Yosemite National Park: June 15-18, 2007
June 15, after work I drove to Yosemite National Park taking the southern route through Oakhurst on Highway 41. Just before the tiny town of Fish Camp I turned off on a dirt forest road and drove for six miles to Big Sandy Campground in the Sierra National Forest where I set up camp in an expansive camp site right along the Big Creek. All sixteen of the sites in this scenic campground were well spaced and provided a lot of privacy. A White-headed Woodpecker came and pecked at a tree just over my camp site. Willow trees lined the creek and held some Fox Sparrows and Song Sparrows and many butterflies, many of which were Boisduval’s Blues. I heard a Red Crossbill calling but never could see it. I walked around the campground and saw some Red-breasted Nuthatch chicks in a tree. After setting up my tent I drove into Yosemite Park; driving back down the dusty dirt road back to Highway 41. It was just four miles from the entrance station but then another 16 miles to Glacier Point Road. I took that road to McGurk Meadow and walked the trail to the meadow and back. I heard Mountain Quails calling from the woods and saw Western Wood Pewee, Dark-eyed Junco, Western Tanager, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Golden-crowned Kinglet but no owls. I then stopped by the Four Seasons of Yosemite at Yosemite West, where my brother, Chris, and his family would be staying but they treated me like a criminal and would not let me have the key. So I returned to my campsite which was just as well. The stars were magnificent and the camp site was very quiet and peaceful.
June 16, I took down my tent and proceeded back down the dirt road to Yosemite West to meet Chris and his family. A Hammond’s Flycatcher was singing in a tree beside the road. Yosemite West is just a few miles from the entrance to Glacier Point Road but we decided to make the long drive to Tioga Pass Road for our hike. We drove all the way to Porcupine Creek where we planned to hike to North Dome which has expansive views of Half Dome and maybe the top of Yosemite Falls too. A Williamson’s Sapsucker crossed the trail in front of us. Chris’s son, Kevin, found a black bear that we all got good looks at before it fled into the woods. A Mountain Quail called from the woods. There were lots of Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Fox Sparrows, Brown Creepers, and Steller’s Jays. A Hermit Thrush made its ethereal call. Just one mile from the dome, Chris wandered off trail and he and his family had lunch. They claimed they thought it was the end of the trail even though the dome was looming before us. While waiting for them I saw a Townsend’s Solitaire in a tree. I started down the trail to North Dome but got off trail and ended up in thick intertwined Manzanita mats before finally emerging at the Haystack, another granite dome, that parallels North Dome. No one was on the Haystack since there is no official trail to it but it actually has closer looks at Half Dome. I started back through the woods trying to get to North Dome but the Manzanita was so thick it scratched and tore at my legs and arms to the point I didn’t think I would make it. I could hear White-throated Swifts overhead as I finally struggled my way back up the slope to the official trail but couldn’t see Chris or his family so I walked back to the trail junction. There were many butterflies including many Zerene Fritillaries and lots of California Sisters. Finally Chris and family came to the trail junction and we headed back to the car deciding against proceeding to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls as we had planned.
On the way back down Porcupine Creek Jenny saw a Calliope Hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world at 3.25 inches, which still was not enough to get the permanent snarl off her face. After our hike we drove down Tioga Pass a little further stopping at Olmstead Point for the view of the valley before finally turning back at Tuolumne Meadows. There were some California Gulls in Tenaya Lake and some Brewer’s Blackbirds.
