The Rarest of the Rare Winter Finches, Fletcher Community Park, NC, December 10, 2020

The Fall and Winter 2020 seasons have been punctuated by irruptions of many species of northern finches.  Even as far south as here in NC!  First there were Red Crossbills nesting in white pines at lower elevations away from the higher NC mountains where they are more typically seen.  More recently there have been occasional flyover Crossbills passing over areas even farther from the mountains – I’ve been lucky enough to have one each in Polk (3rd county record) and Rutherford Counties (2nd county record).  Then came large numbers of Pine Siskins and Purple Finches, along with Red-breasted Nuthatches, pouring through the area.  Next were Evening Grosbeaks that came come through in very small numbers.  Once again luck was on my side when a pair of Grosbeaks flew over as I was doing a “Big Sit” in my yard in November. 

And finally, there is the rarest of this winter’s finches – Common Redpoll.  Early in the Fall there was a considerable Redpoll irruption in the northeast, which expanded to a few sightings in the Mid-Atlantic.  Could this northernmost of the finches make it all the way to the Carolinas?  The answer is a resounding “Yes”.  The first sighting of a Redpoll in NC came on 11/13 in the north-central part of the state.  And then there was another sighting on 11/20 in the northern NC mountains.  Just 50 miles away as the winter finch flies. 

That’s definitely one to keep an eye out for.  Or perhaps more importantly to keep an ear out for.  Redpolls have pretty characteristic calls, although they are similar to some of the calls of Siskins.  For the next several weeks my nearly daily birding efforts really focused on trying to find Redpolls.  I especially birded weedy fields that might attract finch flocks.  And then I looked in stands of birch trees and wetter smooth alder thickets.  This year both are loaded with catkins, and some seeds, which are favorite foods for Redpolls.  All the while keeping my ears open for an isolated flyover bird.  Not too surprisingly I didn’t come up with a Redpoll, or even a Siskin for that matter as it appears that most of this irrupter have already passed through.

Then on 12/10 I took a trip to the Fletcher Community Park which is part of my territory on the Henderson County Christmas Count.  The park has a nice diverse set of habitats, including woodlands, shrubby edge, and adjacent agricultural fields.  Plus one of the more unique birding spots is a small pond in the middle of the park that often hosts a surprising array of waterfowl.  The pond is surrounded by a thick stand of birch trees with smooth alder as an understory, making it quite difficult to see the waterfowl.  I’ve found the only way to try to get an accurate count of the ducks is to walk slowly around the entire circumference of the pond peering through to the water wherever there are gaps in the vegetation. 

On the 10th I was about half-way around the pond picking out good numbers of Hooded Mergansers when I heard a distinct dry “chit chit chit” call low overhead – I had my Redpoll!  It sounded as if I flushed it from the birch trees or alder thickets and it flew off toward the west.  Unfortunately it was a heard-only bird, despite efforts to re-find it in the vegetation off to the west.  I wasn’t at the park just to look for Redpolls, but in hindsight, the vegetation around the pond is about as perfect as you can get for these wayward finches.  So maybe it should have been my key target after all. 

Common Redpoll was #309 for my NC statelist, and a first eBird record for Henderson County.  NC was my 15th state for this species – 12 it in its regular range (the blue-shaded states in my statebird map below), and the 3 brown states where it’s a rarity.  I still need it in quite a number of northern tier states where it’s regular, albeit typically only in irruption years (the cross-hatched states).

 

A Most Unexpected SC Rarity, Lake Conestee Nature Preserve, SC, November 19, 2020

My plan for November 19th was to start the day at Dobbins Farm in Anderson County, SC in search of a recently reported flock of Snow Geese.  Given that they were foraging around a small, easily visible farm pond, I expected I would very quickly either be able to check them off or know that they had moved on.  Then after a brief stay at the farm I would head across the GA/SC stateline to work on my GA list a bit.  At least that was the plan…

I arrived at Dobbins Farm at about 8 AM and instantly spotted the flock of Snow Geese on the lower pond.  Can’t get any easier than that.  (See my previous blog post for a summary of my recent Dobbins Farm sightings.)  I birded there another couple hours, and then headed west to cross into GA.  Key targets included several waterfowl, a number of sparrows, plus a few woodland birds like Red-breasted Nuthatch and Creeper.  In other words, I had opportunities in many different habitats.  My first stop was at the dam at Lake Hartwell where I had good numbers of waterfowl and gulls, but nothing out of the ordinary.  And a slow walk through the pine forest near the dam yielded a nice collection of landbirds but none of my targets. 

The next stop was a short distance away at the Elrod Ferry Recreation Area which is a wooded peninsula sticking out into Lake Hartwell.  Along the way I passed some blackberry thickets that looked good for sparrows – I decided I would double-back there after I birded the park.  The gate to the park was closed, so I parked at the entrance in a nice stand of pines.  Looked like a good spot for Nuthatches, and sure enough I soon heard a couple White-breasteds.  Then I spotted a Brown-headed.  And a few seconds later another Nuthatch popped into view – a Red-breasted.  Not only a new GA statebird, but that also gave me all 3 eastern Nuthatch species in just a couple minutes.  That was #234 for my GA list.  I just need this wide-ranging species in 3 more states to complete my statebird map below.

But wait – the title of this post mentioned an unexpected SC rarity, not GA.  I’m getting there…

I continued my walk in the park hoping to run into a Creeper, or maybe find some additional waterfowl species.  I was staring through the scope trying to turn a Horned Grebe into something better when my phone rang – it was Michael Robertson.  Michael recounted a bird he saw that morning while doing a regular census of an inaccessible portion of Lake Conestee Nature Preserve in Greenville, SC.  He described it as Mockingbird sized and shaped, but without the white wing patches.  Plus the bird was streaked below.  A most unlikely Bahama Mockingbird came to mind.  He said he would send me pictures to help with the ID.  While I waited for the pictures to arrive I thought about trying to re-find the mystery Grebe, and then continue to walk down the peninsula to hope for a Creeper.  But it sounded like Michael’s bird could be a really rare one, likely one that I’d want to chase after.  Plus Lake Conestee was almost directly on my route back home from GA.  So I decided to forgo additional GA possibilities, head back to my car, and start the drive toward Lake Conestee just in case.  As I drove out of the park I passed by those blackberry thickets and possible sparrow habitat – oh well, that would have to wait for a future trip.

