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No. 1

CM5X

Vo! 79

The Chat

WINTER 2015

The Quarterly Bulletin of the Carolina Bird Club, Inc.
The Ornithological Society of the Carolinas

THE CHAT

ISSN No. 0009-1987

Vol. 79

WINTER 2015

No. 1

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 © 2015 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 Bird Counts in South Carolina Steven J. Wagner. 1

2014 Report of the North Carolina Bird Records Committee Z. Taylor Piephoff. 12

2014 Report of the South Carolina Bird Records Committee Chris Hill. 16

rticles

Critique of Early Reports of Snowy Owls ( Bubo scandiacus ) from the Carolinas:

1737 to 1872 Marcus B. Simpson , Jr. 24

Briefs for the Files

Fall 2014 Josh Southern 33

Fifty Years Ago in The Chat

March 1965 59

Cover : American Kestrel, 27 Jan 2015, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Jim Guyton.

2014 Spring Bird Counts in South Carolina

Steven J. Wagner

Department of Liberal Arts
Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah, GA 31402
sjwagner@scad. edu

Seven spring migration counts were conducted in South Carolina this
year. The 157 participants in the field and 36 at feeders reported 223 species,
a high count for the past 5 years of the counts. Overall there were 26 species
of warblers on the count, down from the high of 28 reported in 2012.

The two Scissor-tailed Flycatchers in Greenville County were a good
find. These birds remained in the area and nested. Other highlights included
several lingering waterfowl with 19 species recorded. Only 10 species were
reported last year. Following this past winter’s influx, the Charleston count
reported numbers of both Surf Scoters (43) and Black Scoters (264) still in
the area. They also had 4 Red-breasted Mergansers. Jasper County recorded
13 species of waterfowl including Gadwall (2), American Wigeon (2),
Northern Shoveler (1), Northern Pintail (2), Greater Scaup (1), Lesser Scaup
(2) and Ruddy Duck (16). Greenville participants reported the lone Ring-
necked Duck. As in previous years, both Aiken and Jasper reported Black-
bellied Whistling-Ducks. Notable among the 27 species of shorebirds
reported were the 4 Piping Plovers in Charleston County and Pectoral
Sandpipers reported in Greenville (5) and Jasper (1) counties.

Compiler’s Comments

Greenville County: April 26, 129 species, 5335 individuals

Coordinator: Paul Serridge

4 Audrey Lane
Greenville, SC 29615

Participants: Derek Aldrich, Shelby Birch, Harold Carter, Marion Clark,

Jeff Click, Steve Compton, Donnie Coody, Brad Dalton,
Denise DuPon, Ed Enggasser, Ruth Enggasser, Chip
Gilbert, Ernie Glenn, Dorothy Graves, JB Hines, Rob
Hunnings, Jerry Johnson, Len Kopka, Yves Limpalair,
Anthony Martin, Margaret McDavid, Merikay Pirrone,
John Quinn, Barbara Serridge, Paul Serridge, Tonita
Thompson, Dennis Trapp, Charles Webb, Judith Webb

Twenty-five GCBC members and 7 non-members participated in the
2014 Greenville County Spring Migration Count. We covered 15 areas and
listed 129 species and 5335 individual birds. The 129 species equals the

2014 Spring Bird Counts in South Carolina

previous record set in 2012. The 5335 figure is +/- an undetermined number
but gives a good idea of the order of magnitude.

The 1 5 areas in no way covered the entire county and we missed out on
data for several areas including Paris Mountain SP and Cedar Falls Park.
Non-members actually led the counts in 4 sections. We owe them our
gratitude. Three GCBC members led or participated in counts in more than
one section. Thank you!

We benefitted from excellent birding weather all over the county
moderate temperatures, little to no wind, partly cloudy skies, and no rain.

Bird highlights:

The following were new additions to the total Spring counts list:

Ring-necked Duck

Pectoral Sandpiper

Cerulean Warbler

Rusty Blackbird

Spartanburg County: May 10, 113 species, 5303 individuals

Coordinator: Lyle Campbell

126 Greengate Lane
Spartanburg, SC 29307

Participants: Doug Allen, Carole Anderson, Susan Bennett, Tom

Broome, Marlyn Broome, Dan Bryant, David Campbell,
Lyle Campbell, Sarah Campbell, Timothy Campbell, Alan
Chalmers, Dan Codispoti, Cheryl Cooksey, Ed Donovan,
Sharon Donovan, John Edmunds, Judy Edmunds, Ed
Elam, Kathleen Elam, Roy Fowler, Pat Fowler, Onoosh
Gahagan, Herb Kay, Jeanette Keepers, Ema McCormic,
Moss Miller, Joe Mitchell, Roberta Mitchell, Nora Moore,
Bill Myers, Mary Ann Myers, Glen Peterson, Daniel
Phillips, Kathy Phillips, Robert Powell, Sandra Powell,

Eva Pratt, Sam Pratt, Kelly Ruppuchi, Bob Scott, Kristen
Taylor, Dan Wootton, Nancy Wootton, Peggy Yo

The Spartanburg 2014 Spring Count was down a bit at 113 species
observed. And our warbler count was a modest 13 species. Our best bird was
a breeding plumage Homed Grebe. May 10th is unusually late for this bird.

Special recognition should go to Herb Kay, an excellent birder, who is
100 years young this Spring.

Cherokee County: May 3, 90 species, 1458 individuals

Coordinator: Lyle Campbell

126 Greengate Lane
Spartanburg, SC 29307

The Chat , Vol. 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

Participants: Doug Allen, David Campbell, Lyle Campbell, Sarah

Campbell, Timothy Campbell, Claude Cobb, J. B. Hines,
Jerry Johnson, Karla Lavender

The 2014 Cherokee County Spring Count saw a 50 % increase in species
recorded. 2013 recorded 58 species, 2014 counters found 90.

Aiken County: May 10, 108 species, 3041 individuals

Coordinator: Anne Waters

1621 Apple Valley Drive
Augusta, GA 30906

Participants: Charlie Campbell, Meg Francoeur, Jennifer Holcomb,

Brandon Heitkamp, Carl Huffman, Paul Koehler, Willie
Malpass, Terry McGrath, George Reeves, Lois Stacey,
Peter Stangel, Anne Waters, Alice Walker, Douglas
Walker, Calvin Zippier

Congaree National Park: May 4, 72 species, 773 individuals
Coordinator: John Grego

Participants: Caroline Eastman, Hilda Flamholtz, Jon Flamholtz, John

Grego, Jerry Griggs, Donna Slyce and 16 dawn chorus
attendees

A Spring Count was held May 4 at Congaree National Park. Donna
Slyce led a group of 16 participants on the Robin Carter Dawn Chorus Walk
in the morning, while other groups covered the Bluff Trail and Sims Trail in
the morning, and the eastern end of the park through the early afternoon. A
total of 72 species were seen, though migrants in general were notably
lacking. Dozens of cliff swallow nests were being constructed under the new
US 601 bridge across the Congaree River.

Charleston/Berkeley Counties: May 4, 161 species, 14,123 individuals

Coordinator: Andy Harrison

35 Cross Creek Drive, Apt P-7
Charleston, SC 29412

Participants: Clint Ball, Cornelia Carrier, David Chamberlain, Hal

Currey, Chris Davies, Edouard des Francs, Connie and
Bob Drew, Judy, Reggie and Ted Fairchild, Virginia
Flatau, Cindy Floyd, Pam Ford, Sheena Forte, Dennis
Forsythe, Aaron Given, Andy Harrison, Nedra Hecker,

Don Jones, Kevin Kalasz, Pete Laurie, Dan Lesesne,
Patrick Markham, Mary-Catherine Martin, Keith
McCullough, David McLean, Jr., Cathy and Carl Miller,
Paul Nolan, Perry Nugent, Irvin Pitts, Kaylee Pollander,
Jack and Julie Rogers, Allen Russell, Felicia Sanders,
Peggy Schachte, Eva Scruggs, Abby Sterling, Nancy
Swan, Murry Thompson, Jen McCarthey Tyrrell, Craig

2014 Spring Bird Counts in South Carolina

Watson, John Weinstein, Marci White, Kathy and Bill
Woolsey, and Josh Zalabak

The 2014 Charleston Spring Bird Count was held on May 4, 2014. There
were 49 participants divided into 18 parties, who tallied 101.43 hours in the
field. We observed 161 total species and 14,123 individuals (for a bird/party
hour average of 139.2).

We enjoyed a beautiful day for this year’s count, in stark contrast to last
year’s severe weather that resulted in cancellation by most of the boat
parties. Skies were mostly clear throughout the day and there was no
precipitation. Temperatures ranged from a pre-dawn low of about 59 degrees
F to a somewhat warm afternoon high of 86 F. The species and individual
totals both easily surpassed the 8-year averages of 149 and 8389,
respectively. Our success can be attributed to a number of factors. First, we
covered more areas this year (13) than ever before since I became compiler
in 2006. All of the boat parties were active, and for the second year in a row
we fielded a party in Fairlawn Plantation. The pleasant weather certainly
helped, and on average parties spent longer hours in the field this year than
last. Finally, there were a number of lingering winter species this year
(particularly sea ducks), and adding good numbers of spring migrants and
breeding species helped push both totals to high levels.

The Capers, Dewees and South Bulls parties all reported (and provided
good details for) fairly large numbers of Black Scoters (264 in all), and the
South Bulls party also reported 3 White-winged Scoters. The unusually
harsh winter this year drove large numbers of sea ducks farther south than
normal, and as I write this report in late May there are still scoters being
observed off our coastal islands. We also did especially well with seabirds
and shorebirds on the count this year. For example, our field parties reported
613 Royal Terns (8-year average 202.3), 311 Forster’s Terns (109.9), 610
Black Skimmers (287.5), 1692 Semipalmated Plovers (644.6), 90 Marbled
Godwits (3.4), 614 Red Knots (74.5), 260 Semipalmated Sandpipers (41.9),
1132 Dunlin (313), and 723 Short-billed Dowitchers (260.9). We fared
reasonably well with woodland species, too. One group where numbers
seemed a bit lower than normal was among the swallows: we reported only
44 Tree Swallows (412.6) and 137 Bam Swallows (180.3).

Other noteworthy count highlights included:

In the North Bulls area, leader Felicia Sanders and her group (Kevin
Kalasz, Mary-Catherine Martin and Abby Sterling) observed 2 Pied-billed
Grebes, 4 Least Bitterns, 23 Glossy Ibis, 6 Mottled Ducks, 22 Blue-winged
Teal, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 1 Piping Plover, 8
Black-necked Stilts, and 2 Chipping Sparrows.

David McLean and his party (Jack and Julie Rogers) observed 5 Least
Bitterns, 134 Black Scoters, 3 White-winged Scoters, 3 White Ibis, 1
Hooded Merganser, 1 Swallow-tailed Kite, 3 Sora, 1 Great Homed Owl, and
1 Common Nighthawk in the South Bulls area.

The Chat, VoL 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

On Capers Island, Hal Cuirey and his party (Chris Davies and Peggy
Schachte) reported 65 Black Scoters, 1 Bufflehead, 2 King Rails, 500 Red
Knots, and 300 Black Skimmers. They also added 1 Red-breasted
Merganser and 1 Green Heron to the Intracoastal Waterway party list (both
birds observed on Moise Island).

Kathy and Bill Woolsey observed 10 Wood Ducks, 2 Rock Pigeons, and
2 Blue-headed Vireos in the Laurel Hill area.

In the Cainhoy area, Andy Harrison and Kaylee Pollander observed 2
Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, 12 Purple Martins, 3 American Robins, 2
Black-throated Blue Warblers, 1 Ovenbird, 3 Kentucky Warblers, and 1
Bachman’s Sparrow.

Jen Tyrrell and Virginia Flatau reported 12 Cattle Egrets, 1 Yellow-
crowned Night-Heron, and 20 Bobolinks in the Sewee Road area.

Perry Nugent and his party (Pam Ford and Allen Russell) observed 1
Swallow-tailed Kite, 1 Cooper’s Hawk, 1 Wild Turkey, 3 Red-headed
Woodpeckers, 4 Acadian Flycatchers, 30 Hooded Warblers, and 1 Yellow-
breasted Chat in Ion Swamp. During pre-dawn owling they also reported 4
Eastern Screech-Owls, 12 Barred Owls and 2 Chuck-will’s-widows.

Craig Watson and Dan Lesesne reported 18 Northern Rough-winged
Swallows, 1 American Redstart, and 1 Savannah Sparrow in the Porcher’s
Bluff area.

In the Guerin’s Bridge Road area, Don Jones and his party (Cornelia
Carrier, Patrick Markham and Nancy Swan) observed 5 Wood Storks, 1
Loggerhead Shrike, and 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler.

In Fairlawn Plantation, David Chamberlain and his party (owner Edouard
des Francs, Eva Scruggs, Murry Thompson and Marci White) observed 1
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, 1 Wild Turkey, 4 Ruby-throated
Hummingbirds, 2 Yellow-throated Vireos, 34 Prothonotary Warblers, 4
Yellow-breasted Chats, and 1 Chipping Sparrow.

In the Airport area, Paul Nolan and his party (Sheena Forte, Nedra
Hecker and John Weinstein) observed 1 Common Loon, 8 Mississippi Kites,
2 Cooper’s Hawks, 6 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers, 1 late
Eastern Phoebe (seen by all in the party and well-described), 1 White-
breasted Nuthatch, 17 European Starlings, 1 White-throated Sparrow, and 27
House Finches. During the evening hours Dennis Forsythe spent time
owling in this area, and he recorded 2 Wood Ducks, 1 Barred Owl and 3
Chuck-will’s-widows.

On the Intracoastal Waterway, Clint Ball and his party (Keith
McCullough and Josh Zalabak) reported 47 American Oystercatchers, 112
Willets, 80 Whimbrel, 90 Marbled Godwits, 77 Ruddy Turnstones, 19
Western Sandpipers, 8 Herring Gulls, 165 Forster’s Terns, 15 Purple
Martins, and 1 Yellow Warbler.

Finally, Dewees Island once again reported the highest species total (96)
among the count areas this year. Cathy Miller and her party (Connie and
Bob Drew, Judy, Reggie and Ted Fairchild, Cindy Floyd, Aaron Given, Pete
Laurie, Carl Miller, and Irvin Pitts) observed 13 Green Herons, 2 Roseate

2014 Spring Bird Counts in South Carolina

Spoonbills, 4 Mottled Ducks, 65 Black Scoters, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 9
Clapper Rails, 3 Piping Plovers, 15 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Solitary
Sandpipers, 2 Common Terns, 3 Common Ground-Doves, 6 Marsh Wrens, 5
Gray Catbirds, 6 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 1 Scarlet Tanager, 1 Savannah
Sparrow, and 1 Swamp Sparrow (details provided by Irvin Pitts).

Notable misses this year included: Northern Bobwhite, White-rumped
Sandpiper, Black Tern, Northern Flicker, Black-and-white Warbler, Worm-
eating Warbler, Swainson’s Warbler, Seaside Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark,
American Goldfinch, and House Sparrow.

I enjoyed serving as compiler and look forward to doing it again next
year!

Jasper County: May 10, 138 species, 21358 individuals

Coordinator: Steve Wagner

313 E. 54th St.

Savannah, GA 31405

Participants: Steve Calver, Larry Carlile, Steve Wagner, and 5

Ogeechee Audubon Field Trip participants

Eight participants in three parties contributed to Jasper County’s Spring
Migration Count on May 10. Although not ideal, weather conditions were
not challenging, with warm temperatures (70-88 degrees), partly cloudy
skies and SSW winds increasing to 10-15 mph in the afternoon.

We only found 9 species of warblers, down from the 16 we had last year.
We also had 13 species of waterfowl, including several that normally have
left the area by this date. The most notable of these were Gadwall (2),
American Wigeon (2), Northern Shoveler (1), Northern Pintail (2), Greater
Scaup (1), Lesser Scaup (2) and Ruddy Duck (16).

