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COASTAL BIRDING



Last weekend on the spur of the moment (my scuba diving plans were canceled) 
so I decided to try and follow-up on some of the rarities posted along the NC 
coast during the week.  Specifically I wanted to look for the Townsend's 
Warbler at Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island, the possible 
Black-whiskered Vireo at Pea Island NWR and the Harris Sparrow at Cape 
Lookout.  Well, I will tell you up front that I looked for all three and was 
unsuccessful finding any of them.  However, I did have an excellent weekend 
of birding with a nice mixture of species.  The following summarizes some of 
the migrants with highlights in BOLD.
 
ELIZABETHAN GARDENS
Worm-eating Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Parula Warbler, Black & White Warbler, 
Prairie Warbler, Pine Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ovenbird, Blue-gray 
Gnatcatcher
BLUE-HEADED VIREO (2 late migrants), Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, 
White-Eyed Vireo, Great-Crested Flycatcher, Ruby-throated Hummingbird

BODIE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE
BLACK RAIL (2) - Vocalizing in marsh directly behind lighthouse.  This was 
the first time I have had Black Rails on the Outerbanks.  They were calling 
continuously when I arrived around 10:30am, and had not stopped when I left 
about 20-30 minutes later.
Indigo Buntings (flock of 50+) on grass - This was a very colorful scene.

PEA ISLAND
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1 male) - North Dike of North Pond
Blue Grosbeak (1 female) - North Dike of North Pond
Ovenbird (1) - North Dike of North Pond
Merlin - (1 female) - North Dike of North Pond
TUNDRA SWAN - (1 very late migrant) - North Dike of North Pond 
MAGNOLIA WARBLER (1) - South Dike of North Pond
Orchard Oriole (1st year male) - South Dike of North Pond

HATTERAS CAMPGROUND (BUXTON)
NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (1)
Prothonotary Warbler
Bobolinks (5)

CAPE POINT (BUXTON)
6 Species of Terns (Gull-billed, Sandwich, Royal, Common, Forster's and Least)

BUXTON WOODS
American Redstart, Worm-Eating Warbler & Great-Crested Flycatcher

OCRACOKE FERRY PARKING LOT
MAGNOLIA WARBLER (1) 
Yellow-billed Cuckoo

CAPE LOOKOUT
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (1) - Very close to the lighthouse allowing for 
fantastic looks and photographs.
Indigo Buntings, PAINTED BUNTINGS (3 females) - Village
Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Summer Tanager, Worm-Eating Warbler - 
Village
Black-throated Green Warbler - Near lighthouse
Palm Warbler & Prothonotary Warbler & Great-crested Flycatcher - Campground
BLUE-HEADED VIREO (2) - Village
Common Nighthawk - Village
Ruby-throated Hummingbird

All in all, a very nice weekend (birding and weather), but I wish I had seen 
some of those NC hyper-rarities!

- Brad Carlson
Winterville, NC
Bcar105390@aol.com