Hey everyone,
First off I am truly sorry :) for leaving Virginia in a time of great migration
and I am amazed of all the great birds you have found that I now need to chase
down. On Monday my parents and I headed for North Topsail Beach in North
Carolina. This is a great area that is very under birded and every august there
are always immature Reddish Egret. (I had 4 in view at one time). But that is
August, I ended up tallying 115 species! At North Topsail I found great birds
such as a Common Gallinule, a lone Nelson's Sparrow with 5+ Saltmarsh, Seaside
Sparrows, Marsh Wrens, a Great Cormorant, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wilson's
Plovers, Piping Plovers, and Whimbrels! I had large flocks of both White and
Glossy Ibises. Yesterday my Dad and I went to Holly Shelter Game Lands which is
only about 25 minutes away. There we scored with both Red-cockaded Woodpeckers
and Bachman's Sparrows. Also we had Yellow-throated Warblers, Prairie Warblers,
Common Yellowthroats, an Ovenbird, a Prothonatary Warbler, White-eyed Vireos, a
Turkey, and a whistling Broad-winged Hawk. On the way home as I turned off of
95 North in Halifax County, NC. I honestly had no idea where I was going and my
Dad was not happy doubting my 'skills' to find anything good but I said I knew
where I was going. I honestly had no clue but I kept turning wherever it looked
promising for Shrikes. I was only 5 minutes off the road when my Dad (who just
wanted to get home) was fed up with my adventure. As I turned around my Mom
(who just woke up and who is not a birder) said wow that is a beautiful Shrike
(thinking we had already spotted it)! Dad and I were astonished. When did Mom
learn how to ID a Shrike? Sure enough there was a Shrike right beside us on a
barb wire fence. It was a great trip!
Non birds included: American Snouts, Spring Azures, Cloudless, Clouded and
Orange Sulfurs, Gray Hairstreak, Red-banded Hairstreak, Juvenal's Duskywings,
Palamedes Swallowtails, Henry's Elfin, Rambur's Forktails, Painted Skimmers,
Ashy Clubtail, Blue Corporal, tons of beautiful Dwarf Iris at Holly Shelter,
Carolina Anoles, a poor roadkill Eastern Ribbon Snake, Southern Toads, and
several Southern Cricket Frogs.
Link to my photo gallery if you want to see my pictures.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/115043594@N05/
Good Birding,
Andrew Rapp
