75 13 5 74 140 108 62 38 25 68 61 60 67 Falls 1- CO-r-^ CD CD CM CD CO 00 £2 CD CO T- CO t- ^ CO CO CD ' CO CO CM CO Wake CO _ CO __ CM CD 1- ffl M CM CO iriCT>T- CM t- if CO N xt N LO ^ -t- U CO 00 Durh 22 77 18 5 152 355 92 24 1 32 16 17 19 65 106 Jord 58 51 21 2 251 132 264 56 2 34 11 68 109 88 161 ChHI 19 29 14 10 205 166 221 65 53 8 66 44 262 SoPi 146 8 112 9 8 3 93 225 318 36 8 146 28 85 140 O o~ 20 17 2 4 113 143 235 24 4 385 54 58 46 80 123 Rock T- m CD _ CD in „ CM D COO) T- OO^M-T- COCOCO^09 T-^CO CM D" Fors 22 21 2 2 2 104 84 166 17 1 33 15 34 70 116 109 Meek 25 27 3 106 231 74 40 2 5 47 2 13 122 Ired (C\ /A CO h- M »a — CO _ /« CO 'Cf CD CD ^ in IO ® ^ CO ^ ^ CO CM Hang _ O _ _ O CO CM ao LOCD Grdfr ° CD ^ CM CO CD ^2 Bl Mts CO 00 CM CD K. to CD CO t— t— Bunc 18 1 4 60 2 236 89 213 1 12 8 45 73 131 79 Hend oi O _ __ to DO 1 — p.i O ■<— ^ CM N O 10 CO 0 ^ CM O' ^ i-t-iO Bals _ $£ T- CD CD O co ~ h- v- CM CM CM Trans 7 11 62 103 69 208 5 4 124 20 89 82 CD Q. CO O > 0) ~o ^ co "O o & £ ? 1 $ 6 £ > m £ o 6 5 E « CL a: CD < H> E 1 |l| 2 If | ® « ow O O X CL h- z ego co co J5 DQ OCQ Chickadee 23 23 0.07 chickadee sp. 21 21 0.06 Tufted Titmouse 119 22 47 117 8 15 38 27 72 108 51 164 246 341 297 215 86 119 142 146 15 81 2476 1.13 Red-breasted Nuthatch 6 33 10 52 9 110 0.34 The Chat, Vol. 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 145 coast pied mtns total Ons! RoRa RaRo Kerr Falls Wake Durh T- CO 00 o o o odd CM O 00 o o LO O 00 t- o o d d t- d d d co o) in h~. t- O v- r- CM CM O d d d o o -3- C O CM ^ CO OCOCM'OOCMCOOCO t-CMOOOOCOOCD d-HodddddcM cm cm o n co ^ O CO CO O O t — CO d d d d d d d Jord ChHI SoPi Grbr Rock Fors Meek I red Hang Grdfr Bl Mts Bunc Hend Bals Trans CM N- CM CO CM pj .O "O O 03 $0 CD z !Z o II - 3 > 0 ro S +- c *- _ O £ 0 $ _0 > <; > >ro"c5oa30D) 1 1 § ! I Sl°!s-s ! 2rao^0co3 o 3 ro ffi O I > (/) 2 ffl CD DC LU 0 c a. 0 0 d 0 §: o ro 0000 CO > CD CO I I .c d. c H co ra Gray Catbird 59 75 9 45 21 21 2 9 38 94 6 115 82 79 66 37 18 1 2 51 19 24 873 0.72 0.64 0.33 Northern Mockingbird 6 1 31 54 1 4 43 96 75 65 131 200 158 104 39 37 41 44 156 16 101 1403 0.30 1.26 1.39 Brown Thrasher 19 3 17 16 1 1 3 12 36 36 13 42 37 58 35 12 24 11 20 44 8 23 471 0.19 0.40 0.32 European Starling 40 68 187 26 7 28 221 438 69 259 85 140 33 44 86 25 57 192 121 230 2356 1.01 1.87 3.17 American Pipit 4 2 10 16 0.01 0.14 146 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina coast CM d pied 00 h- d mtns 0.94 total 00 CD o Onsl in RoRa RaRo ■sj- Kerr Falls Wake o CD Durh co CM Jord 00 ChHI 100 SoPi 162 CD CO Grbr Rock ^r Fors ct> 00 Meek h- Ired Flang Grdfr CM Bl Mts 105 Bunc 164 Fiend o Bals 00 Trans 'cr Tf T- co i— o d CM CD CM t- r*» CO CM in CD VU “ c w > o ’= 00 CM O O O CO cm cm o o q q d d d d d d co t- in co o o odd ^ CM CD <£ ■g g3 © '> ■§ c ^ 03 2 o CD 03 !E Q3 *g ^ > o _ra CD 00 CO rf O o d cm in r- co t- un o O COOr-OOCOO o doddddd co 00 t- io oi -c co in co in co cm CO "st" <£ CM 03 03 -Q -0 O CO CD _C 03 >* C g 111” w c c co cu o z ^ o 5 f'" 6 m CM co o CD co CD CL cL CO 0 O O CD 8 « 8 « O CD ■Ml 00 CM Bay-breasted Warbler 4 2 1 7 0.02 0.00 Blackburnian Warbler 14 43 59 63 6 1 1 * 187 0.57 0.00 Yellow Warbler 1 111 635476441 10 2212 70 0.04 0.06 0.03 Chestnut-sided Warbler 55 257 33 49 21 4 2 2 7 12 3 ^ 1 446 1.29 0.03 The Chat, Vol. 