Blah Blah Black-throated Gray (04-07Sep2020)

I am so far behind on posting photos and blog posts which is typical for this time of year.  There is so much to do and so little down time for writing blog posts.  The birding has been fantastic, the waves great, the weather nice for working in the yard and there is of course a full time job and kids to attend to.  Here is some ho hum stuff in the beginning of September leading up to nice North Carolina tick with some decent pics.

First up are some butterfly pics so if you are mainly into birds just scroll down.  These were taken up in the Fayetteville area while I was at my son's X-country meet.

Fiery Skippers - apparently familiarity breeds contempt because when I asked for confirmation of ID on the NC butterfly FB page, I got groans from people saying they wished folks would stop posting Fiery Skippers.  Kind of like someone posting a Blue Jay.

Apparently this is a female Fiery.

Amazing how different the patterns are on the ventral side.

American Lady - note the little white dot in the orange area which distinguishes this from a Painted Lady which does not have the dot.

On the way home from Fayetteville we stopped at Suggs Mill Pond because I had always wanted to visit.  Expectations were low as it was near noon, and the birding was abysmal but it was a nice place and I would love to go back.

Slaty Skimmer I think?

Someone identified this as a Golden-winged Skimmer which is nice because they are difficult to separate from Needham's on the coast so I didn't have one yet on my photographed list.

Whirlabout

We finally had a cold front in the beginning of Sept and the migrants started pouring in and local breeders were on the move too. Most of these pics are taken at Burnt Mill Creek which is my favorite local migration spot.  I recently bought a pair of knee high rain boots so I could slosh through the wet spots and tall grass near the creek that usually I avoid when wearing shoes and it has opened up a whole new world for me.

B & W Warbler

I am going with Acadian on this one.

Crap picture, but I thought it was interesting as this Ruby-throat appears to have a pink band on leg.

Red-eyed Vireos love magnolia seeds/fruit.

Great Crested Fly - Part of the fun of fall birding is seeing all the young and molting weird looking birds.

  

Hooded Warbler

I am going with Willow on this one, I did hear a wit type call a couple times but my rationale is that this bird hung out around the same spot for more than a couple weeks and I really doubt an Alder would do that in Wilmington.  

White-eyed Vireos are super common this fall.

Early morning Baltimore Oriole speed blur.

Hmm, maybe Acadian again???

REVI

Empids are tough.

Common Yellowthroat

Going with Eastern Wood-pewee on this one. Barely any eye-ring and longish primaries plus a bit of a vest.

This Pewee's bill seen from above is kind of weird looking, not a perspective you usually get from these guys who are usually high up.

Veery!

One sunny morning I was birding BMC and received a text that a Black-throated Gray Warbler had been found in the Charlotte area which is a 3.5 hour drive.  I usually would not hesitate especially on a weekend, but maybe I am getting old.  I kept on birding locally.  

Another Whirlabout.

Anhinga

Eastern Kingbird

As I was photographing this House Finch, my inner twitcher said to me "WTF are you doing you idiot, go chase that bird".  So I got in my truck and got on the road.

3-4 hours drive later, it did not take long to find this little guy which is amazing considering how small it is and how big the area was.  However, I can't take the credit as someone else was on it and called me over.

Black-throated Gray Warbler - one of very few NC records and I think the first to be well documented with photos.

This was NC #405 for me.  

Still lots of stuff to get caught up on, so maybe I can get a second post in this weekend.  Stay safe!