Readers of this Journal know that Fort Macon State Park is one of my favorite places for bird photography because of the many and varied species that pass through in migration, as well as the local population of residents. This includes wading birds, shorebirds, as well as woods birds. I spent a couple of hours on the trails there this past Saturday and was pleased to see and photograph a good variety of species. Ever-present this time of year are the Yellow-rumped Warblers, Robins, Cardinals, and Mockingbirds in the brush, as well as the White Ibis in the freshwater pond. The new trail through the marsh produced a Great Egret, an Oystercatcher, and a Tri-colored Heron . The surprise came when i returned to the Visitors Center and found that the staff are already offering seed in the feeders, something that is not usually started until May or later. But the real surprise was to see a female Painted Bunting feeding on the White Millet being offered. These birds who migrate to Florida and Mexico for the winter, are seldom seen back in our area until late April or May. A mid-winter presence is unusual . There have been recordings of their presence here in January, but rarely. So this sighting was a pleasant surprise!! There was also a Carolina Chickadee on the feeder. The pictures below are the evidence of a successful mid-January birding effort. Check out the Fort Macon trails if you are in the Morehead City/Atlantic Beach area. See pics below.
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