Reminiscing: Road Trip 2015

Posted on January 22, 2017 by cftravel

I never truly presented my thoughts, impressions and photographs from my 2015 cross-country road trip. At least not to the extent I wanted. In reality, I left little time for blogging while I was on the road. Wi-fi hotspots were few and far in between for the majority of my destinations. Cell coverage was deplorable; more about that later!

I wish to devote some time to a collection of posts highlighting destinations, lessons learned, travel tips and photography from 29 days on the road by myself with a dog for company. I hope you will indulge me:

The Whole Trip

In total I would drive nearly 8,000 miles, visiting:

5 National Monuments
4 National Parks
3 National Scenic Highways
10 National Wildlife Refuges
2 State Parks
3 Wilderness Areas
3 Wildlife Management Areas

I hiked more than 40 miles of trails.

I lost 15 pounds on the trip!

Spent 2 nights in a hotel, 22 nights camping and 4 nights with friends.

Added 71 new species to my bird list.

Still wished I had stopped for that camel ride in Montana. 🙂

The Bare Necessities

The total trip costs less than $1800, making the trip come in at around $60 a day! Although, this includes some extra costs like a new backpack, some camping gear and a new tent mid-trip. Gas prices were averaging between $2.50-$2.75 per gallon, although gas around Yellowstone NP and northwestern Wyoming was a bit higher averaging $2.90-$3.10 per gallon. If gas prices remain low in the coming years, I would love to re-run a portion of this road trip!

I booked all of my lodging in advance through the respective state parks or on recreation.gov. While this may have been unnecessary for about half of my lodging options, not having to worry about whether a campground would be full when I got there was worth the effort. Many of the larger state parks and national parks allow reservations up to 6 months or a year prior to your selected date. While most leave some sites available for walk-ins, they are on a first-come-first-serve basis. Prior booking for Yellowstone NP-WY, Badlands NP-SD and Custer SP-SD was a wise choice as each was full when I arrived. On the flip-side, there were 2-3 nights where I wish I could have been more flexible and if I had the proper change, probably would have foregone one reservation to stay closer to one of my destinations (more on that later).

In the Beginning

The first planned stop of the trip was a guilty pleasure, of sorts. The Parthenon: in Nashville, TN. I never knew it was there until watching the first Percy Jackson film. It was in the back of my mind and since I needed to crash somewhere in TN or KY the first night, I though why not?

The full-size replica sits in Centennial Park, southwest of the city center. A walking trail encircles a small lake and the Parthenon. Given my arrival at 0630 in the morning, the park was quiet and parking easy to find off 25th Avenue. The numerous squirrels delighted Ari (my Ibizan Hound) to the point of craziness. I thought he would break off my arms! A few runners and bikers would pass us on our circuit. A brisk walk in the morning was just what I needed to gear up for a very long day of driving ahead!

Parthenon, Centennial Park, Nashville, TN

Dec Birding Report – Day 2, part 2

Posted on January 15, 2017 by cftravel

Okay, I am running quite late reporting on my December trip. In my last post I mentioned that a nice couple we met at Pea Island NWR told us about a photography hide on the northern end of North Pond. We ate a late lunch at the hotel and downloaded photos from our morning hike. Afterwards, we headed out again for the photography hide.

A beautiful sunset was developing as we headed south. We did not have a lot of time, but we stopped off at Bodie Island Lighthouse for a peek at the observation deck overlooking the pond and marsh. This area is accessed from a boardwalk to the far left of the lighthouse. Superb directional lighting on feeding Northern Shovelers and Pintails was a nice treat.

Northern Shoveler
Bodie Island Lighthouse Pond
Dec. 2016

Northern Pintail
Bodie Island Lighthouse Pond
Dec. 2016

After spending about 30 minutes here we headed back to the photography blind on the North Pond. I was very happy to find the Marbled Godwit again. Two of them were close to the blind, feeding among a large flock of Avocet. The lighting was not ideal because most of the birds were back-lit. We stayed until just before sunset to observe the birds.

Marbled Godwit
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

Dunlin
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

American Avocet (B&W)
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

2017 goal updates

Posted on January 8, 2017 by cftravel

With the recent snowfall I now have some time to sit down and put on paper some resolutions and expand or extend some current goals. As a teacher I usually evaluate my years from July to June rather than January to December, so January is usually a check-in month for my financial and personal goals. This will be a long post, but I really would like the accountability of having this out there! One of the nice things to make this go by faster is the nice activity out the window:

Hermit Thrush
High Rock Lake, NC
Jan. 2017

Pine Warbler
High Rock Lake, NC
Jan. 2017

2016 Was a Great Year!

Despite the shit-show that was 2016 in politics, my 2016 was a great year. My biggest accomplishment by far was being named Teacher of the Year by my peers! My aversion to spotlight has kept me from boasting, but I am humbled by this honor and I hope, so far, that I have done everything that I can to live up to it! I had two Honors Earth Science classes in the spring, the first Honors classes I have taught in my career. I had loads of fun with them and was able to design some fun labs and activities with them! They were such good sports.