Table 1. Spring 2014 bird counts in South Carolina

Gree

Spar

Cher

Aike

Cong

Chari

Jasp

Total

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Canada Goose

108

456

101

739

Wood Duck

116

Gadwall

American Wigeon

Mallard

171

Mottled Duck

Blue-winged Teal

Northern Shoveler

Northern Pintail

Ring-necked Duck

Greater Scaup

Lesser Scaup

Surf Scoter

Black Scoter

264

Bufflehead

Hooded Merganser

ifilll

The Chat, Vol 79, No . 1 , Winter 2015

Red-breasted Merganser

Ruddy Duck

Gree

Spar

Northern Bobwhite

Wild Turkey

7 i

Common Loon

Pied-billed Grebe

Homed Grebe

Wood Stork

Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga

Brown Pelican

Least Bittern

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

Little Blue Heron

Tricolored Heron

Cattle Egret

Green Heron

Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis

Glossy Ibis

Roseate Spoonbill

Black Vulture

Turkey Vulture

Osprey

Swallow-tailed Kite

Mississippi Kite

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

Broad-winged Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Clapper Rail

King Rail

Sora

Purple Gallinule

Common Gallinule

American Coot

Black-bellied Plover

Wilson’s Plover

Semipalmated Plover

Piping Plover

Killdeer

American Oystercatcher
Black-necked Stilt

American Avocet

Spotted Sandpiper

Solitary Sandpiper

Greater Yellowlegs

Willet

Lesser Yellowlegs

Whimbrel

Marbled Godwit

Cher

Aike

Cong

Chari

Jasp

Total

303

365

148

134

155

199

118

132

148

139

342

206

200

406

1692

551

2243

122

298

308

128

169

212

293

314

221

2014 Spring Bird Counts in South Carolina

Gree

Ruddy Turnstone
Red Knot
Sanderling

Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
peep sp.

Pectoral Sandpiper 5

Dunlin

Stilt Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
dowitcher sp.

Bonaparte’s Gull
Laughing Gull

Ring-billed Gull 21

Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Least Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Caspian Tern

Black Tern

Common Tern

Forster’s Tern

Royal Tern

Sandwich Tern

Black Skimmer

Rock Pigeon 8

Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove 100

Common Ground-Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Bam Owl

Eastern Screech-Owl

Great Homed Owl 1

Barred Owl 1

Common Nighthawk
Chuck-will’s- widow 8

Eastern Whip-poor-will 1 6

Chimney Swift 67

Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 5

Belted Kingfisher 6

Red-headed Woodpecker 4

Red-bellied Woodpecker 62

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker 20

Hairy Woodpecker 5

Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Northern Flicker 5

Pileated Woodpecker 29

American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon

Eastern Wood-Pewee 5

Acadian Flycatcher 8

Eastern Phoebe 5

Great Crested Flycatcher 34

Cher

Aike

Cong

Chari

Jasp

Total

141

162

614

616

101

260

13584

13844

103

214

1132

662

1794

1295

723

416

1139

1276

1350

289

323

120

158

311

320

613

615

610

295

905

204

105

110

667

195

320

109

103

271

493

Spar

127

212

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

Gree

Eastern Kingbird 66

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 2

Loggerhead Shrike

White-eyed Vireo 33

Yellow-throated Vireo 1

Blue-headed Vireo 65

Red-eyed Vireo 1 86

Blue Jay 237 :

American Crow 168

Fish Crow 21

crow sp.

Common Raven 2

Homed Lark

Purple Martin 92

Tree Swallow 39

Northern Rough-winged
Swallow 60

Bank Swallow

Cliff Swallow 12

Bam Swallow 105

Carolina Chickadee 102

Tufted Titmouse 156

White-breasted Nuthatch 17

Brown-headed Nuthatch 15

House Wren 2

Marsh Wren

Carolina Wren 1 14

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 138

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 23

Eastern Bluebird 96

Swainson5s Thrush ; 6

Hermit Thrush 7

Wood Thrush 30

American Robin 240

Gray Catbird 19

Northern Mockingbird : : 78

Brown Thrasher 48

European Starling 69

Cedar Waxwing 77

Ovenbird 47

Worm-eating Warbler 45

Louisiana Waterthmsh 1 1

Northern Waterthrush 1

Black-and-white Warbler : 20

Prothonotary Warbler 3

Swainson's Warbler 1

Kentucky Warbler

Common Y ellowthroat ; 5 0

Hooded Warbler 91

American Redstart 1 7

Cape May Warbler 4

Cerulean Warbler 1

Northern Par u la 34

Blackburnian Warbler l

Yellow Warbler : 5 2

Chestnut-sided Warbler 1

Blackpoll Warbler 1

Cher

Aike

Cong

Chari

Jasp

Total

242

209

2 i

402

552

640

102

187

247

149

340

1221

137

616

336

107

167

575

120

178

574

341

404

. 8

493

111 ill

433

198

428

194

411

103

180

194

. 3-

157

: 26

389

Spar

108

193

771

219

170

163

149

171

125

2014 Spring Bird Counts in South Carolina

Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow- throated Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Eastern Towhee
Bachman’s Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Painted Bunting
Bobolink

Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Species

Total individuals

Regular Count

Hours foot
Hours car
Hours boat
Hours canoe/kayak
Hours bike

Hours other (golf cart)

Miles foot
Miles car
Miles boat
Miles canoe/kayak
Miles bike

Miles other (golf cart)

Gree

Spar Cher

Aike

21 9

170

16 22

11 1

12 4

43 8

108 26

49 23

11 5

10 2

7 A:

6 3

6 4

225

239 22

205

2 2

14 2

37 9

10 2

240

62 15

38 21

201 81

67 15

79 6

270

71 8

46 8

129

113 90

108

5335

5303 1458

3041

35.5 15

31.8

17.25

17 12

17.5

3 :

1.75

0.5 2

41.5

29 10.5

18.5

237.5

264 235

151

1.5

1.75

8 3

Cong

Chari

Jasp

Total

131

306

216

126

307

237

110

143

331

1125

220

116

161

204

243

758

1355

580

127

155

282

261

171

371

161

138

223

773

14123

21358

51391

14.5

62.75

3.5

237.05

21.67

21.6

107.02

9.43

12.43

3.75

8.5

; 5.75

5.75

9.5

37.5

2.35

148.85

156.1

156.7

1200.3

35.63

47.63

3.25

13.27

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

Gree

Spar

Cher

Aike

Cong

Chari

Jasp

# Regular parties

# Regular observers

#Species

119

103

108

160

137

individuals

3162

4449

1448

2867

773

14085

21356

Watch

lllli

Hours Feeder Watch

#Feeder Watchers

■

Si 1 1

#Feeder Stations

pjg

#Species

#Individuals

835

Total

157

Nocturnal

Hours Nocturnal
Miles Nocturnal
#parties nocturnal
#observers nocturnal
#Species
#Individuals

Time Start

Time Stop

Temperature

Pre-Dawn

Dawn

Noon

Sunset

Night

Wind

Pre-Dawn

Dawn

Noon

Sunset

Night

% Clouds

2 2

Pre-Dawn

Dawn

Noon

Sunset

Night

Pre-Dawn

Dawn

IBSifysIf

Noon

100

o o

0© o

Sunset

100

Night

100

§ISfj

light

0 111111

0
0
0
o

2014 Annual Report

of the North Carolina Bird Records Committee

Z. Taylor Piephoff1 , Chair, Keith E. Camburn, Richard J.
Davis , H. Douglas Pratt, Harry E. LeGrand, Jr., Jeffrey S.
Pippen, Steven P. Shultz, Nathan A. Swick, Michael H. Tove

1 13339 Mint Lake Drive, Matthews, NC, 28105. piephoffT@aol.com

The make-up of the 2014 North Carolina Bird Records Committee saw
no changes in membership from 2013.

Accepted as Valid. The following reports were judged to be acceptable.

Band-tailed Pigeon ( Patagioenas fasciata) (14-01). The North Carolina
Bird Records Committee (NCBRC) unanimously accepted a written report
with photographs supplied by Rangel Diaz of a single bird that was present for
several weeks at a feeder in Manteo (Dare), seen and photographed by scores
of birders. The species is already on the Definitive List based on an accepted
report from the mountains and an accepted photographically documented
report from the Piedmont (LeGrand et al. 2014). With this report, the species
has been accepted from all three geographic regions of the state.

Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) (14-02). An inland
Piedmont report from 2 September 2012 with photographs of this species
from Durham County from Josh Sims was reviewed and unanimously
accepted. Though the photographs and written report could not conclusively
rule out other Fregata species, the NCBRC accepted the report to species as
submitted. The NCBRC felt the odds of the bird being anything other than F.
magnificens were long enough to allow for acceptance to that species. The
species is on the Definitive List based on numerous reviewed records from the
coast. This is the second accepted record of this species away from the coastal
region (LeGrand et al. 2014).

Allen’s Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) (14-03). A second-year male
of this species was captured and banded 11 January 2014 at a residence in
Oriental (Pamlico). The NCBRC reviewed a written report along with in-hand
diagnostic photographs from Susan Campbell. The report was unanimously
accepted. The species is already on the Definitive List based on accepted
records with photos of birds from Manteo (Dare) and Catawba County
(LeGrand et al. 2014).

Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thalassarche chlororhynchos) (14-04). An
immature / sub-adult bird of this species was seen four miles offshore of Avon
(Dare) on 22 February 2014. The NCBRC unanimously accepted a written
report and photographs by Jeff Pippen. The species is already on the Definitive

The Chat, Vol. 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

List based on three previously accepted records with photographs, all from

Dare County (LeGrand et al 2014)

White-faced Ibis (. Plegadis chihi ) (14-05). Paul Guris photographed
and provided written details on five individuals seen at Lake Mattamuskeet
National Wildlife Refuge {Hyde) on 10 March 2014. TheNCBRC unanimously
accepted the report. The species is already on the Definitive List with three
previous records from two coastal counties (LeGrand et al. 2014).

Mottled Duck {Anas fulvigula) (14-07). An individual of this species was
present at the Fort Fisher Aquarium {New Hanover) from 12 October to 18
October 2013. The NCBRC unanimously accepted photographs from Sam
Cooper (12 October) and Bruce Smithson (17 October). The species is on the
Definitive List by virtue of numerous records from four coastal counties and
one record from the Piedmont (LeGrand et al. 2014).

Cory’s Shearwater (Scopoli’s) {Calonectris diomedea diomedea) (14-
OS). The NCBRC reviewed an account of this recognized sub-species by
Mike Tove, with photos by Nate Swick, Steve Howell, Ryan O’Donnell,
and Douglas Koch; all of which were taken in offshore North Carolina
waters. The NCBRC unanimously accepted all the photos as depicting C. d.
diomedea . The NCBRC recognizes the need to review reports of recognized
subspecies’ where elevation to full status by the A.O.U. is likely or imminent.
By acknowledgment of the occurrence of C. d. diomedea in North Carolina,
the NCBRC places the subspecies on the Definitive Subspecies List.

Whimbrel (Eurasian) {Numenius phaeopus phaeopus/alboaxillaris) (14-
09). The NCBRC reviewed and unanimously accepted photographs of an
individual from the European subspecies’ group in flight, taken between Avon
and Buxton {Dare) 6 April 2011 by Eric Frey. There are a handful of reports
from the coast of this form but none have been reviewed by the NCBRC until
now (LeGrand et al. 2014). Since a definitive subspecies was unable to be
discerned from the photos, the NCBRC presumes the record N p. phaeopus
based on geographic probability. As in (14-08), the NCBRC feels this form
is in line for species elevation by the A.O.U. and thus places presumed N. p.
phaeopus on the Definitive Subspecies List.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck {Dendrocygna autumnalis) (14-12). The
NCBRC reviewed a written report by Mike Dorcas and photos by Dorcas
and Doran Smith, and an opinion from Jennifer Gordon, a local waterfowl
rehabber, of three birds that appeared 18 June, 2014 and lingered a few
days at a residential pond in Indian Trail {Union). The NCBRC voted 8 AV
(Accept as Valid) and 1 QO (Questionable Origin) to accept the photos. Those
voting AV felt the birds’ occurrence fit the pattern of date and behavior for
natural occurrences of this species in the state. Though this species is already

2014 Annual Report of the North Carolina Bird Records Committee

on the Definitive List, this is the first accepted record from the Piedmont
region, adding to multiple records from the coast and a mountain record from
Henderson 10 June, 2013 (LeGrand et al. 2014).

Townsend’s Warbler ( Setophaga townsendi) (14-16). The NCBRC
unanimously accepted photos taken by Todd Arcos of an immature bird at
Richland Balsam {Jackson) on 13 September, 2014. This represents the third
accepted record for the state, following two accepted records from the coast;
a bird photographed on the Outer Banks in November 1992 {Dare), and a bird
salvaged as a specimen from an offshore vessel in 1999 (LeGrand et al. 2014).
The species is already on the Definitive List.

Common Ringed Plover {Charadrius hiaticula) (14-17). A remarkable
report of an alternate plumaged adult seen 15 May, 2014 at the Cedar Island
Ferry Terminal {Carteret) was received from Laetitia Desbordes. The report
included an excellent written description in addition to remarkable photographs
which featured close-ups of the spread toes on the foraging bird. Both were
unanimously accepted by the NCBRC. As this is the first record of this species
from the state and is documented with definitive photos, the species is added
to the Definitive List.

Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) {Junco hyemalis oreganus Group) (14-18).
The NCBRC unanimously (8 AV) accepted photographs supplied by Jessie
Dale of an adult male of the “Oregon Group” of dark-eyed junco at a feeder in
Linville {Avery) on 2 November, 2014. Though there are multiple records of
this group from across the state (Legrand et al. 2014), this is the second report
reviewed and accepted by the NCBRC. The Oregon Group is on the Definitive
Subspecies list.

Whooping Crane {Grus americana) (14-19). By virtue of a newly created
acceptance category for bird records, NE (Not Established), the NCBRC
reviewed photos of three birds by Kent Fiala and Steve Shultz from the eastern
portion of the state {Jones) from January 2005. The NCBRC also reviewed
emails from the US Fish and Wildlife Service confirming the birds were part
of a federally sanctioned re-introduction program. The Chair received votes
from eight members of the NCBRC, all of whom voted NE (Not Established).
The species is therefore placed on the Not Established List.

Not Accepted. The following report was judged to be unacceptable by a
majority of NCBRC members.

Heermann’s Gull {Larus heermanni) (14-15). A written report of a second
winter bird seen in August 2014 in coastal Brunswick County of this species
was reviewed by the NCBRC. One member voted AV (Accept as Valid),

The Chat , VoL 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

six voted ID (Inadequately Documented), and two voted US (Unacceptable
Sighting); resulting in an unaccepted report. While even several voting “not to
accept” felt the report was indeed compelling, they felt the written description
failed to eliminate juvenile Laughing Gull (. Leucophaeus atricilld) which is
numerous on area beaches in August. Others felt the written description fell
short of the desired level of documentation to result in a first state record.

The NCBRC also reviewed reports of three additional species which received
no AV (Accept as Valid) votes. It is the policy of the NCBRC to not publish
details, including the reported name, of any species which received no
acceptance votes. The NCBRC feels that exercise serves no useful purpose
while putting the name of a species in print where it may be indexed
in The Chat. A list of all the species reviewed can be seen at http://www.
carolinabirdclub.org/brc/NC/reports.html. Finally, the NCBRC received three
reports of commonly occurring species that are not on the Review List, and
one report that was subsequently withdrawn due to a change in identification
by the reporter.

Summary

With this round of voting, Common Ringed Plover is added to the
Definitive List, Whooping Crane is added to the Not Established List,
(Eurasian) Whimbrel and Cory’s (Scopoli’s) Shearwater are added to the
Definitive Subspecies List. The total number of species from North Carolina
is now 476 on the Accepted List of which 461 are Definitive (net gain of one
species, not including subspecies), two are considered Not Established (gain
of one species), and 13 are Provisional.

Literature Cited

LeGrand, H., J. Elaire, A. Iyoob, and T. Howard. 2014. Birds of North

Carolina: their Distribution and Abundance. http://www.carolinabirdclub.

org/ncbirds/accounts.php

2014 Annual Report

of the South Carolina Bird Records Committee

Chris Hill1, Chair, Gif Beaton, Jeff Click, Aaron Given, Lex
Glover, Keith McCullough, Irvin Pitts, William Post, and

Steve Wagner

1 Biology Department, Coastal Carolina University, P.O. Box 261954,
Conway, SC. chill@coastal.edu

In 2014, the South Carolina Bird Records Committee (SCBRC) took
action on 34 new reports of which 28 were accepted, 5 not accepted and
1 recommended for outside review. We also voted a second and final time
on 2 reports for which the original votes had been inconclusive and we had
obtained comment by outside experts. Those two reports were not accepted
in the second vote. There was one additional report that was withdrawn by
the submitter before a vote. The committee also clarified the status of two
seabirds with published reports suggesting South Carolina occurrence, and the
committee voted on a definition of South Carolina offshore waters.

