Balance the chaos
  • Balance the Chaos
  • Contact
  • Hobbies/Passions
    • Art >
      • Sculpting and Painting
      • Garage Kits
      • Baseball Reference
      • Chipper's Customs
    • Throwback Baseball Game Database >
      • 1990 - Brewers at White Sox
      • 1991
      • 1992
      • 1993
      • 1994
      • 1995
      • 1996
      • 1997
      • 1998
      • 1999
      • 2000
      • 2001
      • 2002
      • 2003
      • 2004
      • 2005
  • Birding
  • Birding Calhoun County
    • Calhoun County Checklist
    • Birds of Calhoun County >
      • Calhoun County Birds by Code >
        • Yearly Calhoun County Birds
      • Loons (Gaviidae) >
        • Common Loon
      • Grebes (Podicipedidae) >
        • Pied-billed Grebe
      • Pelicans (Pelecanidae)
      • Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae)
      • New World Vultures (Cathartidae)
      • Bitterns, Herons, and Allies (Ardeidae)
      • Ducks, Geese, and Swans (Anatidae) >
        • Long-tailed Duck
      • Ospreys (Pandionidae)
      • Hawks, Kites, Eagles, and Allies (Accipitridae) >
        • Northern Goshawk
      • Grouse, Pheasants, Quail, and Turkeys >
        • Greater Prairie-Chicken
        • Wild Turkey
      • Flamingos
      • Cranes, Rails, Gallinules and Coots >
        • Yellow Rail
        • King Rail
        • Virginia Rail
        • Sora
        • Common Gallinule
        • American Coot
        • Sandhill Crane
        • Whooping Crane
      • Shorebirds, Gulls and Relatives >
        • Black-necked Stilt
        • Black-bellied Plover
        • American Golden-Plover
        • Semipalmated Plover
        • Killdeer
        • Spotted Sandpiper
        • Solitary Sandpiper
        • Greater Yellowlegs
        • Lesser Yellowlegs
        • Upland Sandpiper
        • Semipalmated Sandpiper
        • Least Sandpiper
        • White-rumped Sandpiper
        • Baird's Sandpiper
        • Pectoral Sandpiper
        • Dunlin
        • Stilt Sandpiper
        • Buff-breasted Sandpiper
        • Short-billed Dowitcher
        • Long-billed Dowitcher
        • Wilson's Snipe
        • American Woodcock
        • Wilson's Phalarope
        • Black-legged Kittiwake
        • Bonaparte's Gull
        • Laughing Gull
        • Franklin's Gull
        • Ring-billed Gull
        • Herring Gull
        • Iceland Gull
        • Lesser Black-backed Gull
        • Glaucous Gull
        • Great Black-backed Gull
        • Caspian Tern
        • Black Tern
        • Common Tern
        • Forster's Tern
        • Dovekie
      • Pigeons and Doves >
        • Rock Pigeon
        • Mourning Dove
      • Cuckoos, Roadrunners and Anis >
        • Yellow-billed Cuckoo
        • Black-billed Cuckoo
      • Owls >
        • Eastern Screech-Owl
        • Great Horned Owl
        • Snowy Owl
        • Barred Owl
        • Long-eared Owl
        • Short-eared Owl
        • Northern Saw-whet Owl
      • Goatsuckers, Nighthawks and Allies >
        • Common Nighthawk
        • Eastern Whip-poor-will
      • Swifts and Hummingbirds >
        • Chimney Swift - Swifts (Apodidae)
        • Ruby-throated Hummingbird
        • Rufous Hummingbird
      • Kingfishers
      • Woodpeckers and Allies >
        • Red-headed Woodpecker
        • Red-bellied Woodpecker
        • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
        • Downy Woodpecker
        • Hairy Woodpecker
        • Northern Flicker
        • Pileated Woodpecker
      • Perching Birds >
        • Tyrant Flycatchers >
          • Olive-sided Flycatcher
          • Eastern Wood-Pewee
          • Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
          • Acadian Flycatcher
          • Alder Flycatcher
          • Willow Flycatcher
          • Least Flycatcher
          • Eastern Phoebe
          • Great Crested Flycatcher
          • Eastern Kingbird
        • Shrikes >
          • Loggerhead Shrike
          • Northern Shrike
        • Vireos >
          • White-eyed Vireo
          • Yellow-throated Vireo
          • Blue-headed Vireo
          • Warbling Vireo
          • Philadelphia Vireo
          • Red-eyed Vireo
        • Jays, Magpies, Crows and Ravens >