I paid off my credit card in March, but this plus was short-lived. I did pay off my hearing aids, which I purchased at the end of November in 2015. After a year of use, I can say without a doubt, this was one of the best decisions I have made for my personal health. It is amazing how much of an impact they have made on my behavior and my confidence.

My decision to travel abroad was made clear and I aligned many financial decisions to making this dream a reality! Planning this trip has been a most wonderful experience. In another life I think I would have had fun as a travel agent.

By the end of 2016 my credit score, as reported by my bank, has soared to a number I am VERY happy with. I have a love-hate relationship with money, so budgeting and watching my accounts is compulsive for me. Years of paying down debt and wisely managing my financial choices has paid off!

I had several birding trips that added a few new species to my list. While on spring break in Delaware with Teddy we found Purple Sandpipers and Brant. In May, a rarity was spotted just up the road from me. A Brown Booby was found far inland at Lookout Shoals Lake. Despite the very hot weather this summer, my mom and I took a short trip to Charleston for some summer coastal birding. New species for me were Gull-billed Tern, Yellow-crowned Night-heron, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Common Gallinule and Painted Buntings. I regret not getting a good picture of the last one. The last highlight of the year was finding Wilson’s Snipe at my usual haunt: Pee Dee NWR.

Brant
Delaware Seashore SP
April 2016

Brown Booby
Lookout Shoals Lake, NC
June 2016

Yellow-crowned Night-heron
Donnelley WMA, SC
July 2016

Black-bellied Whistling-duck
Donnelley WMA, SC
July 2016

Common Gallinule
Caw Caw Interpretive Center, SC
July 2016

Wilson’s Snipe
Pee Dee NWR
Dec. 2016

…But there were a few downs.

I had a few back-and-forth trips to the vet with a sick dog this year. Thankfully the situation has been remedied by a diet change and all things seem to be back to normal. I had to cancel a week-long trip to Maine because of it. A few more injuries kept me in and out at the vet’s. Man, I LOVE them (and they probably love me too)!

I had to have my car engine repaired in early 2016. In part due to my own negligence and another part due to the nature of the problem. I thought it was a braking problem. We looked for and changed a different, smaller, problem before realizing the issue was bigger. While fixing the engine was cheaper than getting a new car, this fix required me to dip both into my savings and my credit card.

Though not really an up or down, I moved this year. Financially it was a smart move and it will make my travel goal more reachable. However, it did not affect my long commute (only 0.1 miles difference) so no boost to my gas budget. I also became a roommate. After five years, and for the better part of 10 years, of living on my own, this has taken some getting used to.

Upcoming Trip

There is just a little more than 23 weeks to go until my first overseas trip! My itinerary is pretty full, although I left at least one day at each of my bases free. I’ll be visiting London, Oxford, Hadrian’s Wall, Lake District, York, Wells-next-the-Sea, and Bath for a total of 35 days. I tend to over-plan my trips, but I do not get upset if I get side-tracked or miss something. This just gives me a good excuse to visit again!

I budgeted $4200 for this 35-day trip. The day total does not including the day of plane travel and airport transport on the day before landing in London and round-trip travel to Baltimore. My budget includes these days and additional to/from travel costs like gas and dog boarding. It is predicated on a currency exchange rate (USD-GBP) of 1.4, which is currently 1.229! If the exchange rate falls below 1.15 I will go ahead and get a TipPak from AAA.

My plane ticket and all but four of my lodging places are booked, so the trip is shaping up just as I envisioned. I booked a ticket for the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London back in October as this opportunity books up fast! I still need to book some long-distance travel by train and bus in-between bases, but that will take place 12-16 weeks out. When the concert tickets for both the York Early Music Festival and the Proms come out I will be purchasing those tickets in advance as well. I will continue to keep an eye out for the season at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, since I was not moved by the summer selection at the Globe.

