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Durant Nature Park walk, WAS meetup page!

i Jun 29, 2009 No Comments by

In case you a haven’t checked it out, Wake Audubon has a meetup page!  This is an easy way to RSVP for our events.  Erla Beegle, who is the “mastermind” occasionally plans trips specifically for the meetup page, so if you haven’t checked it out you should!

http://www.meetup.com/Wake-Audubon-Meetup/

Below is a review of the recent bird walk to Durant Park.

Birds seen at Durant Nature Park by Wake Audubon Meetup
Saturday, June 20, 2009
8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Leader: L. Erla Beegle
# of birders:  4 (including leader):
Kaye, Mike, Justine

Number of species: 20
Best bird: Osprey low overhead, with a fish in his talons!
Another great bird: Least Flycatcher
Weather: hot and muggy, probably between 85 to 90 F with high humidity.
Bird activity was very low.  We saw no ducks or geese, but plenty of turtles!

We saw (thanks to Mike) plenty of hummingbirds feeding high in the pine trees;
we thought they might be gathering small insects to feed to their young.

We also saw a male American Robin teaching his two fledglings to feed on the flat concrete slope of the lake’s spillway.  The robins bounced along the steady sheet of slow-moving water and picked up water insects!  It was similar to feeding on a lawn looking for grubs and earthworms, except their feet were wet.

The Least Flycatcher was very cooperative and gave us his song, field marks and posed for Justine’s camera.  Empidonax flycatchers are primarily identified by their habitat and song.  This one wagged his tail each time he called his “CHEH – bek”

Few birds, but a very nice trip overall!  Hope to see you on the next one.

Great Blue Heron    Ardea herodias
Osprey    Pandion haliaetus
Ruby-throated Hummingbird    Archilochus colubris
Belted Kingfisher    Megaceryle alcyon
Downy Woodpecker    Picoides pubescens
Least Flycatcher    Empidonax minimus
Eastern Phoebe    Sayornis phoebe
(heard only) Red-eyed Vireo    Vireo olivaceus
Blue Jay    Cyanocitta cristata
American Crow    Corvus brachyrhynchos
Carolina Chickadee    Poecile carolinensis
Tufted Titmouse    Baeolophus bicolor
House Wren    Troglodytes aedon
Eastern Bluebird    Sialia sialis
American Robin    Turdus migratorius
Northern Mockingbird    Mimus polyglottos
Northern Cardinal    Cardinalis cardinalis
Common Grackle    Quiscalus quiscula
(heard only) Brown-headed Cowbird    Molothrus ater
American Goldfinch    Carduelis tristis

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