After my wonderful trip in Switzerland, I have been staying close to home but getting out and birding more than I was before the trip. The summer doldrums are ending and fall migration is getting in gear.
Yellow-crowned Night-Herons have been very successful at Burnt Mill Creek this year with sometimes 3-4 in view at the same time.
Plenty of Blue and Hermit Crabs for them to gorge on.
Interesting that it systematically removed all the legs before trying to eat it whole.
Hermit Crabs crowd the low tide mud banks.
Chimney Swifts love it downtown where old chimneys are still a thing.
Loggerhead Shrikes are everywhere at the airport on both sides.
Red-tailed Hawk
A less wet Loggerhead Shrike on the other side of the airport. This looks like a young bird with a pinkish gape.
Vermiculation on the breast too.
Green Heron at Blue Clay - turns out this spot is not nearly as good in the summer as it is in the winter.
Big Al at Burnt Mill - I think this gator is about 8 feet.
He is super patient, just waiting for some birder looking up at the trees long enough that he can surprise attack.
Anhinga - the snake bird
Little Blue Heron
Louie keeps Melissa company while I go look for birds.
Another Green Heron - this time at the beach.
Roseate Terns on the north end of Wrightsville Beach! The one on the left was a young bird with a distinctive scaly back.
The light was not ideal, but don't despair because I did get much better pics a week or two later.
I love me a Black Tern
Lots of transitional Lesser Back-backed Gulls sporting pinkish legs. One day I will get a Slaty-backed, but this was not the day.
Wilson's Phalarope - I was super surprised to get a bird like this just doing a fly-by. It pays to take pics of flying birds.
Short-billed Dowitcher
Great Egret at BMC
If you zoom in, you will see she impaled two fish in one stroke!
I am going with White Dunce Cap on this one.
Four-spotted Pennant at Greenfield Lake
GBH at the Battleship
Clapper Rail at the Battleship
Greater Yellowlegs - they always look like they should be on the Abby Road cover.
SB Dow
Boat-tailed Grackle
Partially Leucistic Laughing Gull
Sanderling
Acadian Fly at Airlie
American Golden Plover at Mason Inlet
Slam dunk Roseate Tern!
Sandwich
Loads of Common Terns with dark bills trying to confuse me.
Black Tern
Semipalmated Plover
Least Sandpiper
Wilson's Plover
Willet - I hear these will be split with Eastern and Western soon.
Jacob found this BT Green Warbler at Airlie and it was still there when I showed up. They are scarce in New Hanover.
Stilt SP at Mason Inlet
Western SP
Common Tern
Pectoral SP
Least SP with friends
Semipalmated SP
Whirlabout
Great Blue Skimmer
After multiple looks at the primary projection, we landed on a hatch year Acadian. The P7 to P6 spacing is much wider than the P6 to P5 and the P8 barely pokes beyond the P7.
This chart is taking the fun out of empids, or maybe its making it more fun depending on your perspective.
"What you talkin about Willis"
Tons of Eastern Kingbirds hanging out at BMC
GBH
Last week some young birders found a Smith's Longsput at Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge. It's been a while since I picked up a state bird and this one happened to be a lifer!
Luckily I rolled up when another group was already on it.
Bald Eagle
Glossy Ibis
BW Teal
Big fat Cottonmouth!
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