Knowing that some good birders were sticking around Pea Island, I decided to spend my last morning there in case something good was found. It was a lovely sunrise at Bodie Island.
The amount of Red-breasted Nuthatches erupting at Bodie Island is obscene.
They were jumping in trees, shrubs and littered the ground. I made a sound recording which is quite comical but I don't have the energy to load it here. Blogger makes sound files a challenge.
The weather was shaping up to be much more conducive to photography.
Bald Eagle fly by at North Pond, Pea Island.
Snow Goose on almost still waters at North Pond.
Northern Pintail
Bufflehead
American Black Duck - they look remarkably similar to Mottled Ducks in good light.
American Pipit - Pipits are not terribly difficult to find but they are quite difficult to photograph. Usually they are flying by or far off in a field. So I was pleased to find this one hopping along the dyke at North Pond.
Of course I immediately looked at it's back to check for Sprague's but it was relatively unmarked.
South Pond had a very distant Brant feeding amongst the other waterfowl.
I checked the time and was floored that it was already past noon. Back on the road or I would never get home. Part of the reason my drives take so long is I am always tempted to take detours and pit stops at birding locations. I was glad I stopped somewhere east of Alligator to get my King Rails. Don't ask me where. Some honey holes are better kept secret.
King Rail - don't get me wrong, its not like I just pulled up and got these pics. It took time, I waited for it to come out.
I wondered if this spot was mixing Kings and Clappers and then this guy ran by.
Clapper Rail
Swamp Sparrow
As I drove the long way home towards Mattamuskeet, I had to slam on the brakes when I saw a dark Eagle soaring.
Bald Eagle - immature birds can be tricky and some folks get duped when they see a dark eagle with a whitish tail band. The positioning of the tail band is key as is the white on the body and underwings.
Matt and Archie came up big again and pinged me with a report of a possible Cinnamon Teal at Lake Mattamuskeet!
Turns out it is a dreaded hybrid. Why can't these birds stay in their lane! Just kidding of course, I am all for racial mixing but I would have liked seeing this birds parents for sure. Looking at pics of hybrids online, this bird was a good fit for Cinnamon x Blue-winged Teal hybrid. Note the white mark in the lores, the whitish area at the base of the bill and the lighter area on the back end of the bird.
Maybe this was dad... Blue-winged Teal
What a great way to start out the year! I might always take off the first week so I can get the year going with some good down-time. As I said in my first installment, birding is like meditation in that it clears the mind of clutter and helps to focus on the moment. After 5 days of non-stop birding, I was exhausted but at the same time rejuvenated. I am now ready to take on 2021 and hope it's better for us than 2020 was.
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