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. 

Swallow-tailed Kite, Irma’s Produce Fields, McDowell County, NC, August 2, 2020

Although Swallow-tailed Kite is a rarity almost anywhere in NC, and especially in and around the mountains, there is one nearby spot where they are almost regular – the eBird hotspot called Irma’s Produce Fields in McDowell County.  Based on eBird data the peak times there for Swallow-tails are in late July and August.  And the Swallow-tails are typically accompanied by multiple Mississippi’s.  Though Swallow-tails aren’t seen at Irma’s every year – for instance there were multiple Swallow-tail sightings there in 2019 but none in 2017 or 2018.

This year there was an early report of a Swallow-tail in the area in mid-July, but still none at the Produce Fields hotspot as of later in the month.  So with little else to do during the summer birding doldrums, I decided to make a trip to the spot to at least check it out.  And who knows, maybe I’d even get lucky and spot one.  Most of the 50-minute route to Irma’s was a pleasant drive through the mountains, ending with a short ride across a floodplain that featured Irma’s farming complex.  Irma’s fields cover about 75 acres, with Parker Padgett Road cutting through the western part of the fields, and then passing along the southern edge of the eastern portions.  Ordinarily you would think that with that route the road would provide good access, but it turned out that the road is very narrow with next to no shoulders.  Luckily, I found a wider pullout roughly in the middle of the complex that seemed like a good central spot for viewing.  And just after I parked there some workers drove by without kicking me out – so I assumed the spot was sufficiently out of the way. 

I ended up spending about an hour there at the pullout in the midday looking for Kites, but without success.  Though I did see a lot of vultures and a few other raptors.  Most interesting was a distant Osprey that made me briefly think I might have my target bird given its black-and-white coloration below.  I had originally thought I might stay longer but the hot sun and humidity were really rough on me.  Then again, the hot temperatures made for some good thermals for the raptors.

Then just a couple days later, on August 1, came a report of a Swallow-tailed Kite at Irma’s.  So of course it was time to head back to Irma’s to give it a try.  But the sighting was from mid-afternoon - the hottest part of the day, undoubtedly providing the best thermals for a Kite to soar on.  After my last experience “wilting” in the sun and humidity, I wasn’t sure I would want to go there in the afternoon.  So I decided to give it a try in the late morning, hoping that it might be the sweet spot of cooler times for me, though still warm enough to provide some thermals for the Swallow-tail.

The morning of the 2nd was another sunny and warm time in the mountains, so I stuck with my late morning plan.  I arrived at Irma’s fields around 10:30 and went right to the pulloff I had discovered on my earlier trip.  As I was pulling in, I spotted a bird soaring overhead.  Even though I was looking through the windshield without binoculars I could see I had my target Swallow-tailed Kite.  I watched the bird for the next 20 minutes flying over the fields, often feeding on dragonflies, cicadas and other large insects flying by.  It’s really fascinating to watch Kites catch their prey and then eat them while still holding on to the insects with their feet – all while the birds are soaring overhead.

Swallow-tailed Kite was number 304 for my NC statelist.  In my statebird map below, NC is the second state after RI where I’ve seen this species as a rarity (both shaded in brown).  The 6 blue-shaded states are those where I’ve seen it in its regular range.  That leaves me with just AL as the last state in its regular range (cross-hatched) where I’ve yet to catch up with one.

And now a postscript:  A couple weeks later a Swallow-tailed Kite showed up at fields in my home county of Henderson, providing me excellent views on a couple trips.  I guess I didn’t need to head to Irma’s after all.  Here’s a phonescoped photo of the perched bird in the distance.

 

Lightning Strikes Twice with Another Rare Wader at McAlpine Creek Park, NC, July 18, 2020

On June 25th I went to McAlpine Creek Park in the suburbs of Charlotte, NC to see a long-staying Reddish Egret – the first inland record for NC.  Amazingly, this bird spent 11 days in a beaver pond at the park, and I was lucky enough to not only be there on its last day, but to be in the group of birders who were the last to see it there. 

Then just 3 weeks later came reports of a Roseate Spoonbill not only in the same Park, but in the same beaver pond!  Amazing that yet another rare wader would show up in that same small pond.  Unfortunately, I didn’t notice the first posts from July 16, and only read about the sightings on the evening of the 17th.  Since I almost waited too long to see the Reddish Egret, I didn’t want to wait any longer to try for the Spoonbill.  In fact, I worried about whether overlooking the posts for a couple days had already doomed me to fail in my search for another rare inland wader.  However, always the optimist, I planned to head back to the park the next morning to give it a try.  On the bright side, given my recent trip to the park, I knew exactly where the pond was, so I didn’t need to do much research to prep for the trip.

I was out of the house by 6 AM on the 18th and started making my 2-hour trip to the Park.  I was about 30 miles away when I got a text from my local birding friend Bill Hooker that he heard that the Spoonbill was still there.  I was cautiously optimistic.  Luckily it was a Saturday so there was no rush hour traffic to deal with, and 30 minutes later I arrived in the parking lot.  Then after a brisk walk past the fishing pond I made it to the beaver pond and quickly scanned the lake.  Unfortunately, I didn’t see any waders, though lighting was challenging looking towards the morning sun so I tried not to be too worried.  I changed my angle a bit and sure enough there was the Spoonbill standing among the vegetation toward the east.  I moved to the other side of the lake and got even better and closer views.  Here are two phonescoped pictures of this most attractive bird.