I was well on my way toward Lake Conestee when the photos arrived.  I opened the first attachment and instantly knew Michael had found an exceptionally rare Sage Thrasher – likely a first for SC.  I called him to pass along the ID.  I was less than 30 minutes away and asked if it would be possible for me to look for this bird given that normally access is limited to his team when they do their regular censuses.  He said he might be able to get me access to the site, but it would be necessary for me to team up with one of the Conestee employees to escort me to the area where the bird was seen.  So the key hurdle was to find someone to be my escort.  I continued my drive toward the park with fingers crossed, and was just 15 minutes away when Michael called back reporting that one of the park naturalists would meet me and take me to the spot.  The stars were aligning!

I arrived at the park just a couple minutes before the naturalist, and soon we were taking the short walk to the site where Michael had the Sage Thrasher earlier.  But it was now late afternoon, several hours after he had found the bird.  Would it still be around?  The naturalist took us right to the spot of the earlier sighting.  We got a brief view of a Song Sparrow, and then a larger bird popped into view – we had the Sage Thrasher!  It was most cooperative, sitting out in the open long enough to get this phonescoped shot.

 Here is the site it was frequenting – not quite like its normal sagebrush habitat out west. 

SC was the second eastern state where I’ve seen Sage Thrasher as a rarity (the brown states in my statebird map below).  I’ve seen it in 12 western states in its regular range (the blue states) but still need it in the 4 cross-hatched states where it is regular in at least a portion of each state.

I can’t thank Michael Robertson enough for getting me access to the site, and the park naturalist for escorting me.  And although I’m very happy to have seen the bird, #281 for my SC list, I feel bad that only 1 other birder was able to see the bird later that day.  Unfortunately, the bird was not re-found the next day. 

Boy am I glad I cut my GA birding short and headed to Lake Conestee right away.  I may have passed up another statebird or 2 in GA, but will gladly trade them for a first state record in SC!

Three Rarities at Dobbins Farm, Anderson County, SC, November 2020

 

I was introduced to birding in Anderson County by my SC birding friends Michael Robertson and Gary Harbour back in November 2019.  The county has some excellent and diverse habitats including agricultural areas, woodlands, and lakes.  Some of the best birding in the ag lands is at Dobbins Farm, which features large pastures supporting a herd of cows, a feed lot, planted fields, and two large farm ponds.  The grassy fields are full of meadowlarks year-round, with occasional Brewer’s Blackbirds wintering especially near the cattle feeding troughs and feed lot.  The planted fields have Horned Larks year-round, joined by Pipit flocks in winter.  The ponds feature a surprising array of waterfowl and shorebirds.  And all these birds are kept on their toes by a nice collection of raptors that feed in the area.  The only downside is that access to these fine habitats is somewhat limited – there is just one road that passes through the farm, and although you are allowed to bird from the road, you can’t walk into the fields.

Here is a picture showing typical pasture habitat with one of the ponds in the background.

On that November 2019 trip we hoped (in fact expected) to see 2 long-staying Snow Geese at one of the ponds.  Alas, they were last seen the day before our trip.  Though Vesper and White-crowned Sparrows at nearby Prater Farm were nice additions to my SC list at the time. 

Then in November 2020 no less than 3 rarities were reported at Dobbins Farm.  Not all at once mind you, meaning that I had to make 3 separate trips to the site to chase after them.  Good thing it’s only about 90 minutes from home.  And there’s great birding at the spot even if the target rarities don’t cooperate.

November 13

On November 12, almost exactly a year after my initial trip to the area, came a report of a possible Western Meadowlark at Dobbins Farm.  When I saw a video of the singing bird there was little doubt that it was indeed a Western Meadowlark – both based on song and plumage.  It was most cooperative, not only given that it was in full song, but it was also visible quite close to the road.  Once accepted it would turn out to be only the 2nd SC record listed in eBird. 

But would it still be cooperative in the future?  After all, there were hundreds of acres of suitable habitat, with no access to areas not close to the roadway.  And with dozens of Eastern Meadowlarks singing and foraging in those fields, that meant that finding the target bird could be a needle-in-a-haystack kind of proposition, especially if it wasn’t singing.  But I decided to give it a try the next morning, hopeful that the bird would still be cooperative.

I arrived at 8 AM on Friday the 13th and there were already 8 or 9 birders on site.  One birder had heard the Western singing at about 7:30, but no one had had it since.  There were many Eastern Meadowlarks singing throughout the fields, along with good numbers of Larks and Pipits twittering from the planted fields.  Plus large flocks of Pine Siskins were feeding in the sunflower field.  Not to mention 10 or more Bald Eagles perched around the upper pond.  It was once again a great time at Dobbins Farm.  With the obvious exception that I wasn’t finding the target Western Meadowlark. 

I spent an hour or so waiting and listening around the area of the ponds with no success.  Then I noticed quite a bit of Meadowlark activity a short distance to the south as well, so I decided to take a walk down to that area.  I was by myself now so it would be a bit easier to pick out a Western song, especially if I had to separate it from the many Easterns singing in the area as well.  I listened for a while but with no luck.  Then I heard a different song not too far away.  I strained my ears and focused even more intently – and there was the song again.  It was the Western Meadowlark!  I was able to call over a couple other birders who also heard it.  And although we never saw the bird, we watched a Meadowlark fly from the general area where the song was coming from just as we stopped hearing it sing.  So perhaps we at least saw the bird in flight.  Seconds later the rest of the birders came down to that area but unfortunately we no longer heard the bird singing.  Though later that day some were able to see and hear the bird again in that general area. 

In my statebird map for Western Meadowlark below the blue-shaded states are those where I’ve seen this species in its regular range.  The cross-hatched states are those where I still need this species, generally along the eastern edge of its regular range.  And now I’ve seen it as a rarity in those 2 tan-shaded states – VT and of course SC.

November 19

And then on the 16th, while the Western Meadowlark was still being seen, came a report of a flock of Snow Geese at the lower pond.  I wouldn’t have thought that a flock of Snows would visit these little ponds, let alone hang out there for a while.  But of course I remembered those Snow Geese that stayed there in November 2019 for a week or more – moving on just before my trip there.  So maybe these birds would hang on for a while also.  But not wanting to tempt fate two Novembers in a row, I decided to head there as soon as I had the chance.  I met Gary Harbour there the morning of the 19th and the first thing we spotted was the flock of 9 Snow Geese on the lower pond – 5 white phase and 4 dark phase birds.  I got these passable phonescoped photos of the flock.

