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Christmas Birding on the Outer Banks



Dwayne and I headed to the Outer Banks on Sunday and spent a couple of days
pouring over all the wonders that the shore has to offer.  It is like
birding in an unfamiliar country for us "high" landers!  (We are trying to
obtain 300 species for our life lists though before our three year birding
mark----and the coast is the only place where we can still add species!)
We're only 8 species away now--and we still have a couple months, so things
are on track.

We started at Lake Mattamuskeet where we saw loads of dabblers, mostly
Pintails who were being harassed by an immature Bald Eagle.  There were
still good numbers of Tundra Swans present as well as Shovelers, Widgeons,
Black Ducks, Wood Ducks, and a small flock (7) of Canvasbacks who flew over
while we were on the causeway.  We had exceptionally good luck with
Orange-crowned Warblers, finding at least four and possibly 5.  I scared up
a Winter Wren also near the small boardwalk on wildlife drive.

We tried for the Rough-legged Hawk at Alligator River NWR (for three
days!!!) but were unsuccessful each time.  We saw lots of Harriers and both
Vultures, but no Rough-legged.  We even stayed until dark one evening with
the hopes of finding a Short-eared Owl, or a Black Bear, or a Red Wolf----we
didn't care---we just wanted something for our effort.  What DID we find?
Dot and Richard Hedrick, some of our local birders from Lenoir!!!!!  Isn't
it weird how you run into people you know at the most out of the way places?

We found lots of Avocets at Pea Island, along with several hundred Redheads
(all in one raft), several Tri-colored and Black-crowned Night-herons, more
dabblers of all flavors, and the cream of the crop----a male Peregrine
Falcon perched atop the Osprey platform near the parking area!  We also met
several different groups of folks here, one of whom was a trio of ladies
from Richmond, Va and Kentucky who had no scope, so we were able to "treat"
them to some life birds by letting them look through our scope and point out
some of the species for them----now THAT is what birding is all about!  The
other group consisted of two birders who were definitely into photography
and chatted with us for a while.  A little later that afternoon we ran into
them again at Bodie Island and they were kind enough to show us our life
Long-billed Dowitchers.  There they were---a male and female strutting their
stuff for the camera.

Then as we drove back up the highway towards the first observation platform
to look for Short-eared Owls, we saw one literally come out of its hiding
place and start hunting a few yards from the road!  After the first car came
by though, it moved a lot further back into the field and tried for what
appeared to be Dunlin!  It missed---but boy was it fun to watch.  We saw two
before we left, the other was a little further up the road.

We had talked to several folks who had tried for the White-winged Crossbills
in Portsmouth, Va over the time we were there.  Some had seen them, some had
not---so we decided to try for them just in case.  We no sooner pulled into
the cul-de-sac, and got out when the two birds magically appeared at the
feeder and posed for their debut on our new video camera.  (It was our
Christmas present to ourselves so that when another Red Phalarope shows up
on Lake Hickory---in the precise cove that we check EVERY day mind you---we
will be prepared!!!!)  We also went by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel
since we were so close and picked up another lifer---finally----a nice,
beautiful male White-winged Scoter.  WOW!

Hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and will be having a wonderful New
Year!

*************************
Dwayne & Lori Martin
Foothills Bird Club
Claremont, NC
dlmartin@twave.net