On Sunday September 29th there was just a couple of hours in which to bird before heading to the Charlottte airport.
We spent the time at Jackson Park and walked the same trails as on Friday, this time seeing 3 White-eyed Vireos and 2 Golden-winged Warblers in addition to birds we had seen before: American Redstarts; Tennessee, Hooded, Chestnut-sided and Black-and-White Warblers; Pileated Woodpeckers; Eastern Wood-Pewees etc.
I headed home with my ABA list at 547 and my year list at 647, both just a little short of my end-of-trip targets. But I saw 168 species on the 7-day plus 2-hour trip of which 23 were lifers. The tour was billed as Songbirds, Shorebirds and Seabirds and I had 23 species of warbler, 20 waders and 6 sea birds.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Great Smokey Mountains and Rankin Bottoms
On Saturday September 28th we visited Great Smokey Mountain National Park in the morning and then Douglas Dam and Rankin Bottoms in Tennessee in the afternoon.
After seeing 4 Wild Turkey just after we entered Great Smokey Mountains National Park we stopped off a couple of times to look at migrant warblers. Bay-breasted was the most common warbler in the trees and Tennessee Warbler the most common in the shrubs, and Steve's pishing brought in a Red-breasted Nuthatch for all to see - I had missed one the day before. After going to the mountain top we descended on the Tennessee side and Steve found us a Winter Wren.
After passing through the touristy town of Pigeon's Forge we stopped a couple of times at a vast reservoir, first near the dams and then at some mudflats. Douglas Dam yielded 5 Black Vultures and 6 Black-crowned Night-herons and Rankin Bottoms 28 Pectoral Sandpipers and an American White Pelican. In between we stopped to look at gulls and found one Laughing and one Lesser Black-backed among 30 Ring-bills.
We ended the day at Steve's parent's place where Steve failed to attract the resident Eastern Screech-Owl - our third failure in three tries for a night bird on the trip.
After seeing 4 Wild Turkey just after we entered Great Smokey Mountains National Park we stopped off a couple of times to look at migrant warblers. Bay-breasted was the most common warbler in the trees and Tennessee Warbler the most common in the shrubs, and Steve's pishing brought in a Red-breasted Nuthatch for all to see - I had missed one the day before. After going to the mountain top we descended on the Tennessee side and Steve found us a Winter Wren.
After passing through the touristy town of Pigeon's Forge we stopped a couple of times at a vast reservoir, first near the dams and then at some mudflats. Douglas Dam yielded 5 Black Vultures and 6 Black-crowned Night-herons and Rankin Bottoms 28 Pectoral Sandpipers and an American White Pelican. In between we stopped to look at gulls and found one Laughing and one Lesser Black-backed among 30 Ring-bills.
We ended the day at Steve's parent's place where Steve failed to attract the resident Eastern Screech-Owl - our third failure in three tries for a night bird on the trip.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Blue Ridge Parkway
On Friday September 27th we drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mt. Mitchell stopping once on the way up and many times on the way down.
The first three hours were spent at Ridge Junction. Perhaps 20 birders were with us for a magical time as migrants came up one side of the mountain, stopped at the crest and then descended on the other side. We saw large numbers of Tennessee Warblers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (including some brightly coloured males) and Blue-headed Vireos. We also had a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, several Bay-breasted, Magnolia, Cape May and Black-throated Blue Warblers (including some bright males). We also had a single Blackburnian Warbler - again a nicely colored male - and a single Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Resident birds included a tom Wild Turkey on the way up, Slate-colored Dark-eyed Juncos, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets.
When things quietened down we went to the summit of Mt. Mitchell - the highest point east of the Mississippi - where we saw a kettle of 12 Broad-winged Hawks and 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks. We then descended the mountains stopping several times but seeing few birds. The only thing of note was an Ovenbird at Craggy Gardens. Eventually it was clear that there were no birds and we headed into town for tea (me) and ice-cream (the others).
After tea we went to the River Park and then returned to Owen Park where we saw small numbers of migrants.
The first three hours were spent at Ridge Junction. Perhaps 20 birders were with us for a magical time as migrants came up one side of the mountain, stopped at the crest and then descended on the other side. We saw large numbers of Tennessee Warblers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (including some brightly coloured males) and Blue-headed Vireos. We also had a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, several Bay-breasted, Magnolia, Cape May and Black-throated Blue Warblers (including some bright males). We also had a single Blackburnian Warbler - again a nicely colored male - and a single Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Resident birds included a tom Wild Turkey on the way up, Slate-colored Dark-eyed Juncos, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets.
