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Topsail Beach



The family spent this past weekend down in Topsail Beach. The only birding I got
in was on Sunday morning when my 1 year old daughter awoke at 5am. I took her
for a walk along the beach to the inlet at the southern end of the island.
Needless to say we were the first on the beach that morning. There were not a
huge variety of birds about. Shorebirds were limited to Sanderling, Willet,
Oystercatcher, Whimbrel and a single PIPING PLOVER. There were plenty of terns
roosting on the far tip of the island. Mostly Sandwich and Royal Terns, but a
couple of Common Terns too. Two unusual birds were a Common Nighthawk hawking
for insects over the dunes, and apparently going down to roost for the day in
them, and a winter plummaged Common Loon. This last bird had dragged itself up
onto the beach. As plenty of people walk their dogs along the beach during the
day I tried to encourage it back into the water. However it really did not want
to budge. It was not oiled, but did look the worst for wear. The tips of its
primaries were very frayed. On the way back I discovered that it had moved
itself (judging from the tracks in the sand) several dozen yards along the
beach, but had not attempted to get back in the water. I left it to its fate.

Jim Bloor, Ph.D
Department of Cell Biology,
Duke University Medical Center,
DUMC Box 3709,
307 Nanaline Duke Building,
Research Drive,
Durham, NC 27710-7599.

tel.   (919) 681-8080
fax.   (919) 684-5481
email  j.bloor@cellbio.duke.edu