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Cave Swallow and more



Howdy!

Our day trip to Wilmington and Southport was shorter than usual since
it's winter. The sun sets too early, so we didn't have time to bird all
the areas we wanted to bird! It was fun birding two new areas: USS NC
Battleship Memorial in Wilmington and Orton Pond off of 133 on
Plantation Rd. We checked out the many swallows flying over Orton Pond,
but they were all Tree Swallows. There were lots of yellow-rumps, two
Eastern Phoebes, Ring-necked Ducks, and a Pileated Woodpecker calling.
Next time I'd like to spend more time there.

I'd also like to spend more time in Southport. It looks like a nice
town. Might be fun to stay at the Riverview B&B on Bay Street. Has
anyone stayed there?

Driving past the entrance to the Southport ferry, we drove to the end of
the street and birded along Shepard Road where the Green-tailed Towhee
was seen by many birders last year. More swallows, but still all Tree.
It was neat seeing a flock of around 13 meadowlarks in the field. They
were flocking with starlings. There is a line of pine trees across the
field. At one point there were five meadowlarks on top of one pine tree
and a couple meadowlarks on the tops of the next two pine trees. Finally
saw my first NC Orange-crowned Warbler in the hedges along the side of
the road! Also saw both kinglets and Winter Wren.

By the time we got to Ft. Fisher it was already 1:30!! We had a great
view of six Marbled Godwits, two Willets, and one Ruddy Turnstone along
the shoreline at Federal Point. Hope the pictures turn out well. Dunlin
seemed to be the most numerous shorebird. We saw Red-breasted
Mergansers, Common and Red-throated Loons (YEAH!!), gannets, and one
flock of 8 Surf Scoters from the beach. There was a cute flock of
Bufflehead at the gazebo area across from the Museum where the King
Eider had been seen, but no eider. The smell of the ocean and the sound
of the waves while sitting in the sand on a sunny, winter day was great!

Now it's after 4 and we wanted to look for the Cave Swallow at Carolina
Lake on 421. At first we were having fun looking at scaup and
Pied-billed Grebes. Then one swallow flew back and forth across the
lake. Finally--a Cave Swallow! Two times it flew over us.

Now it's 4:45 and I tell Joe we may have time to get to Greenfield Lake
afterall. We drove past Carolina Beach SP (darn) and just as we came
closer to Greenfield Lake, I suggested returning to the USS NC
Battleship Memorial marsh area to look for our lifer Virginia Rail. We
had stopped there briefly on our way to Southport and thought an evening
birding trip would be better if we had time. Well, we HEARD them, but we
didn't see any. They seemed so close, but very well hidden! Technically,
we can count them, but I sure do want to SEE one!!! A perched Great
Horned Owl on top of a tree across the marsh at sunset was a wonderful
way to end the day. We'll definitely return there also!

Joe and I are site stewards for the Triangle Land Conservancy. Today
while counting birds at our site in Raleigh, we flushed five Bobwhites!!
I don't know who was more scared, them or us! I've never been that close
to Bobwhites before. They waited until we were within a couple feet of
them before they flew up in a hurry.

This week has gone by so fast and we didn't get to bird as much as we
wanted to! Hopefully the weather will be nice so we can spend most of
January 1st birding--a nice way to start the New Year!!

What will be your first bird in 2003?

Happy New Year to you!! Karen Bearden
Raleigh, NC
chickadeebirders@earthlink.net