Goals I Need to Work On

I started the school year with ten major goals. I usually start with large goals that can easily be broken down into weekly or monthly (numerical) benchmarks. There are several goals I am behind on:

Walking: Unfortunately, I am probably the most sedentary I have been in my entire life. This is a terrible realization. This summer I moved, which brought me to a better neighborhood. I hoped to walk 500 miles before leaving for my trip, which originally amounted to 10 miles per week. My trip will require a fair bit of walking and about two of the five weeks will require between 5-12 miles per day of hiking. For about two months I was on target, when it was warm and I had the summer off. Once school started and after daylight savings time I fell off track. If I modify my original goal down to 300 miles, still an impressive goal, I can still keep my weekly goal at around 10 miles. For now, I can aspire to complete this on the weekends until daylight savings time begins giving me more evening light.
Lose Weight: I really wanted to lose 25 pounds before leaving on my trip. I am the heaviest I have ever been. Numbers on a scale are not the only measure of my unhappiness in this respect. I am also the most sedentary I have ever been. When I set this goal I had to lose approximately 2 pounds per month, which I felt was a reasonable goal. Unfortunately I have not been making progress on this goal. While I have not gained any weight, I have been fluctuating within 5 pounds of my original starting weight. I am adjusting my original mark and hope to lose 20 pounds before June 1st, which would require a drop of about 4 lbs per month, a very ambitious goal.
Reading: I use Shrook as a means of keeping up with several blogs and RSS news feeds and use iTunes for Podcasts to listen to while I commute. Whenever setting up a feed I set it to delete any unread entries after seven days. This keeps space open for a more diverse news feed. I hoped to develop a habit of spending at least 10-30 minutes a day reading, but this has not happened. I usually keep a journal of thoughts/questions while reading and follow up with additional research. This method helps me learning more about finance, politics, photography and birds. Truthfully, I just need to train myself to get up a little earlier and do this while eating breakfast. (As if I wanted to get up earlier than 0500!)
Credit Card. As always, car trouble and emergency vet bills keep me in credit card debt. After successfully paying it off in early 2016 my balance has burgeoned up to a unsuitable (for me) balance by the end of 2016. Since my focus at the moment has been to save as much for my trip, paying my credit card down to a $0 balance before I leave in June would be unfeasible. I hope to pay it down to under $200 which should be manageable by boosting my monthly payment by 25%. I DO NOT intend to charge anything associated with my summer travel to my credit card! My large budget includes a modest amount for unexpected costs and souvenirs.

Goals on Track

Ending on a good note, there are several goals that I am on track for:

Increase upper body strength: While self-explanatory in its importance, I admit this goal has an ulterior motive. Increased upper body strength will help me keep steady my birding camera. At nearly 5 pounds, hand-holding this for about 30 minutes to an hour can cause some serious issues for sharp photos. I have a variety of upper body workouts and there is nothing wrong with old-fashioned push-ups. My friend Julie let me accompany her to a workout class at a Gold’s Gym about two months ago. I felt that burn for a few days!
Processing Photos: With the exception of just six species, I have photographed every species on my bird list. Over the years, I have greatly improved my photography techniques and upgraded to better equipment. Using Adobe Lightroom, I catalog all of the photos I take on my travels and keyword all bird photos by species. Regularly, I evaluate the photos by culling the least favorite 10-20% of each species. This requires/allows me to continuously rotate the photos on this website and study my favorite photos, improving my eye and technique.
Money Market: A few years ago I created a dedicated travel account with my bank. I automatically deposit $100 a month into this account on payday. This usually covers all of my yearly travel. In order to save for this monstrous month-long trip to England, I needed to supplement my account with an extra $50 a week starting last June. My priority in June was to pay off my hearing aids, which I did in October. After that goal was realized, I simply siphoned the amount I was paying to my money market account which is keeping me on track for my trip budget.

FYI…

As a side note, I noticed that when doing searches on my website that the links seem to be broken. I am researching this issue and hope to have it corrected soon. I also need to finish the content for two posts about my winter trip to the Outer Banks in December 2016.

Here’s to a wonderful 2017,

Charlene

December Birding Report – Day 2

Posted on January 3, 2017 by cftravel

What started out as a windy, overcast day in the Outer Banks of North Carolina ended up being one of the most spectacular birding days I’ve had in a while. We were the first car in the parking lot at Pea Island NWR, North Pond Wildlife Trail, at 0825. It looked to be a dreary day with a slight wind. Thankfully the wind was blowing mostly east so it wasn’t kicking up too much sand.

Our initial observations were the number of Tundra Swans and the deafening noise of the hidden Snow Geese. Walking along the wildlife trail under the foliage we caught sight of a few Yellow-rumped Warblers. Close to the shore there were nearly 50 Tundra Swans, mostly butts up, in a “sea” of American Coots. Scattered among various flocks were Northern Pintails and Buffleheads. A few Pied Grebes were spread out as singletons. While walking to the first boardwalk (overlooking the New Field Pond) there were several flyovers of Pintails, Redheads, American Black Ducks and American Wigeons. Even a few White Ibis could be seen crossing from the North Pond over the trail. Before checking out the southern pond a large raucous began to the North. The Snow Geese had begun lift-off from the east. Soon, hundreds of Snow Geese and other ducks were flying above the pond. The culprit for their sudden, and rather loud, mass exodus were a pair of bald eagles.