June 17, I tried to get Chris’s family up for an early start but they had trouble getting the lead out and we didn’t get to the Chilnualna Falls trailhead in Wawona until the shamefully late starting time of 9:00 AM. We headed up the steep trail where it soon came to the first fall where we saw an American Dipper in the fast flowing creek. There were a lot of birds on this trail. After passing the first falls we passed through a mixed oak, pine woodland where there were Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, Warbling Vireo, Cassin’s Vireo, Western Tanager, Spotted Towhee, among other things. When we crossed over wet areas there were many butterflies flitting about, Western Tiger Swallowtail, more Zerene Fritillary, Propertius Duskywing, Clodius Parnassian, Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak, Field Crescent, and many more. All along the trail Mountain Misery aka Kit Kit Dizzy covered the forest floor. After 4.2 miles we came to the upper falls where we saw Western Azalea blooming beside the creek. Many wildflowers were blooming along the trail, Sierra Fringed Gentian, Mariposa Lily, Harlequin Lupine, Sierra Onion, Pussy Paws everywhere, and lots of miniature lupine. We walked about a mile beyond the falls thinking there were more and heard a MacGillivray’s Warbler singing in the thicket. I tried to pish it out but it only popped up briefly. We stopped at the creek and had lunch and saw many butterflies including Pale Swallowtail and others. There were more flowers blooming along the creek, White heather, Blue Penstemmon, and Thimbleberry and Megan found a Sonoran Skipper butterfly. After lunch we headed back down the trail the way we came. I saw the MacGillivray’s Warbler again briefly but not long enough for a good picture. After our hike we drove to Glacier Point Road and stopped at the Taft Point trailhead. There were more Clodius Parnassian butterflies and I finally found one spread on a marsh marigold and got a picture. We walked out to the fissures which are huge cracks in the granite which you can see through to the valley floor thousands of feet below. At Taft Point we stood on the granite platforms that jut out over the valley. A Violet-green Swallow flew over. After our little jaunt we drove to Washburn Point for the amazing view of Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, and Half Dome. As I gazed out at this magnificent mountain scenery, I was reminded of why I could never really leave California. We made our last stop the crowded Glacier Point viewpoint before heading back to Yosemite West. We were very hungry and it was father’s day and Sharon’s birthday. As Sharon was cooking dinner, the evil woman, Marcie, from the front desk called and told Sharon they had been there three days and she and her whole family needed to come to the office and check in or else. Sharon asked if that included her sixteen year old and the idiotic woman said yes. I had seen this woman on the first day when I tried to get the key. She had shaved off her eyebrows and painted on fake ones. She was skinny and looked like a shriveled up miserable old cow.
June 18, I got up early but I couldn’t get Chris’s family moving so after breakfast I drove up to McGurk Meadow again to look for the owl again. As I drove up Glacier Point Road a huge black bear walked in front of the car. I walked the trail to the meadow but saw no owls. I heard the Mountain Quail again but it never came close. A Dusky Flycatcher was singing in the woods. When Chris’s family was finally ready we drove to the Valley to Happy Isles. We started up the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls and then Nevada Falls. The trail is very steep and Sharon was scared at some points crawling on all fours. A rainbow was formed by the mist from Vernal Falls. At Nevada Falls many White-throated Swifts were flying over. I also was thrilled to find two Black Swifts flying by. There were more Nashville Warblers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Cassin’s Vireos, among other birds. We had lunch at Nevada Falls and then Chris insisted we take the John Muir Trail back down because Sharon was scared to take the Mist Trail. The John Muir Trail is very scenic at first as it crosses over Nevada Falls. The trail is carved out of the granite and has views back across to the other side of the falls. Water flowed down the granite and dripped onto the trail making for lots of wildflowers and butterflies including lots of Coral Bells, maidenhair fern, columbine, and Stone Crop, and Purplish Copper, Propertius Duskywing, and Melissa Blue butterflies. After leaving the gouged out section with views of the back side of the falls the trail is mundane and dusty and full of horse piss. After our hike we drove around the valley floor to the south side where we parked and walked out on a boardwalk into the meadow at the suggestion of Megan. Oaks lining the Merced River held lots of birds. I spotted a Bullock’s Oriole in the meadow. It wasn’t a Baltimore Oriole which is rare in the west but it was Chris’s first ever oriole of any kind. There were also Yellow Warblers and Warbling Vireos in the trees. We walked across Sentinel Bridge and then to lower Yosemite Falls which was crawling with people. We saw lots of Showy Milkweed growing in the meadow. On the way back we found an Acorn Woodpecker beside the trail. Then it was time for me to go. I think Chris and his family were sad to lose their mountain guide and I was sad to leave the splendid granite wonderland that I am so lucky to live so close to.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Saturday, June 09, 2007
North Carolina Pelagic & Mountains
May 31- June 6, 2007
North Carolina: Sea to Sky
I arrived at the Raleigh-Durham Airport on Thursday afternoon. In my sister’s front yard I saw a beautiful Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly. There was not much bird action though.
