I managed to get out the door prior to first light on Friday and even though I took the day off from work I was slowed down by several teleconferences that required me to pull over and open my computer. My first real stop was not until around 9am at the VOA site in Bear Grass, NC. I was really curious to see if this under birded spot was still holding the Say's Phoebe from last year or maybe had some other interesting birds. It was dead.... nothing out there but a few sparrows.
A couple more teleconferences and many miles later I dipped again at Lake Phelps looking for some Common Mergansers. Plenty of Canvasbacks and Hooded Mergansers but no Common ones. A bit of a misnomer if you ask me. They should rename them Uncommon Merganser.
My luck changed at my next stop - Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, otherwise known as Shangri La.
An almost adult Northern Harrier
The leucistic Red-tailed Hawk that has been hanging out around Milltail Rd.
I did get a quick look at a distant bird that I thought was good for the recurring Swainson's Hawk, but it was not good enough for ID. Then this happened....
A Peregrine Falcon was tussling with something that had a broad white rump patch and was hovering like a Rough-legged Hawk.
Rough-legged Hawk! The wrist patches and black belly band helped to clinch the ID.
Mary from Virginia was there and also saw the hawk and I was able to get the word out to someone that posted on the listserv. I am happy to say that subsequently many people have come and seen it as well.
Peregrine Falcon - thanks to this bird attention was called to the Rough-legged.
Some of my friends from the Forsyth group witnessed it catch a mouse later on Sunday.
I had an hour or so of light left so I jammed it down to Bodie Island to see if I could rustle up a Virginia Rail or Sora.
Damn King Rails have gained junk bird status here since I had one a couple weeks prior. All jokes aside, I am really glad that Bodie Island is holding a population of Kings that appear to be pure. Hybridization is a terrible scourge even if it is driven by natural selection. At least from a bird listing perspective.
Virginia Rail!
Probably one of the best photos I have had of this species.
Blue Winged Teal viewable from the platform at Bodie.
I knew it would be a good pelagic when first thing in the morning out of the harbor we had a huge flock of Brant.
Then a Peregrine Falcon was following us out the inlet. It was colder than a wizard's tit (trying to be PC here). The temp was 29 degrees F when we left the harbor and it never really went to far above freezing so my toes and fingers were chilly the whole trip but my layers kept my core nice and toasty.
Manx Shearwaters were seen intermittently throughout the trip. You can see here that on winter pelagics you don't need to be far out to get birds.
Manx Shearwater
Great Black-backed Gull - the largest gull in the world.
Razorbills were everywhere. I thought for sure we would pick up some Murres but that never happened.
Black-legged Kittiwake! NC lifer for me and a few others on the boat. It did not stick around long and unfortunately some poor souls in the cabin missed it.
The first Great Skua was a quintessentially quick affair seen way out. I managed this record shot.
Manx Shearwater
Dovekie! I managed to call out the first one of the day but we had a bunch.
Little Gull! The color change about 10-12 miles out was awesome and the birds were everywhere.
Where the cold green water meets the warm blue water.
I wonder if the birds like these color (temperature) changes because the bait fish swimming in the blue water get cold stunned when they enter the green water? I noticed the birds mostly were working the green side of the color change. Or maybe the bait fish on the green side get concentrated because when they hit the warm water they stop... I guess I could research the phenomena but I prefer to just ponder on it.
Little Gull - check out that cap and the two lines coming down from the crown. Not to mention the obvious dark underwing. This is one sharp looking individual.
Red Phalarope - only one we saw all day and it was all by itself.
I believe this is a totally different individual than the picture directly above. When it rains it pours.
Loggerhead Turtle - probably cold stunned and recharging in the Blue Water.
Northern Fulmar - we had a bunch.
For the second Great Skua it flew 20 feet away from me while myself and Jacob held on tight on the bowsprit. It came out of nowhere and I didn't manage a decent pic because I was getting tossed around. The bowsprit is a great place to see all the birds with the naked eye but taking pictures is tough as it is one of the most volatile spots on the boat in terms of rocking.
Dovekie! We had quite a few of these cutie pies.
Little Gull
The blue water was smoking due to the difference between the water and the cold air.
Atlantic Puffins! Another NC lifer for me.
Razorbill
Fulmar
I snapped a ton of Razorbill pics hoping to find a Murre mixed in but never did find one.
Back outside the harbor two Brant from the earlier flock remained.
Luckily I was able to stay another night at Pat and Neal's house in Frisco, so I was able to slowly work my way back home on Sunday.
American Wigeon
This one had some maroon coloring mixed in with the green racing stripe.
Storm Wigeon!! Not a distinct species but rather an interesting color morph of American Wigeon. The white from the forehead extends to the cheeks.
There was a ton of Canvasbacks on North Pond.
American White Pelican
I took a ton of female wigeon pics hoping to comb through later and find a Eurasian but no luck there. None of the birds had a "warm" colored head.
Redhead
Common Goldeneye
Female Canvasback - almost as pretty as the male is handsome.
Ruddy Duck
Northern Shoveler
Great Horned Owl on nest at Oregon Inlet Marina - she better hurry as the Osprey owner will want this nest site back.
Horned Grebe
Snow Goose flyover at Bodie Island. My real target for the day was the Swainson's Hawk at Alligator that I was not able to get pics of previously. I spent about 3 hours driving back and forth and re-found the Rough-legged but the Swainson's was missing. White I was chatting with Jeff, we spotted two birds circling at great height over a field and were able to ID one as a Red-tailed Hawk. The second had long pointed wings which fit for Swainson's but the light was poor. Now that I am back in the comfort of my own home, I can see it was the Swainson's Hawk. In fact I think this is the light morph juvenile that has been seen on the nearby dirt pile.
I know horrible pic, but I must make do with what I have. The lighter colored head is indicative and the long pointed wings are diagnostic.
The ventral view also confirms the field marks: Patagial bars are not dark which eliminated Red-tailed, lighter breast and dark trailing edge of primaries and trailing edge wing feathers are all good for Swainson's.
Dorsal view shows a hint of a white rump line that is diagnostic and the head is super light. A Harrier and a Rough-legged would have a much wider rump patch.
Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk
A nice flock of Rusty Blackbirds were also hanging out at Alligator.
Last stop of the day before it starting raining hard was the Brewer's Blackbirds at Lake Landing where the conditions quickly deteriorated. I don't know what it is about these birds that never offer good photo opportunities, aside from all the horse shit.
Brewer's Blackbird
Male and female Brewer's.
Finally to end the post, I have a few pics from an evening photo session at Fort Fisher on Monday.
Great Cormorant at Tennessee Ave in Carolina Beach.
Ring-billed Gull
River Otter on the Cape Fear.
American Bittern at Fort Fisher.
I got excited when I saw an alcid floating outside the wave zone at FF but it turned out to be a Razorbill.
Great times.
Quite an assortment! - even a puffin!
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