Bald Eagle
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

Snow Goose
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

It took more than 10 minutes for the pond to quiet down again. The Snow Geese continued to circle the pond in large flocks of 100-300 ducks each. By the time the ducks and geese had settled, the Tundra Swans close to the shore had moved off and we reached the observation tower at the end of the wildlife trail. Four American White Pelicans were feeding near the corner of the pond. A Northern Harrier was completing a low-flying pass along one of the small grass islands. From the tower I managed to take a five-photo series which I later stitched into a panorama (in Adobe Lightroom), seen below. At this junction we decided to continue north along the shore of the pond. Small slivers of daylight were peeking through the clouds and if the clouds continued moving it was possible that our weather and photographic conditions would get a major boost.

Northern Harrier
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016
Clicking on this photo and enlarging offers more detail.

American Coot
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

A large group of Coots were the first large flock we came across as we headed north. It is funny how Coots respond when you approach them. Unlike the ducks who mostly fly off, the Coots seem to run over the water without taking off.

Yesterday I was able to identify Marbled Godwits only as little blobs in a photo, after the fact. Just as the sun was beginning to come out, and stay out, I noticed a shape moving in and out of a grouping of Tundra Swans and Canada Geese. I was very excited to find a lone Marbled Godwit feeding near a shoal. Shortly after we were able to identify a small flock of an additional 13 godwits resting close to a small island in the middle of the pond.

Marbled Godwit (middle)
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

About this time something must have spooked the Snow Geese again as a large flock soared into the sky making several passes along the eastern side of the pond. By the time they were done I had disappointingly lost sight of the lone godwit.

As we continued North along the pond’s edge the sun was out and cloud coverage was almost completely gone. We came up to a small island close to the edge which provided perfect cover for several herons. We spooked them as we got closer. We could originally see an immature Little Blue Heron and a Tricolored Egret. After spooking the first two, an additional Tricolored, a Snowy Egret, White Egret and a Great Blue Heron also were hidden along the reeds by the shore. A few fly-by Tundra Swans in favorable light.

Tundra Swan
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

Canada Goose
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

Bufflehead
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

We continued north and flushed a small group of Eastern Meadowlarks. They flew further down on the path. Amazingly they blended in seamlessly and we lost them until we flushed them again. We soon began discussing whether we wanted to continue walking all the way around the North Pond or turn around. We could still see the visitor center in the distance accross the pond and the far corner of the pond to the north was also visible. If we continued we would have to walk a sizeable distance along the road and dunes without too much prospect of finding any birds. We ultimately turned around and began back-tracking to the observation tower. This move caused us to face the sun (and take on a little sunburn). Occasionally, I would try and track the busy Buffleheads as they flew back and forth.

Bufflehead
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

After arriving back to the main wildlife trail we happened upon a pair of birders taking a respite on a bench. They were very nice and we chatted about what we had seen and they informed us what they had seen over the past few days. They informed us about a blind along the road north of the visitor center before getting to the pull out for the Salt Flats Trail. The blind was visible when traveling from the south. After we arrived and parked by the side of the road we had to climb over a dune to get to the blind. To my surprise, there were many different species very close to the blind. The highlight was excellent views of two Marbled Godwits!

After nearly four hours of birding and running out of space on my SD card we returned to the hotel for lunch. We returned to this location later in the day along with Bodie Island Lighthouse. We saw fourty-four species in one morning with large quantities for most of them; making for an interesting day full of fantastic photographic opportunities. More photos to come later, included a series of godwit photos!

Tundra Swan
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

Birding Report Week of 12/26 – Part 1

Posted on December 31, 2016 by cftravel

(Note: All pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.)

My mother and I went to Dare and Hyde Counties in NC this week for a few days of dedicated birding. While I won’t recount each day’s events I do want to touch on some highlights of the trip. Of considerable note is the generosity and kindness of fellow birders. Everyone we met and talked with was polite and forthcoming with tips; even if just to chat about what was seen for the day.

Day 1:

Pungo Lake: We attempted to go to the Pocosin Lakes NWR Pungo Lake unit and were unable to find a feasible entry. A detour is in effect along Hwy 99/45. After evaluating road conditions and going around the detour we decided to instead continue on to Lake Matamuskeet NWR. I have heard great things about Pungo Lake, so I will resolve to visit soon.