Friday morning I got up early and my brother John and I went to the Korstian section of Duke Forest in Durham, NC. Lots of birds were singing but they were hard to see in the thick canopy. I heard Hooded Warbler, Ovenbird, Indigo Bunting, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher as we made our way down to the creek. John pointed out a Brown-headed Cowbird. We saw a male and female Scarlet Tanager way up in an oak tree. Blue Jays were squawking overhead. At the creek I heard a Louisiana Waterthrush singing. It flew up over John’s head briefly. A Hooded Warbler also popped out very briefly and I heard a Northern Parula singing which also made an all too brief appearance. I think John was getting frustrated just hearing the birds and not seeing them. Back in the forest away from the creek there were Red-bellied Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Great-crested Flycatcher, Acadian Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, and Eastern Wood Pewee. Back at the open field we were able to see the birds better. There was a Field Sparrow singing and a Mourning Dove and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird zipped by. A Great Blue Heron flew over. Next we headed over to Umstead State Park in Raleigh, NC. We took a trail that followed along Sycamore Creek. It was full of birds especially many Acadian Flycatchers and Red-eyed Vireos. We heard a Wood Thrush giving its eerie call and also heard a Pileated Woodpecker and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. It was getting toward lunch and we had no food so we returned to my sister’s house. Then Sharon and I packed up and drove to Cape Hatteras.
It is a long drive to Cape Hatteras from Raleigh taking about five hours. We stopped at Pocosin NWR to use the restroom and saw many Purple Martins. Then we headed over the bridge over Oregon Inlet down the thin strip that makes up the Outer Banks. I was only able to pick out a few birds from the car, Laughing Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, and Common Grackle. After checking into our hotel, the Comfort Inn in Buxton, we headed over to the Lighthouse. It was getting late and we didn’t see much but we heard a Chuck-will’s-widow calling as dusk approached.
Saturday, June 2, 2007, we got up before dawn and drove down to the marina at the very end of Cape Hatteras Island barely making it in time for our 6:00 AM departure on the Stormy Petrel II for our pelagic trip with Brian Patteson. We were so lucky to have famous birder, Steve Howell, on board to assist with spotting and identifying the birds. Steve is a fantastic birder and I have been so lucky to have had him on every pelagic trip I have ever been on. Steve has just released his latest book, Gulls of the Americas. He is also working on a book about tubenoses (the kind of birds we would soon be seeing which is why he is on so many pelagic trips) and probably the foremost authority on them in the US. The first two hours of the trip we only saw a couple of Northern Gannets and that was it. The boat sped along trying to get out to the Gulf Stream where we would see all the fabulous birds. There was no time to stop even if we had seen something. I like that Brian drives the boat himself because he could spot birds and then quickly get the boat turned around so that everyone could see them. He also gave the spotters walkie-talkies so they could let him know when they saw something. The only gulls I saw were Laughing Gull and Great Black-backed Gull, and those were close to shore; there were no gulls further out. In the first part of the trip I also saw Royal Tern and Least Tern. Finally we made it to the Gulf Stream. The water turned from a soupy green to a brilliant clear blue. The Gulf Stream is where we would have our best chance to see something rare. A Cory’s Shearwater flew by and the people on the boat hardly even noted it even though it was a first for me. It was the first of many we saw but I never was able to get a photo because most were far from the boat. I also saw a distant Sooty Shearwater, the only one of the day. Soon we came across a few Wilson’s Storm Petrels which are very common on the east coast but not the west coast so again it was a first for me. Someone yelled out bird and a Greater Shearwater flew by the boat. It looks very similar to a couple of other birds and it took me a while to identify them. I was positioned perfectly at the back of the boat next to one of the spotters, Chris Sloane, when someone yelled out. I got my binoculars on the bird and noted the white belly and white under wings. I thought it was a Black-capped Petrel. I asked Chris what it was and thought he was mad when he said, HERALD PETREL! A Herald Petrel is very rare off the Outer Banks. They nest off of the coast of Brazil and this would likely be the only one I would ever see in my life. But I was not convinced. Later I asked Steve Howell if he had seen the Herald Petrel and he said yes. I said was there a Black-capped Petrel next to it and he said no and then when