          • Blue Jay
          • American Crow
          • Common Raven
        • Larks
        • Swallows >
          • Purple Martin
          • Tree Swallow
          • Northern Rough-winged Swallow
          • Bank Swallow
          • Cliff Swallow
          • Barn Swallow
        • Titmice and Chickadees >
          • Black-capped Chickadee
          • Tufted Titmouse
        • Nuthatches >
          • Red-breasted Nuthatch
          • White-breasted Nuthatch
        • Creepers
        • Wrens >
          • House Wren
          • Winter Wren
          • Sedge Wren
          • Marsh Wren
          • Carolina Wren
        • Gnatcatchers and Gnatwrens
        • Kinglets >
          • Golden-crowned Kinglet
          • Ruby-crowned Kinglet
        • Thrushes >
          • Eastern Bluebird
          • Veery
          • Gray-cheeked Thrush
          • Swainson's Thrush
          • Hermit Thrush
          • Wood Thrush
          • American Robin
          • Varied Thrush
        • Mockingbirds and Thrashers >
          • Gray Catbird
          • Brown Thrasher
          • Northern Mockingbird
        • Starlings
        • Wagtails and Pipits
        • Waxwings >
          • Cedar Waxwing
        • Longspurs and Snow Buntings >
          • Lapland Longspur
          • Snow Bunting
        • Wood-Warblers >
          • Ovenbird
          • Worm-eating Warbler
          • Louisiana Waterthrush
          • Northern Waterthrush
          • Golden-winged Warbler
          • Blue-winged Warbler
          • Black-and-white Warbler
          • Prothonotary Warbler
          • Tennessee Warbler
          • Orange-crowned Warbler
          • Nashville Warbler
          • Connecticut Warbler
          • Mourning Warbler
          • Common Yellowthroat
          • Hooded Warbler
          • American Redstart
          • Kirtland's Warbler
          • Cape May Warbler
          • Cerulean Warbler
          • Northern Parula
          • Magnolia Warbler
          • Bay-breasted Warbler
          • Blackburnian Warbler
          • Yellow Warbler
          • Chestnut-sided Warbler
          • Blackpoll Warbler
          • Black-throated Blue Warbler
          • Palm Warbler
          • Pine Warbler
          • Yellow-rumped Warbler
          • Prairie Warbler
          • Black-throated Green Warbler
          • Canada Warbler
          • Wilson's Warbler
          • Yellow-breasted Chat
        • Tanagers >
          • Summer Tanager
          • Scarlet Tanager
        • Emberizids >
          • Eastern Towhee
          • American Tree Sparrow
          • Chipping Sparrow
          • Clay-colored Sparrow
          • Field Sparrow
          • Vesper Sparrow
          • Lark Sparrow
          • Lark Bunting
          • Savannah Sparrow
          • Grasshopper Sparrow
          • Henslow's Sparrow
          • Fox Sparrow
          • Song Sparrow
          • Lincoln's Sparrow
          • Swamp Sparrow
          • White-throated Sparrow
          • Harris's Sparrow
          • White-crowned Sparrow
          • Dark-eyed Junco
        • Cardinals, Piranga Tanagers and Allies >
          • Northern Cardinal
          • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
          • Blue Grosbeak
          • Indigo Bunting
          • Dickcissel
        • Blackbirds >
          • Bobolink
          • Red-winged Blackbird
          • Eastern Meadowlark
          • Western Meadowlark
          • Yellow-headed Blackbird
          • Rusty Blackbird
          • Brewer's Blackbird
          • Common Grackle
          • Brown-headed Cowbird
          • Orchard Oriole
          • Baltimore Oriole
        • Fringilline and Cardueline Finches >
          • House Finch
          • Purple Finch
          • Red Crossbill
          • White-winged Crossbill
          • Common Redpoll
          • Hoary Redpoll
          • Pine Siskin
          • American Goldfinch
          • Evening Grosbeak
      • Old World Sparrows
    • Hotspots >
      • 1/2 Mile and Marl Lake Rd
      • 10 Mile Road near G DR S
      • 23 Mile Road Flooded Field
      • Waterfowl
      • Shorebirds
    • ID
  • Macro, Bugs and Moths
    • Moths >
      • Bombycoidea
  • YouTube Links