Lake Mattamuskeet NWR (Wildlife Drive): Due to the detour from Hwy 99/45 we approached the refuge via State Rd. 1304 and saw many Belted Kingfishers along the power lines. The clouds parted for a few minutes offering some exceptionally well lit Tundra Swans. For the most of our visit the weather was chilly and overcast. By far, the most abundant species was the Northern Pintail. Along Hwy 94 we noticed a photo blind about half a mile south of the wildlife drive start. We visited here on our way out of the refuge and were surprised to find it to be a good vantage point. The scarcity of foliage allowed many of the nearby ducks to see us as we walked up. By time we reached the blind all but the coots were left in the vicinity.

Northern Pintail Lake Matamuskeet NWR Dec. 2016

Northern Pintail
Lake Mattamuskeet NWR
Dec. 2016

Belted Kingfisher
Lake Mattamuskeet NWR
Dec. 2016

Tundra Swan
Lake Mattamuskeet NWR
Dec. 2016

Alligator River NWR:
This was my first visit during this time of year. The impoundments were flooded and much of the waterfowl were far back away from the wildlife drive. It must have been the “Day of the Kingfisher” as we saw more than a dozen during the entire day! I’m a little disappointed that my photo of the Kestrel was not quite all in focus.

Belted Kingfisher
Alligator NWR
Dec. 2016

American Kestrel
Alligator River NWR
Dec. 2016

Pea Island NWR: We left home early enough that we still had enough daylight to pop down to Pea Island NWR. Our first stop was the Old Coast Guard Station in hopes of finding Purple Sandpipers. In the end, no Sandpipers but a Willet did make an appearance. We continued south to the North Pond Wildlife Trail. Despite that we were losing light fast, I am rather pleased with a series featuring a White Ibis in flight. One of the shots I have included below.

Willet
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

White Ibis
Pea Island NWR
Dec. 2016

Birding Report 23-Nov-16

Posted on November 24, 2016 by cftravel

Wilson’s Snipe

*Clicking on any photo in the post will enlarge them.

Things are starting to slow down on the birding front, days are getting shorter and colder, migration is over and the ducks haven’t quite made a strong showing yet.

Probably making our last visit to Pee Dee NWR until the spring I was able to add a new species to my list! Unfortunately the only photo I could muster of the lonely Wilson’s Snipe before it disappeared is extremely fuzzy.

Red-Winged Blackbird
Pee Dee NWR
Nov. 2016

Today was a cold, partly cloudy day reaching a high of 56 degrees. While I normally start my day run at Pee Dee with the Wildlife Drive, today we decided to visit the Griffin Lowgrounds first. This area closes to all entry on Nov. 25th. Red-wing Blackbirds made quite the first impression with hundreds of birds spread across several large flocks crossing the cropfields making quite the raucous.

Lesser Scaup
Pee Dee NWR
Nov. 2016

With the croplands flooded, we were hoping for views of ducks. In the best of lighting, we managed to find a few Ruddy Ducks and a pair of Lesser Scaup. After viewing the newly formed wetlands we turned around for the Gaddy Bridge area. At the Beaver Pond Rd. canoe/fishing access area we found a few Song and Marsh Sparrows.

Never having much luck with the Ross Pond area I decided to give it a another shot. Finding the Snipe and a few American Pipits was immediately worth the detour! While viewing the Pipits, a Red-tailed Hawk was calling, quite loudly. It emerged from the wooded area to the west and flew directly above the car calling the entire time. After disappearing into the woods we could still hear it calling for a few minutes.

Red-tailed Hawk
Pee Dee NWR
Nov. 2016

Ross Pond itself was a bust, but the reeds and low water level provided an excellent opportunity to view small birds that I find so hard to photograph. Getting spectacular photos of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet was a particular highlight of the day. (*Note to those who visit this area, a new ditch exists before the turnaround at the far end of Ross Pond. The depth of the ditch would be impossible for a low-clearance vehicle to clear. Park at the sign for Ross Pond and walk.)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Pee Dee NWR
Nov. 2016

Song Sparrow
Pee Dee NWR
Nov. 2016

Swamp Sparrow
Pee Dee NWR
Nov. 2016

Bald Eagle
Pee Dee NWR
Nov. 2016
These two made several passes and chased each other along the tree line above the river.

