There had been quite a number of sightings of Limpkins throughout the southeast in the summer of 2023. This species is not generally prone to vagrancy. But this year, it was apparent that some type of post-breeding dispersal was occurring similar to what happens with other waders. Unfortunately, all the reports were quite distant from home, including several in central NC and a couple in central TN.
But then I noticed a Limpkin report from Catawba County on
August 25. The bird was seen at Mountain
Creek Park a bit northwest of Charlotte about a 2-hour drive from home – within
my self-imposed driving limit. I could
chase after it the next day, but some of the local Limpkin reports were
one-day-wonders. So it sure would be nice
to know that the bird would stick around before I made the trek.
As it turns out my birding friend Bill Hooker was also interested
in pursuing this bird to add it to his Catawba County list. He was able to relocate it on the 25th, and
went back on the morning of the 26th and found it again quite easily. Bill passed along his suggestions to find the
Limpkin – set up your scope on the fishing pier and scan the islands and small
mudflats a short distance away. Although
the bird was sometimes seen in the open on the flats, it seemed to prefer perching
somewhat obscured in low branches in front of the right most island as you look
out from the pier. With that great
advice I was all set and headed off for Mountain Creek Park.
I arrived just after 1 PM in the heat of the day – my car
thermometer said the outside temperature was 100 degrees – yikes!
I quickly made my way to the fishing pier, which thankfully was partially shaded. I did a quick scan of the island to the right but came up empty. Then with my scope set up in the shade I searched that right-most island more closely but could not find the Limpkin. Slow scans of the flats and remaining portions of the islands were unsuccessful as well, with the best find being a Pectoral Sandpiper.
This was going to be a challenge. If I was going to be successful, I would need
to just settle in and keep doing frequent scans of those islands. About a half hour after I arrived I heard the
unmistakable calls of a Limpkin coming from the shoreline a short distance away. But the calls were a little too good – it was
another birder playing tape.
Then a half hour later I finally got the break I needed – I
noticed a large brown bird flying from the back of the right island towards the
flats. With a quick scope view I had my
Limpkin! I was able to get a couple
quick phonescoped shots as it briefly walked out in the open.
A few seconds later it walked into vegetation toward the left and disappeared. It was in view for maybe just 60 seconds. I remained there for another hour hoping to get better views but it never re-emerged. I guess a 1-minute distant view over 2 hours would have to be good enough.
Limpkin was #323 for my NC statelist. And now NC is my third state, after FL and SC,
for this expanding species.
As a postscript – just a couple weeks after the Mountain
Creek Park sighting a Limpkin appeared at Jackson Park only 15 minutes from
home. I saw this bird on September 9,
which certainly was much more cooperative than the one in Catawba County. I could have saved myself a 2-hour drive if
the Jackson Park bird had shown up a couple weeks earlier.
