No So Common, Ringed Plover (06-13Oct2018)

I have quite a backlog developing because between work which is killing me and birding wicked hard  for migration I don't have time to post.  In fact I am on no sleep too.  But migration is almost over and I will catch up.

Here are a few pics from around a soccer tournament for George near Winston Salem.

Blackpoll in the fields next to the tourney.

I have seen more Wood-pewees than I care to.  It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't get my hopes up for an empidonax.

Common Buckeye

American Goldfinches at the Bog Garden

Partially leucistic Robin?

Ah the prize of that soccer trip, a Gray-cheeked Thrush.  I worked hard for this one and thanks to George who put up with a lot of driving around in between soccer games.

A very accommodating bird.

I will have to ID all these butterflies later.

Three different species in one shot?

Cape May - an unusually obliging member of the species.

Back at Burnt Mill Creek the birding has been good but nothing unusual.

More Pewees mascarading as empids......

I assure you dear reader that this is a Tennessee which is a good bird in ILM.  However she forgot to put on her mascara and her eye line is not showing properly.

Yellow-billed Cuckoos are everywhere at Burnt Mill right now.

My final hurrah pelagic was great for Black-capped Petrels in fresh plumage but no red-letter birds.

This fuzzy photo was scrutinized by me because it was looking like a Bermuda to me but Kate brought me back down to earth and confirmed it was just a dark BCP.

Great Shearwater - I think I am getting better at IDing pelagic birds in flight.

We had a ton of migrating warblers fly by the boat and this Black-throated Blue was the only one I managed a decent picture of.  Most were Black-throated Blues and Cape Mays which make sense as they are Caribbean Migrants.  However, it makes you wonder how many of them die out at sea.  Several of them really looked like they wanted to land on the boat.  I told Kate she should get a Xmas tree for the top deck for birds that want to rest.

Cory's SWs

Dorsal view of a Great SW.

 Taking decent pics of sea turtles with my crusher is tough.  This was a huge Leatherback.

Ok enough BCP pics....

And the cherry on top.....

The previously found Common Ringed Plover at Pea Island was luckily still there next to the bird blind although mostly obscured by reeds.

Note the combination of the white eye brow and dark forehead band.  Non-breeding Semis can have an eyebrow but never in combination with a dark forehead band.  Also, note the wide breast band.

I have some more pics to post but I need to go get some warblers so it will have to wait.