Mason Farm Biological Reserve
Avian Biology (BIOL 114)
Haven Wiley, Helmut Mueller
January 16, 2005 -- 8:15-10:45
Road along the northern side of Morgan Creek and the corner of the golf
course overlooking a beaver pond
Habitats -- overgrown fields, wet fields, riparian forest, beaver
impoundment
Weather -- cold (20 F), overcast, light NE breeze
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| CICONIIFORMES |
| Great Blue Heron | one adult with yellow-orange bill indicating
breeding condition! | |
| Turkey Vulture | about 15 enjoying the breeze | |
|
| | |
| ANSERIFORMES |
| Canada Goose | 8 in flight, honking | |
| Gadwall | one in flight | |
| Mallard | 19 males and females on beaver pond, some pairs | |
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| FALCONIFORMES |
| Cooper's Hawk | one immature female made a brief appearance in
riparian woods | |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 circling above the field, later one
perched | |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | one flew into riparian woods | |
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| |
|
| CHARADRIIFORMES
|
| Killdeer | 2 on the golf course near the club house as we
departed! | |
| COLUMBIFORMES |
| Mourning Dove | | |
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| |
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| STRIGIFORMES |
| Great Horned Owl (nest) | | |
| Barred Owl | glimpsed 1/11 | |
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| APODIFORMES |
| Chimney Swift (4/18) | | |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird (4/18)
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| CORACIIFORMES |
| Belted Kingfisher | | |
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| PICIFORMES |
| Northern Flicker | several in flight and perched | |
| Pileated Woodpecker | one in flight and then perched | |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | one feeding near the ground in the beaver
pond, others heard | |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | one heard in Carrboro | |
| Downy Woodpecker | one tapping on twigs of bushes | |
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| |
|
| PASSERIFORMES |
| NEW WORLD FLYCATCHER
FAMILY |
| Eastern Phoebe | one bird bobbing its tail beside the beaver
pond | |
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|
| JAY AND CROW FAMILY
|
| Blue Jay | several | |
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| TITMOUSE FAMILY
|
| Carolina Chickadee | several, no singing, one chased by a Yellow-rumped
Warbler | |
| Tufted Titmouse | several pairs, no singing | |
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| |
|
| WREN FAMILY |
| Carolina Wren | two territorial neighbors singing briefly | |
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| MIMIC FAMILY |
| Northern Mockingbird | one bird at edge of riparian woodland
uttered its "chak" call | |
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| THRUSH FAMILY
|
| Eastern Bluebird | calling in Bell Tower Lot | |
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| KINGLET FAMILY
|
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | several foraging frantically in the cold,
one revealed its red crown briefly | |
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| STARLING FAMILY
|
| European Starling | few, scattered | |
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| FINCH FAMILY |
| House Finch | one singing in Bell Tower Lot | |
| American Goldfinch | several flew overhead uttering their 3- or
4-note calls | |
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| |
|
| NEW WORLD NINE-PRIMARIED
FAMILIES |
| WARBLER FAMILY
|
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | several, including one chasing a
chickadee from a myrtle bush at the edge of the golf course (and showing
its yellow rump) | |
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| |
|
| BLACKBIRD, MEADOWLARK,
ORIOLE FAMILY |
| Red-winged Blackbird | a flock of 20 females perched beside the
beaver pond | |
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| CARDINAL FAMILY
|
| Northern Cardinal | scattered pairs, no singing | |
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| SPARROW (OLD WORLD
BUNTING) FAMILY |
| Eastern Towhee | 10, some allowing good looks | |
| White-throated Sparrow | lots in bushes along the creek | |
| Fox Sparrow | one with a flock of other sparrows | |
| Swamp Sparrow | perhaps 30 in wet fields and bushes | |
| Song Sparrow | about 20 in shrubby fields and edges | |
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