Sing, little bird: N.C. calls 2010 year of the bird

GREAT DISMAL SWAMP IN CAMDEN COUNTY, N.C.

It was a cool, windy afternoon, and cane growing from the murky water rustled in the breeze - tough conditions for spotting or hearing birds.

Signa Williams, a ranger for the Dismal Swamp State Park, entered the swampy woodland on the boardwalk behind park headquarters, binoculars around her neck, in hopes of spotting early spring birds.

After walking 1,000 feet to the end of the boardwalk, Williams had not seen nor heard a single bird.

Very plentiful, though, were swarms of midges - small, mosquito like flying insects that do not bite but do aggravate.

"It's hard sometimes to pick out birds by sight back here," she said. "But it's great to pick up birds by ear."

That is if it were early morning and the cane were not rustling so much. Even with Williams' expertise, bird-watching is not a guaranteed sport.

North Carolina has declared this the year of the birds for its state parks. April is the start of nesting season and prime bird-watching time. Plans are to extend the boardwalk by an additional 1,000 feet soon.

Williams and her husband, Floyd, a retired state ranger and also a bird expert, guide scheduled tours at the park, which has about 18 miles of trails for hiking and biking. The Virginia Beach Audubon Society had planned to hike in the park Saturday.

"It's very, very outstanding," said Steve Coari, vice president of the club. "It's all out there in front of you. Floyd knows every bird by their first name, their parents, brothers and sisters."

The group hoped to see mature and immature bald eagles and maybe an osprey or two.

"One of the reasons you go out is you never know what you're going to see," Coari said.

Two weeks ago, Signa Williams saw two male turkeys showing off in front of female s.

One would stick his chest out, fan his tail, hold his wings down and shake while the other walked around behind. When the one finished, the other would start his dance.

Meanwhile, the first would circle around the back to start the cycle over.

Evidently bored, the females left, Williams said.

"They were trying to one-up each other," she said. "It was hilarious."

Swamps are the best habitats to find neotropical songbirds such as the bright yellow prothonotary warbler and the yellow-throated warbler, said Andy Wood, education director for Audubon North Carolina. Wood spent Thursday in a swamp in southeastern North Carolina and spotted a few warblers.

"They're on their way right now," Wood said. "Their numbers will swell in the next two weeks."

Neotropical songbirds spend the winters in South America and nest in this region. They like the deep woods, where there is minimal disturbance.

The plain brown Swainson's warbler is a rare bird to see, he said. Warblers are small birds recognized for their long, sharp beaks.

Warblers stake out territories around the small cavities they use to nest. Different warbler species will overlap their territories, but seldom will the same species overlap, Wood said. Nests are nearly impossible to spot.

"The camouflage is uncanny," he said.

Bird-watching has become the second most popular outdoor activity after gardening, he said. About 60 million Americans call themselves bird-watchers, including several hundred thousand in North Carolina, he said.

Jeff Hampton, (252) 338-0159, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com