When things quietened down we went to the summit of Mt. Mitchell - the highest point east of the Mississippi - where we saw a kettle of 12 Broad-winged Hawks and 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks. We then descended the mountains stopping several times but seeing few birds. The only thing of note was an Ovenbird at Craggy Gardens. Eventually it was clear that there were no birds and we headed into town for tea (me) and ice-cream (the others).
After tea we went to the River Park and then returned to Owen Park where we saw small numbers of migrants.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Jackson Park
On Thursday September 26th we spent the day at Jackson Park putting in three two-hour shifts walking the trails and seeing a lot of migrant bird activity.
We saw lots of warblers, although only Tennessee, Canada and a single Yellow-throated were new for the trip, and both Blue-headed and Yellow-throated Vireos. We had both Least and Acadian Flycatchers and Wood and Swainson's Thrushes. This was our best day so far in our search for migrant songbirds. We met other birders there, of which some had seen Golden-winged Warblers, Blue-winged Warblers and Northern Waterthrushes. This meant that we would return to Jackson Park on Sunday morning.
After Jackson Park we stopped off at Lake James in the search for American Coot - this bird had become something of a joke. Alas we could not find one - and indeed we later found that there was just a solitary recent eBird report including this bird in the whole of North Carolina! Instead we found a female Hooded Merganser in with a motley crew of domestic ducks and geese and a few normal-looking mallards.
Our final stop was at a water treatment plant where we added a Pied-billed Grebe to the trip list. A little more searching brought Tree, Bank and Barn Swallows.
We saw lots of warblers, although only Tennessee, Canada and a single Yellow-throated were new for the trip, and both Blue-headed and Yellow-throated Vireos. We had both Least and Acadian Flycatchers and Wood and Swainson's Thrushes. This was our best day so far in our search for migrant songbirds. We met other birders there, of which some had seen Golden-winged Warblers, Blue-winged Warblers and Northern Waterthrushes. This meant that we would return to Jackson Park on Sunday morning.
After Jackson Park we stopped off at Lake James in the search for American Coot - this bird had become something of a joke. Alas we could not find one - and indeed we later found that there was just a solitary recent eBird report including this bird in the whole of North Carolina! Instead we found a female Hooded Merganser in with a motley crew of domestic ducks and geese and a few normal-looking mallards.
Our final stop was at a water treatment plant where we added a Pied-billed Grebe to the trip list. A little more searching brought Tree, Bank and Barn Swallows.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
The Piedmont
On Wednesday September 25th we drove from Raleigh to Asheville making a few stops on the way - first the gardens at Duke University in Durham, then the campus of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, then a park in Hickory and finally at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa.
The landscaped gardens at Duke were quite lovely and we enjoyed a short visit although we did not see any special birds. We did finally catch up with Gray Catbird. At Wake Forest we walked in a more natural setting and found Scarlet Tanager and both Bay-breasted and Chestnut-sided warblers.
The next stop was at Hickory, just below the mountains. This provided the best birding of the day including my first Yellow-billed Cuckoo in about 20 years! We also added Philadelphia Vireo, Eastern Phoebe, a Cape May Warbler and a Traill's (Alder/Willow) Flycatcher. But my highlight was not a bird but a mammal - a woodchuck or groundhog and locally known as a whistle-pig.
We ended the day in the mountains at Swannanoa, first at Owen Park where we had out first Magnolia Warbler among a few other warbler species and then on the campus of Warren Wilson College - an interesting school with its own farm and a philosophy of academics, work and service. We added Cedar Waxwing here but dipped on the target bird of Field Sparrow.
The landscaped gardens at Duke were quite lovely and we enjoyed a short visit although we did not see any special birds. We did finally catch up with Gray Catbird. At Wake Forest we walked in a more natural setting and found Scarlet Tanager and both Bay-breasted and Chestnut-sided warblers.
The next stop was at Hickory, just below the mountains. This provided the best birding of the day including my first Yellow-billed Cuckoo in about 20 years! We also added Philadelphia Vireo, Eastern Phoebe, a Cape May Warbler and a Traill's (Alder/Willow) Flycatcher. But my highlight was not a bird but a mammal - a woodchuck or groundhog and locally known as a whistle-pig.
We ended the day in the mountains at Swannanoa, first at Owen Park where we had out first Magnolia Warbler among a few other warbler species and then on the campus of Warren Wilson College - an interesting school with its own farm and a philosophy of academics, work and service. We added Cedar Waxwing here but dipped on the target bird of Field Sparrow.
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| Woodchuck |
Cape Hatteras Pelagic
On Tuesday September 24th we got up early and reached the dock at Manteo at 5:30am. Captain Al and son Charles then proceeded to take us out 50+ miles into the Atlantic, heading to deep water within the Gulf Stream.