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 147 coast -5- O O 05 o d pied CO OO o C5 f»- d odd mtns 0.06 1.08 0.08 0.07 total 47 774 65 841 Onsl _ in ^ co RoRa ir> co RaRo 15 57 Kerr T- 00 T- "3- Falls 1 6 65 Wake 1 23 32 Durh 49 8 66 Jord 1 108 2 146 ChHl 7 59 145 SoPi 9 95 no LC5 lO Grbr * ® w Rock CM CO t- O Fors co 5 * cm Meek 2 40 5 30 Ired CO Hang 05 LO Grdfr s Bl Mts s - Bunc 16 48 1 7 Hend CM CM Bals 115 Trans CM LO CM to h- d d LO t- N- CO CM NONt-t- c ^ q cm o o d d d d loco cnoo^N-oo^t- CM CO OOOCMi-O^CM do dddoT-OT-o 05 00 CM O- CM O CM 1- CO CM O OO CM 00 G O CO CM d dd v^dddcM dd cm co 05 CO o- CM CD CD <; ro = 2 o £ q. o o _ro _co 00 OQ -Q T3 i_ ^ CD l. © .2 ® "§ S ■§ l-e^-e | 8€ £ > '“■era cd > 5 ^ .© V £ -O £ CD o o ±o 2 co o 0 0 2 15 co CL CL >- >- CL CD O O "O 0) 05 _0 O JB = C/5 0) CD >- LU O cm m CM h 5 CO o Q. J- co §_ » C/) c CD I °- o .9- CD -C OQ O O d O 05 LO o o o d d o o o o d co q co 05 5 ^ g 2 CD J= CL §. w CO 0 ■D 9- Ll > _i > Q. o CO ® | 8. &g co o CD CO c a c (0 CO o 55 co Saltmarsh Sparrow 1 1 0.01 Seaside Sparrow 10 10 0.14 Song Sparrow 117 22 106 249 12 37 5 44 25 12 89 6 27 4 7 15 2 3 8 790 1.68 0.26 Swamp Sparrow 3 24151 121561 4 36 0.01 0.03 0.06 148 2014 Spring Migration Counts in North Carolina coast pied mtns total Onsl RoRa RaRo Kerr Falls Wake Durh Jord ChHI SoPi Grbr Rock Fors Meek I red Hang Grdfr Bl Mts Bunc Hend Bals 00 O) -cr co d c\i CO CD CO 'si- If) CO 00 CO Is- c\j oo CM "=* CM on CM 2 m (D ^ CM — CO ^ CO 00 Is- Is- Is- °0 to 00 o O) 7Z - 8 CO N If) 2? 03 T- “ CO co s - g NSft CO o o ° s Is- 00 CO ® 3 CO CO CM O ^ LCD oo lo “2 CM co v- T- CM O O C3 Is- t- co co co o co o) s 03 O O CO CM 00 O CM Is- d odooco odd If) 00 00 CM CO co co co co o d d-!- do S N o « T- CO II ^ co Tch if) T- If) CO O) d d d C\i 00 CM CM O CO C0 03 C0O-!- d d d d cm co Is- oo Is- CM N O xr odd d O. CM rr Is- cm ^ CO CD CM CM ^ If) O) CM O) •'t CM t- 00 CM o CM UO CM 00 CO Is- CO CM CO ■do d OO CO CO 03 03 CM O LO d d d d CO "fr CM O O odd Trans 00 CM CO CM i- 5 g Q :> cl o C/3 % Q) ^ <: <: q co (D z cc E 2 o 2 ® -9 m CD t w o o o co CD -q O Cl) .S> 1 ■o CO £ CL DC LU .Q CO o CD £ c CD O £ CO E 3 o DC O 0 2 T3 CD -§ -o T3 CO £ ^ |Q 1 1 oa GO O CO House Finch 24 3 19 33 2 14 74 46 10 94 46 95 26 29 58 19 7 46 2 27 674 0.25 Red Crossbill 2 4 6 0.02 Pine Siskin 1 21 4 11 37 0.11 American Goldfinch 99 36 31 127 12 18 14 54 64 145 37 218 96 200 190 126 71 94 62 46 11 3 1754 1.04 The Chat, Vol. 78, No. 4, Fall 2014 149 coast m in o pied CO CO d mtns r- o d total 380 243 93370 452 Onsl 40 170 9115 20 RoRa in ® £ m RaRo 67 129 5122 17 Kerr 18 118 4251 14 Falls 26 116 3767 13 Wake _ in in ^ o cm CM II ^ CM ^ CO Durh 25 118 5944 24 Jord 8 125 8169 43 ChHI o ® m co CO II t- CO ^ CO SoPi 26 129 6684 32 ff, in r- S in cn ~ . co S2 in co Grbr ^ r- Rock 2 116 2257 7 Fors CM co 3C o oo t- 2 m t ^ in Meek 23 126 4750 25 Ired T- CM £ ^ O g CO Hang Tt I n ^ ^ ^ Grdfr 2 66 803 5 Bl Mts h» CO 05 m co in 00 Bunc co ° ^ ? T_ in Hend CM to CO i- co 40 05 CO T- Bals 75 2483 17 Trans 10 114 3320 24 o C/5 TO 3 w 03 CD T3 c CL c/d CD c/5 O © CL C/5 > d c TO CL d d o o 5 TO Q. X o o M o o Pi £ G o (U G > TO o d & O £ « § Oh O O TO G O C ^ O B *-«<