he described it I knew I had seen my first ever Herald Petrel. Sibley says that most US records of this species are the dark morph so I was expecting it to look like a Sooty Shearwater. But Steve showed me a picture of the light morph and it was exactly what I had seen. Yes! As we proceeded along the Gulf Stream we threw chum out from the boat trying to attract birds. Soon a Black-capped Petrel flew in, another first for me. In fact, everything we saw was new except for the Sooty Shearwater. Steve said there might be a flock of hundreds of Wilson’s Storm petrels behind the boat and I should study them to get used to their flight pattern so I could tell them from other birds later on. The big flock never materialized but I was able to study them in great detail. While watching the Wilson’s Storm-Petrel you look for other petrels that are slightly bigger. Soon a couple flew in and Brian could spot them even while driving the boat and called out big storm petrel. There was a Band-rumped Storm-Petrel flying by. I got a good look at it. Steve happened to be nearby and made sure I got on it. They fly faster than the Wilson’s and are a little bit bigger but otherwise look incredibly similar. Soon a Leach’s Storm-Petrel flew by. They are also bigger but a little easier to pick out because they have a very notable carpal bar across the topof the wings. Then I Pilot Whale swam by the boat. Brian said not enough birds were coming to our little chum slick so we moved further out to sea and started another one. Soon we had a small flock of Wilson’s Storm-Petrels with some Leach’s and one or two Band-rumped’s There were also a few Audubon’s Shearwaters flying around, all new to me and so exciting to see. Then a Pomarine Jaeger started circling the boat over and over. I have never seen one so close. It went around and around terrorizing the other birds. Jaegers like to harass other birds and steal their food. We had quite a flock going with the Pomarine Jaeger, Audubon’s Shearwaters, Black-capped Petrels, and Great Shearwaters along with the storm petrels but Brian said we had to go because it was getting late and we were 30 miles from shore. So we reluctantly turned back to shore. On the way back we saw a Manx Shearwater but there was no time to stop even for that. Back near the shore I saw a Brown Pelican, Glossy Ibis, Parasitic Jaeger, and on the shoreline a Black Skimmer. When we got off the boat Sharon and I drove back toward the Lighthouse. As we proceeded down the road we saw a female Wood Duck with ten chicks. I got out to get a picture which would have been so cute but a redneck zoomed by right in between me and the ducks and scared them off into the bushes. There are some little seasonal ponds before the beach that we checked and saw some American Black Ducks. On the beach we saw only a few Ruddy Turnstones, Black-bellied Plovers, Sanderlings, and Common and Least Tern.
Sunday, June 3, I had planned to check Cape Point for Roseate Tern. Unfortunately a fierce storm had moved in and it was raining and the wind was howling. I could barely walk up the beach. Sharon had sprained her ankle on the boat and could barely walk so she waited in the car. We drove to the Buxton Woods Nature Trail since it is wooded and protected from the wind. The only bird we saw was one Green Heron. However, there were hundreds of dragonflies and I heard a Common Yellowthroat singing in the pond. The storm began to die down so we drove to Cape Point. We didn’t have a four wheel drive so we had to walk to the point. There were dozens of fishers in their trucks driving up and down the beach which is so annoying. It is just inconceivable how the National Park Service can justify allowing this criminal behavior where birds nest. On the beach were some Ruddy Turnstones, Black-bellied Plovers, and one Red Knot. I checked the salt pond for the tern colony but there were very few birds and they were mostly huddled on the inaccessible side of the pond. I had not brought my scope because it was raining when I started out. It was hard to make out the birds on the other side of the pond but I was able to pick out Black Skimmer, American Oystercatcher, Royal Tern, Least Tern, Common Tern, and Dowitcher sp. It was clearing up and turning nice but we decided we better go. On the way back to Raleigh we stopped at Alligator NWR. We heard dozens of Prothonotary Warblers singing along the entrance road but we never did see one. I also heard a Louisiana Waterthrush and Prairie Warbler singing. We took the boardwalk to the end of the nature trail and heard a Barred Owl calling from the woods and a Pileated Woodpecker. Sharon’s foot was swollen and it looked like it might rain again so we decided to head back to Raleigh. About 30 miles outside of Raleigh, this ferocious storm with torrential rain descended on us. We could barely see the exit signs but people were driving like nothing was happening. Soon we saw numerous cars in single car crashes in the ditch, in the median, in the guardrails and all along the roadway. People are so dumb.