We saw well over a hundred Cory's Sheartwater on the trip plus several Great Shearwatres and Black-capped Petrels and a few Audubon's Shearwaters and a single Bridled Tern. We also saw Common Porpoise, Bottleneck Dolphin and Pilot Whales. Plus a Hammerhead Shark swimming near the surface. We were on a fishing charter boat and Charles had lines in the water and caught a Yellowfin Tuna and a Dusky Shark.
With 5 lifers I would not call this a bad day's birding but this pelagic was as dull as the one from Half Moon Bay a year ago: Lots of energy spent worrying about the roughness of the sea (which turned out to be very calm); having to get up at 4am leaving me tired all day; 2-3 hours each way getting to/from the birds with nothing much to see; and long periods spent with just a distant bird to look at interspersed with short periods of excitement. The good news is that I now have all 7 ABA Code 1 albatross/petrel/shearwaters and 4/7 of the Code 2s (but I have done poorly with just a single Storm Petrel).
We saw well over a hundred Cory's Sheartwater on the trip plus several Great Shearwatres and Black-capped Petrels and a few Audubon's Shearwaters and a single Bridled Tern. We also saw Common Porpoise, Bottleneck Dolphin and Pilot Whales. Plus a Hammerhead Shark swimming near the surface. We were on a fishing charter boat and Charles had lines in the water and caught a Yellowfin Tuna and a Dusky Shark.
With 5 lifers I would not call this a bad day's birding but this pelagic was as dull as the one from Half Moon Bay a year ago: Lots of energy spent worrying about the roughness of the sea (which turned out to be very calm); having to get up at 4am leaving me tired all day; 2-3 hours each way getting to/from the birds with nothing much to see; and long periods spent with just a distant bird to look at interspersed with short periods of excitement. The good news is that I now have all 7 ABA Code 1 albatross/petrel/shearwaters and 4/7 of the Code 2s (but I have done poorly with just a single Storm Petrel).
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| Common Tern |
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| Cory's Shearwater |
The Outer Banks
On Monday September 23rd we postponed our pelagic until the following day and spent the day in the immediate area of Nag's Head. Specifically we began at the Bodie Island Lighthouse, returned to Pea Island, then the north end of Roanoke Island, then Alligator River and then back to Pea Island for the third time. Finally we went to the Bodie Island Lighthouse at dusk.
The pelagic had been postponed due to the weather conditions and we birded in strong winds in the morning. We started near the Bodie Island Lighthouse where we dipped again on Seaside Sparrow. We did find a few Palm Warblers and I finally got to see the noisy Carolina Wren. We then returned to Pea Island where we found most of yesterday's waders gone and windy conditions that made looking through scopes very difficult. We took a side trip to a jetty where we found an American Oystercatcher, Sanderlings hiding out of the wind and a Spotted Sandpiper. We walked around a closed area of breeding habitat for Piping Plovers but these birds stayed hunkered down and invisible.
The next stop were the Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island but they were totally dead. We walked along some trails nearby and has a single Prairie Warbler and a single Yellow-breasted Chat. [These proved to be the only sightings of these birds on the trip.] We spent the afternoon at Alligator River and had lunch sitting on a wooden bridge, where fortune smiled on us and an alligator swam underneath. This is at the northern limit of its range and we ran into someone who told us that she'd been coming here regularly for 30 years and had only seen one once before! We added Pileated Woodpecker and Black-throated Green Warbler and found a flock of Bobolinks in a weedy field.
The day ended at Bodie Lighthouse at dusk where a Great-horned Owl flew in and perched on one of the windows. But our target was a Chuck-will's Widow. We dipped despite staying out underdressed in the cold wind.
The pelagic had been postponed due to the weather conditions and we birded in strong winds in the morning. We started near the Bodie Island Lighthouse where we dipped again on Seaside Sparrow. We did find a few Palm Warblers and I finally got to see the noisy Carolina Wren. We then returned to Pea Island where we found most of yesterday's waders gone and windy conditions that made looking through scopes very difficult. We took a side trip to a jetty where we found an American Oystercatcher, Sanderlings hiding out of the wind and a Spotted Sandpiper. We walked around a closed area of breeding habitat for Piping Plovers but these birds stayed hunkered down and invisible.