The 2014 submissions added two species to South Carolina’s Main Species
List, Fea’s Petrel and Crested Caracara. The 2014 submissions also moved
three species, Harlequin Duck, Little Gull and Alder Flycatcher, from the
Provisional 1 section of the state list (accepted, but without physical evidence
such as a specimen, photo or sound recording) to the Definitive List, based
on photographs for the first two species and a definitive sound recording for
the third. Barolo Shearwater (formerly appearing on the state list as Little
Shearwater) was removed from the list as the specimen on which the record
was based proved to be a misidentified Audubon’s Shearwater. The Main
Species list is thus brought to 430 species. The most recent version of the list
is available online at http://carolinabirdclub.org/brc.

In 2014, we changed from numbering incoming reports by month and
year of submission, and began simply numbering them by year of submission
and order of receipt (2014-001, 2014-002 etc.). We also began posting
reports on line, voting more frequently, and posting the results of each
vote quickly at the “Recent and Current Reports to the South Carolina Bird
Records Committee” page (see link at http://www.carolinabirdclub.org/brc/).
Committee membership was unchanged from 2013.

The following report details actions taken by the SC Bird Records
Committee in 2014.

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

Pelagic Boundaries

The SCBRC voted to adopt the “closest point of land” or CPOL standard to
determine what ocean waters are considered within our purview. Specifically,
we recognize birds seen inside the 200 mile federal economic exclusion zone,
and closer to SC land than to land of any other state, as being in South Carolina
waters. Georgia to our south adopted CPOL in 2012 (Beaton et al. 2012) so
we are in agreement with them. The North Carolina BRC has not yet adopted
a particular definition (T. Piephoff, pers. comm.).

Compared to some past systems (like extending state borders due east into
the ocean) the CPOL criterion generally allocates more area to states with
convex coastlines like Massachusetts and North Carolina and less to those
with concave coastlines like Georgia and Delaware. For South Carolina, this
means that boundaries of our offshore waters extend generally southeast rather
than east (Fig.l). A more thorough discussion of offshore boundaries can be
found in Beaton et al. (2012).

2014 Annual Report of the South Carolina Bird Records Committee

Clarification of status of published report - Bermuda Petrel

A recently published update of the status of Bermuda Petrel (Madieros
et al. 2013), mentioned a 1975 sighting in SC waters (Wingate et al. 1998).
Ned Brinkley kindly supplied the committee with a scan of the 1998 article
by Wingate and others. Correspondence between CH and Todd Hass, one of
the original observers, established the location of that sighting as 32.66° N,
75.87° W. That location is approximately 170 miles from the nearest part of
South Carolina, but only 135 miles from Cape Lookout, North Carolina, so the
report is from what we now consider North Carolina waters. South Carolina is
still without a confirmed record of Bermuda Petrel.

Clarification of status of historical report - Little Shearwater/Barolo
Shearwater

The committee voted to remove Barolo Shearwater (formerly on the list
as Little Shearwater) from the South Carolina list. The species was published
in Post and Gauthreaux (1989) due to an 1883 specimen with location listed
as Sullivan’s Island, Charleston County, SC. That specimen is extant, housed
at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, MCZ #22005 1 . The specimen was
reidentified by Steve Howell as an Audubon’s Shearwater (Howell 2012). This
re-identification was confirmed to the satisfaction of the committee during
correspondence with Howell and MCZ collection manager Jeremiah Trimble.

Accepted reports

Brant (Branta bernicla) (2014-014) This report from Jim Jordan included
excellent photographs of a Brant seen on 19 December 2006 from Kiawah
Island. Brant are rare winter visitors to South Carolina.

Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope) (2014-015) and (2014-016) Aaron
Given submitted reports of two different European Wigeons, each documented
by descriptions and definitive photos. The first report was of a male at Donnelly
Wildlife Management Area, Colleton County, on 17 February 2014. The
second was of another male at Santee Coastal Reserve, Charleston County,
on 25 February 2013. European Wigeon are rare visitors to the South Carolina
coast, and casual inland (Post and Gauthreaux 1989).

Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) (2014-013) Ritch Lilly
photographed a drake Harlequin Duck at the Second Avenue Pier in Myrtle
Beach, Horry County on 13 February 2005, and shared the photos with the
committee. The bird was seen on multiple occasions that winter. These photos
provide the first physical evidence of the species in South Carolina and move
Harlequin Duck to the definitive list. Post and Gauthreaux (1989) list seven
reports through 1986 and McNair and Post (1993) add another 9 reports, but
this was the first of Harlequin Duck voted on by the bird records committee.

The Chat, Vol 79, No . 1, Winter 2015

White-winged Scoter ( Melanitta fused) (2014-021) and (2014-22) The
upstate experienced an influx of unusual waterbirds in the winter of 2013-
14. Derek Aldrich submitted written descriptions to document two different
White-winged Scoters, a female at Lake Robinson in Greer from 14 to 22
January 2014, and a male at the same location on 19 February 2014.

Red-necked Grebe ( Podiceps grisegena ) (2014-025) Aaron Given
submitted an excellent description and diagnostic photo of a Red-necked
Grebe seen by many observers at Kiawah Island between 4 and 8 Feb. 2014.

Fea’s Petrel ( Pterodroma feae) (2014-034) Keith McCullough submitted
a description, with accompanying photographs by Steve Compton, showing
a bird seen about 85 miles off Charleston at 31.6374° N, -79.2169° W on
10 June 2013. The photographs are sufficiently detailed to eliminate other
candidate species to the committee’s satisfaction. This report therefore adds
Fea’s Petrel to South Carolina’s definitive list.

American White Pelican (. Pelicanus erythrorhynchos) (2014-023) The
committee accepted a written description by Derek Aldrich of a bird seen at
Lake Conestee Nature Park in Greenville County from 21-24 November 2013.
White Pelicans are casual inland in South Carolina, with Post and Gauthreaux
listing only five previous records.

Snowy Plover ( Charadrius nivosus) (2014-018), (2014-019), and (2014-
020) Aaron Given submitted descriptions and definitive photographs to
document three sightings of Snowy Plovers, all at Kiawah Island. These
sightings happened in the winter of 2008-2009 (27 February to 20 March), the
winter of 2009-20 10(15 December to 27 January) and on 1 0 August 20 1 0. The
first record of Snowy Plover for South Carolina was in 1992 at North Island
(McNair and Post 1993; Carter and Worthington 1994). The three sightings at
Kiawah constitute the second, third and fourth accepted reports of the species.
A further report to the committee on a bird seen at south Litchfield Beach was
said to have been sent for outside review (Glover et al. 2002), but there is no
record of a final resolution of that report.

Ruff ( Calidris pugnax) (2014-030) Brian Penney submitted a good
description and diagnostic photographs of a Ruff observed at Bear Island
WMA, Colleton County, on 22 March 2014. There are at least 9 previous
accepted reports of this species in South Carolina (McNair and Post 1993;
Worthington 1993; Worthington et al. 1997; Slyce et al. 2009). The committee
is aware of other unpublished reports of this rare species in recent years and
encourages observers to submit further sightings.

Dovekie (Alle alle ) (2014-026) Aaron Given submitted a description and
diagnostic photographs of a Dovekie picked up alive but emaciated on 9
March 201 1 at Kiawah Island, and which died soon thereafter. The committee
has accepted 7 Dovekie reports in the last 9 years, and Post and Gauthreaux
(1989) list 14 others.

Black-headed Gull ( Chroicocephalus ridibundus ) (2014-004, 2014-

2014 Annual Report of the South Carolina Bird Records Committee

005) Paul Serridge and Chris Hill independently submitted reports of a bird
photographed at the Conway Wastewater Treatment Plant, Horry County,
on 9 January 2014 (also seen for several weeks following that date). This
is apparently the fourth well-substantiated report of the species (Post and
Gauthreaux 1989; McNair and Post 1993; Pitts et al. 2012). As with Ruff,
the committee is aware of further unpublished reports of the species and
encourages further submissions.

Little Gull ( Hydrocoloeus minutus) (2014-007) A photograph of a bird
at Huntington Beach State Park by visiting birder Dave Russell, taken on 13
October 2007, was submitted on Russell’s behalf by Chris Hill. Although
the photo is blurry, it is definitive and adds Little Gull to the definitive list.
Prior to this report, the committee had accepted two sight reports and Post and
Gauthreaux (1989) accepted one other.

Iceland Gull (. Larus glaucoides ) (2014-002) Reported by Chris Hill
from the Horry County Landfill, with photograph from 6 January 2014. This
species, while not recorded every year, has been found with some regularity
at this site in recent years.

Long-eared Owl ( Asio otus) (2014-035) An injured bird was picked up
on 9 December 2014 in Columbia and taken to the Carolina Wildlife Center,
where it was photographed and treated. McNair and Post (1993) say “only
four reports since a verified record from York Co. in 1954,” and there is one
accepted record of a calling bird on a Christmas Bird Count (Worthington et
al. 1997).

Crested Caracara ( Caracara cheriway) (2015-001) During a vulture
feeding and observation program at the Center for Birds of Prey in Awendaw,
this bird appeared and was seen and photographed by the participants. Keith
McCullough submitted a report with definitive photographs and an excellent
description of the bird’s appearance and behavior. Crested Caracara has been
on the South Carolina Provisional II list (which covers published records of
uncertain provenance) based on two sight records from 1 May 1943 and 26
November 1977. However, in the last decade, extralimital and apparently
wild vagrant Crested Caracaras have turned up from Washington, Oregon
and California on the west coast to the northern tier of states in the east and
into Atlantic Canada (though, until recently, less often in the southeast).
The Awendaw bird, with no visible tags or markings, was considered by the
committee to have been a wild bird.

Alder Flycatcher (. Empidonax alnorum) (2014-031) Linda Montgomery
submitted a description with an accompanying sound recording of a singing
bird seen and heard on 17 and 18 May 20 14 at the Clemson Aquaculture Facility
in Pickens County. Three previous accepted records, some with photographs
(Pitts et al. 2012; Hill et al. 2014), left this species on the Provisional I list due
to the difficulty of conclusive species identification from a photograph. This
recording now moves Alder Flycatcher to the Definitive List.

The Chat, Vol. 79, No . 1, Winter 2015

Ash-throated Flycatcher ( Myiarchus cinerascens ) (2014-029) Visiting
out-of-state birder Carl Engstrom obtained and submitted identifiable
photographs of a bird at Savannah NWR, seen there from 9-14 March 2014.
This is the sixth accepted record of the species for South Carolina.

Western Tanager {Piranga ludoviciana ) (2014-011) Diane Rand
submitted excellent photographs of a bird that frequented a feeder in Okatie
from 13 January to 5 February 2014.

American Tree Sparrow ( Spizella arborea) (2014-010) KC Foggin
shared a photograph from 16 February 2008 of an American Tree Sparrow
that visited her feeder in Socastee, Horry County, that winter. American Tree
Sparrrow is a rare winter visitor in South Carolina.

Non-accepted reports

White-crowned Pigeon (2014-008) Along with the reports of Crested
Caracara above and Black-billed Magpie below, this report of White-crowned
Pigeon, from 26 January 2014 at Bulls Island, occasioned extensive discussion
and comment by the committee. The written report described brief binocular
and scope views of a perched bird, and included comments from three
observers present. The well-presented account included several field marks
consistent with the identification of White-crowned Pigeon. On the other
hand, domestic and feral Rock Pigeons are known to occur at Bulls Island
and are hugely variable, and White-crowned Pigeons are not a species with a
documented pattern of long distance vagrancy. The vote by the committee was
4 to accept, 5 not to accept (insufficently documented).

Northern Goshawk (10-13-19) This written report of a sighting from
Folly Beach, Charleston County, on 26 October 2013, received a split vote
last year, and was therefore sent to outside experts for comment, after which it
received a second vote from the committee. In the second vote the committee
voted unanimously that the report was insufficiently documented to accept.

Black-billed Magpie (2014-028) This report with excellent photographs
came from Beaufort County, 13 March 2014. This report presented both
identification questions (Black-billed Magpie vs European Magpie) and
obvious issues of provenance, since Magpies are kept as pets in many places
and could conceivably benefit from ship-assisted travelling. The report
received two ID votes (insufficient documentation to certainly establish which
species was involved) 6 votes for QO (questionable origin) and one for NE
(introduced, not established).

Townsend’s Warbler (2014-006) This report was a written description
of a very brief view of a warbler on Bulls Island on 5 January 2014. The
report received one vote in favor, 8 against acceptance (seven “insufficiently
documented,” two “misidentified”). While some points of the description

2014 Annual Report of the South Carolina Bird Records Committee

supported Townsend’s Warbler, the very brief sighting was not considered
sufficient to eliminate Black- throated Green Warbler by some, and not
sufficient to establish the occurrence of Townsend’s Warbler in the state by
most.

Common Redpoll (2014-009) This report from a feeder in Horry County
was not accepted as the committee members felt other possible species were
not conclusively eliminated.

Northern Goshawk (2014-033). This report of a sighting in Beaufort on
7 August 2014, which included a blurry photograph, was judged insufficiently
documented, as it failed to eliminate other more common species.

Clarification of status of two historical reports

Bermuda Petrel (no record number - evaluation of published report).

Little/Barolo Shearwater (no record number - deletion from South
Carolina list based on reevaluation of historical record)

Unresolved reports

Certain split votes, according to committee bylaws, require the soliciting
of input from outside reviewers, followed by a re- vote by the committee. The
following reports are awaiting outside review.

Red-necked Grebe (2014-024)

Acknowledgements

The committee thanks all the observers who submitted reports. Your
actions increase our understanding of bird occurrence in the state. We thank
Steve Mlodinow and Dennis Paulson for comments on unresolved reports
from previous years, Steve Howell and Jeremiah Trimble for forwarding
details about the misidentified shearwater specimen, and Ned Brinkley and
Todd Hass for their help with the 1975 Bermuda Petrel sighting.

Literature Cited

Beaton, G., J. Flynn, S. McNeal, W. Barlow, N. Chambers, N. Famau, and
B. Winn. 2012. Adoption of new standardized pelagic state boundaries for
Georgia. Oriole 77:1-8.

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

Carter, R., and R L. Worthington. 1994. Report of the South Carolina Bird
Records Committee 1993. Chat 58:88-92.

Glover, L., D. S. Bailey, G. Beaton, Jr., T. Kalbach, T. Piephoff, and W. Post.
2002. 1997-1999 Report of the South Carolina Bird Records Committee.
Chat 66:85-87.

Hill, C., G. Beaton, J. Click, A. Given, L. Glover, K. McCullough, I. Pitts,

W. Post, and S. Wagner. 2014. 2013 Annual Report of the South Carolina
Bird Records Committee. Chat 78:1-7.

Howell, S. N. G. 2012. Petrels, albatrosses and storm-petrels of North
America: a photographic guide. Princeton University Press, Princeton,
New Jersey.

Madieros, J., B. Flood, and K. Zufelt. 2013. Conservation and at-sea range of
Bermuda Petrel (. Pterodroma cahow). North American Birds 67:546-557.
McNair, D. B., and W. Post. 1993. Supplement to Status and Distribution of
South Carolina Birds. Charleston Museum Ornithological Contribution

No. 8:1-48.

Pitts, I., G. Beaton, L. Glover, C. Hill, J. B. Hines, III, W. Post, and S.

Wagner. 2012. 2011 Annual Report of the South Carolina Bird Records
Committee. Chat 76:7-10.

Post, W., and S. Gauthreaux. 1989. Status and distribution of South Carolina
birds. Charleston Museum, Charleston, SC.

Slyce, D., G. Beaton, Jr., L. Glover, C. Hill, T. Piephoff, W. Post, and S.
Wagner. 2009. 2008 Annual Report of the South Carolina Bird Records
Committee. Chat 73:105-106.

Wingate, D. B., T. Hass, E. S. Brinkley, and J. B. Patteson. 1998.

Identification of Bermuda Petrel. Birding 30:18-36.

Worthington, P. L. 1993. Report of the South Carolina Bird Records
Committee 1992. Chat 57:68-69.

Worthington, R L., R. Carter, J. Cely, D. Forsythe, L. Glover, C. Marsh, W.
Post, and S. R. B. Thompson. 1997. Report of the South Carolina Bird
Records Committee 1996. Chat 61:101-102.

Critique of Early Reports of Snowy Owls ( Bubo
scandiacus) from the Carolinas: 1737 to 1872

Marcus B. Simpson, Jr.

P.O. Box 1427 Hendersonville, NC 28793
mbsmjw63@gmail com

The Snowy Owl {Bubo scandiacus) is a circumpolar resident of North
America and Eurasia. Individual birds migrate south into the northern
tier of states during the winter months, occasionally in large numbers and
sporadically ranging into the southeastern US. The recent influx during the
winter of 2013-2014 was one of the largest irruptions on record in the United
States, with at least twenty individuals recorded in the Carolinas (Don Seriff,
pers. comm.; Southern 2014).