 Since they were so cooperative I had time to head across the stateline into GA for a bit of birding there.  As well as another stop back in SC.  But that’s for my next blog post. 

SC was my 43rd state for this wide-ranging Goose, including Maine where it’s a rarity.  And although it’s a rarity in the upstate of SC, it’s more expected in coastal SC so it’s not quite a rarity statewide.

November 24

All my earlier winter trips to Dobbins Farm and nearby spots have featured large numbers of Pipits and Horned Larks in the appropriate habitats.  That made me think that an occasional Lapland Longspur could be a possibility mixed in with those other “prairie birds”.  But with a bit of eBird research I found only a few records from the area, most recently in 2014 from Dobbins Farm and 2016 from Prater Farm.  It is a bit surprising that Lapland Longspur is such a rarity in the area, given that they are regular in the mid-South (AR, TN, MS), at even lower latitudes.  I remember seeing good-sized Longspur flocks in that area, including in AR where Lapland Longspur was my 10,000th total tick (sum of my state lists) back in December 2003.

Then on November 23 came a report on the Greenville County Bird Club listserve of a Lapland Longspur at Dobbins Farm.  The bird was seen in the planted fields, where the Larks and Pipits feed.  Plus another birder had a pair of Brewer’s Blackbirds there later in the day, out in the pasture with the cows.  Those were two key targets for me - it was time for yet another November trip to Dobbins Farm!

I arrived at Dobbins Farm at 8 AM the next morning, parking near the lower pond.  My plan was to listen intently for the unique rattling flight calls of a Longspur likely mixed in with Pipits or Larks, while scanning the pastures for blackbirds.  I started with a quick scan of the pasture, easily picking up the Snow Goose flock (I guess I didn’t need to make that last trip on the 19th after all).  Then I heard several blackbird call notes nearby.  It took me a while, but I eventually tracked down the calls and spotted a blackbird flying away from one of the feeding troughs.  I watched it in flight until it disappeared near the feed lot.  I couldn’t get enough on the bird to get an ID, but both the trough and the feedlot are excellent locations for a Brewer’s.  One that got away I’m afraid. 

Then I started my focus on the prairie birds.  I was hearing a few Horned Larks singing and calling, and an occasional Pipit, but had few birds in flight.  Over the next hour it was more of the same, though I did have a pair of birds fly overhead that gave a single call note that was different than the Larks and Pipits – reminiscent of a Longspur but not enough for me to figure out for sure.  A bit later a birder pulled up in a car and was asking what I was seeing.  While his car was running right next to me I spotted my first larger flock of Pipits overhead.  I desperately needed to listen to the call notes from this flock but couldn’t hear them over the engine noise.  This was getting frustrating…

It had now been about 90 minutes since I arrived and I still hadn’t come up with either of my targets.  Though I had had possibilities for both.  I was feeling pretty defeated, though I said to myself that just a few seconds of Longspur flight calls would turn it all around.  And just then I heard calls overhead and spotted a pair of birds flying from the planted fields.  The calls were dry rattles very different from the higher-pitched and more musical Lark and Pipit calls.  I had a pair of Longspurs!  They passed directly overhead and disappeared out in the pastures.  Then a couple minutes later I heard the calls again, and this time picked up 2 Longspurs flying low from the soybean field and landing far out in the sunflower field.  Although the birds were too far to ID visually, their call notes were unique, just like most other prairie birds.

SC was my 29th state for Lapland Longspur – still a lot of states to look for it in its regular range.  Though I now have it on my SC and WV lists as rarities.

 Quite a month for Dobbins Farm!

Northern Finch Invasion Yields Rare Evening Grosbeaks, Yard Bird, Hendersonville, NC, November 8, 2020

Each year a forecast of the potential for winter finch irruptions is published by the Finch Research Network.  Although these forecasts are especially focused on Ontario and adjacent states and Canadian provinces, often they can suggest movements in more southern states.  That was definitely the case with the “Winter Finch Forecast 2020-2021” which can be found here - https://finchnetwork.org/winter-finch-forecast-2020.  That forecast certainly caught many birders’ attending with this first sentence– “It looks to be a flight year for several species in the East.”  That would actually turn out to be quite an understatement, particularly for birders here in the Carolinas.  Here are key quotes from that report for several species forecasted to irrupt this winter –

Purple Finch - The worst kept secret, most Purple Finches will migrate south out of Eastern Canada this winter. 

Red Crossbill - Red Crossbills are currently fairly widespread in Central Ontario to southern Maritimes and northeastern states mainly feeding in areas of heavy white pine crop. Red Crossbills should shift southward some as the white pine crop is depleted. 

Redpolls - If the redpolls move on from the Swamp Birch crop, expect a moderate to good flight south out of the boreal forest. 

Pine Siskins - The smaller numbers remaining in the eastern boreal forest should move southward looking for food. 

Evening Grosbeak - Expect flights into southern Ontario, southern Quebec, Maritime Provinces, New York and New England States, with some finches going farther south into the United States. 

Red-breasted Nuthatch - With cone crops in the eastern boreal forest mostly poor, expect this species to continue to move southward. 

The first notable local examples of movements of “winter” finches came while we were actually still in summer – good numbers of Red Crossbills were found feeding on an abundant white pine crop at lower elevations in western NC.  Although not unprecedented, this certainly was outside their more expected spruce/fir forest locations along the highest ridges.  With these movements I was lucky enough to add Red Crossbill to my SC list on 6/30/20 with birds just across the NC stateline, and to my Henderson County NC list on 8/20.  Later I had a rare Red Crossbill farther to the east in Polk County on 11/7/20.  And good numbers of Red-breasted Nuthatches were evident in these same areas, resulting in another addition to my SC list on 9/6/20, as well as a first for my yard list on 9/14/20.  I have no pines near my yard making Red Nuthatches most unexpected.

The next big irrupter was Pine Siskin.  My first Siskin this fall was also a first for my yard on 10/6/20.  And what started as just a couple single flyovers soon expanded to small flocks, and then to even bigger flocks both as flyovers and at my feeders.  I estimated my biggest feeder flock at 50, with total flyovers in a single morning as high as 200.  I took advantage of this irruption to add Siskin to my SC list on 10/20.  However, as of mid-November I’ve been seeing smaller Siskin numbers – perhaps the greatest number of birds has already passed on through the area. 