After backtracking through the fields in hopes of re-finding the Snipe we headed to Arrowhead Lake via Clark Road. A pair of coots and a lone Pied-Billed Grebe were on the lake. We decided to head back the bottomlands one more time. At close to noon, the lighting on the southeast side was more favorable to view more water areas. No additional ducks were seen but we struck gold for raptors and falcons: three juvenile Bald Eagles, two Red-tailed Hawks, one American Kestrel, and one unidentified Accipitor (either Sharp-shinned or Coopers, very small). The American Kestrel was a nice treat, as it is my favorite bird.

The final stop at the refuge was the Wildlife Drive. In the past few months there is more evidence of landscape management with mowing, debris and tree removal in this area than I have seen in the past two years. The marsh area has greatly changed and so have the places I normally consider birdy areas along the drive. Another kinglet and Red-headed Woodpeckers were the only sights of consequence.

American Kestrel
Pee Dee NWR
Nov. 2016

Along our route home we also stopped at two new places to me. Badin Lake was host to a large amount of Ring-billed Gulls. Their lack of fear towards us provided some practice with flight photos. The last place was a stop at Flat Creek Boating Access off of River Road in Rowan County. On the river we viewed more gulls, some cormorants, grebes and two Killdeer along a shoal in the middle of the river.

Ring-billed Gull
Pee Dee NWR
Nov. 2016

2016 Trip Report #3

Posted on May 28, 2016 by cftravel

Brown-headed Nuthatch
Pee Dee NWR
May 2016

Pee Dee NWR – May 28, 2016

(Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.)

Today was a gorgeous, sunny morning at Pee Dee NWR. Despite the long drive of one hour and 45 minutes, this is one of my favorite places to birdwatch. I arrived at the Headquarters entrance about 30 minutes after sunrise.

A Brown-headed Nuthatch has made a nest in the bluebird box as you pass the downed trees (on the right side of the road). At the small pond before entering the wildlife drive, a family of Canada Geese was foraging. I wonder if these geese are the same my mother and I saw two weeks ago. If so, there are a missing a few babies.

Wood Duck (portion of the larger group)
Pee Dee NWR
May 2016

Great Crested Flycatcher
Pee Dee NWR
May 2016

Pee Dee NWR is almost a sure bet for Wood Ducks and today I was surprised to find 23 in the pond area, including 8 juveniles with their mother. The males are still in their breeding plumage. They did not spook as I passed by and I was able to snap a few photos of the large group.

The Wildlife Drive presented me with the usual cast of characters. Notable sightings include a Great Crested Flycatcher and several Eastern Kingbirds. The highlight of the day was not one, but TWO Yellow-billed Cuckoos! I have seen one here before, but two years ago. One of them was quite the show-off.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Pee Dee NWR
May 2016

Red-tailed Hawk
Pee Dee NWR
May 2016

After finishing the Wildlife Drive I headed towards Arrowhead Lake via Pinkston River Rd. and making a left on Clark Rd. Along the way I found a very vocal Yellow-breasted Chat and a Red-tailed Hawk.

Two Killdeer are all that I found at Arrowhead Lake. I stopped at the parking area and walked out to Ringneck Pond. This is usually where I find Green Herons, but alas, none today (or any this year come to think of it). Instead there was two Cedar Waxwings, a White-eyed Vireo, a Summer Tanager, Blue Jay, two Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and two Yellow-throated Warblers who appeared to be gathering nesting material. Several other species heard, but not seen.

Yellow-throated Warbler
Pee Dee NWR
May 2016

In the bottomlands (Griffin Rd.) I observed Killdeer using their broken-wing routine but did not observe any chicks. Around the turn to Gaddy Covered Bridge I spotted a black Fox Squirrel, the first I have seen in two years. Another one was later sighted by Pinkston River Rd. This second one was more blackish brown in color. The pine area along Beaver Pond Rd. provided good sightings of Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Towhee, Carolina Wrens and Chipping Sparrows.

Before leaving, I always give the Wildlife Drive a second go-around. The lighting is usually better in the lower areas at this later time whereas the tree tops are better lit (less harsh light) in the early morning on my first go-around. Common Yellowthroats were visible and noisy on the road leading into the wildlife drive area. This second time around all of the Wood Ducks were gone. My “money shot” of the day was of a particularly curious Prothonotary Warbler.

Prothonotary Warbler
Pee Dee NWR
May 2016

——————————————

After I got home and processed my photos I found an Anhinga in one of my (bad) Wood Duck flight photos. I am quite upset I didn’t notice it!