Birding

[Birding (and more) in Calhoun County and beyond

North Carolina lifer bonanza

6/6/2022

0 Comments

 
Hercules and I headed down to North Carolina to visit with some relatives at the end of May.  We had a brief stop in Virginia overnight and did some birding/hiking, and for Herc some swimming, at a small county park.  Just enough to whet the appetite.  Since I had some time to kill the next day I looked to see if there was any place on the way to find Swainson's Warbler.  I know it is a specialty of the South-East, and I've never been in the area at the appropriate time.  Sure enough Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center had a checklist from the previous day with GPS coordinates to that bird, and also some Kentucky Warblers!  

Good news/Bad news.  I did manage to record audio of a very actively singing Swainson's Warbler, but someone forgot to turn the heat down!!!!​  My poor little birding buddy is not made for temps like that.  He had downed all the water I brought within 30 minutes and was panting up a storm.  We only managed about an hour walk before we had to be back in the truck with heat cranked up.  No time to go find the Kentucky Warbler.  The Swainson's never shoed itself.  I did get brief looks at a Hooded Warbler, and managed my first audio of that species along with first audio of Summer Tanager.  

The following day we headed down to Fort Fisher hoping to try to find the Gray Kingbird, or any other numerous potential lifers or FOY birds.  I was able to ID some Lifer Clapper Rails calling from the reeds.  Even better though as we walked toward the rocks a Clapper Rail flushed up and walked on the dead grass for a minute.  Giving really amazing looks at this bird.  
We didn't dare venture too far out on the rocks, as I've had a bad experience on them before.  Herc did manage a nice place to get in the water, as the trip to the beach he wasn't a huge fan of the waves.  We ran into an older couple birding and asked what I had seen.  They mentioned there is supposed to be a Painted Bunting in the area and were looking for it.  After some sighing of various terns, a Common Nighthawk at 0930, and handful of other FOY birds we started to walk back to the truck.  Our hour of roasting nearly completed.  I started to hear an odd singing coming from the berm.  Merlin pegged it as a Painted Bunting just as the couple asked if I was seeing it.  Working way up the berm they eventually said they had it up in the tree.  I was able to get great, if not shaded looks at a beautiful Lifer Painted Bunting male.  What a crazy looking bird!!
Returning the next day to again look for potential Lifer Gray Kingbird I ran into another birder waiting on it, and another one driving around asking if I had seen it.  Turned out the latter was Sam Cooper, the #1 birder in New Hanover.  Herc and I did our roughly hour walking around, and then came back to the truck.  That is when I saw Sam pull up to the other birder and have a brief conversation, and then they both took off.  I figured Gray Kingbird must have been found.  I located both of them down the road just a bit where Sam said it had popped up on the wire just long enough for a quick pic and disappeared.  We waited there for a bit, and after a false alarm Mourning Dove I saw a bird perched on the lowest wire.  Sure enough Gray Kingbird.  I was able to walk up close enough to get ID'able pics and then backed off allowing the other birder a look.   As we headed back up the road I stopped and looked into the bushes and lucked out.  The bird was sitting right in the top of a snag nearly at eye level!!!  With no traffic either way I was able to get some additional pics.  
Another bird I really wanted to get was Mississippi Kite, and I found a spot that was more my style of birding in the heat.  Driving down a dirt road, so we could jump in the truck and keep cool as needed.  On June 1st we headed to Governor's Road where Swallow-tailed Kite (my favorite bird), and Mississippi Kites were being seen at times daily.  Not far into the drive sure enough lifer Mississippi Kites were overhead, and a Swallow-tailed Kite gave me my best looks ever at that species.  
Governor's Road continued to deliver as we drove down the dirt section of it.  Prothonotary Warbler singing from the swamps, Northern Parula, and Pine Warblers were plentiful.  I had my first look at a male Blue Grosbeak.  I also had a very strange sound that I couldn't quite figure out despite its familiarity.  Turned out I was hearing lifer Northern Bobwhites calling from out in the fields/woods.  Never got lucky and saw them, but still something not likely to ever find around here now.  Unfortunately it was so hot Herc was having none of it.  He would only get out very briefly, and then jump right back in the truck.  One of my excursions out of the truck I caught sight of two large white birds flying in the distance.  Lifer Cattle Egrets!!  Not the most satisfying looks, but I would make up for that later in the day.  

