Mallard - I know people are going to be asking me where I got this bird but the secret will die with me. I don't want too many people going there to harass it taking pictures. The location of certain species need to be protected. For example owls. However, I can confirm it was in New Hanover County........ Arghh, I just can't keep it secret anymore.... It was the retention pond on Shipyard.
American Black Duck - This guy looked so warm colored that I almost wanted to make it a Mottled Duck. However, I think it was just the light throwing me off.
Female Mallards would be so pretty if you could erase the smudge on their bill.
Hermit Thrush at Greenfield Lake.
White-winged Scoter at Johnny Mercer's Pier - I have been going to the pier quite a bit.
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Loon
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Piping Plover - there is a group that can consistently be found on the South end of Wrightsville Beach in the wheel ruts of the thousands of cars that cruise through the South end all day. I exaggerate but really it is annoying that the Police, the Town of WB Park Rangers, the Lifeguards and the trash collectors all feel its necessary to drive around the south tip right through the roost. I understand the trash guys, but I have no idea what all the other dudes are driving down there for. The only thing I can think of is checking that dogs are leashed but that can't be it either because I always see the cops drive by people with unleashed dogs like they can't be bothered to ticket them. Most mornings I am the only one down there so I think all the constant patrolling is a little too much. Its good to know tax payer money is being used so efficiently to ensure that no one is being murdered on the South end. Don't get me wrong, I respect the police and other public servants, but what I hate is unnecessary work especially when some of the funding comes from tax payers. I used to work for the State of New York Dept of Conservation many years ago and I know first hand how these public service positions are abused and poorly run. People do useless tasks so they look busy and have job security. They lose sight of why they went into that line of work to begin with. Ok off my soap box.
I need to submit this bad boy into the registry and see where he has traveled to.
Purple Sandpiper
Willet
Great Egret at Greenfield Lake - such a beautiful bird in a kind of nasty environment. I tried to crop out some of the garbage.
So crazy to think these majestic birds were almost wiped out for their plumes and ladies hats.
Snowy Egret at Carolina Beach Lake
Sharp-shinned Hawk - the squared off tail is the most used field mark, as well as the coloring the sides of neck and nape. However, for immature birds I like the coarse markings on the breast. On Cooper's Hawk the markings are finer and more like streaks.
Large Blackbird flocks frequently get to the land tip at Fort Fisher and can't decide to cross the Cape Fear or turn back the way they came. Probably Red-winged Blackbirds but I can't be sure.
Royal Tern with a good Caesar cut.
Laughing Gull
Palm Warbler
Tricolored Heron
Black-bellied Plover and friends - If you want to see a ton of shorebirds, just head to Federal Rocks at Fort Fisher at high tide. Remember the tide is 2 hours later on the inside.
Dunlin
Western Sandpiper in center of frame. His bill is pretty long but really its an easy ID because the only other peep this time of year is Least which has yellow legs. Semi-palmated is not around until maybe March.
Least SP
All kinds of goodies in here, but in center frame there is a lone Red Knot.
Western SP in middle, Least on left and Dunlins all around.
Marbled Godwits
MMMmmmMMmm.... Shorebird party and I was invited.
Red Knot to the right of the godwits.
Seaside Sparrow
Garbled Modwit
American Oystercatcher
Short-billed Dowitcher
Western SP
Forster's Tern
Marbled Godwit
This one is tough, bit I am pretty sure its a Nelson's Sparrow. The color on the malar and breast are very similar in intensity and the streaks are very light.
Nelson's Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sparrow - this one is definitive. The malar and breast coloring contrasts nicely and the streaks are dark.
Cooper's Hawk - the nape and sides of neck are nice and buffy.
Hooded Merganser - the Fort Fisher Aquarium pond is always good in the winter.
Common Goldeneye
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Song Sparrow
Ruddy Turnstone - Johnny Mercer's Pier
Surf Scoter - the white mark next to the bill is a vertical oval. White-winged immature or female would have a more smudgy pattern. This bird was hanging out next to the pier all week.
Not to mention no white in wings.
Boat-tailed Grackle
Baltimore Oriole on my hummingbird feeder.
Clapper Rail - on Saturday morning I went to the Battleship and only found clappers.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Great Horned Owl - Airlie Gardens. A pair are nesting in a vacated Osprey nest and the murder of crows mobbing them made them easy to find.
Red-headed WP
Hmm, this one is more tough. Maybe a Sharpie? The tail is kind of in between what I normally would call a Cooper's or Sharpie.
Black-crowned Night-heron
Eastern Screech-owl - how lucky that I have this guy in my back yard?
And a red morph to boot!
More to come my bird nerds. Hang in there for a day or two and I will eventually get to this past weekend which included some really good birds although not in New Hanover County.
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