Monday, June 4, I got up early and drove east toward the mountains. I decided to make a detour and headed north to the tiny town of Jackson, NC to New River State Park. I entered at the Highway 2311 entrance and took all the trails in that section. I saw many more Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies plus some Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Little Yellow, Cloudless Sulphur, and a Red-spotted Purple. I heard Wood Thrushes singing in the wooded trails. There were lots of Eastern Towhees and Indigo Buntings. I also heard Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Summer Tanager, and Northern Parula and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. I was not able to find any Black-billed Cuckoos though. After hiking all the trails I drove along the river on some dirt roads and heard a Willow Flycatcher singing. I saw some Tree Swallows and one Northern Rough-winged Swallow. I drove to the Wagoner Entrance and took all the trails there. There were most of the same birds as the other entrance but also Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Wood Pewee, Brown Thrasher, Yellow Warbler, and Eastern Bluebird but no Black-billed Cuckoo. I drove to the Blue Ridge Parkway and got on it. I got off at Linville Gorge and took the short trail to the Linville Falls. There were a lot of people even though it was a week day. I heard mountain birds in this area. I had definitely left the piedmont. I heard Red-breasted Nuthatches calling from the trees and I saw Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Northern Parula, Ovenbird, and Veery. I saw the first Dark-eyed Junco of the trip and one Ruby-throated Hummingbird and one Brown Creeper. I heard lots of Golden-crowned Kinglets. I drove to Davidson River Campground in Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, NC and set up camp for two nights. There were two separate families one in front and one behind with gigantic tents as big as my house in which the entire family slept. They were very noisy and I was concerned I would never get to sleep. Around 9:30 PM the family in front began singing kumbaya to a drum accompaniment. I was horrified. But right on queue at 10:00 PM when quiet hours begin the place went dead silent so I was happy.
I got up at 5:00 AM on Tuesday and tried to be respectful and quiet since the others had been. I got back on the Blue Ridge Parkway and headed south stopping briefly at Black Balsam where I easily found a definite Alder Flycatcher singing away near the parking area. I drove much further south on the parkway enjoying all the blooming mountain laurel, rhododendron, hibiscus, and numerous wildflowers before turning off on the Heintooga Spur Road which starts out in the Blue Ridge Parkway but ends in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I took the 5.2 mile Flat Creek Trail. It was lush with growth and green and full of bird song. It was a great trail and I was so happy to have it all to myself. There were many Blue-headed Vireos, Black-throated Blue Warblers, Chestnut-sided Warblers, and Black-throated Green Warblers. I also heard a couple of Winter Wrens giving their lengthy song. I found one Least Flycatcher along the trail. This species is at its southern most limit in this location. So that was a good find. I saw four Elks that had been tagged and one White-tailed Deer. At the end of the trail I found my only Pine Siskin of the trip. After my hike I walked along Heintooga Road looking and looking for a Black-billed Cuckoo in vain. I did see a Wild Turkey and a Broad-winged Hawk flew right past me. In the Great Smoky Mountains I saw many butterflies, more Red-spotted Purple, Little Yellow, Hobomok Skipper, Orange Sulphur and some others I could not identify. While looking for the evanescent cuckoo I heard a warbler singing loudly and looked into a tree to find a Chesnut-sided Warbler singing his cute little head off. After thoroughly exploring Heintooga Road I had to drive to the nearest town, Cherokee, NC, the tackiest town in North Carolina, to get gas as I was nearly out before heading back north on the parkway to Pisgah NF. It was a long drive and I didn’t get to Pink Beds Loop Trail in Pisgah NF until nearly 8:00 PM. I walked the trail until it came to a bog where I found the Louisiana Waterthrush we had seen on my previous trip in April. The bog had diminished greatly and I was able to get across it to the other side and film the bird as it foraged for food. I spent too much time and barely made it back to my car just before 9:00 PM with it nearly dark. The pink mountain laurel for which the trail was named was blooming all along it.
My last day, June 6, I got up early to the sweet song of the Whip-poor-will. Before day even breaks the Eastern Towhee starts to sing, next comes the Eastern Phoebe, and then the Robins. So that by sunrise there is a symphony of song. Unfortunately I had to go. I drove toward Ashville and then north on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Craven Gap to again look for Black-billed Cuckoo but it was fruitless. There were lots of birds just no cuckoos. I saw Hooded Warbler, a very close Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Ovenbird, Pileated Woodpecker, Scarlet Tanager, Wood Thrush, Black-and-white Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, Carolina Chickadee, Chestnut-sided Warbler, and White-breasted Nuthatch. Then it was time for the grueling drive back to Raleigh to catch my flight home.
Total species =128
Life birds = 9
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel
Leach’s Storm-Petrel
Cory’s Shearwater
Greater Shearwater
Audubon’s Shearwater
Black-capped Petrel
Herald Petrel
Alder Flycatcher
North Carolina: Sea to Sky
I arrived at the Raleigh-Durham Airport on Thursday afternoon. In my sister’s front yard I saw a beautiful Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly. There was not much bird action though.
