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birding at Middle Creek Bottomlands II, Johnston Co., NC



One of the Triangle Land Conservancy's better birding sites is the Middle 
Creek Bottomlands II along Smith Road in Johnston Co., NC.  It can be reached by 
traveling down I-40 to exit 319 (State Route 210) and going east several 
miles, then turning left onto Smith Road.  The site is the bottomland area from 
Middle Creek to the housing development.  Most of the site is inaccessible 
because it's either inundated or covered with dense brush, but the best birding is 
along the road anyhow.
       Lately, the Prothonotary Warblers have been nesting, and there's a 
very cooperative Yellow-throated Warbler hanging around the northern part of the 
tract.  There's also a less cooperative Yellow-throated Vireo in the same 
area.  Red-shouldered Hawks have been pretty active lately, too.  Occasionally, 
I'll see a Red-headed Woodpecker there.  (During the colder months, Swamp 
Sparrows are dependable there.)  Unusual finds lately include a singing Yellow 
Warbler a week ago in the large willow patch; a Swainson's Warbler that hung around 
for a while last month; and a Kentucky Warbler I heard yesterday singing from 
the bluff across the creek from the tract.
       Below is a list of bird species I've observed there (97 spp. so far) 
since I discovered the spot five years ago.  I'm sure that this list will 
continue to grow, since it's such a great spot.  B=breeding season, W=colder 
months, T=transient.

--Erik Thomas
Johnston Co., NC
barbarahunter919@aol.com

NorthernBobwhite B,W?
CanadaGoose BW
WoodDuck  B
Green-wingedTeal T
MallardT
Red-headedWoodpecker B
Red-belliedWoodpecker BW
DownyWoodpecker BW
HairyWoodpecker BW
NorthernFlicker W
PileatedWoodpecker B
BeltedKingfisher BW
Yellow-billedCuckoo B
ChimneySwift B
Ruby-throatedHummingbird B
BarredOwl BW
MourningDove BW
AmericanCoot T
AmericanWoodcock B
OspreyT
Sharp-shinnedHawk T
Red-shoulderedHawk BW
Red-tailedHawk BW
Pied-billedGrebe T
Double-crestedCormorant T
GreatBlue Heron BW
GreatEgret T
GreenHeron B
AmericanBittern T
WhiteIbis T
AmericanBlack Vulture T
TurkeyVulture BW
EasternWood-pewee B
AcadianFlycatcher B
EasternPhoebe BW
GreatCrested Flycatcher B
EasternKingbird B
White-eyedVireo B
Yellow-throatedVireo B
Red-eyedVireo B
BlueJay B, W?
AmericanCrow W
FishCrow B
EasternBluebird BW
HermitThrush W
WoodThrush B
AmericanRobin W
EuropeanStarling BW
GrayCatbird B
White-breastedNuthatch BW
BrownCreeper W
CarolinaWren BW
WinterWren W
NorthernHouse-wren T
Blue-grayGnatcatcher B
CarolinaChickadee BW
TuftedTitmouse BW
PurpleMartin B
BarnSwallow B
Ruby-crownedKinglet W
Golden-crownedKinglet W
AmericanGoldfinch BW
HouseFinch B
SongSparrow W
SwampSparrow W
White-throatedSparrow W
Chipping Sparrow B
Eastern Towhee BW
Nashville Warbler T
Northern Parula B
Yellow Warbler B
Black-throated Blue Warbler T
Yellow-rumped Warbler W
Yellow-throated Warbler B
Pine Warbler BW
Prairie Warbler B
Palm Warbler T
BlackpollWarbler T
Black-and-whiteWarbler T
AmericanRedstart T
ProthonotaryWarbler B
Swainson’sWarbler B
OvenbirdB 
NorthernWaterthrush T
LouisianaWaterthrush B
CommonYellowthroat BW
Yellow-breastedChat B
SummerTanager B
ScarletTanager B
NorthernCardinal BW
IndigoBunting B
BlueGrosbeak B
OrchardOriole B
Red-wingedBlackbird BW
CommonGrackle BW
RustyBlackbird T
Brown-headedCowbird B
 
just off the tract:
Grasshopper Sparrow B
Kentucky Warbler B
Hooded Warbler B

also, on the north end of Smith Rd.:
Loggerhead Shrike BW
Northern Mockingbird BW
Brown Thrasher B