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2016 Trip Report #2 (Mocksville)

Posted on January 9, 2016 by cftravel

Field Sparrow
Mocksville, NC
Jan. 2016
click to enlarge

I’m not sure if my backyard really qualifies as a “Trip Report” but I told myself that I needed to post more regularly in 2016. Despite the drizzle I spent half an hour around the house searching for the smaller birds I usually neglect. The larger birds (and mammals) are always easier to find, observe and photograph. So, in 2016 my goal is to challenge myself to look more for the smaller birds, and especially looking for migrant warblers in the spring and fall. The drizzle made me very aware of my camera’s exposure to the elements. Since I will pay off my new camera and lens (Canon 70D with used Canon 100-400) in February I may also need to invest in some weather-proofing. I’ll put that on my to-do list for the spring.

So, out in the drizzle I was able to hear a lot of activity. With the help of the app Larkwire (iPhone version) I am working on birding by ear. I easily recognized the “regulars” such as the Northern Cardinal and Carolina Wren. In total I saw 14 species with larger quantities of White-throated Sparrows and Northern Cardinals.

Trip List:
(Going forward I would like to keep a running tally of the species I see this calendar year. That is why only a few of the species in the list are numbered.)

Turkey Vulture 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
24. Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
25. Blue Jay 1
Tufted Titmouse 1
26. Carolina Wren 1 (heard only)
27. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
I still haven’t seen a kinglet’s crown yet!!
American Robin 5
28. Field Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 6
Song Sparrow 4
Eastern Towhee 3
29. Northern Cardinal 7

2016 Trip Report #1 (Pee Dee NWR)

Posted on January 2, 2016 by cftravel

Clicking on any of the photos in this post will enlarge them.

Song Sparrow
Pee Dee NWR
Jan. 2016

Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, near Wadesboro, NC, is one of my favorite “local” places to go birding. I can easily spend an entire day here. There is a wide range of habitats from freshwater ponds and marsh to farmland, pine forest and grassy areas.

My normal route usually circles the Wildlife Drive first, in particular to scope for Wood Ducks, and then to Arrowhead Pond via Clark Road to Big Oak Rd. Afterwards, I continue to the area around the silo and Gaddy Covered Bridge via Griffin, Gaddy and Beaver Pond Roads respectively. I usually circle back to do the wildlife drive one more time before leaving the area. I can do this route with various stops in about 3-5 hours depending on the weather and what I’m seeing.

In the back of my mind I knew that all of the Piedmont area was experiencing various amounts of flooding. Too bad I didn’t consider how that might affect my trip today. Many of the surrounding roads were blocked or signed off due to encroaching water or were just plain covered in water. This limited my normal route to just the wildlife drive, which I looped three times, twice in the morning and once in the early afternoon.

Red-Shouldered Hawk, juvenile
Pee Dee NWR
Jan. 2016

Today was unusual in that there were no ducks or herons present. NONE! More than one birder that I met commented on the lack of ducks. Pee Dee NWR is usually my go-to for finding Wood Ducks, although they are quite skittish and I have yet to get satisfactory (IMO) photo of them. Two gentlemen I met on the Wildlife Drive said they had seen a few early in the morning.

The highlight of the day was a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk at the last part of the marsh on the Wildlife Drive. It was perched in a small tree just a mere 3-4 yards from the road. The photo opportunities were good despite the shade. Alas, a truck pulled up behind me and did not seem keen to wait. One of the downsides to this wildlife drive (as opposed to say, Bombay Hook NWR or Blackwater NWR) is that the drive is one-way and there are only 2 places along the marsh where you can pull over and let someone pass. During good weather I may have been able to pull to the shoulder enough for him to pass, but with the ground soft and wet, no way!

All in all, today was a lackluster day out but the weather was really nice. Very cold to begin with, but warmed up to a sunny 50 degrees. I normally see between 20-40 species on a good day, today only 23 🙁 .

Trip List:

Eastern Phoebe
Pee Dee NWR
Jan. 2016

Pied-billed Grebes 5
Double-crested Cormorant 2 (flying over the marsh)
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Northern Flicker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1 (heard only….one of the few birds I know by sound 100%)
Eastern Phoebe
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee 1
Tufted Titmouse 2
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin 10
Brown Thrasher 1
Pine Warbler 1 (seen near the bathrooms)
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee 1
American Goldfinch

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The King of Camouflage!

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Pee Dee NWR
Jan. 2016

Birding Report: Dec. 28, 2015

Posted on December 29, 2015 by cftravel

Huntington Beach State Park

Just south of Myrtle Beach, Huntington Beach State Park is known as a great birding spot year-round. I can say that it did not disappoint!

Clicking on any of the photos in this post will enlarge them.

