In the morning I headed to Lee Bucks for warblers and migrants. I was able to get several Ovenbirds and a Wood Thrush but most of the others have not come in yet. I thought maybe I heard a Kentucky and a Worm-eating but my birding by ear skills still suck and probably always will due to my poor high frequency hearing.
Wood Duck at the retention ponds on Shipyard blvd on the way.
Barred Owl on Lee Bucks.
Least Tern - At WB in the afternoon there was new activity in the shore birds dept.
Sandwich Tern and Forster's Terns
Plenty of Black Skimmers
Wilson's Plover
Greater Yellowlegs I think - longer bill, although not as much barring as I would think. Any other guesses? Hard to compare size when solo.
Least Sandpiper - yellow legs is a dead giveaway.
For some weird reason I have not had many close encounters with Dunlin this year. So I was happy when I saw this relatively late grouping. They did not let me get very close.
Greater Yellowlegs?
Clapper Rail - the clappers at WB are some of the most obliging I have ever met. I guess they are used to the crowds tromping through the marsh.
Hoping to get to Howell Woods tomorrow.
Thanks for another enjoyable blog entry, Jamie!
ReplyDeleteI am thinking these are BOTH Lesser Yellowlegs in the two photos.
When Greater and Lesser are together, it is easy; Lesser is MUCH smaller (like Hairy and Downy Woodpecker). And like the Hairy and Downy, I tell them apart by the bill:
The typical thing to do when no other bird is nearby is to compare the bill length to the head size.
Lesser, the bill is usually the same length as the length of the head, or a tad longer (as in the first bird).
Greater, the bill is 1 1/2 times (or more) the length of the head.
Lesser, the bill is usually straight.
Greater, the bill usually has a SLIGHT (barely noticeable) upturn to it.
The other feature is the ankles of the legs (what look like backward knees are actually ankles).
The Greater has larger, knobby ankles, while the Lesser has a more delicate build to the legs.
In your two photos, the birds are not obvious Lesser or Greater to me. But the overall feeling is Lesser, due to the overall delicate build of the bird, the length of bill (the first one has a longer bill, I admit), and the ankle size.
I sent your photos to six other birders and asked their opinion - and I reminded them about your blog!
I will be in Brunswick County some time this month - will email you the details.
Erla in Raleigh
A quick question: Why does everyone call it Lee Bucks Road, when the maps say Lee Buck Road (singular)? Are the maps wrong, or is the plural name the colloquial name for the location? It was a tad confusing when I tried to find the place as the map app did not recognize the plural name. Do you think I should request the Hotspot reviewer for the area to correct the hotspot name?
ReplyDeleteErla in Raleigh