The next stop were the Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island but they were totally dead. We walked along some trails nearby and has a single Prairie Warbler and a single Yellow-breasted Chat. [These proved to be the only sightings of these birds on the trip.] We spent the afternoon at Alligator River and had lunch sitting on a wooden bridge, where fortune smiled on us and an alligator swam underneath. This is at the northern limit of its range and we ran into someone who told us that she'd been coming here regularly for 30 years and had only seen one once before! We added Pileated Woodpecker and Black-throated Green Warbler and found a flock of Bobolinks in a weedy field.
The day ended at Bodie Lighthouse at dusk where a Great-horned Owl flew in and perched on one of the windows. But our target was a Chuck-will's Widow. We dipped despite staying out underdressed in the cold wind.
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| American Oystercatcher |
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| Sanderlings |
Greenville to the Coast
On Sunday September 22nd we began the day in Greenville and traveled to Nag's Head on the Outer Banks. We started the day at a park in Greenville, traveled to a Sod Farm and then drove through Nag's Head to Pea Island.
Having dipped on Bachman's Sparrow the day before, poring rain meant that we stayed in the room and skipped the Henslow Sparrow spot entirely. We had arranged to meet someone at the gate and everything pointed to an easy lifer. Alas.
In the dizzle we headed to a local park in Greenville where Steve had a spot for Prothonotary Warblers who were very obliging. We also had American Redstarts and Northern Parulas along the same stretch. The big surprise was a pair of Anhinga - at the very north of their range - giving me my third darter of the year! We also added up a bunch of 'easy' birds.
At the sid farm we had fun scanning flocks of shorebirds and picking up Baird's, Pectorals and Westerns among the Least Sandpipers. We also had both Black-bellied and American Golden Plover in close proximity to learn the differences between these species. We could not find our target bird but got lucky when 2 Buff-breasted Sandpipers appeared just as we were leaving!
After driving onto the Outer Banks we stopped first for a bite to eat on a pier and found a bunch of beach birds - Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Marbled Godwit and Dunlin before deciding to give Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge a go before heading to the hotel. We had another good lesson picking out the Royal from the Caspian Terns, as well as finding Sandwich, Forster's and Black Terns. The latter was an ABA for me after a long time of looking. A number of Black Terns had been in northern Arizona around the time I had left but circumstances had not allowed me to chase as often as I had wanted. We had a number of other new ticks for the trip and then ventured away from the car and visitor center shelter .. where we were soaked to the skin in a heavy downpour!
After checking in and showering we took a short trek to the beautiful Jockey's Ridge dunes where we again dipped on Field Sparrow and had Seaside Sparrows respond to tape but not cooperate. We did have a Common Nighthawk fly overhead and had a toad cross our path as we headed back to the car in darkness.
Having dipped on Bachman's Sparrow the day before, poring rain meant that we stayed in the room and skipped the Henslow Sparrow spot entirely. We had arranged to meet someone at the gate and everything pointed to an easy lifer. Alas.
In the dizzle we headed to a local park in Greenville where Steve had a spot for Prothonotary Warblers who were very obliging. We also had American Redstarts and Northern Parulas along the same stretch. The big surprise was a pair of Anhinga - at the very north of their range - giving me my third darter of the year! We also added up a bunch of 'easy' birds.
At the sid farm we had fun scanning flocks of shorebirds and picking up Baird's, Pectorals and Westerns among the Least Sandpipers. We also had both Black-bellied and American Golden Plover in close proximity to learn the differences between these species. We could not find our target bird but got lucky when 2 Buff-breasted Sandpipers appeared just as we were leaving!
After driving onto the Outer Banks we stopped first for a bite to eat on a pier and found a bunch of beach birds - Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Marbled Godwit and Dunlin before deciding to give Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge a go before heading to the hotel. We had another good lesson picking out the Royal from the Caspian Terns, as well as finding Sandwich, Forster's and Black Terns. The latter was an ABA for me after a long time of looking. A number of Black Terns had been in northern Arizona around the time I had left but circumstances had not allowed me to chase as often as I had wanted. We had a number of other new ticks for the trip and then ventured away from the car and visitor center shelter .. where we were soaked to the skin in a heavy downpour!
After checking in and showering we took a short trek to the beautiful Jockey's Ridge dunes where we again dipped on Field Sparrow and had Seaside Sparrows respond to tape but not cooperate. We did have a Common Nighthawk fly overhead and had a toad cross our path as we headed back to the car in darkness.
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| Boat-tailed Grackle |
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| White Ibis |
Saturday, September 21, 2013
North Carolina
After my planned April trip to Texas fell through I signed up for a fall migration trip to North Carolina. Friday September 20th was a long travel day with flight delays and I let home in Flagstaff at 4:40am (MST) and arrived at the hotel in Monroe, NV at 11:10pm (EDT).
