Clots, Lips, Teeth, Kites and Curlews (14-16Mar2024)

Sorry for the radio silence dear readers/oglers, I had a bit of a health scare recently which put a wrinkle in my birding activity. I was having some calf pain and the wife made me go in to the walk-in clinic to get it checked out due to my history with pulmonary embolism.  Good thing she did because I had a big DVT (clot in the leg).  They put me on a high dose of blood thinners and sent me home, with orders to not exert myself in any way to lessen the risk that the clot dislodges and travels to my lungs.  It took a good week before the pain in my calf went away and I could get back out and do my survey on Figure 8.  Thanks to Jacob for covering for me while I was out of commission.

Lately I have been bringing the beach cruiser to do the survey because the distance is a couple miles now that they have pumped more sand.

You have to wear a helmet when doing surveys at Figure 8 because you never know when a coconut or some other object will fall out of the sky.

Shorebird migration is in full swing with numbers of dowitchers increasing. This Short-billed Dowitcher was having a good scratch which caused it to pucker its "lips".  Pretty cool that they can bend their beak tips to probe and snatch goodies in the mud.

Although this looks like a sneeze, it was actually calling.

Bet you didn't know Dowitchers have teeth! Just be careful because they can take a finger right off.

My kids had a track meet in Brunswick county and I noticed some Swallow-tailed Kits circling high up so I went and grabbed my camera.

One of them perched up in a snag.

Then this happened!

Sweet sweet love.

I love it when birds come to me.

Ryan from the triangle texted me to get some intel on birding Shackleford Banks for a planned trip on Saturday and I had been meaning to get out there anyway so I joined him, Lee, Jeremy W and his daughter for a beautiful day out at Shack to show them around.

It didn't take long to find a Long-billed Curlew.

The Spanish Horses are always a treat to see at Shack.

Cape Lookout light in the distance.

We spent a long time scanning the mudflats for the Bar-tailed Godwit but came up short.  Still a worthwhile adventure as always.  My favorite place in NC.

My next post might be from my trip to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas!  I booked a 5 day trip to mop up some of the eye-popping rarities that have been sticking around and maybe take in the Solar Eclipse.

Winter Pelagic and Some Local Stuff (25Feb-03Mar2024)

Usually I like to get out on a pelagic earlier in the winter, but life gets in the way.  First some local stuff....

Red-breasted Merganser at CB Lake - the original punk rocker of the duck world.

European Starlings are gorgeous if you stop to smell the roses.

Ryan Justice found a Clay-colored Sparrow at Fort Fisher and it was still around later in the afternoon.

The weather was looking really bad for Saturday so Brian P emailed and asked if I could do Friday instead.  Luckily I could swing it and drove up Thursday evening.

The wind was coming out of the east so the way out to the gulf stream was a bit choppy but the waves were small.  Once we got out about 20 miles we starting to pick up some alcids.

.Atlantic Puffin

Red Phalaropes were around but kind of flighty and I only managed some really bad photos.

We went very far out and consequently picked up an early Black-capped Petrel.   I was actually hoping we would stay closer to shore and look for Murres.

Several Ocean Sunfish were finning close to the surface.

Manx Shearwater

We had a ton of Razorbills on the way back in but they were all flying by pretty far out.

Overall a somewhat lackluster pelagic even though it is always good to get Puffins.  I don't think they have had any Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Little Gulls or Great Skuas this year.  I know Skuas had a huge die off from Avian Flu.

In the evening I stopped at Milltail Rd in Alligator.  There was tons of traffic so I was getting pretty frustrated because I think it's less likely to see owls when people are constantly driving around.  I did however, get some really nice American Woodcocks displaying right in front of me at dusk.  I decided I already have good pictures of Woodcocks in the past and I didn't to disturb them, so I only recorded them.  Audio in my checklist, turn it up all the way.  You will hear two Peent calls in the beginning then the twittering flight calls while they display in the air.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S163384921

I stayed at the Hampton Inn in Williamston, planning to hit up some spots on the way home in the morning. I woke up at about 6am with a splitting migraine and nausea.  I was basically incapacitated until about noon when I felt marginally better and checked out.  I don't know exactly what this condition is, but I seem to get it once a year, usually after a pelagic trip.  I think I need to drink more water.

On the way home I stopped at Martin Marietta Park in New Bern to try for an Ash-throated Flycatcher that has been hanging out.  It is a big park, so I was a bit worried I wouldn't find it.

Ash-throated Flycatcher - its been a big year in NC for this species with probably 10 or more.

Ruddy Duck

Then after about another hours drive I saw a sign for White Oak River and I remembered that I had always wanted to check out the impoundments there.  So I kind of blindly went in and started to explore.  I should have done some research first because I ended up walking down a bunch of dead ends.  I did finally find the place where the river walk starts about a mile down from the parking, but it was super muddy and I neglected to bring my boots.  I did hear a King Rail at close range but could not coax it out.

Wild Turkey

Hairy Woodpecker 

This morning I did the survey at Figure 8 and executed a major bonehead move.  I was walking down in front of where the pipe had recently been pumping near the shoreline to count all the gulls that feed on the pumped tidbits.  They had the pump off because they were fixing more pipe on so I figured it would be safe to walk out in front.  I was far enough out that even if the pump started, I would be ok but might get my feet wet.  However, what I neglected to weigh into the equation was that when the sand is super saturated and aerated it can be like quicksand.  One step I was on firm sand, and the next step I sank all the  way to my thighs.  I had to lean over and shimmy my way out but it was a little scary.  Luckily today I had on my sneakers and they were tied on good.  If I had my boots on, I would have probably lost them as they  tend to get suctioned in the quicksand from my prior experience.

Walking down the beach, I saw something I don't think I have ever seen on the beach, I lone Canada Goose standing right next to the surf line in the fog.

Weird...