Then there are the Purple Finches.  My first birds in the yard this fall were on 10/14, and although numbers never got as high as those for the Siskins, a flock of up to 6 continue at my feeder as of mid-November, with numbers of flyovers increasing to the low double digits.  My first PUFIs this “winter” in SC were on 10/20.

That takes us to what is perhaps the ultimate winter finch – Evening Grosbeak.  I grew up in Maryland, developing my birding skills there in the 70’s and 80’s.  During that time Evening Grosbeaks were a regular occurrence many winters, especially at feeding stations.  I remember large flocks descending on my feeders, devouring the sunflower seeds and requiring re-stocking multiple times each day.

However, their eastern populations have plummeted since that time.  Here is a paragraph I wrote for my blog in December 2018 when I was looking for Evening Grosbeaks in New England –

But now 30 or 40 years later, Evening Grosbeak dynamics are a whole different story in the East.  Here in New England, lately they have become a rare occurrence in the northern part of the region, and virtually non-existent in the southern parts.  For instance, throughout most of the southern portion of New England, Evening Grosbeak is now considered to be a rarity in eBird requiring details.  I used to see them as a breeder most every summer at Pawtuckaway State Park in southern NH.  But their numbers have dwindled there over the years, with the last eBird record coming in 2015.  Since moving to New England in 1993, I’ve not seen this species in CT or RI. 

The 2018-2019 Winter Finch Forecast for Evening Grosbeak ominously included this comment –

In April 2016 the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) listed the Evening Grosbeak a species of Special Concern due to strong population declines occurring mainly in central and eastern Canada.

In fact, some Canadian researchers recommended that the eastern populations be listed as endangered.

With their numbers plummeting in the northeast, one can only imagine how rare they have become farther south.  Here is a summary of this species’ distribution from “Birds of North Carolina: their Distribution and Abundance” -

In the latter part of the 1960's and the 1970's, the species made near-regular appearances every other winter, in good numbers, and even in off years, a few were reported. However, the species has undergone a major population decline in recent decades, and there have been relatively few North Carolina reports in the past decade. Many "new" birders have yet to see the species in the state, and it has often been missed by birders conducting Big Years in the state. Fortunately, the winter of 2012-13 produced a mild invasion into the East, with scattered reports again being made in the state. 

Soon after the publication of the 2020-2021 Winter Finch Forecast came a couple southern reports of Evening Grosbeaks – one in TN on 10/26, and another most surprisingly in the FL panhandle on 10/3.  Could these be harbingers of what was to come?  More and more records were soon reported in the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic.  And then came the first NC report - in Gates County in eastern NC on 11/1.  That was just the beginning…

Then on November 4th came a text from Kevin Burke on the Blue Ridge Birders text group that he had an Evening Grosbeak at feeders in his neighborhood.  Unfortunately, the bird moved on 10 minutes before my arrival in Kevin’s neighborhood.  I spent the next couple hours unsuccessfully waiting for it to return.  Plus a search for a couple hours early the next morning were fruitless.  Then on the 5th came another report of a flyover flock at Beaver Lake. 

So small numbers were definitely passing through the area.  Now I just needed to be lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.  My strategy was to spend as much time as possible in good habitat and cross my fingers that I would get lucky.  I birded the Mt. Pisgah area along the Blue Ridge Parkway on the morning of 11/6, finding 3 Ruffed Grouse and fair numbers of migrating Siskins and Purple Finches.  But no Grosbeaks, and surprisingly no Red-breasted Nuthatches as well.  Then on the 7th I spent the morning at the Green River Game Lands in Polk County finding a rare Red Crossbill (only the 3rd for the county per eBird), plus a few PUFIs and Siskins.  But again no Grosbeaks.

My plan for the morning of the 8th was to do a “Big Sit” in my yard.  The morning started as most recent days have been with a few flyover Siskins and Purple Finches.  Then at about 7:30 I finally got my target – I heard 2 different Evening Grosbeaks giving their diagnostic “jeer” calls north of my yard.  Both birds continued to call as they flew closer with one moving east of the yard and the other to the west.  I thought they had continued on south until I heard the western bird call one more time a couple minutes later from the tree canopy nearby.  I was hoping that it might come to the feeders but it was not to be.  They were heard-only birds, but certainly good enough for a species whose call I’m very familiar with.  And just for good measure, I had another flyover Grosbeak on 11/20.

Here is the eBird map of recent Evening Grosbeak sightings in the east as of 11/17 – from the sightings in the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley, to that one sighting down in the FL panhandle.  And of course including my sighting on 11/8.  Quite an irruption!

Evening Grosbeak was yard bird #137, and NC statebird #308.  My statebird map for Evening Grosbeak is provided below – the blue-shaded states are those where I’ve seen this species; the cross-hatched states are those where it is regular but I haven’t yet seen it.  Or at least in the East, those are states where Evening Grosbeak used to be regular.  Alas…  And now NC is the single tan-shaded state where I’ve seen this species as a rarity.

Could Redpolls be the next irrupter to be found in the Carolinas this winter?  As of early November, the southernmost reports were from MD.  But then came 2 NC reports - one on 11/13 in Granville County and one on 11/20 not too far away in Avery County.  It’s certainly one to keep your eyes and ears open for. 

“Load of White Pelicans”, Blue Ridge Community College, Flat Rock, NC, October 28, 2020

On the morning of 10/26 there was a post on the Blue Ridge Birders text group summarizing a third-hand report of a White Pelican on Lake Tahoma near Marion, NC.  That was just a bit over an hour away so I thought about chasing after it, but it was just a third-hand report after all.  Then when a follow-up post at lunchtime confirmed that the bird was still there, I decided to give it a try.  When I arrived at Lake Tahoma I wasn’t too surprised to find very limited access to view this private lake.  But with a little effort, I was able to view almost all of the lake.  Unfortunately, despite lots of stops, I couldn’t come up with the Pelican.  On my drive back home I thought that I might just need to wait for this species to show up closer to home.

And that’s exactly what happened just two days later.  The 28th was a rainy, windy day, and late that afternoon this text from Vicky Burke came across the Blue Ridge Birders text group - “Omg!!! There is a load of white pelican on Blue Ridge Community College lake!!!!!”  Vicky works at the college, and apparently a co-worker noticed this flock of large white birds swimming on this small campus lake, bringing them to Vicky’s attention.  Within 2 minutes I was out the door and heading to the college.

This was my view as I pulled up to this small lake just a few minutes later.

There was another person there when I arrived, a non-birder, marveling at this flock of 35 American White Pelicans.  Truly an amazing site!

