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GULLS, EAGLES, AND COLOR IN JANUARY--RIVER PARK NORTH=GREENVILLE, NC.

1/22/2016

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River Park North never fails in offering interesting birding no matter the time of year. On Tuesday this week I braved the elements to see what might be stirring in 20 degree temperatures. I selfishly thought I might have the place to myself since most folks don’t seem to enjoy walking outside when the temp is that cold. As it turned out, I was right-I was the only person crazy enough to be out! And was it worth it!! 
The first thing I noticed was many Gulls circling the paddle boat pond just off the front lawn area. In addition to the Gulls, who were feeding on small shad, the shoreline bushes and trees were loaded with Cormorants, also trying to grab a snack. I was getting some flight shots of the Gulls when I noticed a juvenile Bald Eagle circling overhead. I got a few shots of the young eagle, then an adult Baldy made their entrance and began a dive into the pond--I was behind bushes and not able to get clear shots of the full dive, missing the point of contact with the water, but did manage to get a part of the flight back up--in one of those shots, you can see the small fish he caught in his claws. I later got a pic of the adult sitting in an adjacent tree, waiting for its next target. Later, a second juvenile showed up for the action.

Walking back into the park, I saw Cardinals, a male House Wren, Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and a Bluebird. I couldn’t help thinking how beautiful these colorful birds are. They light up the day anytime, but are especially impressive in mid-winter when cold grey color predominates-- I also saw Chipping and White Throated Sparrows. 

I think the real highlight of the morning was a Pileated Woodpecker who flew into a tree very close by and began working on a rotten limb looking for beetles or ants. It is not very often that one gets very close to these guys--they usually see us long before we see them and are gone before we get more than a glimpse, usually of their back end! Photographing them usually takes long hours of patient waiting and a good portion of luck. So I was thrilled to have one voluntarily pose nearby!! I got several nice shots which you can see below.

After the great morning, I suddenly realized that I was freezing and headed for the car--thankful for another great birding experience at River Park North! See pics in gallery below.

SEE GALLERY BELOW-CLICK ANY PIC TO ENLARGE-USE SIDE ARROWS TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH.

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OUTER BANKS NC JANUARY 2016 - WANCHESE AND PEA ISLAND

1/20/2016

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I spent two days at the Outer Banks  last Saturday-Monday. Glyn and I stayed at the Tranquil House Inn in Manteo, a convenient location to some of my favorite photo spots. I primarily wanted to visit the Pea Island Refuge, which is an excellent location to see waterfowl, wading, and shorebirds this time of year. Before I visited the Refuge, I went to one of my favorite “off the road” jewels, the quaint fishing village of Wanchese. This village dates back to 900 AD, occupied by the Algonquin Indians who enjoyed the bounties of the Roanoke Sound as the location was established as the first fishing village on the Outer Banks. The Algonquin were present when the first English ships arrived, made friends, and Chief Wanchese, after whom the village was eventually named, and his counterpart, Chief Manteo made an expedition to England and returned apparently not impressed with what they saw. It is a theory that it was Wanchese’s aggression which led to the disappearance of the Lost Colony. Over the years, the Village was settled by Americans and gradually became a major seafood supplier for much of the eastern seaboard Now there is a major Seafood Industrial Park which thrives in its location by the Sound and quick assess to Oregon Inlet and the Atlantic beyond. The village is still off the beaten path and is easily missed by visitors anxious to get to the more active tourist areas of Nags Head and Kitty Hawk. But if you are a bird photographer and want to practice your flight shots, you don’t want to miss a stop here. Along the many docks where the fishing boats unload,  many waterfowl, wading, and shorebirds hang out to catch a free meal. They are in constant movement, flying up and down the various channels , sometimes by the hundreds, but always they are there. You can stand on the dock and watch the parade go by and work on your flight technique. Give it a try--you will be thrilled!! The first gallery of pictures below were taken there last Saturday.

PEA ISLAND
​On Sunday morning I was at Pea Island at 7AM, but it was “socked in”-cloudy and rainy-so Glyn and I spent the day shopping and enjoying some of our favorite food spots. Finally on Monday morning, I was again at the Refuge at 7, and the temperature was 23 degrees with the wind at 30mph!! I bundled up and along with one other diehard photographer, started the trek around the main impoundment . The birds were obviously hunkered down from the cold, and few were moving about. For the next two hours, I was able to get pics of the usual wading birds, a few Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, and one lone meadowlark.The highlight of the day was seeing White Pelicans and two Bald Eagles fishing the impoundment. By 9AM, with frozen fingers and nose, I was happy to get in the warm car and head to hot coffee and breakfast!! See the Pea Island Refuge Photos in the second gallery below

SEE WANCHESE PHOTOS BELOW-CLICK ANY PIC TO ENLARGE-USE SIDE ARROWS TO MOVE BACK & FORTH


SEE PEA ISLAND PICS IN THE GALLERY BELOW

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JANUARY AT FORT MACON

1/15/2016

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I visited Ft. Macon State Park yesterday-my first time in 2016. Mid-winter does not offer many woods birds here, but there were a few including the ever-present Yellow-rumped Warbler, mockingbirds, grackles, swamp sparrows and Crows. I spent most of my two hours there walking the beach watching the few brave souls bracing the cold and shell collecting. It was a beautiful sunny day and the temp was in the low 40s. The shorebirds and wading birds offered many good photo opportunities with lots of “fly-bys” to let me practice my flight shots. These included pelicans, gulls, white Ibis, Cormorants, Willets, Sanderlings, and a Ruddy Turnstone. Ft. Macon always has birds, regardless of the weather or time of year--it is easily accessible--you should go! See Pics below---

SE GALLERY BELOW. CLICK ON ANY PIC TO ENLARGE. USE SIDE ARROWS TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH.

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JANUARY SURPRISE AT RIVER PARK NORTH

1/11/2016

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River Park North in Greenville NC, my home town favorite birding site has been closed for days due to high water. Parkers Creek runs through the park, emptying into the Tar River. When the River floods, as it has done lately, the Creek backs up into the Park. Like most areas of the Southeast, we have had high temperatures and too much rain this fall/winter. Today for the first time in a week or so, we had a blue-sky day with early morning temps in the 30s, so I decided to visit the Park and see if I could get on the trails. The water had indeed receded and aside from a few muddy spots, the trails were usable. I enjoyed a two hour walk and while I did not see a large number of species, I did see a few of our year round residents, a few winter visitors, and a real surprise! There was a Black and White Warbler feeding busily in the bark of the Birch trees! Other than the Pine and Yellow-rumped warblers, most all the warblers we see in the Park are migrants in spring and fall and are usually gone from our area by mid-November at the latest in the Fall migration. So it was a real and pleasant surprise to see and get photos of one here in mid-witer. i can’t help but believe the bird’s presence has something to do with our very warm fall and winter temps. Perhaps he is just arriving with the recent push of cold air that finally feels like winter! See pics below.

SEE GALLERY BELOW. CLICK ON ANY PIC TO ENLARGE. USE SIDE ARROWS TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH.

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