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BAIRD'S SANDPIPER / GOLDEN PLOVER / INLAND MARBLED GODWIT



My wife Pat and I just returned to Greenville, NC from a long day in 
Charlotte, NC, and even a longer drive back.

Thanks to the tip from Alan Kneidel, we stopped at the Coddle Creek 
Reservoir on the way into Charlotte around 8:00am this morning and again 
this afternoon on the way home around 3:00pm.  I am assuming the large body 
of water we were birding at is considered the "Coddle Creek Reservoir."  I 
was not sure since my NC Atlas & Gazetteer just says "Coddle Creek," and it 
does not show a large body of water.  Was this recently created?  Nice 
shorebird habitat, but horrible access!

We birded from the road (Rt. 136) between Windy Rd. and Rankin Rd.  A scope 
was definitely necessary, but we could get decent looks depending on where 
the shorebirds landed as they moved around.  In the morning, we only saw six 
Pectoral Sandpipers, one Lesser Yellowlegs, eight Least Sandpipers and many 
Killdeers.  Nothing really to mention, which obviously dissapointed us.  We 
decided however, to return in the afternoon, on the off chance that 
something changed (after all we don't get out to Charlotte very often).  I 
can't tell you how glad I was that we returned.  I checked off my second 
North Carolina nemesis bird species in two weeks.  I confirmed the 
identification of one BAIRDS SANDPIPER, with a possible second too far in 
the distance to safely identify.  Other shorebirds included one AMERICAN 
GOLDEN PLOVER, one MARBLED GODWIT, 15+ Pectoral Sandpipers, 10+ Least 
Sandpipers and many Killdeers.  There were at least 30 more "Peep," as well 
as other shorebirds that I speculate were Pectorals, Killdeer, etc. beyond 
range for identification.

We tried to gain access on various sections of the reservoir, but only 
managed to successfully reach the shoreline in one other location.  At the 
West end of Macedonia Church Road, there is also a nice mud flat there.  The 
highlight at this location was one AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, amongst a large 
number of Killdeer and one Lesser Yellowlegs.  I did not see any "Peep" at 
this location.  There were other birds such as a small group of Forster's 
Terns, Cormorants and a miscellaneous assortment of Herons and Egrets.

Ok, since I might have started something here, who can help me with some 
other of my NC nemesis birds.  Here are a couple to keep your eyes open for 
(and then call me).... Shiny Cowbird (yes I am still chasing these around 
the state), Connecticut & Mourning Warblers (I always seem to be at the 
wrong place at the right time), Olive-sided & Yellow-bellied Flycatchers 
(please tie these to a branch for me until I show up!!!)

Thanks again Alan for the tip.  By the way, do you get Marbled Godwits up 
that way very often?  This was my first inland from the coast.

-Brad & Pat Carlson
Winterville, NC
BradCarlson1@hotmail.com

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