Apparently the inclement weather associated with a cold front had forced them down while they were migrating over the area.  And the bad weather conditions continued the next day as remnants of Tropical Storm Zeta passed through the area.  But typical for grounded migrants, the entire flock moved on as soon as the weather improved.  One birder was lucky enough to spot the flock flying over the interstate as they headed out to continue on with their migration.

That was #307 for my NC state list.  And NC was my 9th state where I’ve seen American White Pelican as a rarity per the range maps in the Sibley guides – the tan states in my statebird map below.  This species is a regular vagrant throughout almost all of the eastern portion of US, and of course it can be quite obvious when it is around.  I’ve also seen White Pelican throughout its regular range in the central and western states (the blue states below).

 

Mourning Warbler, Mills River, NC, October 12, 2020

My birding plan for October 12th was to spend the morning at Jackson Park in search of some late fall migrants.  I pulled in at dawn, and soon found a nice migrant flock right at the edge of the parking lot, including my third Golden-winged Warbler of the fall.  I made my way south through the BMX park and by the time I entered the dog park I had a nice tally of 9 warbler species.  It was a great start to the morning.

Just then a text from Kevin Burke came across the Blue Ridge Birders text group– “Mourning warbler at the clay-colored spot”.  The day before, Bob Butler had found a Clay-colored Sparrow along Hooper Lane in a brushy area along the northern edge of Mills River Park.  I was lucky enough to see the Sparrow on the 11th – a new bird for my Henderson County list, but not new for NC.  And now the next day, with a bit of a “Patagonia picnic table effect”, Kevin had found a rare Mourning Warbler in that same patch of brush.  I instantly turned around, sprinted back to my car, and was on my way to Hooper Lane. 

It took me just 15 minutes to get to Hooper Lane, but there were already multiple birders on-site when I arrived.  The bird was last seen just a couple minutes earlier so I was hopeful.  Then just a minute later someone said they had the bird.  Unfortunately I couldn’t get on it before this skulking bird had retreated to the depths of the brush.  A bit later it was spotted again, but I missed it yet again – though at least I saw some movement this time.  The next time it appeared I was able to see its tail, but nothing more.  This was getting frustrating.  Luckily it kept reappearing, and the next time I got great views – finally!  I stayed in the area for the next several hours and saw the bird multiple times.  Including a couple times when it surprisingly stayed in the open for an extended period of time. 

Not a bad trade-off - a little less birding time at Jackson Park for a new statebird.  It’s good to be flexible. 

Mourning Warbler was #306 for my NC statelist.  NC was the 18th state where I’ve seen this species - the blue-shaded states in my statebird map below.  The cross-hatched states are those where the species is regular but I’ve yet to catch up with it.  This skulking bird is not an easy one to find, especially as a migrant.

And now a postscript –

When I moved to NC in August 2019 I came up with a list of 36 possible new NC statebirds that I might see in western NC.  Mourning Warbler was the 35th of these targets that I’ve now checked off.  The last target on that list is Long-tailed Duck, which is actually quite a rarity locally.  Along the way I’ve also added 11 other NC statebirds in western NC that weren’t even on my target list.  Not too many realistic statebird possibilities remain.

Three Rare South Carolina Migrants, September 2020

I had a most successful start to September in SC with 5 relatively common statebirds, or “low hanging fruit”, as summarized in my previous blog post.  But as the month progressed my luck shifted to some of the rarer species.

The first came late in the day during the Greenville County Fall Migration Count on September 19.  I had already started the day with 2 new SC statebirds by sunrise - several Gray-cheeked Thrushes (my target for the day) and a cooperative Canada Warbler.  My last stop of the day was at Hayes Farm mostly along Sally Gilreath Rd. in Travelers Rest.  This area has some great field habitat, interspersed with a few isolated areas of woodlands and lone oak trees.  I’ve birded there a few times and really enjoy birding the diverse habitats.  And when birding this spot during the Spring Migration Count I was surprised to see several passerine migrants in the woods, even in the isolated oak trees.  So I was hopeful that I might find some migrants during this count as well, though I wasn’t terribly optimistic I would once again find migrants in this limited habitat.

Birding started quite well with a most cooperative late Grasshopper Sparrow – likely a holdover from the breeding season.  And the first area of woodlands included some good numbers of Indigo Buntings and Blue Grosbeaks, but they too were likely local breeders.  I then turned onto Hayes Road, and soon found a flock of birds on the ground along the road – mostly Chipping Sparrows and a Palm Warbler.  They often perched up on the fence along the road, joined by a small group of Bluebirds.  As I scanned through the perched birds I spotted a small flycatcher mixed in.  I first expected it would be a Phoebe, but quickly realized it was way too small.  And with a closer look I could see it was an Empidonax.  Luckily it stayed on the wires, making short forays for insects and returning.  That allowed me to check off all the necessary fieldmarks to ID a silent fall Empid – grayish green back, creamy white below, short primary projection, buffy wing bars, small but distinct eye-ring.  And the kicker - a slumped posture that gave it a short-necked appearance, a field mark that I find diagnostic for fall Leasts.  I indeed had a Least Flycatcher, rare for SC.  Not bad for one of the few true migrants at this spot.

I’ve seen Least Flycatcher in most of the states in its regular range (the blue-shaded states in my statebird map below).  I still need it in four southeast states and 2 in the northwest portion of its regular range (cross-hatched states).  I’ve also seen this species as a rarity in AZ and AK (tan states).

But what’s with the gap in the southeast states?  Even though the Sibley range maps indicate that Least is a regular migrant in SC and elsewhere in the southeast, it is decidedly more common as a migrant through the central flyway than in the southeast.  This is shown quite well in the eBird map below for the August-October fall migration period for Least Flycatcher. 

My next trip to the SC Upstate was on September 26 with a trip to the Cottonwood Trail in Spartanburg.  This site is an oasis of woodlands, brush, and marshlands in a relatively urban setting.  This mix of habitats had attracted a good number and diversity of migrants so far this fall.  A couple days before my trip two Philadelphia Vireos had been seen near the area of the footbridge over the stream that runs through the site.  Though surely they wouldn’t still be around.  I planned to bird there with my SC birding friend Gary Harbour, and another birding friend Michael Robertson was part of another group at the park.  Lots of eyes to look for those migrants, though to ensure social distancing our two groups went off in separate directions - my group to the wetlands and the other group to the bridge. 

