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Haw River Bird Surveys
Although T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon members believe that the Haw River corridor is important for birds breeding, feeding, and resting during migration,
it ís another matter whether it can be designated by Audubon North Carolina (ANC) as an Important Bird Area, or IBA. The chapter conducted point-count
bird surveys during breeding season in 2005 and 2006 to obtain supporting data. However, the stringent IBA criteria were not met.
Recently, a Great Blue
Heron rookery was discovered just upstream from
the Summit at Haw River State
Park, which helps the IBA cause. Curtis Smalling, ANC’s IBA coordinator,
suggested also doing a survey for nightjars: Whip-poor-wills,
Chuckwill's-widows, and Nighthawks. This we did in May and
June, sending out teams of counters on moonlit nights to listen for the
distinctive
calls of these birds.
Alas, of four routes totaling 40 sites in Guilford, Rockingham,
and Alamance counties along the Haw River, only two sites produced any birds.
Not only did this result not help the IBA cause, it points out the dire straits many of our
neo-tropical migrants and resident birds are in.
So keep your ears open for
the calls of the nightjars, and please report any birds you hear to Jack
Jezorek, Dennis Burnette, or any chapter leader.
Thanks to the following for their late-night efforts on the nightjar survey: Ann
Walter-Fromson, Paul Fromson, Amy Hanson, Dennis Burnette, Carolyn Allen, Don
Allen, Emily Tyler, Sue Cole, Jean Murdick, Barbara Hughes, Lynn Moseley, Phil
Moseley, Vance Arnold, and Jack Jezorek.
Photo Credit: Whip-poor-will - Melissa Whitmire |
