Spring Pelagic #1 (04-10May2021)

I love pelagics and wish I could do more, but they are punishing to the calendar, the wallet and the body.  I was a little over-eager and signed up for the first of the season on 07May.  Statistically it is better to go later in May for the good birds.  

My parents had been in town which was really nice as it has been over a year since we last saw each other.  We took some nice walks around parks in Wilmington.

Red-winged Blackbird - Wade Park

Chimney Swift

Eastern Kingbird

Wood Duck male

Female with chicks.  There are seven for now but I would not be surprised if she only ends up with 1-2.  They are so vulnerable at this age.

A Semi-party on the beach.  Semipalmated Sandpipers and Plovers.

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Short-billed Dow looking dapper

The pelagic was really fun but I was a little disappointed that we didn't pick up any rare birds.

Black-capped Petrels put on a show and even came in to grab some chum.

Wilson's Storm-Petrel

Sooty Shearwaters remained in the distance.

Some of the Black-capped were real dark like this one.  

Cory's Shearwater

Cory's Shearwater

We had amazing looks at Pomarine Jaegers for hours as they followed the boat.

Wilson's SP with the diagnostic feet extending past the tail.

Parasitic Jaeger - my favorite bird of the day.  Looks so sleek, like a stealth bomber.

The jaegers and Black-capped Petrels were having fun chasing each other around.

Common Tern

Look at that honker of a bill!

A lighter individual.

It was good fun but I hope the next one yields some red-letter birds.

Back on Terra Firma, I went for the Lark Sparrow that Daniel I's found at the old Lighthouse.

A couple Surf Scoters are still hanging out at the Salt Pond.

I can't believe it took me so long to get a Spotted Sandpiper this year but this nice one made up for lost time.

Gull-billed Tern

Almost unrecognizable at such a distance, this Wilson's Phalarope was also found by Daniel.  Matthew W let me share some scope views which showed all the detail needed to ID this breeding plumage bird.  You can just make out the dark black and red markings on its neck here.

That evening I got dumped on with hail and rain which came in sideways and swamped my tent, so I broke it down and decided to head some of the way home instead of waiting until morning.  I made it to the rest stop north of New Bern and crashed for the night in my truck.  I decided I would try for the White-winged Tern at Fort Macon in the morning but some intuition made me check Catfish Lake first thing.

Black-billed Cuckoo - usually a pretty hard bird to bag for the year but I had three and I have been seeing reports every day from all around NC so they must have had a good winter.

Swainson's Warbler

Blue Jay - I spent a couple hours at Fort Macon with no luck.  Of course someone found the White-winged Dove after I left.

Brown Thrasher

Mississippi Kite outside my house!

Mother's Day was low key.  Mother with two of her babies.

Venus Fly-traps! At Carolina Beach SP.

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Tricolored Heron

Meanwhile the breeding colony at the south end of Wrightsville Beach is going strong...

Least Terns 

Gull-billed Terns

And Common Terns are all posted up for the summer

Pelagic #2 is on 20May.  Wish me luck!