Bufflehead, female

We started out at the overlook and causeway. The first treat of the day were a pair of Buffleheads that came in for a landing near the overlook boardwalk. We also viewed several groups of dabbling ducks on the far reaches of the southern pond, dubbed the “Freshwater Lagoon” on the park map (or Mullet Pond on eBird). I spotted an American Wigeon mixed in with a flock of Gadwall. A small group of Double-crested Cormorants were resting on an island in the middle of the lagoon. How the island existed with all of the water and flooding in the area is beyond me. Several Pied-billed Grebes could be spotted coming up and promptly going back under in various locations.

Walking west along the causeway we saw several Red-winged Blackbirds. A female even came close to check me out!

Red-winged Blackbird
Huntington Beach SP
Dec. 2015

Red-winged Blackbird
Huntington Beach SP
Dec. 2015

Despite my (well-behaved) dog there were still many opportunities to view birds close up. The egrets did not seem in the least bit bothered by him. Continuing further down the causeway we observed several Boat-tailed Grackles. Small groups or pairs would perch atop the observation decks and along the low wooden fencing along the walkway. The photo below is one of my favorites from the day. Along the western reaches of the Freshwater Lagoon many egrets and herons rested in the trees. Among them, the normal cast of characters: Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons. However, the personal highlight of the day were the 4 Wood Storks also in the trees. A gentleman explained to us that they sometimes have a few that overwinter at the park. The unusually warm winter allowed for a large number of the storks to stay later at the park this year with as many as 60-70 being seen in mid to late November. A lone Tricolored Heron was also spotted below the treeline in the grasses at the western edge of the pond. Singleton Forster’s Terns and cormorants frequently flew by and over during our walk.

Boat-tailed Grackle
Huntington Beach SP
Dec. 2015

A small group of shorebirds was easily visible along the shoreline of the pond, but without binoculars I would have to rely on photo identification. I later determined that they were a mixture of Willets and Yellowlegs. I’m about 90% on that identification, the photo quality was poor due to the distance, but I was able to make inferences from overall size and bill shape/length comparisons.

Along the causeway to the north in the Saltwater Marsh we observed a lone male Hooded Merganser feeding and several cormorants.

Double-crested Cormorant
Huntington Beach SP
Dec. 2015

Leaving the causeway area we traveled to the Education Center and walked along the boardwalk into the saltwater marsh. At nearly 80 degrees already at 11am, there was not much bird activity. Other birders on the boardwalk excitedly explained their observation of a Bald Eagle catching a heron! They allowed me to view the Bald Eagle through their scope. It was snacking on its prize in the trees to the west. I was also excited to observe a loon, later photo ID’d as a Common Loon. Like the grebes, always spending more time underwater than above it when I have my camera trained on the water!

Several Double-crested Cormorants were perched and sunning themselves on a wooden structure by the end of the boardwalk. Several Ring-billed Gulls were flying and landing around the boardwalk. One attempted to land on the platform occupied by the cormorants and a loud raucous ensued. On the bright side, despite the noise and the gull’s attempt ending in failure, I walked away with a very nice shot (below).

Ring-billed Gull
Huntington Beach SP
Dec. 2015

Next we ventured to the overlook at the north end of the Sandpiper Pond Nature Trail (presumably Sandpiper Pond?). Here we viewed several Pied-billed Grebes and three Ring-necked Ducks feeding in the pond.

For our final stop within the park we drove back to the Park Office and took a quick hike along the Kerrigan Nature Trail. The (beautiful) habitat along the trail was surprisingly quiet with little evidence of bird activity at the time. Perhaps at a different time of the day and without impending rain we may have had more luck spotting something. Mainly we got eaten by mosquitoes looking at nothing!

The trail ends at an Observation Deck on the southern end of the Freshwater Lagoon. I had hopes to see/hear Rails or a Sora, but instead we found a lone female Ruddy Duck hanging out with three female Buffleheads. It occurred to me that all day we only observed female Buffleheads, no males. An interesting anecdote, IMO. A male Belted Kingfisher appeared to be resting atop a wooden post on the west edge of the lagoon and a raft of Green-winged Teal were foraging on the southern end of the lagoon. An impending storm cut our trip short and we headed for home around noon.

Great Egret
Huntington Beach SP
Dec. 2015

On a particularly warm December day we saw a total of 26 species in under two hours with little effort. With over 70 species reported for the day by other birders, the diversity of this park leaves me with the promise that I will return. Too bad the 4 hour one-way drive will keep me from making it a day-trip.

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As a side note, we stopped in-between downpours to do a quick run at Santee NWR – Cuddo Unit. While we didn’t thoroughly look as we passed through, this place has great promise and I also look forward to returning during better weather. Until then, I’ll leave it with this great photo from a moment of brief sunlight.

Chipping Sparrow
Santee NWR – Cuddo Unit
Dec. 2015

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Musings on Travel and Birds