Black Skimmers are still around in good numbers as of early January, but I suspect the numbers will continue drop.
iNat submission for the day - Prickly Pear Cactus! There are so many cool facts about Prickly Pears that are well summarized on Wiki, but I will list a few. Obviously most people know that the fruits are edible and in fact quite delicious. However, you need to be careful when preparing them as the fruit also have little spines that are easy to get in your fingers and then good luck trying to get them out. Most people don't bother with them for this reason, but I do sometimes grab them as I know nothing good in life is easy.
They have a wide natural distribution all over North America and can readily be found in various coastal areas in southeastern NC including Wrightsville Beach where I saw these. Mexicans revere this plant and use it for all kinds of things including medicinal uses, candy, dye and they even harvest the meat/pad of the cactus to mix into various dishes. They are called Nopales and frequently they are mixed into an egg scramble.
Blue-headed Vireo at Airlie Gardens. I usually don't try photography when the weather is bad, but lately I have been playing with settings and have gotten a few decent shots even in totally overcast conditions. I am hoping this will help me to make do with bad conditions when I am traveling. If you only have a week in your travel destination, you can't really pick and choose only the good days.
Black-and-white Warbler - I have found that Blue-headed Vireos always travel with a B&W on the coast in the winter.
Brown Creeper - One of these days I will get a really good photo of these little alien looking birds.
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American Robin - an under appreciated bird with a large distribution that leads to the faulty assumption that they are always around and stick to the same areas. However, most of the Robins we see here now are probably migrants from up north. The Robins we see in the summer are probably migrants from further south or maybe up in the mountains. They move around and play musical chairs with each other.
A Great Horned Owl has started nesting again in the same tree as last year in Oleander Gardens (cemetery). It seems like a bad spot because of all the crows that fly around there, but it must be working for him/her.
Eastern Meadowlark - ILM Airport is always my go to spot every year for Meadowlarks and Shrikes.
Loggerhead Shrike
I headed over to the Battleship to see if I could get me some Rusty Blackbirds...
Rusty Blackbird - although I found them, I was totally gobsmacked to see that they had cut down a ton of good habitat for parking area "improvements". It's really sad how Wilmington is slowly but surely losing all its good trees in favor of development or asphalt. The blackbirds are now forced to use the marginal habitat next to the entrance road instead of the previously perfect parking area.
I decided I had unfinished business at the Battleship so I went early the next morning.
Fish Crow! I will post the link to the audio to eBird later. I will leave the ID challenge of separating Fish Crows from American Crows to the experts and stick to audio for my ID which is fairly easy especially when they are making their nasal uh-uh calls.
Sora! The roadside view points for rails on the entrance road to the Battleship are few and far between but luckily this Sora was hanging out in one of them.
Another Rusty Blackbird. The adult breeding plumaged males are really striking.
Palm Warbler
After the Battleship I headed down to Twin Lakes in Sunset Beach to see what I could see.
Lots of good photo ops for Common Gallinules in various plumages.
Bald Eagle - immature bird looking for easy pickings.
I was spending a ton of time scanning the lakes because I was looking for leftover Cave Swallows and I did see one or two at a very far distance across the lake and couldn't manage any pics. I suppose I will have to wait until next fall to get a photo.
Red-tailed Hawk fly-by.
However, I was able to make my iNat submission for the day! Slash Pine! I would have easily dismissed this as a Long-leaf Pine normally. However after some quick research I found that Slash Pine usually have needles in groups of 2-3 and the bark looks different on a young Slash Pine. Long-leaf Pines have a dark more burly looking bark on the saplings. They were very important as timber in the past and therefore have expanded their range north to include much of the coastal plain in NC.
Later in the evening after a lovely lunch with the wife and a game of Wingspan, I headed to the Carolina Beach Pier to see if I could obtain better photos of the continuing Harlequin Duck in good light.
The north end of CB has a ton of Eurasian Collared-Doves.
The light was much better in the afternoon with the sun to my back and the Harlequin was nice enough to come fairly close.
As did his friend the White-winged Scoter.
It was so nice out that I decided to explore further and walked north along the beach to Freeman Park which in the summer is a total mess due to all the four wheelers on the beach. However, in the winter it is quite pleasant with only a few Bubbas.
Bonaparte's Gulls were working the surf.
Royal Terns still abound on this stretch of coast.
Brown Pelicans fly gracefully in the gloaming.
Carolina Beach generally has much more Red-throated Loons than WB.
As the sun set I notice this interesting cloud formation was starting to line up with the moon so I walked a bit down the beach and was able to get them to line up.
A moon with a tail.
I stayed long enough to watch the sun set and tried to see if any Short-eared Owls were around but had no luck.
Telephotos are good for something other than birds!
The pier with the moon reflecting on the water.
Early next morning at Johnnie Mercer, the light was poor but I couldn't resist snapping this Horned Grebe.
The weather was gloomy but I didn't want to quit yet so I went to the south end and was glad I did.
Pacific Loon!
This individual generated some discussion because of the excessively white flanks (think Arctic Loon), but in the end it was agreed it was a Pacific.
Everyone knows a Red Cedar when they see one. These beautiful local trees are obviously great for wood and the birds love the berries.
The next morning I had very little time so I headed to Wade Park which is my closest patch.
Who doesn't love American Sycamores!
The bark is beautiful!
Eastern Phoebe.
Lunch! I have been making Avocado Toast with eggs lately.
On the 15th I was able to get away from work long enough for a short bird at Airlie Gardens.
Red-Shouldered Hawk surveying the parking area.
Greater Scaup! Look at that nice round head. No visible peak like you would see on a Lesser Scaup.
Hooded Merganser
Bald Eagle on nest.
iNat submission of the day - Spanish Moss! Spanish Moss is neither a moss nor Spanish (from Spain). It is an epiphyte and a bromeliad (air plant). This means it does not parasitize the host trees which are usually Southern Live Oak or Bald Cypress. Instead it gets its nutrients from the air and moisture and sometimes from byproduct coming from the host plant's leaves. Birds love using it for nesting material. I have tried to grow it on my Live Oaks at home but the birds always steal it for nests before it can establish itself.
Ruddy Duck
The early morning sun was making this Common Loon look like a Yellow-billed Loon.
But in the shade, it looked like a normal Common Loon.
While working later that day I got a text that Jesse A. had found a Wood Stork at Ashley HS so later in the afternoon I headed down.
A not so happy looking Wood Stork, clearly not enjoying the cold weather.
Meanwhile the pond at Ashley HS has had some good duck turnover...
Redhead drakes are now swimming around happily.
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