Snowy owl reports associated with the Carolinas date back to the
1700s, but at least five of these have escaped notice or critical scrutiny in the
modem ornithological literature. None of the five reports were mentioned
by late 19th century compilations, such as Atkinson (1887) or Smithwick
(1897). Twentieth century publications on the Carolinas, including Pearson
et al. ( 1 9 1 9, 1 942, 1 959), Wayne ( 1 909), and Sprunt and Chamberlain ( 1 949,
1970), gave no notice of these particular records. A critical review of the
five accounts reveals interesting examples of muddled plagiarism (Brickell
1737), insufficient detail (Bartram, 1791; Curtis, ca 1867), questionable
identification (Pennant 1795) and adequate documentation (Kiger 1872).

The earliest account is from John Brickell, whose Natural History of
North-Carolina (1737) lists four types of owl as occurring in the state (Fig.
1) Given his long recognized propensity for plagiarism, BrickelTs report
should be examined for originality as much as for accuracy (Sparks 1826;
Adams 1962; Lefler 1967; Simpson and Simpson 1977). Much of the content
in his Natural History was appropriated, entirely without acknowledgment,
from John Lawson’s A New Voyage to Carolina (1709) (Fig. 2). The text of
Brickell’s “White” owl was indeed taken largely from Lawson’s ’’Brown
Owl”, but the portion of Brickell’s account that clearly describes a Snowy
Owl was a nearly unaltered transcription from one of Rev. John Clayton’s
five letters to the Royal Society of London.

Clayton served as rector of James City Parish at Jamestown VA in 1 684-
86, and, upon his return to England, presented his observations on the natural
and human history of tidewater Virginia in a series of reports (“letters”) that
were subsequently published in the Philosophical Transactions. (Berkeley
and Berkeley 1965). As with so many of his thefts from Lawson’s New
Voyage , Brickell lifted the text from Clayton (1693) almost verbatim, yet
with his typical minor rearrangements, probably in an attempt to obscure the
theft (Simpson and Simpson 1977). The striking parallel constructions and
wording of the two passages leave no doubt as to the origin of the text.

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

’ The Natural'

HISTORY

O F

North - Carolina,

WITH AN-

ACCOUNT

O F T H E

Trade, Manners, and Cuftoms of the

Christian and Indian Infiabitants. IE
luftrated with Copper- Plates, whereon are
corioufly Engraved the Map of the Country,
feveral ftrange Beajls, Birds, Fijbesj Snakes')
Infers, Trees, and Plants, &c.

*By J O H N, B R I fc K E L l5 M. D.

Noftra ms in. nrhe feregrimmur* Ciq,

J> V B L J AT g

Printed by J-a mbs Carso.h» in GbghtW s»Cos/rt, Dame*
firm, ©ppofitu to the Caftle-M»rk$t, For the A vth o r.

Figure 1. BrickelTs Natural History ofNorth-Carolina (1737)

Clayton (1693) observed that:

“the white Owl is a very delicate feather’d bird, all the Feathers upon her
Breast and Back being snow-white, and tipped with a Punctal of Jet-black,”
Brickell incorporated the Clayton text into his Natural History (1737):
“It is a delicate Feathered Bird, all the Feathers upon the Back and Breast
being Snow-white, and tiped (sic) with a punctal of Jet-black,”

In his review of BrickelTs records, Mc Afee (1956) took note of the
White Owl report and mentioned the debt to Lawson but without thoroughly
accounting for the source of the additional material: “His white owl is a
mixture of the Snowy Owl and of that described by Lawson, with the Great
Homed Owl in mind, but not identifiable from his remarks.” Me A tee did
not comment about the possible validity of this account, and Pearson et ah
(1919), who devoted an entire page to Brickell, did not mention his Snowy
report. McAtee attributed BrickelTs blunder to merging two different species
accounts from Lawson, but BrickelTs use of Clayton had not been discovered
at the time McAtee reviewed the Brickell -Lawson connection.

Critique of Early Reports of Snowy Owls from the Carolinas

A NEW .

VOYAGE

iGAROXI NA*

Containing the
Ezaff Defcription and Natural Hzftory -
O F T H A T

COUNTRY:

- Together with the Prefent State thereof.
AND

A JOURNAL

Of a Thoufand Miles, Traveled thro5 feverai
Nations of INDIANS;

Giving a particular Account of their Cuftoms,
Manners, <&c.

By J oh n Lawson, Gent. Surveyor- j
General of North -Carolina.

LONDON:

Printed in the Year 1 709.

Figure 2. Lawson’s A New Voyage to Carolina (1709)

Typical of most text in Brickell’s Natural History , it is impossible to
conclude whether a given passage was merely plagiarized from an undisclosed
author or whether Brickell was reporting from direct experience but using
another writer’s text to describe his own observation. Clayton’s description
of the Snowy’s plumage is both simple and eloquent, succinctly conveying
the essential features of the owl’s appearance. Brickell might have chosen this
passage to describe a species that he had personally encountered, but more
likely he assumed that an owl reported by Clayton from nearby tidewater
Virginia could be expected in North Carolina. Given the circumstances,
however, the account in the Natural History of North Carolina should not be
considered as acceptable primary documentation of the species’ occurrence in
North Carolina.

William Bartram’s inclusion of the Snowy Owl in his classic Travels
(1791) is uncharacteristically terse, consisting only of a single line entry in
a table that lists species, each indicated with one of four different symbols to
designate the particular species’ status. The Snowy is given as “Strix arcticus,
capite levi, corpore toto niveo; the great white owl”, which is tagged as one
of a number of species that “arrive in Pennsylvania in the autumn, from the

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

North, where they continue during the winter, and return again the spring
following, I suppose to breed and rear their young; and these kinds continue
their joumies {sic) as far as South Carolina and Florida”

Subsequent authors repeated Bartram’s status description and account
nearly verbatim, as with John Latham in his General History of Birds (1795)
and Supplement II of the General Synopsis of Birds , ( 1 80 1 ), or only in passing,
as by Baird et al. in History of North American Birds (1874). Twentieth century
works refer to Bartram but without including his Snowy Owl information.
Wayne (1910) cited Bartram’s Travels but did not mention the Snowy Owl
entry. Sprunt and Chamberlain (1949, 1970) noted Bartram as having done
“considerable work in Carolina” but ignored his data on the Snowy Owl in
their discussion of the species. Pearson et al. (1919) briefly discussed Bartram
in their introductory material but omitted any records from the Travels , taking
note that he did not provide specific information on the “animal life” of North
Carolina from his brief transit through the state.

No conclusive evidence has been traced to reveal the extent to which
Bartram’s report was based on his own observations or on information provided
to him by colleagues. If the latter situation explains why Bartram included the
Snowy Owl in his Travels for South Carolina, then his possible source may
have been Dr. Alexander Garden of Charleston. (Denny 1948; Berkeley and
Berkeley 1965; Simpson 1999, 2004a, 2004b; Withers 2004; Finger 2010).
Bartram and his father John Bartram were friends of Garden and visited him
during sojourns in Charleston. One circumstantial thread possibly linking the
Bartram report to Garden begins with the latter’s material on the Snowy Owl
as noted by Thomas Nuttall in his Manual of the Ornithology of the United
States and of Canada. The Land Birds (1832, 1844). Nuttall cited Alexander
Garden as reporting the species from South Carolina:

“In South Carolina, Dr. Garden saw them occasionally, and they were, in
this mild region, observed to hide themselves during the day in the Palmetto
groves of the sea-coast, and only sallied out towards night in quest of their
prey”.

Evidently Nuttall had discovered and was paraphrasing information that
Garden had provided to Thomas Pennant, who included the comments in both
the 1785 and 1792 editions of his Arctic Zoology. Pennant initially reported
this information in 1785 merely as a terse footnote on p. 580, almost the end
of volume II, more than 300 pages after his text account of the Snowy Owl.
This suggests that Pennant had obtained Garden’s information sometime after
type had been set for the full species accounts and that he was thus compelled
to insert the note as an unplanned addendum where sufficient space remained
at the bottom of a page. Pennant (1785) commented only that Dr. Garden of
Charles-town had “informed me, that the Snowy Owl ...is frequent near the
shores of South Carolina, among the Palmetto trees.”

Pennant subsequently expanded the details of Garden’s report in the

Critique of Early Reports of Snowy Owls from the Carolinas

new edition of the Arctic Zoology (1792). The “Palmetto trees” mentioned
by Pennant are almost certainly cabbage palmettos ( Sobol palmetto ) (John B.
Nelson and Herrick Brown, pers. comm.).

“It is rare in the temperate parts of America, and seldom strays as low as
Pensylvania (sic) or Louisiana, yet has been frequently seen by Doctor Garden,
in the sultry climate of South Carolina, among the groves of Palmetto trees,
or the Chamerops humilis *, which line the shores from the Cape of Florida
quite to Charlestown. There they lurk during day, and sally out in quest of prey
during night.”

Regardless of the circumstances, Pennant’s account of Snowy Owls in
South Carolina is so inconsistent for what is known about the species that
the report should probably be discounted. Garden may have been confused or
Pennant may have misinterpreted what he had been told, perhaps mixing the
account with that for another bird. The commentary may represent a mistake
by Garden or Pennant for Bam Owl (Tyto alba ), which was also sometimes
known as the Great White Owl at the time of these publications.

The fourth report is found in an unfinished manuscript by Moses Ashley
Curtis, who gave a single line entry for the species in his “Birds of N. Carolina”,
which was probably intended as the outline for a more detailed ornithology of
the state. Curtis apparently completed descriptive accounts for only a few of
the more than 260 species in his manuscript, and the Snowy Owl text has not
been found among those drafts. Curtis intended to have the book published by
the North Carolina Geological Survey, which had printed his renowned Botany
of North Carolina (Curtis 1867). In the economic retrenchment following the
Civil War, the Survey declined to publish the ornithology. Curtis apparently
ceased work on the project, and the surviving manuscript fragments do not
contain information on the Snowy Owl or on the criteria used by Curtis to
select species for inclusion on the list (Simpson and Simpson 1983).

The last of the five reports was announced, not in the scientific literature,
but in the Peoples Press, Salem, NC, on Jan 18, 1872:

“Mr. Alex. Kiger, of Clemmonsville, succeeded in catching a WHITE OR
SNOWY OWL, a rare bird in this region. It is full grown, wings measuring from
tip to tip about 4 feet. The average length of wings, according to naturalists, is
about 4 feet 6 inches. There is but little known here respecting the white owl,
which is at home in the higher latitudes - Canada and British America. This
owl is said to hunt in the day as well as at night. In flight, though noiseless, is
swift firm and protracted. It is seldom caught, being very sagacious. The owl
has been purchased and is on exhibition at the Museum. Admittance ten cents”
(Fig. 3).

The commentary that the wingspread of this species was “according to
naturalists . . . about 4 feet 6 inches” and that the owl was “said to hunt in the
day as well as at night” indicates that the writer of the People s Press report
had access to one of the available contemporary reference books on birds.

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

— — ■ — — *«►-

A Curiosity. — Mr. Alex. Kiger, of Clem-
monsville. succeeded in catching u White
or Snowy Owht a rare bird in iliia region.

It is fall grown, wings measuring from
tip :o tip about 4 feet. The average
length of wings, according to natural
bts, is about 4 feet 6 inches. There is but
little known hero respecting the wbito owl,
which is at home in the higher iulittulcs
— Canada and British America.

This owl is said to hunt in the day as
well as at night. Its flight, though noise-
less, is swift firm and protracted. It is
seldom caught, being very sagacious.

The owl has been purchased and is on ex-
hibition at tho Museum. Admittance
ten cents.

Figure 3. People’s Press, Salem, NC January 18, 1872.

Reasonable candidates would be Nuttall’s Manual (1832, 1840) and Brewer’s
(1840) edition of Wilson s American Ornithology.

Further information was provided on Saturday January 20 indicating
that the owl was still alive and had indeed been acquired for the Museum,
the Young Men’s Missionary Society Museum, additionally taking note of a
particularly cold winter (Crews and Bailey 2006):

“A large white owl has been purchased by the Society for the Museum,
and is on exhibition there, still living. It is a very rare bird in these parts. Its
being so far south may perhaps be recorded as one sign of the unusually severe
winter. The past week has been a cold one again. On Friday ice was hauled
again, about 2 in. thick.”

Continued evidence of the cold weather was noted for nearly two weeks
after the owl was first reported, as transcribed from Moravian records by
Crews and Bailey (2006): Wednesday Jan 31: “Still cold (about 16° above
zero at 7 or 8 A.M.) There has not been such thick ice for years. It is reported
from 3 to 6 inches.” Friday Feb 2: “It began to snow, and continued during
the rest of the day and through the night, with high winds, sleet . . . This is the
deepest snow of the winter with us.” Saturday Feb 3: “This morning it was still
snowing until about 10 A.M.”

Critique of Early Reports of Snowy Owls from the Carolinas

The eventual fate of the owl has not been determined, but the most likely
outcome would be death while in captivity. Whether the bird was preserved as
a mounted display, collection specimen, or donation elsewhere has not been
traced, although a thorough review of the reports and manuscript documents
in the Salem Archives might reveal such information (Rauschenberg 1995).

The report of Kiger’s owl is more detailed than the entries by Bartram
or Curtis, more convincing than the Garden-Pennant account, and certainly
more credible than Brickell’s multi-source plagiarism. As such the Kiger
report should be considered a valid record of the species for North Carolina.
The other accounts should not be regarded as acceptable documentation for
the species in the Carolinas.

Acknowledgments

Robert J Cain and Robert M. Tompkins brought the Kiger report to my
attention; Richard W. Starbuck and Johanna Brown assisted with information
on the Kiger report; John B. Nelson and Herrick Brown provided
identification of Garden’s Palmetto.

Literature Cited

Adams, P. G. 1962. Travelers and Travel Liars. University of California Press.
Berkeley.

Atkinson, G. F. 1887. Preliminary Catalogue of the Birds of North Carolina.

Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society, vol. 4, no. II: 44-87.
Baird, S. F., T. M. Brewer, and R. Ridgway. 1 874. A History of North American
Birds. Land Birds. Volume III. Little, Brown and Company, Boston.
Bartram, W. 1791. Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East &
West Florida. James and Johnson, Philadelphia.

Berkeley, E. and D. S. Berkeley. 1965. The Reverend John Clayton. A Parson
with a Scientific Mind. University Press of Virginia. Charlottesville.
Berkeley, E. and D. S. Berkeley. 1969. Dr. Alexander Garden of Charles Town.

The University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill.

Brewer, T. M. 1840. Wilson’s American Ornithology. Otis, Broaders, and
Company. Boston.

Brickell, J. 1737. The Natural History of North-Carolina. Dublin.

Clayton, J. 1693. Mr. John Clayton, Rector of Crofton at Wakefield, his
Letter to the Royal Society giving a farther Account of the Soil, and other
Observables of Virginia. Philosophical Transactions, 17: 970-999.

Crews, C. D. and L. D. Bailey. 2006. Records of the Moravians in North
Carolina, vol. 13. 1867-1876. Office of Archives and History. Raleigh.
Curtis, M. A. 1867. Geological and Natural History Survey of North Carolina.

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

Part III. Botany; containing a Catalogue of the Indigenous and Naturalized
Plants of the State. Raleigh.

Denny, M. 1948. Linnaeus and his Disciple in Carolina: Alexander Garden.
Isis 38: 161-174.

Finger, S. 2010. Dr. Alexander Garden, a Linnaean in Colonial America, and
the Saga of five “electric eels”. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine
53:388-406.

Latham, J. 1801. Supplement II to the General Synopsis of Birds. Leigh,
Sotheby & Son. London.

Latham, J. 1821. General History of Birds Vol. I. Jacob and Johnson.
Winchester.

Lawson, J. 1709. A New Voyage to Carolina. London.

Lefler, H. T. (editor). 1967. A New Voyage to Carolina by John Lawson. The
University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill.

McAtee, W. L. 1956. Additional Carolina Birds in BrickelTs. Chat 20: 27-28.

McAtee, W. L. 1963. The North American Birds of Thomas Pennant. Journal
of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History. 4: 100-124.

Nuttall, T. 1832. Manual of the Ornithology of the United States and of
Canada. The Land Birds. Hilliard and Brown. Cambridge.

Nuttall, T. 1840. Manual of the Ornithology of the United States and of
Canada. The Land Birds. Hilliard, Gray, and Company. Boston.

Pearson, T. G., C. S. Brimley, and H. H. Brimley. 1919. The Birds of North
Carolina. Raleigh.

Pearson, T. G., C. S. Brimley, and H. H. Brimley. 1942. The Birds of North
Carolina. Raleigh.

