Venture to Sandy
Mush
Venture to Sandy
Mush
Gamelands Leiester, NC
Thursday, May 20, 2010
It’s only within the last couple of years that the local birding community has been aware of and actively birded on the different sectors of the Sandy Mush Gamelands. Thanks to Doug Johnston who has been walking these areas for the past few years, they are now becoming regular birding (and butterflying) spots for several of us. It was another spectacular morning when we all assembled at the Bear Creek access to the Gamelands. We were almost immediately aware of a Blue-winged Warbler singing its buzzy 2 note song. It took us quite a good part of the morning to actually see the bird as it decided to stay high in some adjacent Tulip Trees. We actually saw 2 birds interacting in the immediate area, so we may have 1-2 birds on territory. Only time will tell. Prairie Warblers and Yellow-breasted Chats were commonly heard and even seen, but the Bobwhite and Ruffed Grouse were “heard only”. A visit to the Martin Candler access was brief as it was the heat of the day and there was little shade in the immediate vicinity. The Cedar Hill access was mostly shady and very good for butterflies. Having Gail along was a real bonus as she was looking down as many of us were looking up! We finished the day with an impressive list of 32 butterflies including a very early Gulf Fritillary. This is normally a late summer species. Birding was a little slow in the afternoon, but we still heard Hooded and Northern Parula Warblers and flushed a female Wild Turkey from the dense undergrowth. Thanks to Doug and Gail for making the day so enjoyable.
Simon Thompson
| Birds | |
| Ruffed Grouse (Heard) BC | Tufted Titmouse BC, CH |
| Wild Turkey (1) BC | Carolina Wren BC, CH |
| Northern Bobwhite (Heard) BC | House Wren (Heard) BC |
| Turkey Vulture BC, CH, MC | Blue-gray Gnatcatcher BC, CH |
| Red-shouldered Hawk (2) BC | Eastern Bluebird BC, CH |
| Red-tailed Hawk (2) BC | Wood Thrush (Heard) BC, CH |
| American Kestrel (1) MC | Northern Mockingbird MC |
| Mourning Dove BC, CH | European Starling BC, MC |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1) BC | Cedar Waxwing BC |
| Blue-winged Warbler (2) BC | |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird (5+) BC | Northern Parula (Heard) BC, CH |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker BC, CH | Pine Warbler BC, CH |
| Prairie Warbler (5+) BC | |
| Hairy Woodpecker (Heard) BC | American Redstart (Heard) BC, CH |
| Pileated Woodpecker (Heard) BC | Common Yellowthroat (Heard) BC, CH |
| Acadian Flycatcher (Heard) BC, CH | Hooded Warbler (Heard) BC, CH |
| Eastern Phoebe (Heard) BC | Yellow-breasted Chat (5+) BC, MC |
| Great Crested Flycatcher (Heard) BC | Scarlet Tanager (Heard) BC |
| Eastern Kingbird MC | Eastern Towhee BC, CH, MC |
| White-eyed Vireo (Heard) BC | Field Sparrow BC, CH, MC |
| Blue-headed Vireo (Heard) BC | Song Sparrow (Heard) CH |
| Red-eyed Vireo BC, CH | Northern Cardinal BC, CH |
| Blue Jay BC, CH | Indigo Bunting BC, CH, MC |
| American Crow BC, MC, CH | Red-winged Blackbird BC |
| N Rough-winged Swallow (2) BC | Eastern Meadowlark (1) BC |
| Bank Swallow (1) BC | Common Grackle BC |
| Barn Swallow BC | House Finch CH |
| Carolina Chickadee BC, CH | American Goldfinch BC |
| Bear creek (BC) 0800 – 1200 | Cedar Hill (CH) 1345 - 1500 |
| Martin Candler (MC) 1300 – 1330 | |
| Butterflies and Dragonflies | |
| Zebra Swallowtail BC | American Lady BC, Ch |
| Black Swallowtail CH, MC | Common Buckeye CH, MC |
| Eastern Tiger Swallowtail BC, CH | Red-spotted Purple BC, CH |
| Spicebush Swallowtail BC, CH | Hackberry Emperor CH, MC |
| Cabbage White BC, CH | Northern Pearly-eye CH |
| Orange Sulphur BC, CH | Carolina Satyr BC, CH |
| Gray Hairstreak BC (one seemed strangely marked) | Little Wood Satyr BC, CH |
| Eastern Tailed Blue BC | Silver-spotted Skipper BC, CH |
| Summer Azure BC, CH | Hoary Edge BC |
| American Snout BC | Northern Cloudywing BC |
| Gulf Fritillary BC | Dreamy Duskywing BC, CH |
| Variegated Fritillary CH | Sleepy Duskywing CH |
| Great Spangled Fritillary BC, CH | Swarthy Skipper BC |
| Silvery Checkerspot BC, CH | Least Skipper CH |
| Pearl Crescent BC, CH | Zabulon skipper BC |
| Question Mark CH | Dusted Skipper BC |
| Odonates | |
| Ebony Jewelwing BC | Appalachian Snaketail BC |
| Appalachian Jewelwing BC | Common Whitetail CH |
| Familiar Bluet BC | Black Saddlebags BC |
| Ashy cCubtail BC | |
| Mammals and Other Critters | |
| White-tailed Deer | Gray Treefrog (Heard) |
| Gray Squirrel | |