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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Quick Trip Report 5/25-6/1 (1 Viewer)

walshey

not on a register
Back from our trip to North Carolina. I really enjoyed it! The highlights were the 3 pelagic trips we took on Brian Patteson's boat out of Hatteras. 16 species were recorded once out to sea.

Common Loon, immature individuals up to 10 miles offshore
Black-capped Petrel, about 60 birds, some great looks
Trinidade Petrel, one light phase approached the boat closely on the 1st trip
Great Shearwater, about 6 on the 3rd trip. One came right up to the boat and was fed chunks of fish.
Cory's Shearwater, common, hundreds seen
Sooty Shearwater, quite scarce, only a handful seen
Audubon's Shearwater, quite scarce first couple of trips. lots around on the last one, about 70 seen, great looks.
Wilson's Storm-Petrel, common, hundreds seen, would follow the slick all day.
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, about 25-30, takes some time to get your eye in on these and pick them out of the Wilson's. By the 3rd trip I was starting to call them myself.
Leache's Storm-Petrel, about 20, never in the slick but often just resting.
Common Tern, 3 seen passing
Arctic Tern, 1 circled the boat on the 3rd trip
Bridled Tern, 4 or 5 including one 1 year bird perched on flotsam at 20 yds!
Pomarine Jaeger, about 15, some young birds came to feed by the boat, others were busy beating up Shearwaters
Long-tailed Jaeger, one on 1st trip came right in for hours to feed
Parasitic Jaeger, a few, never came in mostly busy getting North.

Away from the boat, we visited Pea Island, Alligator River, Croatan Forest and Howell's Woods. Highlights for me were some warblers I have rarely seen before and a couple of life birds, Mississippi Kite and Barred Owl.
Best birds were
Kentucky Warbler, extended views of males at Howell's Wood
Yellow-throated Warbler, likewise
Hooded Warbler, great views in the Croatan
Prothonotary Warbler, these lovely birds are really common in NC.
Yellow-breasted Chat, again quite common.
Barred Owl, one found perched in open in Alligator River.
Mississippi Kite, one feeding over/around the visitor centre at Howell's Woods.
Piping Plover, seen on Pea Island
Seaside Sparrow, seen on Roanoke Island.
Red-cockaded Woodpecker, seen around a colony in the Croatan.

Many others seen for a week total of 135. Inevitably a few misses. Other days on the boat got a W-T Tropicbird and a S-P Skua was seen the day after we left. Also couldn't find a Swainson's Warbler anywhere. We tried for Black Rail on Roanoke Island but were beaten back by ferocious biting flies against which there seemed no defence.

I'll put some pictures on and a full trip list in coming days

John
 
A busy few days! I have lived in NC for over a year since moving from the UK and have yet to go birding outside my local patch. At the moment, I am fascinated with the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds that come to my feeders. After only getting Starlings and Sparrows at my Scunthorpe, UK feeders between 2006 & 2012, who needs to go anywhere else! LOL
 
A busy few days! I have lived in NC for over a year since moving from the UK and have yet to go birding outside my local patch. At the moment, I am fascinated with the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds that come to my feeders. After only getting Starlings and Sparrows at my Scunthorpe, UK feeders between 2006 & 2012, who needs to go anywhere else! LOL

I tend to agree and admit we are a little bit spoiled. The bright beautiful blue of the blue jay, the bright red of the male Northern Cardinal, the bright yellow of the Golden Finch, the dark bold blue of the male Eastern Bluebird, etc, and the mixed songs of the songbirds...

I have had jays, finches, cardinals, etc. in my yard at the same time. And to think I sometimes get "bored" and to drive to other locations! ;)

Glad you're enjoying "the Old North State" pusser!
 
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