Fast forward to this week and I decided that with the Rufous Hummingbird in Durham looking so snazzy I might as well go up to RTP and try for a few missing year birds. First things first, a couple birds from earlier in the week and last weekend.
Eastern Bluebird at Airlie Gardens.
Wild Turkey off Kerr Rd near the airport.
House Wren at Burnt Mill Creek
Pied-billed Grebe at Burnt Mill
This was a first for me, 4 Read-headed WPs feeding on fallen acorns. I have 2 together but never 3-4.
Someone reported a Yellow-crowned Night-heron at Airlie but I only found Black-crowns.
Blue-gray Gnatsmasher
When I first laid eyes on this little guy I thought I had myself a rare hummingbird. The area under the gorget looking buffy and he looked so small and plump. Turns out he was just freezing and trying to get warm.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Fox Squirrel at CB State Park.
The last of the "easy" owls in New Hanover - Barred Owl at Burnt Mill Creek.
Tree Swallows are back at Greenfield Lake - I know horrible picture. Don't worry dear reader, I will get better ones later.
Sunday dawned beautifully and I started my day at Brian P's house looking for my first target - Purple Finch.
Dark-eyed Junco - amazing to think this was my first Junco of the year.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hairy Woodpecker
Brown-headed Cowbird
Dip.... Brian had a Purple Finch 5 minutes before I got there and 5 minutes before I left he saw a couple fly by but they never cooperated.
Next target was the Rufous Hummingbird at the Winton's house in Durham. Dip again. Apparently he left a couple days earlier or at least no one has seen him. Just my luck, a bird reliably seen for 4 months departed 2 days before I got there. The consolation is that meeting Scott's parents was cool. They are two very nice individuals.
At this point I thought to myself sure I could salvage the day by going to the Coker Arboretum in Chapel Hill and photograph the cooperative Cape May Warbler that has been hanging out near some Camelias. I beat the bushes and scanned the tree tops for 2 hours and failed to find it. Later in the evening I saw that someone saw him about 2 hours before I got there. Arghhh.....
White-breasted Nuthatch
Final stop for the day was Mason Farm for no reason other than to have a nice walk before driving home. Its harder to be disappointed when you have no real target.
Brown Creeper - this is probably my 5th or 6th creeper for the year!
Winter Wren
Field Sparrow in the foreground and Swamp Sparrow in background.
Field Sparrow
Now that I got a horrendous day of dipping on all my targets out of the way, I am sure my next foray will be more successful. Its basic laws of statistics right?
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