In Saturday September 21st bid guide Steve and I were up a little after 5:00 to head out and meet Linda and Elaine for the four person tour. The morning was spent at the Sandhills area, first on some game lands and then at Weymouth Woods. We tried so hard for Bachman's Sparrow but dipped on this bid and the expected Northern Bobwhite but I got four lifers - Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Eastern Wood-Pewee and Pine Warbler - as well as a number of other birds that I had not seen in a while - Brown Thrasher, Red-headed Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse.
After lunch we drove to Howell Woods, a much more swampy area with lots of flies and mosquitoes where I scored another lifer - Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - and picked up some other easy birds that I had not seen in many years - Carolina Chickadee and Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
In Saturday September 21st bid guide Steve and I were up a little after 5:00 to head out and meet Linda and Elaine for the four person tour. The morning was spent at the Sandhills area, first on some game lands and then at Weymouth Woods. We tried so hard for Bachman's Sparrow but dipped on this bid and the expected Northern Bobwhite but I got four lifers - Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Eastern Wood-Pewee and Pine Warbler - as well as a number of other birds that I had not seen in a while - Brown Thrasher, Red-headed Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse.
After lunch we drove to Howell Woods, a much more swampy area with lots of flies and mosquitoes where I scored another lifer - Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - and picked up some other easy birds that I had not seen in many years - Carolina Chickadee and Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
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| Brown-headed Nuthatch |
Thursday, September 19, 2013
A birdingpal day out
I got to bird with two Missouri birders - Jerry and Margie - on Wednesday evening, September 11th and on Thursday morning September 12th. The evening trip was a search for owls on a beautiful star filled night. We had no owls but head a couple of groups of coyotes howl and saw one of these animals slyly watching us from behind the trees.
Thursday morning was much more successful. I had been given a wish-list and was able to get them 4 birds for their life lists. We began at Picture Canyon where we had a Gray Flycatcher and lots of Wilson's Warblers but no Lewis's Woodpecker. We moved on to Logan's Crossing where a flock of Pinyon Jays found us, and then to Elden Spring where a Sharp-shinned Hawk sat quietly. We flushed the bird away and with quiet all around were about to head off when a Townsend's Solitaire magically appeared. With the clock ticking down and Lewis's Woodpecker still absent we made one last stop on the corner of San Francisco and Switzer and the bird appeared and gave us a good flycatching show. I had to head to work but my guests found their forth lifer - a Clark's Nutcracker - at Snowbowl. I am yet to see that bird in 2013.
Thursday morning was much more successful. I had been given a wish-list and was able to get them 4 birds for their life lists. We began at Picture Canyon where we had a Gray Flycatcher and lots of Wilson's Warblers but no Lewis's Woodpecker. We moved on to Logan's Crossing where a flock of Pinyon Jays found us, and then to Elden Spring where a Sharp-shinned Hawk sat quietly. We flushed the bird away and with quiet all around were about to head off when a Townsend's Solitaire magically appeared. With the clock ticking down and Lewis's Woodpecker still absent we made one last stop on the corner of San Francisco and Switzer and the bird appeared and gave us a good flycatching show. I had to head to work but my guests found their forth lifer - a Clark's Nutcracker - at Snowbowl. I am yet to see that bird in 2013.
Quiet Days
I did not get to bird much in the month of August due to work commitments. Soon after the Tucson trip I tagged along on a business trip for my wife with the idea of birding The Glendale Recharge ponds. The morning of Saturday August 10th turned out to be a very quiet day with few birds out of the very ordinary. I did finally get to add Green Heron to my year list.
My next chance to get out was on Saturday September 7th when I joined a Northern Arizona Audubon trip to Mingus Mountains. I knew this was a risky trip - getting up early and traveling for 90 minutes to get to habitat similar to that on my own back door! But Rich's scouting a couple of days earlier had made it seem worth the trip. Sad to say it turned out to be a very dull day with few birds. The only two things worth mentioning were a large group of Turkey Vultures on the ground and in the trees at Mingus Lake and then 5 hummingbird species - Anna's, Broad-tailed, Black-chinned, Calliope and Rufous - at some feeders.
My next chance to get out was on Saturday September 7th when I joined a Northern Arizona Audubon trip to Mingus Mountains. I knew this was a risky trip - getting up early and traveling for 90 minutes to get to habitat similar to that on my own back door! But Rich's scouting a couple of days earlier had made it seem worth the trip. Sad to say it turned out to be a very dull day with few birds. The only two things worth mentioning were a large group of Turkey Vultures on the ground and in the trees at Mingus Lake and then 5 hummingbird species - Anna's, Broad-tailed, Black-chinned, Calliope and Rufous - at some feeders.
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