Neotropic in what feels like the Tropics (23-30Jul2022)

It has been hot as hell itself lately, and with the threat of thunderstorms daily, it is making it very difficult for me to finish my porch project.  I have sanded everything with 36 and then 80 grit and painted the trim and pillars.  However, I have been hesitant to start painting the deck and have it all ruined by a thunderstorm.  

In terms of birding, it has been hard to spend more than an hour or so out in the 90 plus degrees without coming back in drenched in sweat.  That being said its late summer and birds are starting to disperse and show up in places they weren't during breeding.

Glossy Ibises start turning up at Fort Fisher about this time of year and they didn't disappoint this past week.

Juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Herons also tend to disperse to the marshes at Fort Fisher this time of year.  This one had a nice Blue Crab dangling from it's beak.  I couldn't decide who was holding who.

On Saturday I was running some errands around town when Trevor S texted the Rare Bird Groupme that he had North Carolina's second Neotropic Cormorant at Martin Marietta Park in New Bern.  So I hightailed it home and convinced the wife to take an afternoon drive.  When we pulled in to the parking lot, Ricky D had just texted that the NECO was perched on a log less than a 100 yards from the causeway. I rolled up to the spot and someone was already on it.

The NECO was immediately obvious because of the white feathers on its nape and neck, but it also stood out by size and longish tail.

The light wasn't great but I was able to get some shots showing the white border on the more angular gular pouch.  

It's always nice to get a NC lifer!  However, it was super hot and I was drenched when we made it back to the car.

We celebrated at a restaurant in downtown New Bern and headed for home.  An altogether very satisfying Saturday.