Post Flood Migration (05-09Oct2015)

The deluge from Joachin soaked SC with water but NC was soaked by warblers!  Living on the coast we do not typically get very good warbler migration but the past week has been an exception.  The rain we had was enough to cause some minor flooding in Wilmington, which seems to have been the catalyst for a very good week in birding.  I think it is a mix of migrants being voracious from having to take refuge for 2 days and also insects and other goodies being flooded and forced out of the ground.

Blue-winged Warbler dripping from the trees at Ft Fisher.  BW Warblers are pretty rare down on the coast.  This is the first I have seen in my home town.

I would have been very upset if this was the only picture if I got of a Blackpoll warbler.  Luckily I saw more.

Eastern Kingbird

Yellow Warbler

How many Common Yellowthroats are mistaken for Nashville Warblers?  Too many.

Yellow Warblers are plentiful but I still love them.

The athletic fields at Ft Fisher were completely flooded but unfortunately nothing rare showed up. I had a couple Yellowlegs and a Solitary Sandpiper.

Mmmmm the Loquat tree next door is finally fruiting.  Wait... that's not a loquat!  It's a male Redstart.

Redstart Speedblur

American Yellowstart - I love yard birds.

Tufted Titmouse

One of my biggest pet peeves - when someone says "I still have a Ruby Throat" on the list serv.  Then a deluge of emails follows with everyone confirming if they have one still or if theirs just moved on or whatever.  I am tempted to do it too, but for crying out loud all you need to do is look at eBird and you will see there is plenty of them around and yes they migrate this time of year.  100 emails from people confirming a sighting is just too much and quite useless.  Of course people probably say the same thing about my sporadic emails.

When I first saw this bird it was one day after a Ruff had been reported in SC so my rarophyllic brain went reeling.  The wing feathers looked so long and floppy.

However, cooler heads prevailed, it was just a stinking Pectoral Sandpiper.  Just kidding, still a nice bird.

Catbirds were everywhere.  I flogged one bush and 30 fell out.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are a good bird in Wilmington.

Parulas are a crowd pleaser.

This Red-eyed Vireo had a weird thread on his nape.

White-eyed Vireo

Blackpoll Warbler!  Look at those yellow feet.

What's that... you want a closer look at my feet?

Take that! Blackpoll Karate Chop.

Marsh Wrens are back!

I was having trouble with this bird.  Prairie Warbler?

About 5 Catbirds were dive-bombing this snake.  Black Rat Snake?

Mirror mirror on the floor, who is the most handsome sandpiper of all?  No wonder he is Solitary, so vain.

Prairie Warbler

Thursday was Raptor day and as you can imagine there was not nearly as many warblers.

American Kestrel

It seems like Eurasian Collared Doves have exploded at Ft Fisher this year.  I saw one telephone wire with 6.  In the past I had issues finding them at all.

Phoebes are back...

Carolina Parakeet....errrr..... I mean Painted Bunting.

These birds were so freaking green.  I wonder why more birds don't adapt to be green, seems to make sense.  They were totally hidden.

I know too many photos, but I could not decide which I liked best.  You don't have to read this whole post in one sitting!!

Prairie Warbler

I had 3-4 Cooper's Hawks.

Northern Harrier

Thursday evening I went to chase a mystery bird at Wrightsville Beach Park.  Someone posted on the listserv something that brought to mind a Thick-billed Vireo.

Eastern Bluebird

Two Lark Sparrows were still present but no luck on the mystery vireo. I took my kids with me for the first time in a while thinking they could play in the park while I birded.  Unfortunately my sons hate birding so much they can't get out of the mind frame that they are on a birding trip and were being real sticks in the mud.  I could have brought them to a Lego convention and if I had binoculars and a camera they would not have had a good time.

Friday morning was freaking awesome.  I pulled into Greenfield Lake Amphitheater and it was hopping.  There was literally hundreds of warblers going crazy.

I ended up with 11-12 species of warbler but only captured pics of a few as I was completely overwhelmed sifting through them and forgot to take pics.

Palm Warblers were the most plentiful.  I had some trees with 20-30 of them in one tree.

This is what all the fuss was about.  Mosquitos!!! They were really thick.  I think I have not seen so many since Alaska over 15 years ago.

Parula

Prairie Warbler

Saturday is a family day but Sunday I will be up in RTP for Brian P's thrush program.  I can't wait!

Cheers.