Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) - 21May2016

These pictures are from that magical day where a bunch of usually pretty skittish shore birds decided to have a pool party after a rain on the OBX.  This particular ephemeral pool was at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center.  The birds were feeding voraciously only meters from my vehicle.  Geri-birding at it's finest.  These Stilt Sandpipers were also in their breeding plumage finery which made it extra special. Sibley's describes them as looking like Yellow-legs but feeding like Dowitchers with the up and down sewing machine action.

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) - 21May2016

Eastern Meadowlarks can be found many places in NC but I have one honey-hole that always produces photogenic Meadowlarks - Cape Hatteras Campground. Maybe the continuous stream of campers in this area have taught the birds they can coexist and not be shy.  The below bird was particularly confiding.

Trindade Petrel (Pterodroma arminjoniana) - 22May2016

I am committed to getting better pictures of this wonderful species, but I could not wait to post at least something.  In fact this is normally a species that is considered pretty difficult to find and some folks will take many pelagic trips out of Hatteras and never see one.  I have been lucky enough to see 6-7 of them over the many pelagic trips I have gone on.  Every sighting was fleeting and left me hungering for more.  You need to be ready when a Trindade decides to show itself.  All Gadfly Petrels are exceptional fliers that do not require any flapping of the wings to get around in an amazingly graceful and quick manner.  They seem to like a stiff breeze and when they do come past the boat they use the wind to rocket past at very high speed and they don't typically hang out.  The ones I have seen arced much higher in the sky than the other petrels and perhaps that is what gives them the bursts of speed. This is a species that nests on an island off the coast of Brazil!

Chocolatey goodness!  I am always embarrassed when I botch the ID of a Sooty Shearwater as they have a similar color scheme which can confuse a newbie when the bird is flying by at mach 10 and you are trying to keep your footing on the forever shifting boat deck.  This is why I love photography, you can quickly study your picture and confirm the ID.  The Trindade's light patches under the wing are more distal in the primaries and of course the bill is smaller as in all Gadfly Petrels.  I am slowly getting better at calling the birds and one day I hope to be able to shout one out in confidence that I have the ID correct.

Wilson's Storm-Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus) - 20May2016 & 21May2017

The Wilson's Storm-Petrel is the original tiny dancer that Elton John was thinking of when he wrote the song.  These small sea birds spend almost their whole lives out in the deep away from sight of land and eek out a living by picking up small bits and pieces off the surface of the water, all the while dancing a never ending ballet.  The cutest thing is that they have yellow webbing in between their toes.  The best way to see these birds in North Carolina is to head out of Hatteras on a Brian Patteson pelagic boat trip.

Here are some from 2017.

And others from 2016.

Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) - 03Jul2016

Yesterday I experienced one of those magical moments when a bird that has previously eluded me for years has all of a sudden overloaded me with tons of amazing looks and photo opportunities.  I ended up seeing about 30 different Least Bitterns this particular morning at Cedar Island causeway in Carteret County, NC.  I have tried to cut down my hundreds of photos to a handful.  Enjoy!

Young bird.

Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) - 22May2016

El Diablotin, also known as the Black-capped Petrel is a real crowd pleaser.  It brings the effortless flight of Petrels and Shearwaters and takes it to another level.  These birds fly hundreds of miles sometimes without having to flap their wings only to get a snack.  They are super fast and graceful and can be seen harassing jaegers so they are pretty badass.  One of the best places to see them is out in the Gulf Stream off the coast of North Carolina.  Even if you dip on everything but a Black-capped on a pelagic, it is still a good trip.

This one was especially dark.

Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) - 23May2016

Ammodramus sparrows are good sparrows.  I think it's the big heads that make them so interesting.  Actually I am not sure if the head is big or it's just the way the big bill is a continuation of the forehead which makes the head look big. You know what they say about big heads, they hold big brains.  The Grasshopper Sparrow and other Ammodramus sparrows are loners and usually you will only see one or two in an area.  But they are smart and manage to eek out a living.  This guy was at the Beargrass VOA site in NC which is unique in itself.  VOA stands for Voice of America and was a broadcast spot for radio sponsored by the US government during WWII.  The Beargrass site was the last of the VOA sites to be operating.  They finally only this year took down the radio tower and I have heard the State of NC will be taking it over and making it a park.  I hope they keep the habitat maintained for the Henslow's and Grasshopper Sparrows.