Important Sightings
Wood Stork Sighting in Moore County
Susan Campbell reported seeing a Wood Stork in Moore county on June 13, 2007.
I had quite a shock today when a Wood Stork crossed routes 15 / 501 in front of me at tree top level around 12:30 PM. It had presumably
just taken flight from the lake at the Country Club of North Carolina.
It proceeded to use the large parking lot of the old Kmart, just across
the road, to gain elevation and head out of town ahead of an afternoon
full of nasty thunderstorms.
Unfortunately, this is one of the busiest stretches of road in our
area--not a place to pull over and birdwatch at any time of the day.
Thankfully I was turning around at this intersection so had a little
time to assess what this individual was doing. The size, shape,
underwing pattern and flight behavior were distinctive even without
binoculars. I cannot be certain if it was an immature or an adult
however. I did not have enough time at close range to really see the
head color. My general impression was that there was not much contrast
between the head and the body which would indicate it was an immature.
This individual represents only the second record of Wood Stork for
Moore County and the Sandhills: the first being here in Whispering
Pines in October, 2004.
Scissor-tailed Flycatchers Nesting at Hobby Field
It's true! The male Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, a highlight of our Spring Bird Count in early May 2006, and his mate are nesting at Hobby Field on Young's Road in Southern Pines. This is actually the second documented nesting attempt by the species here in North Carolina. The first was a pair that successfully raised young outside Monroe (east of Charlotte) during the summers of 2000-2002. It is possible that these birds used this site last year, since we have learned that a male was seen several times in the vicinity during the summer of 2005 (!)
Our pair can be seen regularly foraging together throughout the seventy-five plus acre area. The female began two nests in different locations during June before settling into the current location. The current nest is in a pine adjacent to the big white hay barn on the back edge of the field. The tree has yellow flagging around the trunk and if you look very closely, you will see the nest tucked among small branchlets half way out on the lowest branch. The male has been spending a lot of time perched in the open nearby in front of the barn either on an old strip of fencing or on the line between two tall white poles. The pair still seems to be most active early and late in the day.
Although the birds seem fairly oblivious to people, whether on foot or on horseback, it is best to keep as far back as possible from the nest tree. A good vantage point for viewing with binoculars/spotting scope is actually inside the barn. Many bird enthusiasts, most from out of our area, have been by to visit the pair over the last two months. And that situation is likely to continue through the summer. So it important to respect both the property (park outside the fence along the road and walk in) as well as the birds.
Northern Bobwhite, Eastern Meadowlarks and Grasshopper Sparrows are all regular around the field as well. We know that at least one nest of Grasshopper Sparrows has fledged so far. And there is plenty of potential for other unanticipated birds to be found in this productive habitat. In early July, Judy Jessop and I spotted a Savannah Sparrow foraging in the smaller Ginnie's Field. This individual was likely a lingering non-breeder. No doubt we will be keeping track of the birds' progress over the coming weeks--and hope that they return in the years to come.