We hit the railroad tracks and decided to turn back around as I also wanted to try Lee Bucks Road.  A Red-shouldered Hawk on the wire started us on the way back.  I managed to get some good audio of Yellow-breasted Chat and amazing looks at a White-eyed Vireo that responded to some "pishing".  Amazing how plentiful both of those species are around there.  Lee Bucks road offered up some very distant Prairie Warbler singing, and I believe my first "white-eyed" Eastern Towhee.  Quite a different song than the ones we get up here.  Neither of the Kites were continuing in the field I had them at the start of things, about 2.5 hours prior.  
My much better looks at Cattle Egrets ended up being in a drainage pond in a residential area a short time later.  Two birds allowed me to get some much better photos than that of my lifers above.  That ended my first day of active birding.  
North Carolina wasn't done, as my last night there an approaching storm brought out Mississippi Kites right above where I was staying.  Pics are dark and grainy, but they put on a show catching food before the rain arrived.  Such graceful and acrobatic birds.  It was  great way to end a week that saw 7 Lifers (5 with photos) and 8 new audio lifers.  I know it could have been better, had it not been so blessed hot there.  No way I was going to make Hercules have to suffer more than he did.  He was a trooper about it, and was nearly perfect save the dive into the Koi pond.  
Some other photos from the trip below.  
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    My exploits in my latest passion, Birding...not Bird-watching;-)
    Attempting to get the Calhoun County life-list to 206 by the end of 2015.....Mission accomplished, 249 and counting.  

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    Categories

    All
    1st County Record
    23 Mile Road
    American Golden Plover
    Big Yard
    Junco
    Lifer
    North Carolina
    Research
    Shorebirds
    Swallow Tailed Kite
    Warblers
    White-winged Junco

