Leaders: Scott Barnes, Linda Mack, Hank Burk
Temp: 49°F – 60°F
Winds: W 15mph
Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny with some afternoon clouds.
Our trip started cool and sunny after the passage of an overnight cold front. We worked the maritime forests, wetlands, and waters of this beautiful park, enjoying late-season wildflowers, butterflies, and birds. Along the beach a flock of shorebirds paused to feed at the water’s edge. Most were Sanderlings but a closer look revealed five juvenile Red Knots. A nearby group of Black-bellied Plovers had a juvenile American Golden-Plover mixed in-the latter headed for wintering grounds in South America. Bayside salt marshes hosted several striking juvenile Tricolored Herons as well as good comparisons of adult and juvenile Little Blue Herons. We walked up on an active group of songbirds that included side-by-side views of Nashville and Tennessee Warblers, a Swainson’s Thrush eating red cedar berries, and White-crowned Sparrows. Monarchs, Red Admiral, many Common Green Darners, Inshore Bottlenose Dolphins.
Participant photo by Scott Barnes
81 species (+1 other taxa)
Wood Duck 1 Southbound flyby with 5 BWTE over swim beach lot.
Blue-winged Teal 5 See WODU comment.
American Black Duck 9
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 2 Northbound flyover by nature center; not always easy to find in the park.
Mourning Dove 6
Black-bellied Plover 14
American Golden-Plover 1 Plover with gray axillaries, indistinct white wing stripe, darker cap contrasting with pale supercilium, overall warm brown plumage. Flying/walking on beach with BBPL flock.
Red Knot 5 In mixed shorebird flock on the beach near nature center.
Sanderling 100
Dunlin 1
Greater Yellowlegs 2 Separate calling flyovers
Laughing Gull 150
Ring-billed Gull 2
Herring Gull 40
Lesser Black-backed Gull 7
Great Black-backed Gull 50
Caspian Tern 1 Adult with gulls on the beach.
Forster’s Tern 2
Sterna sp. 4 Common/Forster’s type; too far to ID in shimmer.
Royal Tern 4 Low numbers today.
Common Loon 1 High flyer over ocean at swim beach.
Double-crested Cormorant 30
Brown Pelican 20 Probably low estimate.
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 12
Snowy Egret 7
Little Blue Heron 4 Two adults and 3 immature birds Spizzle Creek Trail.
Tricolored Heron 5 All juveniles along Spizzle Creek Trail.
Tricolored Heron photo by Scott Barnes
White Ibis 11 Seven adults and 4 immatures. Spizzle Creek Trail.
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey 6
Sharp-shinned Hawk 6 All juveniles.
Cooper’s Hawk 2 Juveniles.
Bald Eagle 2 One adult, one subadult.
Belted Kingfisher 4
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 28
Merlin 8
Peregrine Falcon 5
Eastern Phoebe 10
Common Raven 1
Carolina Chickadee 3
Tree Swallow 500
Barn Swallow 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet 10
Carolina Wren 4
Gray Catbird 14
Brown Thrasher 4
Northern Mockingbird 5
Swainson’s Thrush 1 Spizzle Creek Trail
American Robin 2
Cedar Waxwing 1
House Sparrow 2 Swim Beach lot.
House Finch 6
Pine Siskin 1 Calling flyover.
American Goldfinch 1 Heard only.
Chipping Sparrow 1 At entrance.
Field Sparrow 4
Dark-eyed Junco 1
White-crowned Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 18
Savannah Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 18
Lincoln’s Sparrow 1 Quick view by A-21.
Swamp Sparrow 4
Eastern Towhee 2
Red-winged Blackbird 8 All flyovers.
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Boat-tailed Grackle 5
Tennessee Warbler 1 Spizzle Creek Trail. Side-side with the Nashville Warbler at one point.
Nashville Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 3
Cape May Warbler 1
Northern Parula 5
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 16
Pine Warbler 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler 20
Northern Cardinal 1
Indigo Bunting 3
Dickcissel 3 Calling flyovers giving burry flatulent flight call.
