Mediocrity (29Apr-11May2017)

Don't come to Wilmington during spring migration unless you want to see breeders all pumped up with hormones or shorebirds in large numbers.  You definitely do not want to come here if migrating warblers and passerines are your thing.  Even the Yellow-rumps are gone.  I have been seeing a plethora of list serv emails boasting of 21 warbler species in one morning.  I am lucky around here if I can find one! I am not kidding.  That being said, I have some good pics to share from the past couple weeks.  I am hoping soon I will be able to get a little further afield and get me some warblers.

This Great Horned Owl has been hanging out behind the marina at CB State Park.

I pity the small woodland creature that gets snatched by those big feet.

I must have unintentionally changed my camera settings for these shots but I am not unhappy about it.  This picture reminds me of a creature from Where the Wild Things Are.

Monarchs are back!

Eastern Willets are like the Honey Badger of the bird world.  They don't give a s***!

White-crowned Sparrows a little closer to home - Fort Fisher.

Cattle Egret behind the Home Depot at Monkey Junction - New Hanover tick.

Eastern Pondhawk

Red-headed Woodpecker at Autumn Hall.

Canada Goose

Green Heron

Blue Jay gathering nest material.

American Lady

Orchard Oriole - Greenfield Lake.

Hooded Warbler at Howell Woods.  I have to drive over an hour to get my warbler fix.

Swainson's Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Kentucky Warbler

Yellow-breasted Chat

Indigo Bunting

Prairie Warbler

White-eyed Vireo

Common Whitetail

Blue Dasher

Great Blue Skimmer

Another Swainson's Warbler.

Common Yellowthroat

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Swainson's Warbler in New Hanover County!  Sam C found this on Holly Shelter Rd.

Common Yellowthroat in New Hanover.

White-Rumped Sandpiper at Fort Fisher spit - New Hanover side.

Another WRSP on right.

Yet another!!

Dowitchers have nice color now.

And the last WRSP for the day.

Spotted Sandpiper on the rocks at Federal Point - New Hanover side.

Yellow-throated Vireo at a trail off Holly Shelter Rd in New Hanover.

Coyote

Summer Tanager

Spotted SP at Burnt Mill Creek.

Little Blue Heron

I have been looking closely at the dowitchers at Fort Fisher trying to find a Long-billed.  This one seemed to have a relatively light rump, so Short-billed?

Many have a ton of rufous on them....

The same bird as in the above shot but the light makes it look to have a dark rump?  Dowitchers are hard.

Seaside Dragonlet?

Common Nighthawk at CB State Park.

Record shot of White-eyed Vireo at Autumn Hall area.

Solitary SPs at Autumn Hall - I am petitioning the AOU since these were obviously not Solitary.

The Least Bittern at Wade Park has not wanted to be photographed so this Red-winged Blackbird will have to do.

Hoping for a warbler trip or pelagic sometime soon.