We had only been birding a short time when we got a text that the other group had a Philadelphia Vireo at the bridge.  Wow – did one of the birds from earlier in the week stick around?  But by the time we got over there the bird was gone.  There were a few migrant warblers in the trees above the bridge so we decided to stay there in hopes that the Vireo might return.  No more than a couple minutes later we spotted some movement in a brushy edge nearby.  And with a quick view we had the Philadelphia Vireo.  It stayed in the area for the next couple minutes giving good views for most of the birders there.  Regardless of whether this was a bird lingering from days early, it certainly turned out to be preferred habitat for this species. 

The range map for Philadelphia Vireo is similar to that for the Least Flycatcher.  Though it’s even less likely in the southeast, and not expected in the northwest.  And generally less common than the Least Fly throughout its range.  As a result, I still need it in quite a number of states.  On a more positive note, finding one in NM as a rarity during a spring migration fallout was pretty special.

Gary and I stayed in the general area slowly checking off a number of migrants, mostly warblers with a few others mixed in.  We birded the woodlands for a while, then switched our attention to the adjacent brushy area at a power line cut.  It was here that I spotted an Empid perched in a 10-foot tall shrub.  Oh no, not another silent Fall Empid to deal with.  But this one turned out to be relatively easy – this one was quite yellow below from the throat to the vent.  And with a yellow eye-ring, prominent wing bars, moderate primary projection, and greenish mantle we had a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.  As yellow as it was below it was likely a bird of the year which had just molted before leaving the breeding grounds (unlike adults that don’t molt until after migration resulting in worn or faded yellow below when seen in migration).  Gary got on the bird as well, but before the other group was able to study it the Flycatcher flew into the woodland understory (its preferred habitat in migration) and was not seen again.  Two SC statebirds in the same day, and both rarities per eBird!

The range maps for all 3 of my new SC species are quite similar – migrants primarily through the central flyway, less often seen as a migrant in the southeast, and breeding along the northern tier of US states and southeastern and south-central Canada.  My statebird map for Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is a bit better than the one for the Vireo, but not much. 

With a total of 8 new SC statebirds in September that gives me 276 in SC.  Although it was nice ot finally check off those low hanging fruit, it’s always more fun to find those rarities.

Five “Low Hanging Fruit” in South Carolina, September 2020

One of my objectives for fall migration in 2020 was to focus on filling some gaps in my SC list.  Even after a year living in the area, I still had a number of “low hanging fruit” to pursue – birds that were regular migrants or residents that I just hadn’t been lucky enough to run into yet.  And now that I had nearly exhausted expected new statebirds in western NC, I could devote more time in SC during the upcoming fall season.

My first fall trip to SC was on 9/6, which actually began with a stop in NC at Guion Farm in the DuPont State Forest to meet up with Bill and Anita Hooker.  Red Crossbills had been reliable there for at least a couple months.  And since the site is just a short distance from the SC line, after some fun birding with Bill and Anita, I could head 20 minutes south from there into SC.  The Crossbills turned out to be most cooperative, with our first heard bird within minutes of our arrival.  After an hour we had multiple birds in site overhead and perched in nearby pines, as well as calling overhead and in the treetops.  Excellent observations of a local rarity. 

Then it was on to SC!  One of the species I heard on each of my 3 trips to Guion Farm this year was the Red-breasted Nuthatch.  I still needed that one for SC, principally because there were virtually none around the region the previous winter.  But since they were regular at Guion Farm, surely they should be in similar habitat just a few miles away in SC, right?  The problem was finding accessible suitable high elevation habitat in SC.  First of all, the elevation dropped off quickly once you crossed into SC, so higher elevation habitat was limited.  In this part of the state there was just a 3-mile stretch of US 276 from the stateline to Ceasars Head State Park that was at elevation.  And even though there were a couple trails in the area, they were in deciduous woodlands not typically appealing to a Red-breasted Nuthatch.  So my strategy to look for the Nuthatch was to pull-off on the side of 276 wherever I could find conifers – assuming it was safe to do so.

The first possible roadside location was literally right at the stateline where YMCA Camp Rd. intersected with 276.  Less than 20 minutes after leaving Guion Farm I reached the SC border and pulled onto the shoulder of the YMCA road.  There were several pine trees to the west so I was hopeful.  And sure enough within just a minute I heard the “toot toot toot” of a Red-breasted Nuthatch.  But which state was it in?  I listened more closely and heard the bird call again, allowing me to pinpoint exactly which direction it was calling from.  Now I had to find out where the stateline was.  I opened my GoogleMaps app and figured out how the line passed through the area.  The bird was indeed calling from SC, but no more than perhaps 50 ft from the stateline, and just 6 miles from Guion Farm “as the nuthatch flies”.  Success!

In my statebird map below, the blue-shaded states are those where I’ve seen Red-breasted Nuthatch.  The 4 cross-hatched states are the last ones where I’ve yet to see it.  Although its regular throughout the continental US, it becomes rather rare in much in the southeast.

Another mile farther along the highway I made a stop at a spot labeled in GoogleMaps as “Greylogs Trail”.  This is a short gravel road and parking lot for a trail that was apparently never developed.  As luck would have it, I had a calling Red Nut here as well – needless to say I didn’t need to worry about where the stateline was to conclude that this one was also a SC bird.

Next stop was Ceasars Head State Park, and specifically the overlook there.  This is THE spot for Peregrine Falcon in the Upstate region of SC, as they are reliable at this location year-round.  But I had been here 3 prior times looking for a Peregrine without success.  Though in all fairness 2 of those times the mountain was fogged in.  Today the weather was great, so fog wouldn’t be an issue.  As I arrived at the parking lot I found that most of the lot was closed off, apparently to limit crowds on this Labor Day weekend during these days of Covid.  And there was just 1 open parking space – maybe my luck was looking up.  I parked in that last space and made my way over to the observation point to start my hawk watch. 

The hawk watch was pretty slow, with just a Red-shouldered and a Broad-winged Hawk passing by as likely migrants.  A young Red-tail and a couple Turkey Vultures circled below as presumably local birds.  After an hour I thought that maybe I should call it quits and try for the Peregrine another time.  But then I realized that conditions that day were ideal – not only was there great visibility, but also I had the observation point almost completely to myself.  And since I was free the rest of the afternoon, I decided to stay longer (I’m still trying to figure out how to take advantage of all my free time in retirement).  Another 30 minutes passed and I spotted the Red-tail again.  And just then a Peregrine passed by below me, starting to harass the Red-tail.  It would repeatedly dive bomb the bird, giving loud cackling calls the entire time.  Quite the show which lasted at least 5 minutes.  After 3 unsuccessful tries to see the Peregrine, I guess I was due for a cooperative bird.  Interestingly, all the raptors were below me at the overlook – a notable point for future visits.

