Monday, May 4, 2020

Spring Fling Part Uno (12-27Apr2020)

I always roll my eyes when the emails start coming in from the listserv saying things like "the prothonotaries are back" or "I just saw a parula".  Yes folks, the birds do come back every year.  However, now I see I am about to do the same with my post.  It is true that I am amazed every year when the long distant migrants make it back and with such fidelity to the same spots.  I love to think that a particular bird that has staked out a certain spot is the same I saw the previous year.

In fact this particular Cattle Egret was sitting on this cow last year too.


Cattle Egret and cattle at Lee Buck Rd in Brunswick County.


The prime real estate of this cow is something he will have to fight over.

I have been going to Wade Park quite a few times because it is close to my house and it is really filling out nicely as an example of how a little area preserved as a wetland in an otherwise suburban sprawl can attract tons of wildlife if managed well.  Kudos to the people that designed Wade.


This tiny little damselfly has not been IDed yet, but Picture Insect app says Citrine Forktail?


Red-eyed Vireo


Painted Lady


Clouded Skipper?


Blue Grosbeaks are all over Lee Buck and Governor's Rds.





I'm not sure if this Prothonotary was on nest or just scoping this hollow out. Can you see the beak just poking out?


My good buddy Shun tipped me off to good warbler action off Beard Garden Rd in Holly Shelter so I went up and quickly found he was right.



The head pattern of a Worm-eating Warbler is a beautiful thing.




Swainson's Warblers were singing away like their sex life depended on it.




Summer Tanagers were everywhere too.



Ovenbird

On my way home I spotted my favorite raptor in NC...


Swallow-tailed Kite!




It was hawking grasshoppers over a winter wheat field.





Awesome!!


The Soras are still at Wade Park!  Could they be breeding???


Ruby-throated Hummingbird in my front yard sitting on my now discarded dead Weeping Cherry.  RIP..  Apparently borer beetles target these.  This past weekend I replaced it with a Weeping Redbud. I like the weeping small trees so the hummers can sit next to my feeder.


Bueller?


Tiny little Fragile Forktail at Wade.


Green Heron at Wade.


Nutria or Muskrat?


Great Blue Heron

I took another trip one early morning to explore more of the roads off the Bear Garden tract in Holly Shelter.



Summer Tanager


Hooded Warbler


Barn Swallow


Anyone know of a good App or field guide for NC flowers?  I might start "branching" out, get it?


Indigo Bunting


Some kind of Orchid?


Native Azalea?


???


Red-headed Woodpecker

Meanwhile at CB State Park...



Common Grackle


Eastern Hognose Snake



Indigo Bunting



Summer Tanager


Great Crested Flycatcher

At Ashley HS Ponds, I lucked out with a Glossy Ibis.





Even Canada Geese have a cute phase..


Wood Ducklings!



Back on my now defunct Weeping Cherry, this late Hermit Thrush posed nicely.

Tons more photos to go through, but this will do for now...

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