Pearson, T. G., C. S. Brimley, and H. H. Brimley. Revised by D. L. Wray and
H. T. Davis. 1959. The Birds of North Carolina. Raleigh.

Rauschenberg, B. L. 1995. The Wachovia Historical Society 1895-1995.
Wachovia Historical Society. Winston Salem.

Simpson, M.B. and S. W. Simpson. 1977. The Reverend John Clayton’s Letters
to the Royal Society of London, 1693-1694: An Important Source for Dr.
John BrickelTs Natural History of North-Carolina, 1737. North Carolina
Historical Review 54: 1-18.

Simpson, M. B. and S. W. Simpson. 1983. Moses Ashley Curtis (1808-1872):
Contributions to Carolina Ornithology. North Carolina Historical Review
60: 137-170.

Simpson, M. B. Jr. 1999. Alexander Garden. American National Biography
8:691-692. Oxford University Press. New York.

Simpson, M. B. Jr. 2004a. William Bartram. Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography. 4:217-219. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

Simpson, M.B. Jr. 2004b. Alexander Garden. Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography. 21:404-405. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

Smithwick, J. W. P. 1897. Ornithology of North Carolina. N. C. Experimental

Critique of Early Reports of Snowy Owls from the Carolinas

Station Bulletin, no 144. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station.
Raleigh.

Southern, J. 2014. Briefs for the files. Chat 78: 71-72.

Sparks, J. 1 826. Materials for American History. North American Review 23
(53): 275-294.

Sprunt, A. and Chamberlain, E. B. 1949. South Carolina Bird Life. University
of South Carolina Press. Columbia.

Sprunt, A. and Chamberlain, E. B. 1970. South Carolina Bird Life. University
of South Carolina Press. Columbia.

Wayne, A. 1910. South Carolina Bird Life. Charleston Museum. Charleston.

Withers, C.W.J. 2004. Thomas Pennant. Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

BRIEFS FOR THE FILES

Josh Southern
203 Hyannis Drive
Holly Springs, NC 27540
joshsouthem79@gmail.com

(All dates Fall 2014, 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 .

Winter December 1 - February 28
Spring March 1 - May 31
Summer June 1 - July 31
Fall August 1 - November 30

due March 20
due June 20
due August 20
due December 20

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 thatyour 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.

Reports published herein may include sightings that require review by the
state bird records committee. Such reports are not considered accepted
records until, and unless, they are so ruled by the committee.

Abbreviations used: BRP - Blue Ridge Parkway, Co - County, Dr - Drive, et
al. - (et alia) and others, Ft - Fort, Ln - Lane, m. obs. - multiple observers,
Mt - Mount, NC - North Carolina, NWR - National Wildlife Refuge, Rd -
Road, SC - South Carolina, SP - State Park, WMA - Wildlife Management
Area, WTP - Water Treatment Plant

Briefs for the Files - Fall 2014

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: 65 around the Intercoastal Waterway
at Santee Coastal Reserve, Charleston Co, SC, 5 Oct (Carl Miller) was an
impressive count.

Greater White-fronted Goose: Sightings, all in NC, included one at
Mattamuskeet NWR, Hyde Co, 9 Nov (Audrey Whitlock); four near
Maggie Valley, Haywood Co, 22-23 Nov (Keith Miller, Bob Olthoff, Connie
Wulkowicz, et al.); and one photographed in flight with Tundra Swans in the
Pungo Unit of Pocosin Lakes NWR, border of Hyde Co and Washington Co,
30 Nov (Dave Ross).

Snow Goose: Sightings outside of the coastal plain included two in flight over
Spartanburg Co, SC, 22 Nov (Irvin Pitts); one blue-phase bird near Maggie
Valley, Haywood Co, NC, 22-23 Nov (Keith Miller, Bob Olthoff, Connie
Wulkowicz, et al.); three, two adults and one immature bird, in Mills River,
Henderson Co, NC, 25 Nov (Wayne Forsythe); and two, one blue-phase adult
and one white-phase adult, at the NC State University Research Farm off Lake
Wheeler Rd, Wake Co, NC, 27 Nov (Thierry Besan^on).

Ross’s Goose: Sightings, increasing in recent years, included one in the Lake
Landing area (limited access) of Mattamuskeet NWR, Hyde Co, NC, 3 Nov
(Scott Winton); one on the lawn of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, Dare Co, NC,
16 Nov (Chandra Biggerstaff, Sherry Lane, Jeff Lewis, et al.); one along the
French Broad River in Buncombe Co, NC, 22 Nov (Steve Ritt); a juvenile bird,
possibly a Ross’s / Snow Goose hybrid, and a moribund adult at Savannah
NWR, Jasper Co, SC, 22 Nov (James Fleullan); one in Lenoir, Caldwell Co,
NC, 29 Nov (Barbara Miller); one at Deer Lake in Brevard, Transylvania
Co, NC, 30 Nov (Wayne Forsythe, Ron Selvey); and two photographed on
the small pond alongside Beasley Rd in Washington Co, NC, 30 Nov (Ryan
Justice).

Brant: One was seen on South Pond, Pea Island NWR, Dare Co, NC, 22-23
Oct (Ricky Davis). Interestingly, one was seen at that same site last year in late
October. Two were also seen in flight, heading south, off Coquina Beach, Dare
Co, NC, 25 Oct (Davis, Jeff Pippen).

Tundra Swan: Two seen along Laurel Hill Wildlife Dr at Savannah NWR,
Jasper Co, SC, 1 5 Nov (David McLean) were good finds for the southern part
of our region.

Eurasian Wigeon: Sightings, all of drakes, included one on the pond at New
Field, Pea Island NWR, Dare Co, NC, 12 Oct (Ryan Justice, Jeff Lemons,
Jeff Lewis, Audrey Whitlock); one on South Pond at Pea Island NWR, 23

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

Oct (Ricky Davis, David Williams); one near the south end of the causeway
at Mattamuskeet NWR, Hyde Co, NC, 29 Oct (Steve Ritt); one in the Lake
Landing area (limited access) of Mattamuskeet NWR, 3 Nov (Scott Winton);
and two on South Pond at Pea Island NWR, 4 Nov (Jeff Lewis, Audrey
Whitlock).

Mottled Duck: Two on Eagle Island, Brunswick Co, NC, 17 Aug (Greg
Massey) were good finds for NC.

Green-winged Teal: A hen on Bulls Island, Cape Remain NWR, Charleston
Co, NC, 14 Aug (David McLean, et al.) was a little early.

Redhead: A pair, one drake and one hen, on North Pond, Pea Island NWR,
Dare Co, NC, 28 Sep (Ricky Davis) was quite early. 100+ on Lake Townsend,
Guilford Co, NC, 22 Nov (Henry Link) was a good count for a site in the
Piedmont. By the end of the period, thousands of Redheads made up a large
raft on South Pond, Pea Island NWR, with 8000 estimated there 29 Nov (Jeff
Lewis).

Common Eider: Sightings included one at New River Inlet, Horry Co, SC, 24
Aug (Stefanie Paventy); a hen off Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, Dare Co, NC,
during the Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival, 23 Oct (Audrey Whitlock, et
ah); a first-winter drake at Masonboro Inlet, New Hanover Co, NC, 12 Nov
(Diana Doyle); a first-winter drake on Silver Lake in Ocracoke, Hyde Co, NC,
28 Nov (Gilbert Grant, Nikki Reiber); and a first-winter drake in flight off the
Cedar Island Ferry Terminal, Carteret Co, NC, 30 Nov (Grant, Reiber).

Surf Scoter: Inland sightings included an immature bird on Lake Brandt,
Guilford Co, NC, 26 Oct (Henry Link); either a hen or an immature bird at
the WTP in Goldsboro, Wayne Co, NC, 1 Nov (Eric Dean, Gene Howe); a
first-winter bird photographed in Meggett, Charleston Co, SC, 6 Nov (Ken
Carman); and eight, mostly adult males, on Lake Townsend, Guilford Co, NC,
16 Nov (Link).

Black Scoter: A pair off Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, Dare Co, NC, 30 Aug
(Audrey Whitlock) may have summered in our region. A hen photographed
on Salem Lake, Forsyth Co, NC, 20 Nov (John Haire, m. obs.) was a first for
that county.

Long-tailed Duck: A hen photographed at the WTP in Goldsboro, Wayne Co,
NC, 15 Nov (Sam Cooper) was a good find for that inland site.

Common Merganser: A hen on Lake Crabtree, Wake Co, NC, 22 Nov (Sam

Briefs for the Files - Fall 2014

Jolly, m. obs.) through 7 Dec (Ed Corey) was locally unusual.

Red-breasted Merganser: 45 on Jordan Lake, Chatham Co, NC, 22 Nov
(Bob Rybczynski, et al.); 36 on Lake Julian, Buncombe Co, NC, 22 Nov
(Steve Ritt); and 25 on Lake Townsend, Guilford Co, NC, 22 Nov (Henry
Link) were good counts for those inland lakes.

Pacific Loon: Two, one adult and one first-year bird, were found amongst a
large flock of Common Loons off Crystal Pier at Wrightsville Beach, New
Hanover Co, NC, 28 Nov (Sam Cooper).

Red-necked Grebe: Individuals were found near the boardwalk in Duck, Dare
Co, NC, 25 Oct (Kent Fiala); on Lake Townsend, Guilford Co, NC, 26 Oct
(Elizabeth & Henry Link); on Falls Lake in Durham Co, NC, 6 Nov (Andrew
Thornton); on Lake Hickory in Catawba Co, NC, 15 Nov (Dwayne Martin,
Lori Owenby); and on Jordan Lake, Chatham Co, NC, 28 Nov (Ricky Davis).

Eared Grebe: One was seen at the WTP in Goldsboro, Wayne Co, NC, 1 Nov
(Eric Dean, Gene Howe) and 30 Nov (Sam Cooper).

Bermuda Petrel: One was seen and photographed on a pelagic trip out of
Hatteras, Dare Co, NC, 30 Aug (Brian Patteson, et al.).

Fea’s Petrel: Individuals were seen on pelagic trips out of Hatteras, Dare Co,
NC, 8 Aug and 17 Aug (Brian Patteson, et al.).

Audubon’s Shearwater: One, possibly injured, was seen on the north end of
Folly Beach, Charleston Co, SC, 1 Aug (Kevin Jensen).

Band-rumped Storm-Petrel: 25 on a pelagic trip out of Hatteras, Dare Co,
NC, 8 Aug, and 26 the following day, 9 Aug (Brian Patteson, et al.) were good
counts.

Wood Stork: Seven at the Super Sod farm in Orangeburg Co, SC, 4 Aug (Pam
Ford, Craig Watson) were good finds for an inland site. 234 at Huntington
Beach SP, Georgetown Co, SC, 22 Aug (Frank Lawkins) was an impressive
count.

Great Cormorant: Sightings included one or more at New River Inlet,
Onslow Co, NC, throughout the period (Gilbert Grant); one at the south end
of Oregon Inlet, Dare Co, NC, 3 Nov (Audrey Whitlock) and 29 Nov (Rich
& Susan Boyd); and a high count of five at New River Inlet, 12 Nov (Grant).

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

Anhinga: Inland sightings included a female on Falls Lake in Durham Co,
NC, 14 Aug (John Finnegan); one in flight over Lake Osceola, Henderson Co,
NC, 1 8 Oct (Ron Selvey); and four photographed at Cane Creek Park, Union
Co, NC, 20 Oct (George Andrews). Three in Kill Devil Hills, Dare Co, NC,

15 Aug (Elisa & Nick Flanders) were good finds for the northern part of our
coast. An adult male at North River Farms (limited access), Carteret Co, NC,

16 Nov (Jamie Adams, John Fussell, et ah) was a first for that site.

American White Pelican: Counts at traditional wintering sites included 50 at
Donnelley WMA, Colleton Co, SC, 6 Aug (Ryan Justice); 200 on North Pond,
Pea Island NWR, Dare Co, NC, 16 Nov (Sherry Lane); 18 at Mattamuskeet
NWR, Hyde Co, NC, 22 Nov (Ricky Davis, Bill Deans, Tom Stutz, David
Williams); and 91 at Cape Romain NWR, Charleston Co, SC, 30 Nov (Pam
Ford, et ah). Locally unusual were 13 near the Cedar Island Ferry Terminal,
Carteret Co, NC, 12 Sep (Rich & Susan Boyd); eight at Goose Creek SP,
Beaufort Co, NC, 15 Oct (fide Ed Corey); 30 flying south over Mason Inlet,
New Hanover Co, NC, 19 Oct (Sam Cooper); 41 photographed on J. Strom
Thurmond Lake, McCormick Co, SC, 6 Nov (Eric Haskell); and 19 near
Pamlico Point, Pamlico Co, NC, 8 Nov (Nate Swick, et ah).

American Bittern: One at Prairie Ridge Ecostation, Wake Co, NC, 20 Oct
(Mike Turner) into November (m. obs.) was probably the same bird seen there
last winter. At another inland site, Lake Conestee Nature Park, Greenville Co,
SC, one was seen 17 Oct (Paul Serridge) into November (m. obs.).

Snowy Egret: One at Lake Junaluska, Haywood Co, NC, 4 Oct (Steve Ritt)
was very unusual for the mountain region.

Little Blue Heron: Six at a roadside pond in southeastern Guilford Co, NC,
6 Aug (Andrew Thornton) was a good count for a site so far from the coast.

Tricolored Heron: A juvenile bird on Andrew’s Pond in Richmond Co, NC,
13 Aug (Mike McCloy) was a first for that county.

Reddish Egret: One or more immature birds were seen on the mudflats of
North Topsail Beach near New River Inlet, Onslow Co, NC, 12 Aug through
29 Sep (Gilbert Grant), with a high count of four made there 16 Aug (Andrew
Rapp). Three were seen on the east end of Shackleford Banks, Carteret Co,
NC, 23 Sep (Liz Lathrop, et al.) and 11 Oct (John Fussell, et al.). 14 in the
Jack’s Creek Impoundment on Bulls Island, Cape Romain NWR, Charleston
Co, SC, 4 Oct (Kevin DeBoer) was an amazing count.

Cattle Egret: 650 along SC-32 in Jackson Co, SC, 16 Aug (Peter Stangel) was

Briefs for the Files - Fall 2014

a remarkable concentration. Somewhat late were two at Futch Game Land,
Tyrrell Co, NC, 16 Nov (Ricky Davis) and one at the Holly Ridge WTP in
southwest Onslow Co, NC, 22 Nov (Jim O’Donnell, Andy Webb).

Black-crowned Night-Heron: Locally unusual was a first-summer bird
at Lake Junaluska, Haywood Co, NC, 12 Aug (Steve Ritt); an adult along
Wildlife Dr at Pee Dee NWR, Anson Co, NC, 13 Aug (Mike McCloy); and an
immature bird at Eno River SP, Orange Co, NC, 17 Sep (Dan Kaplan).

White-faced Ibis: Two were found amongst Glossy Ibises in the Lake Landing
section (limited access) of Mattamuskeet NWR, Hyde Co, NC, 3 Nov (Scott
Winton).

Roseate Spoonbill: Some of the higher counts in South Carolina were 13 on
Mullet Pond at Huntington Beach SP, Georgetown Co, 22 Aug (Bob & Judy
Maxwell); 65 at Bear Island WMA, Colleton Co, 24 Aug (Aija Konrad); 15
on Bulls Island, Cape Romain NWR, Charelston Co, 29 Aug (David McLean);
and 26 on two ponds on Ladys Island, Beaufort Co, 3 Oct (Buddy Campbell).
Interestingly, none were reported in NC during the period.

Swallow-tailed Kite: 50 were counted at the traditional post-breeding
congregation site in Allendale, Allendale Co, SC, 2 Aug (Jill Midgett, et al.).
One was seen with Mississippi Kites over the tomato fields along Parker
Padgett Rd, near exit 75 on 1-40, just east of Old Fort, McDowell Co, NC, 30
Aug (Mark Simpson, Marilyn Westphal) and 8 Sep (James Polling).

Mississippi Kite: Sightings of post-breeding wanderers in the NC mountains
included one over Lake James in Burke Co, 17 Aug (Jamie Cameron); 12
over a tomato field along Howard Gap Rd in Tryon, Polk Co, 17 Aug (Simon
Harvey); up to 15 over the tomato fields along Parker Padgett Rd, near exit
75 on 1-40, just east of Old Fort, McDowell Co, 19 Aug (Dwayne Martin)
through 30 Aug (Cameron); one at Hooper Ln, Henderson Co, 20-24 Aug
(Simon Thompson); one in the Cedar Hill Game Land, Buncombe Co, 21 Aug
(Thompson); and four along Jeffress Rd in Henderson Co, 22-23 Aug (Wayne
Forsythe, Ron Selvey).