Nice to get 2 new statebirds in the same day.  And SC was my 40th state for Peregrine.

 My next trip to SC came on 9/8 with a trip to Bunched Arrowhead Heritage Preserve in Travelers Rest with Gary Harbour.  This was my first trip to this spot – sure wish I had been there before.  This 178-acre site has excellent diverse habitats, including various ages of successional fields, upland deciduous woodlands, and swamplands.  Gary showed me around the site visiting each of the habitats, including seeing the namesake endangered Bunched Arrowhead (which is a plant and has nothing to do with a group of Native American artifacts).  We were especially hoping for a few early migrants, which unfortunately were few and far between.  But I was lucky enough to get several glimpses of a less-than-cooperative warbler that turned out to be a Blackburnian – the last “easy” warbler I still needed in SC.

And speaking of “easy” warblers, I now have Blackburnian throughout the east except for VA and DE, and for several states in the Great Plains along the western edge of its migration range.  I’ve also seen this species in CA as a rarity.

My last two SC low hanging fruit in September came while participating in the Greenville County Fall Migration Count on 9/19.  My assigned territory consisted of the same sites I covered in the Spring Migration Count.  I started both counts at dawn in the Greenville Watershed which is an amazing area of extensive upland deciduous woodlands.  On my trips there in spring and summer I’ve tallied very high numbers of woodland nesting species as I drove along the roads through the woods.  But given that I would be birding in deep woodlands rather than along wooded edges, I wasn’t sure how many migrants I might find.  My key target was Gray-cheeked Thrush which was being reported in the area at the time, principally as a pre-dawn migrant.  But since I wouldn’t be arriving till dawn, I may well be too late.  All things considered, I was hopeful but not terribly optimistic.

I arrived at the Greenville Watershed a few minutes before sunrise.  Although there were no longer birds still migrating overhead, there were already a number of call notes coming from the woods nearby.  One of the first birds I heard was a Swainson’s Thrush, and soon there were multiple Swainson’s giving their “pit” and “weep” calls increasing in pitch.  And then I heard the first thrush call note dropping in pitch.  I listened carefully and heard this call again – too short and not clear enough to be a Veery.  I had my first Gray-cheeked.  I guess I shouldn’t have been too worried since I heard 3 others calling from the understory on my next 2 stops.  Another example of a target bird that isn’t too unexpected at the right place and right time – the perfect example of “low hanging fruit”.  And although Gray-cheeked is a regular species in much of the eastern US, I haven’t been in that right place at the right time to see it as it migrated through quite a number of those states. 

As I approached dawn one of the first birds I actually saw was a cooperative Canada Warbler in brush along the roadside.  Weeks later I realized that I needed Canada for my SC statelist – an unexpected surprise that I hadn’t even targeted.  From my statebird map it looks like I need to make Canada Warbler a target in quite a number of states.  Though I did find one in WY years ago as just the 5th state record at the time. 

The 5 new low hanging fruit statebirds bring my SC list to 273.  Not bad for one month, even though they all were regular expected species. 

“But wait there’s more” as they say.  In September I also added 3 rarities for SC - check out my next blog post for a summary of these 3 less common species. 

Baird’s Sandpiper, Hooper Lane Sod Farm, Henderson County NC, August 20,2020

Just before moving to NC I started reviewing local eBird reports to look for good hot spots nearby.  One that kept popping up was the sod farm at Hooper Lane, just 30 minutes from my new house.  I put together a file titled “Hooper Lane Sightings” which included these 2 entries -

8/31 - Baird’s – 6 continuing birds

8/30 - Baird’s – 3 Continuing birds. Foraging with pectoral sandpipers and killdeer on fields on east side of Hooper Lane, about .25 mile in from Jeffress Rd. Warm buffy color, buffy breast, wingtips projected beyond tail tip

Although we arrived on 8/25/19, the vast amount of work required to settle into the new house kept me from doing any birding for several days.  My first trip to the sod farm was on September 1, unfortunately the first day after the Baird’s had moved on.  Though that trip helped me figure out how to bird the site, which was most helpful on my next trip there on September 10 when I found a rare Buff-breasted Sandpiper in one of the fields.  But despite several trips there in September I couldn’t come up with a Baird’s.  I wasn’t too concerned though given that they appeared to be regular in August, at least based on 2019 reports.

So as August 2020 arrived I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of 1 or more Baird’s at the Hooper Lane sod farm.  But it had been reasonably dry there this summer, even though it had been very wet at my house just 10 miles away “as the sandpiper flies”.  So with the dry conditions there was little, if any, mud to attract shorebirds.  Further complicating the story was that the owners of the sod farm had revised their policies and no longer let trespassers (including birders) into their fields.  That meant any bird we looked for needed to be relatively close to the public roads. 

Despite the less than great conditions at Hooper Lane I still visited the farm several times in August.  And on my trip there on the 20th I noticed something new – a patch of sod had just been harvested very close to the road.  This resulted in a patch of dirt with some low areas of mud and standing water – looked like a very inviting spot for shorebirds.  I pulled over and started to scan the area with my binocs, initially just seeing a large number of Killdeer.  Then on another scan I noticed a medium-sized peep at the edge of the dirt quite close to the road.  Within seconds I knew I had an immature Baird’s Sandpiper – buffy chest, scalloped mantle, long wings beyond the wingtips, dark legs and bill.  That is perhaps my favorite plumage of any shorebird.  Nice to finally see one after missing them by just a day the previous year.  Unfortunately, by the time I got set up to phonescope the bird it had moved farther from the road, so this crummy photo was the best I could do.

The Baird’s stuck around mostly in that same field for 3 more days, allowing quite a number of birders to see it.  

Baird’s Sandpiper was #305 for my NC list.  And my 23rd shorebird species at Hooper Lane since moving here almost exactly a year ago.  Pretty amazing that so many species of shorebirds migrate over the NC mountains, let alone stopping at this one location in the last 12 months.  Needless to say, Hooper Lane is one of my favorite local birding spots.

