Calico Pennant? Taken at Ashley High School.
Sam C called me and gave me a heads up that there was an interesting duck at Ashley High School showing at least some Mottled Duck lineage.
The biggest problem with it is that the white edging around the blue speculum was a little too prominent for my liking, especially the top edge.
Also the face was just a little too textured. For a true Mottled, I would hope the face would be more buffy and with hardly any texture.
However, it does have the black gape spot and the tail was not white like a mallard. Unfortunately I cannot claim it for my year list, but a cool bird none the less.
Sam also had given me a heads up that he heard a Yellow-headed Blackbird in a large flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds several weeks ago at Sutton Lake, so I have been checking the flock periodically during my kid's soccer practice.
I diligently searched the flock several times, but could not find the YHBB.
Pearl Crescent?
Need ham's or Golden-winged Skimmer
Over on the Fort Fisher Spit, this juvenile Piping Plover tricked me into thinking Snowy Plover.
But the legs were a dead giveaway.
Lesser Black-backed Gulls are starting to get back into town...
Trying to separate Western vs Semipalmated Sandpipers can be tricky unless the individual is as definitive as this one. The long bill is good for Western.
This shorter billed individual is tricky, but I think based on the light "cheeks" it is a Western.
Caspian Tern
Pectoral SPs are not easy to find on the beach.
Harry S pulled up in his truck just as I found this Wilson's Phalarope.
I was not sure on ID until it stood up and showed it's yellow legs.
Some Semipalmated Plovers are doing their best to look like Little Ringed Plovers with a strong eye-stripe this time of year.
Based on bill along I would have thought Semipalmated but otherwise it shows Western traits. I think this is a Western... Peeps are hard.
Marbled Godwit
Now for some pelagic action! Finally the trip I was scheduled on went out. I was beginning to question my luck since the last two were canceled after a 6 hour drive and sleep in my truck ritual.
The trip started out great with slick seas and this Manx Shearwater only several minutes out of the inlet. Note the white under tail coverts.
I have never seen the Atlantic so calm!
Once out on the Gulf Stream we began seeing Black-capped Petrels.
This Bridled Tern was perched on an old life preserver. It made me wonder and reflect on the thousands of migrants that die in the Mediterranean every year trying to make a better life in EU. It is easy for folks to say they should not have tried the voyage, but unless you have lived through some of the war torn hell they have lived in, we should keep judgements to ourselves.
Cory's Shearwater of the Scopoli sub-species and an Audubon's Shearwater.
Audubon's Shearwater.
Pomarine Jaeger - Not the Jeager species I was hoping for but I will take it.
Cory's
You know the wind is slack when you find 5 Black-capped Petrels sitting on the water.
Sooty Tern! This one was an adult.
And this one a chocolatey juvenile bird.
Cory's
A white faced variety of BC Petrel.
Red-necked Phalarope! Yay, I have finished the trifecta for the year. A veritable Hat Trick!
Cory's
Audubon's
Ok so I was a little slow on this one and only shot it after it flew off, a probable Parasitic Jaeger. Not counting it unless I get desperate later in the year. I expect I will see more later. Weird I don't have one yet.
On the way in we got lucky with some really good birds to end the trip on a really good note. First up was a super photogenic set of Bridled Terns.
I took a million photos but tried to pick the one with the best reflection.
Juvenile Bridled Tern
Then this happened......
Red-billed Tropicbird sitting on the water!! This juvenile bird could be told from the White-tailed Tropicbird by its honker of a bill, and the black eye strip wrapped completely around the back of the nape.
Also the scalloping on the back and the dark base of the primaries all seal the ID.
Goodbye my tropical friend, until we meet again!
Next installment ... storm birds?
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