Friday morning I got up early and my brother John and I went to the Korstian section of Duke Forest in Durham, NC. Lots of birds were singing but they were hard to see in the thick canopy. I heard Hooded Warbler, Ovenbird, Indigo Bunting, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher as we made our way down to the creek. John pointed out a Brown-headed Cowbird. We saw a male and female Scarlet Tanager way up in an oak tree. Blue Jays were squawking overhead. At the creek I heard a Louisiana Waterthrush singing. It flew up over John’s head briefly. A Hooded Warbler also popped out very briefly and I heard a Northern Parula singing which also made an all too brief appearance. I think John was getting frustrated just hearing the birds and not seeing them. Back in the forest away from the creek there were Red-bellied Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Great-crested Flycatcher, Acadian Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, and Eastern Wood Pewee. Back at the open field we were able to see the birds better. There was a Field Sparrow singing and a Mourning Dove and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird zipped by. A Great Blue Heron flew over. Next we headed over to Umstead State Park in Raleigh, NC. We took a trail that followed along Sycamore Creek. It was full of birds especially many Acadian Flycatchers and Red-eyed Vireos. We heard a Wood Thrush giving its eerie call and also heard a Pileated Woodpecker and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. It was getting toward lunch and we had no food so we returned to my sister’s house. Then Sharon and I packed up and drove to Cape Hatteras.
It is a long drive to Cape Hatteras from Raleigh taking about five hours. We stopped at Pocosin NWR to use the restroom and saw many Purple Martins. Then we headed over the bridge over Oregon Inlet down the thin strip that makes up the Outer Banks. I was only able to pick out a few birds from the car, Laughing Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, and Common Grackle. After checking into our hotel, the Comfort Inn in Buxton, we headed over to the Lighthouse. It was getting late and we didn’t see much but we heard a Chuck-will’s-widow calling as dusk approached.
Saturday, June 2, 2007, we got up before dawn and drove down to the marina at the very end of Cape Hatteras Island barely making it in time for our 6:00 AM departure on the Stormy Petrel II for our pelagic trip with Brian Patteson. We were so lucky to have famous birder, Steve Howell, on board to assist with spotting and identifying the birds. Steve is a fantastic birder and I have been so lucky to have had him on every pelagic trip I have ever been on. Steve has just released his latest book, Gulls of the Americas. He is also working on a book about tubenoses (the kind of birds we would soon be seeing which is why he is on so many pelagic trips) and probably the foremost authority on them in the US. The first two hours of the trip we only saw a couple of Northern Gannets and that was it. The boat sped along trying to get out to the Gulf Stream where we would see all the fabulous birds. There was no time to stop even if we had seen something. I like that Brian drives the boat himself because he could spot birds and then quickly get the boat turned around so that everyone could see them. He also gave the spotters walkie-talkies so they could let him know when they saw something. The only gulls I saw were Laughing Gull and Great Black-backed Gull, and those were close to shore; there were no gulls further out. In the first part of the trip I also saw Royal Tern and Least Tern. Finally we made it to the Gulf Stream. The water turned from a soupy green to a brilliant clear blue. The Gulf Stream is where we would have our best chance to see something rare. A Cory’s Shearwater flew by and the people on the boat hardly even noted it even though it was a first for me. It was the first of many we saw but I never was able to get a photo because most were far from the boat. I also saw a distant Sooty Shearwater, the only one of the day. Soon we came across a few Wilson’s Storm Petrels which are very common on the east coast but not the west coast so again it was a first for me. Someone yelled out bird and a Greater Shearwater flew by the boat. It looks very similar to a couple of other birds and it took me a while to identify them. I was positioned perfectly at the back of the boat next to one of the spotters, Chris Sloane, when someone yelled out. I got my binoculars on the bird and noted the white belly and white under wings. I thought it was a Black-capped Petrel. I asked Chris what it was and thought he was mad when he said, HERALD PETREL! A Herald Petrel is very rare off the Outer Banks. They nest off of the coast of Brazil and this would likely be the only one I would ever see in my life. But I was not convinced. Later I asked Steve Howell if he had seen the Herald Petrel and he said yes. I said was there a Black-capped Petrel next to it and he said no and then when