My statebird map for Baird’s is inserted below.  The blue-shaded states are those where I’ve seen this species in its regular range.  The 3 cross-hatched states are those where I still need it, though it’s still regular.  And the multiple east coast states in tan are those where I’ve seen Baird’s though the range maps suggest Baird’s is a rarity.  Not exactly sure I’d call it rare on the east coast myself…

Reflections on a First Birding Year in the Western Carolinas, August 2020

On August 25, 2019, my wife and I moved to our retirement home in the mountains of western North Carolina.  Specifically, to the suburbs of Hendersonville in Henderson County.  I not only looked forward to birding in an area that was new to me, but also as a recent retiree, l looked forward to having lots more time to go birding  Now with the first anniversary of our arrival in the mountains, it’s time to reflect on a most successful first year of Carolina birding.  Albeit one tempered by the Covid pandemic. 

First and foremost, I have made lots of good birding friends, not only in NC but also in SC which is just 30 minutes to the south.  I’ve had an excellent time birding with them, socially distanced and with masks these days.  Plus they’ve been most helpful in showing me all the best birding spots in the area and in getting me connected with local birding groups.  Many thanks to all my new birding friends here in the Carolinas!

And speaking of local birding, there is an excellent number of really good birding locations just a short drive from home.  Some of my NC favorites are the Hooper Lane sod farm for shorebirds, waterfowl, and waders; Jackson Park for migrants; Green River Game Land for the “southern” breeding passerines including Swainson’s Warbler; a spot I found on Rockwell Drive for sparrows and wetland birds; Warren Wilson College for migrants; and numerous spots along the Blue Ridge Parkway for the “northern” breeding passerines.  I haven’t birded in SC quite as much, but so far my favorite spots are Lake Conestee and the Saluda Reservoir watershed.  It’s great to have so many excellent (and close) birding spots to visit now that I’m retired.

And now onto my first love - statebirding:  When I moved to the Carolinas I had 253 on my NC statelist.  Since then I’ve been able to add 52 to that list, and now have 305 – my 10th state with at least 300 birds.  And in SC I’ve added 36 to take my list from 232 to 268.  Quite a number of these additions in both states have been “low-hanging fruit” – regular species that I just hadn’t run into on my previous trips to the Carolinas over the years.  But there were also a few rarities that I chased after, like Reddish Egret and Roseate Spoonbill seen 2 weeks apart in the same beaver pond near Charlotte, NC. 

And this Black-bellied Whistling-Duck at Ecusta Pond in Brevard County.

Not to mention chasing after Scissor-tailed Flycatchers in NC...

and in SC.

My statebird additions include quite a number of rarities that I found on my own locally in NC, including Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Connecticut Warbler, and American Bittern last fall; Lapland Longspur and Brewer’s Blackbird this winter; Wilson’s Phalarope as a spring migrant; a White-winged Dove this summer (a yard bird); and White Ibis, Willet, and Baird’s Sandpiper in August.  Most of these stuck around long enough to be able to share them with other birders as well.

Although there are many great birding hotspots in the area, the place where I’ve actually done most of my birding in this first year has been my own yard.  Although the yard is less than an acre in size, I have been able to find an outstanding 131 species here in my first year – 11 of these were new to my NC statelist at the time.  By comparison, at my old house in MA I had a yard list of 151, but that was after living there for 25 years.  Often I will go out to the back deck and just wait and watch for the birds to move through the yard.  By far the best birding has been in migration, when I’ve spotted an outstanding 30 species of warblers in just 1 fall migration and 1 spring migration.  During migration I would routinely have days with more than 10 warbler species, and more than 50 species total, easily rivaling local migration hotspots.  Of course, backyard birding is a great activity during the pandemic.  Not to mention a good way to minimize one’s carbon footprint.

Here are a couple photogenic birds from my yard – a male Purple Finch during a year where they were extremely rare in the area.

And this most attractive and obliging Scarlet Tanager.

My theory as to why the yard may be so attractive to the migrants (and other species) is that our yard is part of a wooded island oasis.  We are located on the side of a stand-alone mountain covered in deciduous trees, which is surrounded by an agricultural area mostly planted in apple orchards.  The orchards have to be nearly devoid of insects given all the pesticides that are sprayed on the trees to protect the apples.  I can only imagine that migrants passing through the area would much rather feed in our natural woodlands than in those comparatively sterile unnatural orchards.  Plus, the yard is at the edge of the woodlands and is adjacent to a large orchard.  So I get the benefit of a juxtaposition of multiple diverse habitats attracting woodland breeders like Great Horned Owl, Hooded Warbler, Wood Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, and Pewee, and farmland breeders like Thrasher, Towhee, and Indigo Bunting.

And speaking of local birding, many nearby birders focus on county listing in the region.  I’ve never really been into county listing, but I’ve started to pursue local Henderson County birds to some extent.  Although I haven’t chased after all the local rarities reported in the county, I’ve had 211 species since moving here, putting me in 10th place per eBird.  And I’ve tallied 189 in 2020 for 4th place.  Those totals are more a testament to how much time I’m out birding (420 eBird checklists in the county during the year) than to doing a lot of chasing.  Though now that there is less statebird potential locally, maybe I’ll focus more on my Henderson County list.

But not all of my birding has been local.  This past year I also took 2 trips to the coast with the Carolina Bird Club (CBC).  In 9/19 the CBC headed to Charleston, SC, where I added 9 new statebirds – mostly more low-hanging fruit.  And then in 1/20 I attended the CBC trip in Myrtle Beach.  On the way to the coast I added a couple statebirds including a pair of long-staying Limpkins.

The field trips that weekend netted 7 statebirds, including a rare Black Guillemot.  And then with a 1-day extension after the trip I was able to add 1 more in SC (a stakeout Bullock’s Oriole) and 8 more in NC, including finding a rare Pacific Loon.  I really miss coastal birding – I used to bird on the coast quite often when living in New England.  I can’t wait for the virus to be behind us so I can get back on the road and spend some time on the coast.

And with 600 total eBird checklists in the last 12 months, I guess I’m figuring out how to take advantage of all that spare time I have now in retirement.  

It truly has been a great first year in the Carolinas! 

Looking ahead, it will be great to pursue potential statebirds not just in the Carolinas but also throughout the southeast.  For instance, I’m looking forward to expanding my birding range in the mountains to cover the adjacent states of VA, TN, and GA.  And hoping to be able to get back to the coast to bird from VA down to GA.  Though I’ll have to tear myself away from all that great birding locally, not to mention right in my yard.