birding by kayak: White Oak Creek arm of Jordan Lake

["Travis, Ginger" <Ginger@athena.dev.unc.edu>]

Hello, C-birders.
Yesterday I participated in the Jordan Lake spring count and did the White
Oak Creek arm of the lake in my kayak. My first time there. I found no
rarities but saw tons of birds, including the lake's poster child, the Bald
Eagle. (I had 46 species total, which is good for me in a boat.) The White
Oak Creek arm is a really nice part of the lake, and I recommend it to
Triangle birders with a canoe or kayak. I mean, millponds and down-east
swamps are a lot nicer, but Jordan Lake is the hand we were dealt. So . . .

1. The shoreline of the White Oak Creek arm has lots of coves. Little coves
often have the best birds, and they give a kayaker shelter from the wind and
sun. Bald eagles often perch in coves.
2. The shoreline is relatively scenic, with a higher proportion of deciduous
trees and a lower proportion of pines than is typical in other areas of the
lake -- and it is probably birdier as a result. (You can hear Ovenbirds and
Wood Thrushes quite near the shore -- although I will say that shoreline
pines are attractive to Yellow-throated Warblers.)
3. There's an easy -- and free -- launching site. This is the parking lot
for the fishing pier at the north end of the SR 1008 highway bridge (next to
Bell's Chapel). 
4. There are wonderful, wonderful beaver impoundments where White Oak Creek
comes into the lake about 2 to 2.5 miles east of where you put in. I counted
10 species of cavity nesters in the standing dead timber in the upper
impoundment. The upper impoundment was wide open and looked like a lake. At
the same time it was sheltered by surrounding trees, so the sense of
remoteness was terrific -- even with Hwy. 751 traffic audible nearby and
with planes flying low overhead on their final approach to Raleigh-Durham
airport. The water was quite clear -- I could see huge scales on the sides
of the carp lolling beneath the surface. (They're a little creepy and give a
thrill to kayakers at Jordan in May.)

Of course, to enjoy a beaver impoundment you have to get in it. That means
finding a point where you can paddle up to the dam, then crawling out of
your boat and onto the solid dam without your feet sliding off and
pile-driving down into 8 to 10 inches of ooze in front of the dam. Then you
pull your boat up onto the dam, get back in it, and launch yourself off the
pile of sticks and mud by violently scooting yourself forward. It's a lot of
effort but well worth it. You're in another world. (This same experience is
available at all the places where large creeks feed Jordan Lake.) 

Highlights, May 13:  seeing 3 adult and 3 immature Bald Eagles; watching a
Green Heron catch a bream the size of the palm of my hand -- how it ate that
spiny-backed thing I can't imagine; marveling at a perched Tree Swallow
whose back was an unreal shade of blue -- I'd call it Carolina blue with
metal flake; watching 3 Ospreys flying around and around in circles while
chirping like mad; finding a silent pair of Yellow-billed Cuckoos lurking in
some willows.

Surprises:  finding only 1 Prothonotary Warbler for the count, whereas I had
12 in a much smaller area of Jordan Lake (Bush Creek) for last week's Chapel
Hill count (May 6); discovering Common Grackles apparently nesting in
cavities in dead trees. Swamps are full of Common Grackles but I never had a
clue they might use tree cavities. They are said to make a cuplike nest in
the midcanopy of trees. But I saw grackles actually entering large ragged
tree cavities. (If others have seen this behavior, please let me know.)
Another surprise was the number of Mourning Doves I heard and saw in the
shallow, willowy area of the lake -- this was also true last weekend at Bush
Creek. Who would expect Mourning Doves in a semi-swampy environment? There's
a lot to learn out there!

When to go:  Mid-May is absolutely perfect. Summer would not be so pleasant.
But late Aug./early Sept. when the lake is down to 214 or lower might be
good for shorebirds in the shallow upper end of the White Oak Creek arm.
Lots of mudflat potential up there. But it's a long haul to get there.

Hazards:  Wind above 10 mph isn't a lot of fun to paddle in. A spray skirt
is really handy if you're crossing the main channel in wind or if there's a
lot of motorboat traffic churning up waves. Heat:  it's a long paddle up to
the beaver impoundments and back (unless you're in a sleek touring kayak, in
which case you won't be pulling over any beaver dams). Go early; take water.
Jetskis and motorboats:  go early and paddle defensively. Try to give them a
smile and a wave to encourage good behavior.

Ginger_Travis@unc.edu
Chapel Hill, N.C.