Va-birders....
Here are more details, including directions, for the White Wagtail. The
park hours are 8:00am to 7:00pm.
Larry Lynch birder6@xxxxxxxx
--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ritch Lilly <scbeachbums@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: WV-BIRD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2002 23:32:47 -0400
Subject: White Wagtail (Add'l Info)
I just saw Matt Orsie's post about the White Wagtail in the Durham, NC
area
around Falls Lake. In case anyone is interested in checking on this
bird,
I'm forwarding directions from the Durham area courtesy of Josh Rose, a
fellow Carolina birder. It sounds as though some 16 to 20 birders from
the
area were able to see the bird this evening and it was still in the area
just before dark. Hopefully she'll (several felt the bird was most
likely a
first winter female) hang around for the weekend. One showed up at
Huntington Beach State Park (just south of Myrtle Beach, SC) in '97 and
stayed for around 7 to 10 days. The following are the directions that
were
posted along with a brief description of the birds activities this
evening:
Take I-85 north past downtown Durham. Exit at US 70 (exit 178 I think);
then get off 70 at NC 98 and turn right out of the off-ramp, which will
point you east. Keep driving until you reach NC route 50, then go north
on
NC 50 across the eastern arm of Falls Lake. You'll soon see the entrance
to
Sandling Beach State Recreation Area coming up on your left. Once in the
park, drive straight until you see the large parking lot, beach, and
swimming area on your left.
The bird was running non-stop up and down the beach; it chases flies up
the sand one way, reaches the edge of the woods, reverses direction,
chases flies until it reaches the woods at the extreme far end of the
beach, and repeats. Its energy level is incredible, almost hummingbird-
like! That tail never stops! There were two scary moments: once, a
Red-tailed Hawk flew along the shoreline, and the Wagtail flew out over
the water calling, but it eventually looped back around and returned to
the beach. Later, a much scarier Merlin flew in and perched in the
biggest
snag by the beach, but the Wagtail - for about the only time during the
half-hour or so we were there - stopped moving, and remained completely
motionless until the Merlin flew back off the way it came and disappeared
over the trees.
Good Luck and Good Birding!
Ritch Lilly
Myrtle Beach, SC
scbeachbums@xxxxxxxxxxx
Just one more update on the Wagtail for anyone interested. Should you
need
it, the number for the Falls Lake State Recreation Area is (919)
676-1027.
Additionally, this area is open from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm only and no one
is
to be in the area at any other time. It sounds as though these hours
will
be strictly enforced.
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