Northern Harrier: Individuals at the American Turf farm in Washington Co,
NC, 27 Aug (Linda Ward); at the Super Sod farm in Orangeburg Co, SC, 30
Aug (Jeff Click); and in the fields adjacent to Schenck Forest, Wake Co, NC,
31 Aug (John Finnegan) were somewhat early.

Broad-winged Hawk: Counts of migrants included 2279 over Linville Peak,
Avery Co, NC, 20 Sep (Jesse Pope); 594 over Riverbend Park, Catawba Co,

The Chat , Vol. 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

NC, 22 Sep (Dwayne Martin); 1323 over Pilot Mountain, Surry Co, NC, 22
Sep (Phil Dickinson, et al.); 2392 over Pilot Mountain, 27 Sep (Dickinson, et
al.); and 1200 over Jackson Park, Henderson Co, NC, 28 Sep (Ron Clark, et

al-)-

Golden Eagle: An adult was seen soaring over a field on the west side of Lake
Phelps, Washington Co, NC, 28 Nov (Rich & Susan Boyd).

Virginia Rail: One photographed at Brookshire Park, 3000 feet above sea
level, in Watauga Co, NC, 29 Oct (Guy McGrane) through 3 Nov (Issac
Kerns) was unusual for the high mountains. Two in a marsh adjacent to Salem
Lake, Forsyth Co, NC, 30 Nov (Nathan Gatto) were good finds for a site in
the Piedmont.

Purple Gallinule: Two, an adult and an immature bird, seen together in the
Bluff Unit of Santee NWR, Clarendon Co, SC, 1 1 Sep (Irvin Pitts) were
locally unusual. 20 along Laurel Hill Wildlife Dr, Savannah NWR, Jasper Co,
SC, 6 Oct (Timothy White) was a good count.

Sandhill Crane: Sightings included a juvenile crane at Alligator River NWR,
Dare Co, NC, 7 Sep (Helmut & Nancy Mueller); two juveniles cranes at
the American Sod farm in Washington Co, NC, 7 Sep (Mueller); one near

American Avocet, 23 Nov 2014, Haywood Co, NC.
Photo by Stan Wulkowicz.

Briefs for the Files - Fall 2014

Willis Landing, Onslow Co, NC, for several weeks in late September and
early October (fide John Fussell); one in flight over Roan Mountain, Mitchell
Co, NC, 15 Nov (Rick Knight); one (same individual?) in flight over Lake
Junaluska, Haywood Co, NC, 15 Nov (Steve Ritt); and two returning to
Beaufort, Carteret Co, NC, 26 Nov (Stan Rule) for another winter.

Black-necked Stilt: Somewhat late were three at Pea Island NWR until 10
Sep (Audrey Whitlock) and three at the Savannah Spoil Site, Jasper Co, SC,
2 Oct (Steve Calver)

American Avocet: High counts at traditional wintering sites were 300 at Pea
Island NWR, Dare Co, NC, 17 Nov (Peggy Eubank) and 400 at the Savannah
Spoil Site (restricted access), Jasper Co, SC, 28 Nov (Steve Calver). Rare
inland sightings included one at Archie Elledge WTP, Forsyth Co, NC, 9 Sep
(Phil Dickinson); one at the WTP in Hemmingway, Williamsburg Co, SC, 1 1
Nov (Jay Chandler) through 1 3 Nov (Lex Glover); and three at Lake Junaluska,
Haywood Co, NC, 23 Nov (Bob Olthoff, Connie & Stan Wulkowicz). Of local
interest were seven flying south past Ft Fisher, New Hanover Co, NC, 6 Sep
(Sam Cooper); ten flying southwest over Beaufort Inlet, Carteret Co, NC, 15
Sep (Chelsea McDougall); and 1 8 at Mattamuskeet NWR, Hyde Co, NC, 22
Nov (Ricky Davis, Bill Deans, Tom Stutz, David Williams).

Black-bellied Plover: Inland sightings included one at Super Sod farm along
Hooper Ln, Henderson Co, NC, 1 1 Aug (Steve Ritt); two along Hooper Ln,
8 Sep (Simon Thompson); a high count of 30 at the American Turf farm in
Washington Co, NC, 7 Sep (Ricky Davis) where the species was present 9
Aug (Thierry Besangon) through 9 Sep (Skip Hancock, Linda Ward); and a
juvenile bird photographed at Cane Creek Reservoir, Orange Co, NC, 1 1 Oct
(Margaretta Yarborough).

American Golden-Plover: Sightings made at sod farms included one at
Super Sod in Orangeburg Co, SC, 1 Aug (Craig Watson) through 5 Aug
(Caroline Eastman); one at American Turf in Washington Co, NC, 26 Aug
(Ed Dombrofski); three at American Turf, 3 1 Aug (Harry LeGrand, et al.) and
1 Sep (Ricky Davis, Ryan Justice); one at Super Sod along Hooper Ln in
Henderson Co, NC, 6 Sep (Kelly Hughes) and 8 Sep (Simon Thompson);
and three at Super Sod along Hooper Ln, 3 Oct (Wayne Forsythe, Steve Ritt,
Thompson). Elsewhere, individuals were found at the Rachel Carson Reserve
in Carteret Co, NC, 28 Aug (John Fussell) and near the Cedar Island Ferry
Terminal, Carteret Co, NC, 5 Sep (Clyde Atkins). 14 amongst Black-bellied
Plovers in a recently-harvested soybean field at North River Farms (limited
access), Carteret Co, NC, 7 Sep (Jamie Adams, Chandra Biggerstaff, Jack
Fennell, Fussell) was our region’s high count.

The Chat , VoL 79, No . 1, Winter 2015

Wilson’s Plover: 96 at the Rachel Carson Reserve in Carteret Co, NC, 12 Aug
(John Fusseli) was a good-sized post-breeding aggregation. One on the west
end of Shackleford Banks, Carteret Co, NC, 28 Nov (Fusseli) was “certainly
an over-wintering bird.”

Semipalmated Plover: A few of the better counts at inland sites were six
at Archie Elledge WTP, Forsyth Co, NC, 1 Aug (Phil Dickinson); 67 at the
American Turf farm in Washington Co, NC, 9 Aug (Thierry Besangon); five
at the Super Sod farm along Hooper Ln, Henderson Co, NC, 10 Aug (Wayne
Forsythe); and four at the Super Sod farm in Orangeburg Co, SC, 12 Sep (Pam
Ford).

Piping Plover: A few of the better counts were 34 around Rich Inlet, border of
New Hanover Co and Pender Co, NC, 5 Sep (Tara Mclver); 19 at the Rachel
Carson Reserve in Carteret Co, NC, 27 Sep (John Fusseli); and 1 1 on mudflats
on the north end of Oregon Inlet, Dare Co, NC, 24 Oct (Kent Fiala, Fusseli,
et ah).

Spotted Sandpiper: Individuals at Lake Crabtree, Wake Co, NC, 29 Nov
(Edward Landi) and in Sunset Beach, Brunswick Co, NC, 29 Nov (Jeff
Lemons) were late.

Willet: Rare inland sightings were made of individuals at Champion Park
in Rosman, Transylvania Co, NC, a juvenile bird of the western race, 8 Aug
(Steve Ritt); on the mudflats where Horsepen Creek empties into Lake Brandt,
Guilford Co, NC, 1 1 Aug (Henry Link); and at W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, Wilkes
Co, NC, 3 Sep (Guy McGrane).

Upland Sandpiper: Peak counts at sod farms were 27 at the American Turf
farm in Washington Co, NC, 28 Aug (Jamie Adams), with one remaining until
9 Sep (Skip Hancock, Linda Ward); eight at the Super Sod farm in Orangeburg
Co, SC, 23 Aug (Sam Murray), with one remaining until 6 Sep (Christopher
Davies); and three at Oakland Plantation Turf Farm, Bladen Co, NC, 24 Aug
(John Ennis). Up to two were present in the grassy areas around Wilmington
International Airport, New Hanover Co, NC, 1 1 Aug (Sam Cooper) through
25 Aug (Eamon Freiburger). Individuals were found at North River Farms
(limited access), Carteret Co, NC, 3 Aug (Jack Fennell, John Fusseli, Elizabeth
White) and at the Rachel Carson Reserve in Carteret Co, NC, 28 Aug (Fusseli).

Long-billed Curlew: One photographed on the southeast end of Shackleford
Banks, Carteret Co, NC, 1 1 Oct (Jamie Adams, John Fusseli, et al.) was a great
find. Two were seen and photographed at Cape Romain NWR, Charleston Co,
SC, on a trip led by Coastal Expeditions, 30 Nov (Pam Ford, et al.).

Briefs for the Files - Fall 2014

Long-billed Curlew, 30 Nov 2014, Charleston Co, SC.

Photo by Pam Ford.

Hudsonian Godwit: Two were found at Mackay Island NWR, Currituck Co,
NC, 1 Sep (Ryan Justice). One was seen at the Savannah Spoil Site (restricted
access), Jasper Co, SC, 12 Sep (Steve Calver).

Marbled Godwit: Rare inland sightings were made of individuals at the
Modem Turf farm along SC-441, just north of Dalzell, Sumter Co, SC, 9 Aug
(Steve Patterson) and at the dam on W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, Wilkes Co, NC,
1 Sep (Issac Kerns) and 2 Sep (Dwayne Martin). Some of the higher coastal
counts were 268 on Bulls Island, Cape Romain NWR, Charleston Co, SC, 12
Sep (David McLean, Eliese Ronke); 140 at the Rachel Carson Reserve on 17
Sep (John Fussell, Paula Gillikin); 233 at the Rachel Carson Reserve, 27 Sep
(Fussell); and 160 at Fish Haul Creek Park, Beaufort Co, SC, 27 Nov (Frank
Fogarty).

Ruddy Turnstone: Rare at inland sites, a Ruddy Turnstone was seen at the
American Turf farm in Washington Co, NC, 7 Aug (Ron Morris) through 6
Sep (Alise Baer), and two tumstones were seen there 16 Aug (Skip Hancock,
Linda Ward).

Stilt Sandpiper: 50 in the campground at Cape Point, Dare Co, NC, 4 Aug
(Michael Kerwin) was a good count. One in the Pungo Unit of Pocosin Lakes
NWR, Hyde Co, NC, 8 Nov (Jeff Pippen, Paul Taillie, et al.) was somewhat
late.

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

Marbled Godwit, 02 Sep 2014, Wilkes Co, NC.
Photo by Wayne Martin.

Dunlin: Sightings at inland sites included two at the Super Sod farm in
Orangeburg Co, SC, 24 Aug (Judy Walker, et al.); one at the Super Sod farm
along Hooper Ln, Henderson Co, NC, 15 Oct (Steve Ritt); and two at Jordan
Lake, Chatham Co, NC, 3 Nov (Jeff Pippen).

Baird’s Sandpiper: Individuals were found at the Oakland Sod farm in
Bladen Co, NC, 7 Aug (Ron Clark); at the Super Sod farm in Orangeburg Co,
SC, 24 Aug (Judy Walker, et al.) and 31 Aug (Caroline Eastman); and along
Lee Bucks Rd in Brunswick Co, NC, 9 Sep (Greg Massey).

White-rumped Sandpiper: One photographed at Mason Inlet, New Hanover
Co, NC, 21 Sep (Sam Cooper) was unusual for that saltwater habitat.
Individuals at South Pond, Pea Island NWR, 22 Oct (Simon Thompson) and
on Cat Island, Georgetown Co, SC, 8 Nov (Jamie Dozier) were late.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper: Peak counts at sod farms were four at Super Sod
in Orangeburg Co, SC, 19 Aug (Elisa & Nick Flanders); three at Super Sod in
Henderson Co, NC, 3 1 Aug (Simon Thompson); and nine at American Turf in
Washington Co, NC, 7 Sep (Robin Myers). Elsewhere, individuals were seen
at the pond next to the Cedar Island Ferry Terminal, Carteret Co, NC, 3 1 Aug
through 7 Sep (John Fussell, et al.); at Archie Elledge WTP, Forsyth Co, NC, 9
Sep (Phil Dickinson); in a field near the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Cabarrus
Co, NC, 10 Sep (Michael Dorcas, Phil Fowler); and at Rich Inlet, border of

Briefs for the Files - Fall 2014

New Hanover Co and Pender Co, NC, 13 Sep (Derb Carter).

Pectoral Sandpiper: Our states’ peak counts were 320 at the Super Sod
farm in Orangeburg Co, SC, 1 Aug (Craig Watson) and 200 at the American
Turf farm, Washington Co, NC, 3 Aug (Audrey Whitlock). Individuals at the
Hemmingway WTP, Williamsburg Co, SC, 18 Nov (Jay Chandler) and at
Harris Lake, Wake Co, NC, 29 Nov (Mike Turner) were late.

Semipalmated Sandpiper: Two or three at Pea Island NWR, Dare Co, NC, 4
Nov (Jeff Lewis, Audrey Whitlock) were late.

Western Sandpiper: Individuals at the Super Sod farm along Hooper Ln,
Henderson Co, NC, 8 Aug (Steve Ritt) and 2-4 Sep (Simon Thompson) were
good finds for the mountain region. 8000 on the rocks at Ft Fisher, New
Hanover Co, NC, 8 Aug (Greg Massey) was a fantastic count.

Short-billed Dowitcher: Inland sightings included one at Archie Elledge
WTP, Forsyth Co, NC, 1 Aug and 12 Aug (Phil Dickinson, m. obs.); two along
Hooper Ln, Henderson Co, NC, 1 1 Aug (Kelly Hughes); and five at the Super
Sod farm in Orangeburg Co, SC, 5 Sep (Pam Ford). 4500 on the rocks at
Ft Fisher, New Hanover Co, NC, 2 Sep (Greg Massey) was an impressive
concentration.

Wilson’s Snipe: One at the Super Sod farm in Orangeburg Co, SC, 31 Aug
(Elisa & Nick Flanders) was a little early. 11 at North River Farms (limited
access), Carteret Co, NC, 7 Sep (John Fussell, et al.) was a good count for
early September.

American Woodcock: Three making courtship display flights at North River
Farms (limited access), Carteret Co, NC, 9 Nov (John Fussell, et al.) were
interesting because those displays usually don’t begin until winter.

Wilson’s Phalarope: Sightings involved two at the American Turf farm in
Washington Co, NC, 3 Aug (Steve Shultz, Peggy Eubank); one at American
Turf, 1 7 Aug (Sam Jolly, Edward Landi); one at South Pond, Pea Island NWR,
Dare Co, NC, 18 Aug (Matt O’Donnell); and one at the Clemson Aquaculture
Facility, Pickens Co, SC, 9-12 Sep (Scott Davis, m. obs.).

Pomarine Jaeger: An immature bird was seen at Rich Inlet, border of New
Hanover Co and Pender Co, NC, 13 Sep (Derb Carter).

Parasitic Jaeger: “From-shore” sightings included a rare juvenile dark-
morph bird off Ocracoke Island, Hyde Co, NC, 7 Sep (Helmut Mueller, Peter

The Chat, Vol. 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

Vankevich); one off Coquina Beach, Dare Co, NC, 25 Oct (Ricky Davis, Jeff
Pippen); one off the Oceanana Fishing Pier in Carteret Co, NC, 26 Nov (John
Fussell); and two off Cape Point, Dare Co, NC, 30 Nov (Ryan Justice).

Bonaparte’s Gull: One at Bulls Island, Cape Romain NWR, Charleston Co,
SC, 29 Aug (David McLean, Bob Seigler) was somewhat early.

Laughing Gull: A total of 15 juvenile birds on Lake Hickory, eight in
Caldwell Co and seven in Alexander Co, NC, 12 Aug (Dwayne Martin) was
a good count for that region. Individuals on Lake Townsend, Guilford Co,
NC, 22 Nov (Henry Link) and on Salem Lake, Forsyth Co, NC, 24 Nov (Phil
Dickinson, Marbry Hopkins, et al.) were unusual for inland lakes during the
late fall.

Franklin’s Gull: An adult was photographed at the WTP along NC-191 in
Mills River, Henderson Co, NC, 29 Oct (Wayne Forsythe, Simon Thompson,
et al.).

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Up to 600 at Cape Point, Dare Co, NC, 26 Oct
(Ricky Davis, Jeff Pippen, m. obs.) was a large congregation. 33 on North
Topsail Beach, Onslow Co, NC, 17 Nov (Gilbert Grant) was a good count for
that area.

Franklin’s Gull, 29 Oct 2014, Henderson Co, NC.
Photo by Wayne Forsythe.