 

And a picture without magnification showing the Spoonbill in the distance. 

As I watched the Spoonbill feeding it slowly made its way to almost the exact same spot where I saw the Reddish Egret a few weeks earlier.  Same part, of the same pond, at the same park, for two rare coastal waders.  Looks like lightning can strike twice.

It turns out that the Spoonbill was last seen at dawn on the 19^th.  So if I had waited another day to make the trip I would have missed the bird.  I guess it’s good to be lucky…

Roseate Spoonbill was #303 for my NC statelist.  In my statebird map below, I’ve seen this species in 3 states in its regular range (the blue shaded states), as well as three states as a rarity (tan shaded states) – SC, CT, and now NC.  Though I still need it in the 4 cross-hatched states in its regular range.

 

Red Crossbill - a Most Unexpected Consolation Prize, Ceasars Head State Park, SC, June 30, 2020

One of the biggest gaps that still exists in my SC statelist is the Peregrine Falcon.  Although it’s certainly not a rarity, often you have to be lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time to run into one.  That is unless there is a known nesting site, or a preferred roost, where you can just hang out and wait for a Peregrine to pass by.  For instance I can remember getting my first Peregrine in CT by camping out at a preferred roosting site in downtown Hartford, seeing my first one in RI at a stakeout roost on a bridge, and seeing a nesting pair in downtown Atlanta as my first for my GA list. 

"The” place for Peregrine in upstate SC is Ceasars Head State Park where there are year-round (likely nesting) birds.  I’ve been told that you just go to the overlook at the park, and scan both above and below you and you might be lucky enough to have a bird fly by.  Although certainly not a guarantee, it’s the most likely spot to find one nearby.  My NC birding friend Dave Minnich took me there in Fall 2019 only to find out that the mountain was socked in fog when we got there – we couldn’t see more than 50 ft.  Needless to say we didn’t see one that day, though it was good to scout out the site.

Then in late June 2020 a couple eBird Needs Alerts popped up with Peregrine sightings at the Park.  With summer nesting season winding down, and the summer doldrums of birding around the corner, it seemed like this could be a good time to give it another try.  After a bit of planning, SC birding friends Gary Harbour and Michael Robertson were on board for the trip, and we now had 3 great pairs of eyes to watch for Peregrines.  We set June 30th as the date when I would hopefully be able to add Peregrine to my SC statelist.

Our first stop on the 30th was a nice wooded neighborhood near where Gary lives to look for an interesting silent flycatcher seen recently.  Unfortunately, we struck out on the flycatcher, but hoped for better success with the Peregrine.  A short while later our caravan arrived at Ceasars Head State Park and we were soon at the overlook anxiously awaiting a fly-by of a Peregrine. 

But after an hour’s wait we were still looking for our target bird.  Not only was there no Peregrine, there were few raptors of any kind, with only a couple Vultures passing by.  But the scenery was nice, as shown in this panoramic view.

As my interest started to wane I reminded myself to stay on the alert even if birding was slow.  And just then I heard sharp “kip kip kip” calls coming from down below us and to the left.  I quickly picked up the birds flying left to right – it was a group of 3 mid-sized chunky finches, perhaps Waxwing-sized.  I could see dull yellowish plumage on 2 of the birds; I didn’t notice the color of the third bird.  Michael was able to get on the birds as well, and we were both able to see and hear them for maybe 10 seconds before they disappeared in the woods to the right.  (Unfortunately, Gary didn’t get on them.)  Just after they passed out of view I turned to Michael and said – “I think we just had a flock of Red Crossbills!”  We quickly compared notes and our observations were the same – we did indeed have 3 Red Crossbills, with at least 2 of them being females or immatures.

What an amazing surprise!  Although Red Crossbills are certainly possible in the upstate of SC, they are exceedingly rare.  With a bit of research on eBird I found only about 11 prior records in SC, including what may have been 2 minor local irruptions –

    8/20/89 – 1 at Burrells Ford Road

    6/99 to 1/00 – 4 sightings in a reasonably small area in Oconee County -

        6/15/99 – 1 at Oconee SP

        9/15-10/11/99 – up to 3 at Burrells Ford

        10/11/99 – 9 at Walhalla Fish Hatchery

    1/8/00 – 35 at Burrells Ford

    7/24-8/24/07 – 1 at Reedy Fork Rd S of Greenville (south of the mountains)

    12/31/12 to 2/3/13 - a flock of up to 18 birds at Devils Fork SP (multiple posts             during the period)

    9/21/14 – 4 at Walhalla Fish Hatchery

    5/12/16 – 2 at Ceasars Head SP

    7/4/18 – 3 at Sassafras Mountain

    7/4/18 – 4 at F Van Clayton Memorial Hwy

Despite staying at the overlook for another hour, we ended up missing our actual target bird - the Peregrine Falcon.  But the Red Crossbill was a much rarer and most unexpected consolation prize - #268 for my SC statelist.  In my statebird map below, I’ve seen this species in the 17 blue-shaded states where it is regular, though there are 12 other states in its regular range where I still need this species (the cross-hatched states).  And now I’ve seen Red Crossbill as a rarity in MD and SC (the tan-shaded states).

Just think, if I had seen the Peregrine on my first trip to Ceasars Head I likely wouldn’t have gone back to the park, and of course wouldn’t have found the much rarer Red Crossbills.  Sometimes it’s OK to miss your target bird.