he described it I knew I had seen my first ever Herald Petrel. Sibley says that most US records of this species are the dark morph so I was expecting it to look like a Sooty Shearwater. But Steve showed me a picture of the light morph and it was exactly what I had seen. Yes! As we proceeded along the Gulf Stream we threw chum out from the boat trying to attract birds. Soon a Black-capped Petrel flew in, another first for me. In fact, everything we saw was new except for the Sooty Shearwater. Steve said there might be a flock of hundreds of Wilson’s Storm petrels behind the boat and I should study them to get used to their flight pattern so I could tell them from other birds later on. The big flock never materialized but I was able to study them in great detail. While watching the Wilson’s Storm-Petrel you look for other petrels that are slightly bigger. Soon a couple flew in and Brian could spot them even while driving the boat and called out big storm petrel. There was a Band-rumped Storm-Petrel flying by. I got a good look at it. Steve happened to be nearby and made sure I got on it. They fly faster than the Wilson’s and are a little bit bigger but otherwise look incredibly similar. Soon a Leach’s Storm-Petrel flew by. They are also bigger but a little easier to pick out because they have a very notable carpal bar across the topof the wings. Then I Pilot Whale swam by the boat. Brian said not enough birds were coming to our little chum slick so we moved further out to sea and started another one. Soon we had a small flock of Wilson’s Storm-Petrels with some Leach’s and one or two Band-rumped’s There were also a few Audubon’s Shearwaters flying around, all new to me and so exciting to see. Then a Pomarine Jaeger started circling the boat over and over. I have never seen one so close. It went around and around terrorizing the other birds. Jaegers like to harass other birds and steal their food. We had quite a flock going with the Pomarine Jaeger, Audubon’s Shearwaters, Black-capped Petrels, and Great Shearwaters along with the storm petrels but Brian said we had to go because it was getting late and we were 30 miles from shore. So we reluctantly turned back to shore. On the way back we saw a Manx Shearwater but there was no time to stop even for that. Back near the shore I saw a Brown Pelican, Glossy Ibis, Parasitic Jaeger, and on the shoreline a Black Skimmer. When we got off the boat Sharon and I drove back toward the Lighthouse. As we proceeded down the road we saw a female Wood Duck with ten chicks. I got out to get a picture which would have been so cute but a redneck zoomed by right in between me and the ducks and scared them off into the bushes. There are some little seasonal ponds before the beach that we checked and saw some American Black Ducks. On the beach we saw only a few Ruddy Turnstones, Black-bellied Plovers, Sanderlings, and Common and Least Tern.
Sunday, June 3, I had planned to check Cape Point for Roseate Tern. Unfortunately a fierce storm had moved in and it was raining and the wind was howling. I could barely walk up the beach. Sharon had sprained her ankle on the boat and could barely walk so she waited in the car. We drove to the Buxton Woods Nature Trail since it is wooded and protected from the wind. The only bird we saw was one Green Heron. However, there were hundreds of dragonflies and I heard a Common Yellowthroat singing in the pond. The storm began to die down so we drove to Cape Point. We didn’t have a four wheel drive so we had to walk to the point. There were dozens of fishers in their trucks driving up and down the beach which is so annoying. It is just inconceivable how the National Park Service can justify allowing this criminal behavior where birds nest. On the beach were some Ruddy Turnstones, Black-bellied Plovers, and one Red Knot. I checked the salt pond for the tern colony but there were very few birds and they were mostly huddled on the inaccessible side of the pond. I had not brought my scope because it was raining when I started out. It was hard to make out the birds on the other side of the pond but I was able to pick out Black Skimmer, American Oystercatcher, Royal Tern, Least Tern, Common Tern, and Dowitcher sp. It was clearing up and turning nice but we decided we better go. On the way back to Raleigh we stopped at Alligator NWR. We heard dozens of Prothonotary Warblers singing along the entrance road but we never did see one. I also heard a Louisiana Waterthrush and Prairie Warbler singing. We took the boardwalk to the end of the nature trail and heard a Barred Owl calling from the woods and a Pileated Woodpecker. Sharon’s foot was swollen and it looked like it might rain again so we decided to head back to Raleigh. About 30 miles outside of Raleigh, this ferocious storm with torrential rain descended on us. We could barely see the exit signs but people were driving like nothing was happening. Soon we saw numerous cars in single car crashes in the ditch, in the median, in the guardrails and all along the roadway. People are so dumb.