Briefs for the Files - Fall 2014

Sooty Tern: 34 on a pelagic trip out of Hatteras, Dare Co, NC, 13 Sep (Brian
Patteson, et al.) was a good count.

Caspian Tern: 105 at the east end of Sunset Beach, Brunswick Co, NC, 4 Oct
(Sam Cooper) was a good count. One at Masonboro Inlet, New Hanover Co,
NC, 28 Nov (Cooper) was late.

Black Tern: High counts were 260 at Mason Inlet, New Hanover Co, NC, 7
Sep (Sam Cooper) and 300 on Bulls Island, Cape Romain NWR, Charleston
Co, SC, 12 Sep (Margaret Ronke). 96 on a pelagic trip out of Hatteras, Dare Co,
NC, 13 Sep (Brian Patteson, et al.) was a fantastic offshore count. Individuals
at the WTP in Mills River, Henderson Co, NC, 1 Sep (Wayne Forsythe) and
at Lake Julian, Buncombe Co, NC, 5 Sep (Simon Thompson) were good finds
for the mountain region. One seen from the Knotts Island Ferry, Currituck
Co, NC, 19 Oct (Elisa & Nick Flanders, Mark Kosiewski, Natalia Ocampo-
Penuela, Scott Winton) was quite late.

Common Tern: Three at Mason Inlet, New Hanover Co, NC, 15 Nov (Sam
Cooper) were late.

Sandwich Tern: Seven at Mason Inlet, New Hanover Co, NC, 22 Nov (Sam
Cooper) and three off Cape Point, Dare Co, NC, 30 Nov (Ryan Justice) were
somewhat late.

Black Skimmer: The 3000+, most of which were flying southwest down the
coast, at the Rachel Carson Reserve in Carteret Co, NC, 27 Sep (John Fussell)
probably contributed to the large number, 1 800, at Mason Inlet, New Hanover
Co, NC, the following day, 28 Sep (Sam Cooper).

Common Ground-Dove: One was seen and photographed on private land in
Mills River, Henderson Co, NC, 17-19 Nov (Richard Brock, Wayne Forsythe).
Interestingly, a Common Ground-Dove was found at this same location on
June 25th, 2006.

White-winged Dove: Individuals were seen at a feeder in Beaufort, Carteret
Co, NC, 14 Oct (Rich & Susan Boyd); at Botany Bay Plantation WMA,
Charleston Co, SC, 19 Oct (Jeff Kline, et al.) and 7 Nov (Irvin Pitts); and near
the Old Coast Guard station at the north end of Pea Island, Dare Co, NC, 24
Oct (Steve Shultz) through 26 Oct (m. obs.).

Yellow-billed Cuckoo: 100 at Cape Lookout, Carteret Co, NC, after the
passage of a cold front, 5 Oct (Jamie Adams, Chandra Biggerstaff, Jack
Fennell, John Fussell) was an impressive concentration of migrants.

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

Common Ground-Dove, 18 Nov 2014, Henderson Co, NC.
Photo by Wayne Forsythe.

Snowy Owl: From the winter 2013/2014 period, during the Snowy Owl
irruption, a moribund bird was found on the NC-94 bridge over the Albemarle
Sound, border of Chowan Co and Washington Co, NC, 1 1 Jan (Doug LeQuire),

Chuck- will’s-widow: An emaciated female found on Seabrook Island,
Charleston Co, SC, 29 Oct (David Gardner), later taken to a wildlife
rehabilitator, was late.

Chimney Swift: An estimated 17,000 at a roost in downtown Winston-Salem,
Forsyth Co, NC, 7 Sep (Nathan Gattoj was a remarkable concentration.

Rufous Hummingbird: An adult male visiting a feeder in west Morehead
City, Carteret Co, NC, 5 Nov into winter (Bill Hettler) was likely the same
individual seen in that yard last winter. Two visited a yard in Winston-Salem,
Forsyth Co, NC, mid-November into winter (Ann Williams). One of those two
birds, a female, had been banded in the same yard two winters ago. A female
captured in a yard in New Bern, Craven Co, NC, 22 Nov (Susan Campbell)
was discovered to originally have been banded in Ft Atkinson, Wisconsin, 1 9
Oct. Considering this hummingbird left the yard in Wisconsin, 23 Oct, and
arrived at the yard in New Bern, 15 Nov, this hummingbird must have covered
over 800 miles in about three weeks!

Briefs for the Files - Fall 2014

Merlin: Sightings made in the western half of our region included one over
Pilot Mountain, Surry Co, NC, 27 Sep (Phil Dickinson, et ah); one, possibly
the same individual, over nearby Moore’s Knob, Stokes Co, NC, later that
same day (Brian Bockhahn, et al.); one photographed in a suburban area near
Indian Trail, Union Co, NC, 1 5 Oct (Martina Nordstrand); and one at Mills
River Park, Henderson Co, NC, 1 1 Nov (Wayne Forsythe).

Olive-sided Flycatcher: Individuals were found at Bearwallow Gap,
Henderson Co, NC, where photographed, 16 Aug (Kelly Hughes); at Fletcher
Park, Henderson Co, NC, 16 Aug (Steve Ritt, Simon Thompson); along
the Dan River in Eden, Rockingham Co, NC, where photographed, 29 Aug
(Martin Wall); near the entrance gate to Mt Mitchell SP, Yancey Co, NC, where
photographed, 4 Sep (Mark Simpson, Marilyn Westphal); and at Cedarock
Park, Alamance Co, NC, 5 Sep (Bill Oyler).

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: Individuals were found at Bethabara Park, Forsyth
Co, NC, where photographed, 17 Sep (Phil Dickinson); at Jackson Park,
Henderson Co, NC, 19-20 Sep (Ron Clark, et al.); at Santee-Delta East WMA,
Georgetown Co, SC, 25 Sep (Pam Ford, Craig Watson); and at Ribbonwalk
Nature Preserve, Mecklenburg Co, NC, 26 Sep (Clark).

Alder Flycatcher: Three different individuals were mist-netted, banded, and
then released on Kiawah Island, Charleston Co, SC, 15-25 Sep (Aaron Given,
et al.).

Eastern Phoebe: 175 at Cape Lookout, Carteret Co, NC, after the passage
of a cold front, 5 Oct (Jamie Adams, Chandra Biggerstaff, Jack Fennell, John
Fussell) was a remarkable concentration of migrants.

Say’s Phoebe: One was seen at North River Farms (limited access), Carteret
Co, NC, 28 Sep (Chandra Biggerstaff, Jack Fennell, John Fussell). This
sighting was interesting because most sightings in recent years have been
made during the winter.

Western Kingbird: Individuals were found on Seabrook Island, Charleston
Co, SC, a juvenile bird, 19 Aug (David Gardner, et al.); at Botany Bay WMA,
Charleston Co, SC, 5 Sep (Craig Watson); near Oregon Inlet, Dare Co, NC,
where photographed, 4 Sep (Greg Hudson); and near Ft Raleigh, Roanoke
Island, Dare Co, NC, 27 Sep (Elizabeth & Henry Link).

Eastern Kingbird: 87 around the Old Coast Guard Station at the north end of
Pea Island, Dare Co, NC, 28 Aug (Audrey Whitlock) was a good concentration
of migrants.

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

Gray Kingbird, 01 Sep 2014, Dare Co, NC.
Photo by Bobby Koch.

Gray Kingbird: One was photographed near the Old Coast Guard Station at
the north end of Pea Island, Dare Co, NC, 1 Sep (Bobby Koch).

Scissor- tailed Flycatcher: Individuals were seen at Hoop Pole Creek Preserve
in Atlantic Beach, Carteret Co, NC, 16 Oct (Ed Dombrofski); at Ft Moultrie
National Monument, Charleston Co, SC, where photographed, 16 Oct (Pam
Ford, Aija Konrad, Cherrie Sneed, Craig Watson, et ah); and on a power-line
along US-264 in Hyde Co, NC, 19 Oct (Jamie Adams, Shun Endo).

White-eyed Yireo: One at Lake Conestee Nature Park, Greenville Co, SC,
24-29 Nov (Jane Kramer) was either quite late or attempting to over-winter
in that area.

Bell’s Vireo: Pending review by the NC Bird Records Committee was the
report of one heard singing, though never seen, near the Old Coast Guard
Station at the north end of Pea Island, Dare Co, NC, 25 Oct (Jeff Lemons, Jeff
Lewis, Audrey Whitlock).

Warbling Vireo: Individual migrants at the South Carolina Botanical Gardens,
Pickens Co, SC, 13 Sep (Kevin DeBoer) and in Duck, Dare Co, NC, 30 Sep
and 23 Oct (Jeff Lewis) were good finds.

Philadelphia Vireo: Four at Beaver Lake, Buncombe Co, NC, 1 Oct (Simon
Thompson) was a good count. Individual migrants stuck around awhile at The
Bog Garden, Guilford Co, NC, 1-3 Oct (Henry Link, m. obs.); along the Black

Briefs for the Files - Fall 2014

Walnut Bottom Trail in Bethania, Forsyth Co, NC, 1-4 Oct (David & Susan
Disher, Marbry Hopkins, m. obs.); and in a yard in Lexington Co, SC, 8-11
Oct (Irvin Pitts). One in Buxton Woods, Dare Co, NC, 23 Oct (Thompson)
was somewhat late.

Common Raven: Two photographed over the Neuse River Greenway, Wake
Co, NC, 5 Oct (Russ & Tricia Tyndall) may have been the same pair seen at
Anderson Point Park, ten miles south and also on the Neuse River, 27 Oct
(Mike Turner).

Purple Martin: An estimated 40,000 migrants roosting at the Unifi Plant in
Yadkinville, Yadkin Co, NC, 6 Aug (Dwayne Martin, et al.) was an impressive
concentration.

Tree Swallow: Two at Lake Junaluska, Haywood Co, NC, 16 Nov (Steve Ritt)
and one at Lake Norman in Mecklenburg Co, NC, 24 Nov (Kevin Metcalf)
were late for those sites in the western part of our region.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow: Two at McAlpine Creek Park,
Mecklenburg Co, NC, 2 Nov (Ken Kneidel) were late.

Bank Swallow: 100 at the Savannah Spoil Site (restricted access), Jasper Co,
SC, 28 Aug (Steve Calver) was our region’s high count.

Barn Swallow: One at the Savannah Spoil Site (restricted access), Jasper Co,
SC, 28 Nov (Steve Calver) was quite late.

Sedge Wren: Sightings made outside of the coastal plain included one at
Jackson Park, Henderson Co, NC, 25-26 Sep (Wayne Forsythe, Ron Selvey);
one along Hooper Ln, Henderson Co, NC, 5 Oct (Simon Thompson); and one
at Sandy Creek Park, Durham Co, NC, 13 Oct (Peter Perlman).

Marsh Wren: Individuals at Beaver Lake, Buncombe Co, NC, 1 Oct (Simon
Thompson) and at Warren Wilson College, Buncombe Co, NC, 18 Oct (Steve
Ritt), and two along Hooper Ln, Henderson Co, NC, 5 Oct (Thompson), were
good finds for the mountains.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: One photographed along the Cape Fear River in
Harnett Co, NC, 22 Nov (Paul Hubert) was either late or attempting to over-
winter.

Gray-cheeked Thrush: One seen in a yard near Falls Lake in northern Wake
Co, NC, 9 Sep (Brian Pendergraft) was quite early, while one seen at Pee Dee

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

NWR, Anson Co, NC, 12 Nov (Geoff White) was quite late.

Swainson’s Thrush: One seen in a yard in Manteo, Dare Co, NC, 27 Aug
(Jeff Lewis) was somewhat early. 75 in a yard in Asheville, Buncombe Co,
NC, 30 Sep (Simon Thompson) was a remarkable concentration of migrants.
Six around Ft Moultrie National Monument, Charleston Co, SC, 8 Nov (Craig
Watson) was a great count for that late date.

Wood Thrush: Individuals at Congaree National Park, Richland Co, SC,
where photographed, 24 Oct (Jack Rogers) and at Botany Bay WMA,
Charleston Co, SC, 25 Oct (Pam Ford) were late.

Gray Catbird: 300 at Patriot’s Point, Charleston Co, SC, 27 Sep (Simon
Harvey); 400 at Patriot’s Point, 30 Sep (Christopher Davies); and 300 around
Cape Lookout, Carteret Co, NC, 5 Oct (Jamie Adams, Chandra Biggerstaff,
Jack Fennell, John Fussell) were all impressive concentrations of migrants.

Lapland Longspun One seen on Round Bald, 5800 feet above sea level, just
east of Carvers Gap, border of Tennessee and Mitchell Co, NC, 10 Nov (Rick
Knight) was unusual for that high elevation and a possible first for that area
of the mountains.

Ovenbird: One in the woods adjacent to the University of NC at Wilmington,
New Hanover Co, NC, 6 Nov (Sam Cooper) was somewhat late.

Blue-winged Warbler: Individuals at Cape Lookout, Carteret Co, NC, 5 Oct
(Jamie Adams, et ah) and in Duck, Dare Co, NC, 7 Oct (Jeff Lewis) were good
finds for those sites along the coast.

Black-and-white Warbler: One at Mattamuskeet NWR, Hyde Co, NC, 30
Nov (Jeff Lewis) was either a late migrant or attempting to over-winter there.

Prothonotary Warbler: One at Jackson Park, Henderson Co, NC, 17 Sep
(Wayne Forsythe) was a good find for the mountain region.

Tennessee Warbler: 140 at the Mt Lyn Lowry Overlook, along the BRP in
Jackson Co, NC, 5 Oct (Mike McCloy) was our region’s high count. One,
seen well enough to distinguish it from the similar Orange-crowned Warbler,
at Lake Conestee Nature Park, Greenville Co, SC, 20 Nov (Paul Serridge) was
quite late.

Orange-crowned Warbler: Three migrants at Warren Wilson College,
Buncombe Co, NC, 11 Oct (Simon Thompson) was a good count for the

Briefs for the Files - Fall 2014

mountains. 16 at Mattamuskeet NWR, Hyde Co, NC, 30 Nov (Jeff Lewis)
was a good count of the wintering population.

Nashville Warbler: This species was well-reported this fall with dozens of
sightings made from the mountains to the coast. One heard singing at the
Ridge Junction Overlook, along the BRP in southern Yancey Co, NC, on the
somewhat early date of 16 Aug (Marilyn Westphal) was interesting. Three at
Jackson Park, Henderson Co, NC, 21 Sep (Dennis Kent, et al.) was a good
count. Two along the Estuary Trail in Corolla, Currituck Co, NC, 22 Sep (Skip
Hancock, Linda Ward) were good finds for a site along the coast. Individuals
at Warren Wilson College, Buncombe Co, NC, 30 Oct (Simon Thompson); at
the stream crossing along Mid Pines Rd, Wake Co, NC, where photographed,
2 Nov (Brendan Klick); and at Folly Beach County Park, Charleston Co, SC,
7 Nov (Keith McCullough) were somewhat late.

Connecticut Warbler: One photographed as it flew by, a few miles southeast
of Cape Point, Dare Co, NC, during a pelagic trip, 13 Sep (Brian Patteson,
et al.) was a surprise. Individuals were also seen at Grandfather Mountain,
Avery Co, NC, 14 Sep (Janet & Richard Paulette, Jesse Pope) and at Santee
SP, Orangeburg Co, SC, 28 Sep (Caroline Eastman).

Mourning Warbler: Individuals were found at Leicester Patch, Buncombe
Co, NC, 10 Sep (Doug Johnston) and at Patriot’s Point, Charleston Co, SC, 1
Oct (Kevin DeBoer) and 2 Oct (John Cox).

American Redstart: One found along Wildlife Dr at Mattamuskeet NWR,
Hyde Co, NC, 3 Nov (Christine Stoughton-Root) was late.

Cape May Warbler: Several impressive counts of migrants were made
around Ridge Junction, along the BRP in southern Yancey Co, NC — 15 on 1
Sep (Simon Thompson); at least 32 on 6 Sep (Marilyn Westphal, et al.); and 3 1
on 17 Sep (Westphal, et al.). Westphal notes that the species was much more
common than usual this year. Five around Bass Lake in Wake Co, NC, 16 Oct
(Josh Southern) was a good count for a site outside of the mountains.

Magnolia Warbler: 25 at Jackson Park, Henderson Co, NC, 20 Sep (Greg
Massey) was a good count. Individuals in a yard in northern Wake Co, NC, 23
Oct (Kyle Kittelberger) and at Saluda Shoals Park, Lexington Co, SC, 26 Oct
(Irvin Pitts) were somewhat late.

