Four Good Birds in 2 days (01-02Dec2018)

I have gone 3-4 weeks without anything new and then this weekend I hit the jackpot.  First stop was Pat's Rd near Pungo and I found a goodun right away.

Western Kingbird!

 Confirmation with white outer tail feathers.

It was at the end of Pat's Rd right where the dirt of Canal Rd D starts.

I scoured Blackbird flocks diligently but nothing stood out as different.  Some Cowbirds and Grackles and Starlings and Rusty BBs. Still it was beautiful to hear and see these shapeshifting massive flocks.

This giant flock of Snow Geese also flew by and I tried to pick out some Ross's but size is tricky when the birds are varying in distance.

Next stop was Pea Island on the OBX to look for the reported Glaucous.

Greater Scaup

Canvasback and Redhead.

Finally.... Glaucous on the sandbar near the bird hide.

I tried for Snow Bunting at Oregon Inlet and Short-eared Owl at Alligator but dipped twice.  On the way home I saw a report about a Ross's Goose in Bayboro, NC.  So I stayed in a hotel in Washington, NC and hit up Bayboro first thing in the morning.  There were huge flocks of blackbirds again on the way but I could not find a YH Blackbird for the life of me.  At the wastewater treatment plant, I could not see the ponds as they are elevated and it is private, but I thought to myself why not check nearby fields.  I checked my Nav system for good looking fields and on a hunch headed east.  Half a mile later, the bird was right off the side of the road in a retention pond!  My eBird checklist has the exact location if you are looking for this bird.

Ross's Goose - if you zoom in you can see the bluish gnarly stuff at the base of the bill and there is no  grin patch like on a Snow Goose.

Back home we hit up my favorite brunch at Savorez.  I was so happy to make it home in time to spend some time with the family and eat at our favorite restaurant.  To top off a perfect weekend, the wife and I took the dogs for a walk on the north end of WB.  The high tide was coinciding with the evening roost for gulls and a nice congregation of birds were chilling out at the tip.

Black-headed Gull

 WOW!!! Only 4 birds away from the state big year record.