Sunday Bloody Sunday (08Mar2015)

Ok it was not bloody, in fact it was beautiful and peaceful, but we did slay quite a few birds.  Today I joined John and friends for a stomp through North River Farms in Carteret County.

However back up a minute.  Yesterday while the boys were playing soccer at the Y, I walked to Burnt Mill Creek.

Yellow-rumped Warbler - For some reason I have not bothered with a YRW photo until now.  Poor butter-butts are under appreciated mainly due to their prevalence.  Soon I will be lamenting their loss.
 

Carolina Chickadee - I liked the background on this shot.  He was sitting on a throne of buds.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - they are so cute.

Eastern Phoebe - I have thought about getting some peach colored spray paint and making one into a Say's Phoebe.

Pied-billed Grebe

The drive to North River Sunday morning was uneventful save a cop tailing me.  The police frequently follow me when I am driving at 4 in the morning because I am driving a truck with a 3 inch lift.  I am working as hard as I can to overturn the perception that only rednecks drive lifted trucks.  In fact I am going to be starting a support group for regular folk with lifted trucks... not really but someone should.

The first sight at NRFs is frequently a Clay-colored Sparrow.  They are way more prevalent than Chipping or Field Sparrows here.

We had three American Bittern.  This one refused to flush.  We got to within 15 feet of it and it simply strolled away further into the water.

This White-eyed Vireo was especially colorful.  It's blue head had a couple of fooled until we got some good looks.

Spring has sprung.  This is the first WE Vireo John has seen this winter so he thinks it is a migrant and not a resident.

I asked John if he could please get me a Horned Lark, so he promptly obliged.

Zoom in and you will see some truly devilish horns on this Lark.

This particular bird had a mate with him and we think they are nesting already.

Great times!