Monday, June 4, I got up early and drove east toward the mountains. I decided to make a detour and headed north to the tiny town of Jackson, NC to New River State Park. I entered at the Highway 2311 entrance and took all the trails in that section. I saw many more Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies plus some Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Little Yellow, Cloudless Sulphur, and a Red-spotted Purple. I heard Wood Thrushes singing in the wooded trails. There were lots of Eastern Towhees and Indigo Buntings. I also heard Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Summer Tanager, and Northern Parula and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. I was not able to find any Black-billed Cuckoos though. After hiking all the trails I drove along the river on some dirt roads and heard a Willow Flycatcher singing. I saw some Tree Swallows and one Northern Rough-winged Swallow. I drove to the Wagoner Entrance and took all the trails there. There were most of the same birds as the other entrance but also Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Wood Pewee, Brown Thrasher, Yellow Warbler, and Eastern Bluebird but no Black-billed Cuckoo. I drove to the Blue Ridge Parkway and got on it. I got off at Linville Gorge and took the short trail to the Linville Falls. There were a lot of people even though it was a week day. I heard mountain birds in this area. I had definitely left the piedmont. I heard Red-breasted Nuthatches calling from the trees and I saw Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Northern Parula, Ovenbird, and Veery. I saw the first Dark-eyed Junco of the trip and one Ruby-throated Hummingbird and one Brown Creeper. I heard lots of Golden-crowned Kinglets. I drove to Davidson River Campground in Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, NC and set up camp for two nights. There were two separate families one in front and one behind with gigantic tents as big as my house in which the entire family slept. They were very noisy and I was concerned I would never get to sleep. Around 9:30 PM the family in front began singing kumbaya to a drum accompaniment. I was horrified. But right on queue at 10:00 PM when quiet hours begin the place went dead silent so I was happy.
I got up at 5:00 AM on Tuesday and tried to be respectful and quiet since the others had been. I got back on the Blue Ridge Parkway and headed south stopping briefly at Black Balsam where I easily found a definite Alder Flycatcher singing away near the parking area. I drove much further south on the parkway enjoying all the blooming mountain laurel, rhododendron, hibiscus, and numerous wildflowers before turning off on the Heintooga Spur Road which starts out in the Blue Ridge Parkway but ends in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I took the 5.2 mile Flat Creek Trail. It was lush with growth and green and full of bird song. It was a great trail and I was so happy to have it all to myself. There were many Blue-headed Vireos, Black-throated Blue Warblers, Chestnut-sided Warblers, and Black-throated Green Warblers. I also heard a couple of Winter Wrens giving their lengthy song. I found one Least Flycatcher along the trail. This species is at its southern most limit in this location. So that was a good find. I saw four Elks that had been tagged and one White-tailed Deer. At the end of the trail I found my only Pine Siskin of the trip. After my hike I walked along Heintooga Road looking and looking for a Black-billed Cuckoo in vain. I did see a Wild Turkey and a Broad-winged Hawk flew right past me. In the Great Smoky Mountains I saw many butterflies, more Red-spotted Purple, Little Yellow, Hobomok Skipper, Orange Sulphur and some others I could not identify. While looking for the evanescent cuckoo I heard a warbler singing loudly and looked into a tree to find a Chesnut-sided Warbler singing his cute little head off. After thoroughly exploring Heintooga Road I had to drive to the nearest town, Cherokee, NC, the tackiest town in North Carolina, to get gas as I was nearly out before heading back north on the parkway to Pisgah NF. It was a long drive and I didn’t get to Pink Beds Loop Trail in Pisgah NF until nearly 8:00 PM. I walked the trail until it came to a bog where I found the Louisiana Waterthrush we had seen on my previous trip in April. The bog had diminished greatly and I was able to get across it to the other side and film the bird as it foraged for food. I spent too much time and barely made it back to my car just before 9:00 PM with it nearly dark. The pink mountain laurel for which the trail was named was blooming all along it.
My last day, June 6, I got up early to the sweet song of the Whip-poor-will. Before day even breaks the Eastern Towhee starts to sing, next comes the Eastern Phoebe, and then the Robins. So that by sunrise there is a symphony of song. Unfortunately I had to go. I drove toward Ashville and then north on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Craven Gap to again look for Black-billed Cuckoo but it was fruitless. There were lots of birds just no cuckoos. I saw Hooded Warbler, a very close Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Ovenbird, Pileated Woodpecker, Scarlet Tanager, Wood Thrush, Black-and-white Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, Carolina Chickadee, Chestnut-sided Warbler, and White-breasted Nuthatch. Then it was time for the grueling drive back to Raleigh to catch my flight home.
Total species =128
Life birds = 9
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel
Leach’s Storm-Petrel
Cory’s Shearwater
Greater Shearwater
Audubon’s Shearwater
Black-capped Petrel
Herald Petrel
Alder Flycatcher
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)