It's been a while since I crafted an actual meaty post as I have been archiving my old pics. Summer is usually pretty slow here in the southeast as temperatures climb above 90 daily. We had an excellent spring but all good things come to an end and the heat has set in. Here is a mishmash of photos from the past month.
Sunset Beach is a beautiful place to spend some time with the wife and I knew there was a Reddish Egret on the east end so one weekend I suggested we take a stroll. I should have taken some scenery pics because it was gorgeous, but here are couple bird ones.
This Ring-billed Gull looked kind of interesting for about 20 secs.
Immature Reddish Egret.
My buddy Sam called and gave me a heads up in early July about a Black-bellied Whistling-duck at UNCW campus so off I went.
Eastern Kingbird
BBWD! This was most certainly the most brazen BBWD I have seen. I checked the rear toe and it appeared to be unclipped which is a good indicator it is not an aviary bird.
I have also taken plenty drives down the Fort Fisher Spit over the past several weeks.
Its a good year for Gull-billed Terns.
I would have thought these were Royal Tern chicks but the adult Gull-billed were feeding them. Turns out (pardon the pun) juvenile Gull-billed Terns have orange bills.
Western Willet
Western SPs and Short-billed Dowitchers
Eastern and Western Willets
Fast forward to this past weekend, I went out to the OBX to chase a Pacific Plover that decided to disappears for 4 days and then magically reappear the day after I left. However, I did get some decent birds as consolation.
There was a large group of terns on the beach at the Old Coast Guard Station at Pea Island and this pale tern in the middle of the frame stuck out like a sore thumb. Note it is the same size as the Common Tern on the right which is overall darker. Roseate Tern!
As I walked closer I could see the good field marks for this species including the thin bill and long white tail which projected past the wing tips.
There was a lone Black Tern in the group as well.
What a beauty!
In looking for the Pacific Golden Plover I did run into some other shorebirds.
Pectoral Sandpiper
I didn't notice this bird at the time but once I started looking at my pics back home I noticed the peep on the left of this Pectoral had a very red looking neck which made me think stint. I submitted it for some feedback on rare bird sites but so far no one is confirming it either way. Oh well...
At the Salt Pond I finally got some year photos of a Least Bittern that flew by...
On Saturday I took a pelagic but it was pretty much the slowest and more boring pelagic I have ever taken. The few birds we saw did not cooperate and just flew by. Even the Black-capped Petrels were stand-offish.
Bridled Tern
Great Shearwater
Sooty Tern
I just might have to take a second trip to the OBX to get my damn Plover. It's been seen every day since I left. Ce la vie!
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