    RSS Feed

    iNaturalist.org
    Thumb View chipperatl's observations »
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Balance the Chaos
  • Contact
  • Hobbies/Passions
    • Art >
      • Sculpting and Painting
      • Garage Kits
      • Baseball Reference
      • Chipper's Customs
    • Throwback Baseball Game Database >
      • 1990 - Brewers at White Sox
      • 1991
      • 1992
      • 1993
      • 1994
      • 1995
      • 1996
      • 1997
      • 1998
      • 1999
      • 2000
      • 2001
      • 2002
      • 2003
      • 2004
      • 2005
  • Birding
  • Birding Calhoun County
    • Calhoun County Checklist
    • Birds of Calhoun County >
      • Calhoun County Birds by Code >
        • Yearly Calhoun County Birds
      • Loons (Gaviidae) >
        • Common Loon
      • Grebes (Podicipedidae) >
        • Pied-billed Grebe
      • Pelicans (Pelecanidae)
      • Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae)
      • New World Vultures (Cathartidae)
      • Bitterns, Herons, and Allies (Ardeidae)
      • Ducks, Geese, and Swans (Anatidae) >
        • Long-tailed Duck
      • Ospreys (Pandionidae)
      • Hawks, Kites, Eagles, and Allies (Accipitridae) >
        • Northern Goshawk
      • Grouse, Pheasants, Quail, and Turkeys >
        • Greater Prairie-Chicken
        • Wild Turkey
      • Flamingos
      • Cranes, Rails, Gallinules and Coots >
        • Yellow Rail
        • King Rail
        • Virginia Rail
        • Sora
        • Common Gallinule
        • American Coot
        • Sandhill Crane
        • Whooping Crane
      • Shorebirds, Gulls and Relatives >
        • Black-necked Stilt
        • Black-bellied Plover
        • American Golden-Plover
        • Semipalmated Plover
        • Killdeer
        • Spotted Sandpiper
        • Solitary Sandpiper
        • Greater Yellowlegs
        • Lesser Yellowlegs
        • Upland Sandpiper
        • Semipalmated Sandpiper
        • Least Sandpiper
        • White-rumped Sandpiper
        • Baird's Sandpiper
        • Pectoral Sandpiper
        • Dunlin
        • Stilt Sandpiper
        • Buff-breasted Sandpiper
        • Short-billed Dowitcher
        • Long-billed Dowitcher
        • Wilson's Snipe
        • American Woodcock
        • Wilson's Phalarope
        • Black-legged Kittiwake
        • Bonaparte's Gull
        • Laughing Gull
        • Franklin's Gull
        • Ring-billed Gull
        • Herring Gull
        • Iceland Gull
        • Lesser Black-backed Gull
        • Glaucous Gull
        • Great Black-backed Gull
        • Caspian Tern
        • Black Tern
        • Common Tern
        • Forster's Tern
        • Dovekie
      • Pigeons and Doves >
        • Rock Pigeon
        • Mourning Dove
      • Cuckoos, Roadrunners and Anis >
        • Yellow-billed Cuckoo
        • Black-billed Cuckoo
      • Owls >
        • Eastern Screech-Owl
        • Great Horned Owl
        • Snowy Owl
        • Barred Owl
        • Long-eared Owl
        • Short-eared Owl
        • Northern Saw-whet Owl
      • Goatsuckers, Nighthawks and Allies >
        • Common Nighthawk
        • Eastern Whip-poor-will
      • Swifts and Hummingbirds >
        • Chimney Swift - Swifts (Apodidae)
        • Ruby-throated Hummingbird
        • Rufous Hummingbird
      • Kingfishers
      • Woodpeckers and Allies >
        • Red-headed Woodpecker
        • Red-bellied Woodpecker
        • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
        • Downy Woodpecker
        • Hairy Woodpecker
        • Northern Flicker
        • Pileated Woodpecker
      • Perching Birds >
        • Tyrant Flycatchers >
          • Olive-sided Flycatcher
          • Eastern Wood-Pewee
          • Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
          • Acadian Flycatcher
          • Alder Flycatcher
          • Willow Flycatcher
          • Least Flycatcher
          • Eastern Phoebe
          • Great Crested Flycatcher
          • Eastern Kingbird
        • Shrikes >
          • Loggerhead Shrike
          • Northern Shrike
        • Vireos >
          • White-eyed Vireo
          • Yellow-throated Vireo
          • Blue-headed Vireo
          • Warbling Vireo
          • Philadelphia Vireo
          • Red-eyed Vireo