Bay-breasted Warbler: 66 around Ridge Junction, along the BRP in southern
Yancey Co, NC, 9 Oct (Bill Haddad, Mark Simpson, Marilyn Westphal) was
a remarkable count.

The Chat, Vol. 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

Chestnut-sided Warbler: One in Duck, Dare Co, NC, 7 Oct (Jeff Lewis) was
a good find for a site along the coast.

Blackpoll Warbler: Two along the causeway at Mattamuskeet NWR, Hyde
Co, NC, 8 Nov (Lucas Bobay, Sam Jolly, Nate Swick) were somewhat late.

Yellow-rumped Warbler: Two at Lake Raleigh, Wake Co, NC, 19 Sep (Mike
Turner) were somewhat early.

Yellow-throated Warbler: One at Airlie Gardens, New Hanover Co, NC, 19
Oct (Sam Cooper) was somewhat late. A banded individual returned to a yard
in Meggett, Charleston Co, SC, for another winter, in mid-November (Cherrie
Sneed).

Prairie Warbler: Late individuals were found in Beaufort, Carteret Co, NC,
27 Nov (John Fussell); at Mattamuskeet NWR, Hyde Co, NC, 30 Nov (Jeff
Lewis); and at North River Farms (limited access), Carteret Co, NC, 30 Nov
(John Voigt, et al.).

Townsend’s Warbler: A first-year female was photographed along the BRP
just south of the Richland Balsam Overlook, border of Haywood Co and
Jackson Co, NC, 13 Sep (Todd Arcos). The sighting has already been reviewed
and accepted by the NC Bird Record Committee, making it NC’s third official
record of this western species, and first record from our mountain region.

Black-throated Green Warbler: 34 at Ridge Junction, along the BRP in
southern Yancey Co, NC, 3 Sep (Simon Thompson) was our region’s high
count.

Wilson’s Warbler: Sightings included three around Ridge Junction, along the
BRP in southern Yancey Co, NC, 30 Aug (Mark Simpson, Simon Thompson,
Marilyn Westphal, et al.); one photographed at the Clemson Aquaculture
Facility, Pickens Co, SC, 28 Sep through 2 Oct (Hunter Kome, Linda
Montgomery); one along the boardwalk in Duck, Dare Co, NC, 28 Sep through
2 Oct (Jim Gould, Jeff Lewis, et al.); one at Ft Moultrie National Monument,
Charleston Co, SC, 5 Oct (Pam Ford, Craig Watson); one at Savannah NWR,
Jasper Co, SC, 6 Oct (Steve Calver); two along the boardwalk in Duck, 6-7
Oct (Lewis); one at Price Park in Guilford Co, NC, 9 Oct (Henry Link, et al.);
and one at Jackson Park, Henderson Co, NC, 16 Oct (Ron Selvey).

Yellow-breasted Chat: One seen feeding on Chinese Privet fruit at
Mattamuskeet NWR, Hyde Co, NC, 30 Nov (Dick & Dorothy Rosche) was
late.

Briefs for the Files - Fall 2014

American Tree Sparrow, 12 Nov 2014, Buncombe Co, NC.
Photo by Jay Wherley.

American Tree Sparrow: One was seen and photographed near Warren
Wilson College, Buncombe Co, NC, 12 Nov (Jay Wherley) through 16 Nov
(Jan Fowler). Sightings of this species in the Carolinas have been few and far
between the past couple of decades.

Clay-colored Sparrow: Sightings included one at the north end of Pea Island,
Dare Co, NC, 5 Oct (Ricky Davis, Audrey Whitlock, et al.); two near Cape
Lookout, Carteret Co, NC, 5 Oct (John Fussell, et al.); one at Ft Moultrie
National Monument, Charleston Co, SC, 5 Oct (Pam Ford, Craig Watson)
through 13 Oct (Watson); one at Ft Fisher, New Hanover Co, NC, 6 Oct (Greg
Massey) through 23 Oct (Bruce Smithson); and two at North River Farms
(limited access), Carteret Co, NC, 23 Nov (Fussell, et al.).

Vesper Sparrow: Eight at Mills River Park, Henderson Co, NC, 31 Oct
(Wayne Forsythe) and six along the South Prong Rocky River Greenway,
Mecklenburg Co, NC, 22 Nov (Taylor Piephoff) were good counts.

Lark Sparrow: Sightings included an immature bird at the south end of North
Pond, Pea Island NWR, Dare Co, NC, 6 Aug (Audrey Whitlock, et al.); one
immature bird near the Old Coast Guard Station at the north end of Pea Island,
Dare Co, NC, 20-2 1 Aug (Jeff Lewis); two immature birds near the Old Coast
Guard Station, 22-29 Aug (James Gould, Lewis, m. obs.); two at Magnolia

The Chat ‘ Vol. 79, No . 1, Winter 2015

Henslow’s Sparrow, 4 Nov 2014, Buncombe Co, NC.
Photo by Kelly Hughes.

Gardens, Charleston Co, SC, 10 Sep (David Youngblood); an adult just south
of Salvo, Dare Co, NC, 14 Oct (Steve Johnson); and one at Alligator River
NWR, Dare Co, NC, 18 Oct (Lewis, Jay Ross).

Grasshopper Sparrow: Individuals at Mills River Park, Henderson Co,
NC, 3 Oct (Steve Ritt) and at Warren Wilson College, Buncombe Co, NC, 5
Oct and 1 8 Oct (Ritt) were probably migrating through, while individuals at
Savannah NWR, Jasper Co, SC, 2 Nov (Irvin Pitts) and at North River Farms
(limited access), Carteret Co, NC, 9 Nov and 30 Nov (John Fussell, et al.)
were probably on their wintering grounds.

Henslow’s Sparrow: One seen and photographed at Warren Wilson College,
Buncombe Co, NC, 4 Nov (Kelly Hughes) through 8 Nov (Jan Fowler, et al.)
may have been the same bird seen at that site last fall and this past spring.

Le Conte’s Sparrow: Counts of three were made at North River Farms
(limited access), Carteret Co, NC, 9 Nov, 16 Nov, and 23 Nov (John Fussell,
et al.). Fussell thinks there were “probably five different Le Conte’s Sparrows
(there) in November, based on the distances between observation sites.” One
was seen at the PotashCorp Wetland Mitigation Site in southern Beaufort Co,
NC, 9 Nov (Tony DeSantis, et al.).

Briefs for the Files - Fall 2014

Song Sparrow: A juvenile seen near the Cedar Island Ferry Terminal, Carteret
Co, NC, 10 Aug (John Fussell) was suggestive of breeding in that area.

Lincoln’s Sparrow: Sightings included one along the Black Walnut Bottom
Trail in Bethania, Forsyth Co, NC, 1-16 Oct (Phil Dickinson, David & Susan
Disher, Marbry Hopkins, et al.); one at Mills River Park, Henderson Co, NC,
3 Oct (Steve Ritt); four around Warren Wilson College, Buncombe Co, NC, 5
Oct (Ritt); one along the Highwoods Trail in Guilford Co, NC, 13 Oct (Henry
Link); 13 around Warren Wilson College, 16 Oct (Ritt); one photographed in
Rockingham Co, NC, 24 Oct (Martin Wall); a moribund bird in downtown
Raleigh, Wake Co, NC, 28 Oct (fide John Gerwin); one photographed along
the Tupelo Trail at Savannah NWR, Jasper Co, SC, 2 Nov (Irvin Pitts); one
along Mid Pines Rd, Wake Co, NC, 3 Nov (Mike Turner); and two at Dobbins
Farm in Townville, Anderson Co, SC, 21 Nov (Todd Arcos).

Rose-breasted Grosbeak: Somewhat late was one in Asheville, Buncombe
Co, NC, 29 Oct (Simon Thompson) and a female, possibly injured, visiting a
feeder at Riverbend Park in northern Catawaba Co, NC, until 1 Nov (Dwayne
Martin).

Lincoln’s Sparrow, 16 Oct 2014, Forsyth Co, NC.
Photo by Phil Dickinson.

The Chat, Vol. 79, No . 1, Winter 2015

Painted Bunting: A banded male returned for a third winter to a feeder in
Manteo, Dare Co, NC, 1 1 Oct {fide Audrey Whitlock). Interestingly, this
bunting was originally banded in St Matthews, Calhoun Co, SC, in 2012 {fide
John Gerwin), suggesting that it migrates north for the winter!

Dickcissel: Sightings included one in Duck, Dare Co, NC, 30 Sep (Jeff
Lewis); one at North River Farms (limited access), Carteret Co, NC, 2 Oct
and 5 Oct (Rich Boyd, John Fussell, et al.); one on the border of Rockingham
Co and Stokes Co, NC, 5 Oct (Martin Wall); two at North River Farms, 12
Oct (Fussell, et al.); and one at Ft Fisher, New Hanover Co, NC, 18 Oct (Sam
Cooper).

Bobolink: Somewhat late were two at ACE Basin NWR, Charleston Co, SC,
25 Oct (Andy Harrison) and three at Price Park in Guilford Co, NC, 28 Oct
(Andrew Thornton).

Yellow-headed Blackbird: An immature male seen and photographed in a
ditch along Hooper Ln, Henderson Co, NC, 1 Sep (Wayne Forsythe, Simon
Harvey) was a one-day wonder and a great find for the mountain region.

Yellow-headed Blackbird, 01 Sep 2014, Henderson Co, NC.
Photo by Wayne Forsythe.

Briefs for the Files - Fall 2014

Rusty Blackbird: Two of the better counts were 450 at the Flat River
Waterfowl Impoundment, Durham Co, NC, 2 Nov (Eddie Owens) and 162 at
Lake Conestee Nature Park, Greenville Co, SC, 29 Nov (Jane Kramer).

Brewer’s Blackbird: After a male was photographed along the Little Tennessee
River Greenway in Franklin, Macon Co, NC, 9 Nov (Barbara McRae), ten
were reported along nearby Forest Hills Dr, 25 Nov (Paula Gorgoglione).
Five, two females and three males, at a farm in northern Watauga Co, NC, 15
Nov, and nine there the following day, 1 6 Nov (Merrill Lynch) were a first for
the northern NC mountains. A female that visited a feeder in Newland, Avery
Co, NC, 23 Nov (Jesse Pope) was also very unusual for that area.

Orchard Oriole: One on Bull Island, Cape Romain NWR, Charleston Co,
SC, 27 Sep (David McLean) was somewhat late.

Baltimore Oriole: 100 around the Old Coast Guard Station at the north end
of Pea Island, Dare Co, NC, 28 Aug (Audrey Whitlock) was an impressive
concentration of migrants.

Purple Finch: 53 visiting feeders at Riverbend Park in northern Catawba Co,
NC, 1 Nov (Dwayne Martin) provided a great count.

Red Crossbill: Several were seen around Bald Knob Ridge and Ridge
Junction in southern Yancey Co, NC, from summer through at least 9 Oct
(Mark Simpson, Marilyn Westphal, m. obs.). In SC, four were seen at the
Walhalla State Fish Hatchery, Oconee Co, 21 Sep (Keith McCullough).

Flock of Purple Finches at Riverbend Park, 1 Nov 2014, Catawba Co, NC.
Photo by Dwayne Martin.

The Chat, Vol 79, No. 1, Winter 2015

Pine Siskin: “Several” juvenile birds in the company of adult birds at the
Cataloochie Ski Area in Haywood Co, NC, 23 Aug (Wayne Forsythe, Ron
Selvey) was suggestive of breeding in that area. Irruptive wintering siskins
began arriving in lower elevation areas in late October. A few of the higher
counts were 25+ in Asheville, Buncombe Co, NC, 28 Oct (Simon Thompson);
25 at Warren Wilson College, Buncombe Co, NC, 7 Nov (Simon Harvey);
70 at Cowan's Ford Wildlife Refuge, Mecklenburg Co, NC, 23 Nov (Kevin
Metcalf); and 40 at Lake Conestee Nature Park, Greenville Co, SC, in late
November (Anthony Martin).

Fifty Years Ago in The Chat — March 1965

Dr. James F. Parnell provided an in-depth account of the Swainson’s
Warbler in the Carolinas. He noted that since its original discovery by Dr.
John Bachman in the lowcountry of South Carolina in 1883, the Swainson’s
Warbler remained “one of the least known of the warblers inhabiting the
southeast”. In his article, Parnell provides the details of the first confirmed
account of Swainson’s Warbler nesting in the North Carolina mountains. He
found an adult feeding two young in the Toxaway River Gorge area in June
1961. “The young birds were capable of only short flights and appeared to
have been out of the nest for only one or two days.” The sighting was made at
an elevation of 1 ,400 feet.

Later in his survey, Parnell noted multiple Swainson’s Warblers along the
length of the gorge in elevations ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 ft. He found
singing males daily into August and collected two as specimens. Both the birds
had enlarged testes indicating their breeding condition. The warblers seemed
to be found primarily in areas with thickets of rhododendron, mountain laurel,
and dog hobble and observations were made near streams and “some distance
from water” as well. Parnell concluded that the Swainson’s Warbler was a
“fairly common summer resident” along river gorges draining the Blue Ridge
Plateau. He also surmised that two factors had resulted in the general lack of
historic records of Swainson’s Warbler from the mountains. First, the rugged
nature of the terrain and second, the density of the vegetation making the area
difficult to study.

Dr. Parnell also submitted a significant note published in the General Field
Notes section. He provided a detailed account of the third record of Harlequin
Duck for the state of North Carolina. It was found in almost the exact same
location as the first Harlequin Duck record in the state in 1962, the north end
of Carolina Beach. E. Burnham Chamberlain provided a General Field Note
on the confirmation of six pairs of Blue-winged Teal nesting on Bulls Island,
the first confirmed account from the state. The birds raised 26 young. Several

Briefs for the Files - Fall 2014

observers submitted notes of Common Eiders showing up at both Morehead
City and Nags Head, North Carolina. These reports provided details for a
species that, at the time, had been recorded only a few times in the state.

Olin S. Pettingill, Director of the Laboratory of Ornithology at Cornell
University, announced the start of a continent- wide nest-record card program
and encouraged birders from both Carolinas to participate. Details of all nests
of any species discovered were to be recorded on the card and mailed to the
Lab so that a comprehensive national database of nest details could be created.
This nest card program was the first of its kind on a continent-wide basis.
Several state or regional nest card projects had been organized including one
sponsored by the North Carolina Bird Club in 1940.

The Chat

Vol. 29. No. 1 Mar. 1965

Original cover of The Chat in March 1965.

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. Dues, contributions, and bequests to the Club
may be deductible from state and federal income and estate taxes. Make checks payable to
Carolina Bird Club, Inc. Send checks or correspondence regarding membership or change
of address to Headquarters Secretary, or visit : http://www.carolinabirdclub.org/about.html.
Dues include $6 for subscription to the CSC Newsletter and $7 for subscription to The Chat.

ANNUAL DUES

Individual or non-profit......... ................$25.00

Family or business.... $30.00

Patron $50.00

Student............ $15.00

Life Membership (payable in four consecutive $125 installments)..... .............. .........$500. 00

Associate Life Membership (in same household as life member) $100.00

ELECTED OFFICERS

President Katherine Higgins, Wilmington, NC kathwrens@gmail.com

NC Vice-Presidents Ron Clark, Kings Mountain, NC waxwing@bellsouth.net

Scott Winton, Durham, NC scott.winton@gmail.com

SC Vice-President Jeff Click, Easley, SC jeffreyclick@yahoo.com

Secretary Doris Ratchford, Todd, NC dpratchford@me.com

Treasurer Samir Gabriel, Huntersville, NC Samir.Gabirel@itg-global.com

NC Members-at-Large Christine Stoughton-Root, Merritt, NC cssjar@aol.com

Jeri Smart, Rolesville, NC jsmart001@nc.rr.com

Jesse Pope, Linville, NC highcountrybirder@yahoo.com

Karyl Gabriel, Huntersville, NC kmcclusky@yahoo.com

SC Members-at-Large Lewis Burke, Columbia, SC lewisburkej@yahoo.com

Irvin Pitts, Lexington, SC pittsjam@windstream.net

EX-OFFICIO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Chat Editor Don Seriff, Charlotte, 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 Marion Clark, Lexington, SC mclark66@sc.rr.com

Carol Bowman

HEADQUARTERS SECRETARY

9 Quincy Place Pinehurst, NC 28374 hq@carolinabirdclub.org

me onai Periodicals Postage Paid

at Pinehurst, NC 28374 and

Quarterly Bulletin of Carolina Bird Club, Inc. additional mailing offices

1809 Lakepark Drive, Raleigh NC 27612

SMITHSONIAN LIBRARIES

3 9088 01817 3880

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