Cleveland County Trip Report: February 15, 2006

It was a beautiful day in Cleveland County on our annual Barn Owl Venture. After a couple of brief stops, we decided to head straight to the barn in the northern part of the county. Thankfully we were not disappointed as we almost immediately found a Barn Owl. It flew right over our heads and into a belt of pines, giving all of us some great views. A walk along a nearby very picturesque and rural road produced quite a few species, including American Kestrel, a fly-by Red-shouldered Hawk, both kinglets, and a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers - not quite where we expected to see them. While one of the locals was telling us stories about owls, we watched a splendid Loggerhead Shrike on some telephone wires. A stop along the river for sparrows was productive with 2 Fox Sparrows, as well as the obligatory Song Sparrows that seem to be in every bush and thicket during the winter months. Unfortunately the "dirt farm" was not that good as neither the Horned Larks nor American Pipits put in an appearance. However, 2 Hooded Mergansers were a nice find on a local pond and several Brown-headed Nuthatches added some good local southeast flavor to the trip. A great winter day in the Piedmont!

Eastern Phoebe