        • Jays, Magpies, Crows and Ravens >
          • Blue Jay
          • American Crow
          • Common Raven
        • Larks
        • Swallows >
          • Purple Martin
          • Tree Swallow
          • Northern Rough-winged Swallow
          • Bank Swallow
          • Cliff Swallow
          • Barn Swallow
        • Titmice and Chickadees >
          • Black-capped Chickadee
          • Tufted Titmouse
        • Nuthatches >
          • Red-breasted Nuthatch
          • White-breasted Nuthatch
        • Creepers
        • Wrens >
          • House Wren
          • Winter Wren
          • Sedge Wren
          • Marsh Wren
          • Carolina Wren
        • Gnatcatchers and Gnatwrens
        • Kinglets >
          • Golden-crowned Kinglet
          • Ruby-crowned Kinglet
        • Thrushes >
          • Eastern Bluebird
          • Veery
          • Gray-cheeked Thrush
          • Swainson's Thrush
          • Hermit Thrush
          • Wood Thrush
          • American Robin
          • Varied Thrush
        • Mockingbirds and Thrashers >
          • Gray Catbird
          • Brown Thrasher
          • Northern Mockingbird
        • Starlings
        • Wagtails and Pipits
        • Waxwings >
          • Cedar Waxwing
        • Longspurs and Snow Buntings >
          • Lapland Longspur
          • Snow Bunting
        • Wood-Warblers >
          • Ovenbird
          • Worm-eating Warbler
          • Louisiana Waterthrush
          • Northern Waterthrush
          • Golden-winged Warbler
          • Blue-winged Warbler
          • Black-and-white Warbler
          • Prothonotary Warbler
          • Tennessee Warbler
          • Orange-crowned Warbler
          • Nashville Warbler
          • Connecticut Warbler
          • Mourning Warbler
          • Common Yellowthroat
          • Hooded Warbler
          • American Redstart
          • Kirtland's Warbler
          • Cape May Warbler
          • Cerulean Warbler
          • Northern Parula
          • Magnolia Warbler
          • Bay-breasted Warbler
          • Blackburnian Warbler
          • Yellow Warbler
          • Chestnut-sided Warbler
          • Blackpoll Warbler
          • Black-throated Blue Warbler
          • Palm Warbler
          • Pine Warbler
          • Yellow-rumped Warbler
          • Prairie Warbler
          • Black-throated Green Warbler
          • Canada Warbler
          • Wilson's Warbler
          • Yellow-breasted Chat
        • Tanagers >
          • Summer Tanager
          • Scarlet Tanager
        • Emberizids >
          • Eastern Towhee
          • American Tree Sparrow
          • Chipping Sparrow
          • Clay-colored Sparrow
          • Field Sparrow
          • Vesper Sparrow
          • Lark Sparrow
          • Lark Bunting
          • Savannah Sparrow
          • Grasshopper Sparrow
          • Henslow's Sparrow
          • Fox Sparrow
          • Song Sparrow
          • Lincoln's Sparrow
          • Swamp Sparrow
          • White-throated Sparrow
          • Harris's Sparrow
          • White-crowned Sparrow
          • Dark-eyed Junco
        • Cardinals, Piranga Tanagers and Allies >
          • Northern Cardinal
          • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
          • Blue Grosbeak
          • Indigo Bunting
          • Dickcissel
        • Blackbirds >
          • Bobolink
          • Red-winged Blackbird
          • Eastern Meadowlark
          • Western Meadowlark
          • Yellow-headed Blackbird
          • Rusty Blackbird
          • Brewer's Blackbird
          • Common Grackle
          • Brown-headed Cowbird
          • Orchard Oriole
          • Baltimore Oriole
        • Fringilline and Cardueline Finches >
          • House Finch
          • Purple Finch
          • Red Crossbill
          • White-winged Crossbill
          • Common Redpoll
          • Hoary Redpoll
          • Pine Siskin
          • American Goldfinch
          • Evening Grosbeak
      • Old World Sparrows
    • Hotspots >
      • 1/2 Mile and Marl Lake Rd
      • 10 Mile Road near G DR S
      • 23 Mile Road Flooded Field
      • Waterfowl
      • Shorebirds
    • ID
  • Macro, Bugs and Moths
    • Moths >
      • Bombycoidea
  • YouTube Links