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A rail-ly nice weekend at HBSP



Tracy and I took our traditional weekend-before-Christmas trip to HBSP
12/22-12/23.  We met up with that now famous SC hummer bander Gary Phillips
on Saturday morning and went solo Sat. evening and Sunday.  Overall the
weather was beautiful, the number of ducks way down, but the number of
species seen about average for our trips.  Some highlights:

2-3 King Rails seen from the gazebo at the end of the Kerrigan trail.  The
lower water level in Mullet Pond left a nice wide margin of 1 inch or less
of water, making the rails easier to see than with higher water levels.
One King was spotted at dusk on the 22nd.  We returned at dawn on the 23rd
and saw 2-3 birds foraging nearby.

8-10 Clapper Rails in the salt marsh.  One was briefly attacked by a Louis.
Heron.

1 small rail, probably Virginia, at Sandpiper Pond.  Almost ran across
Tracy's foot.

2 Great Horned Owls in the live oaks just north of the marsh boardwalk
parking area.

Great looks at Nelson's Sharptailed Sparrows from the T at the end of the
marsh boardwalk.  For some reason they are not terribly skittish here and
will allow close inspection.

A rat eating clams on the jetty. (!)

30+ Purple Sandpipers on the jetty.

One SB dowitcher still in breeding pluamge.

3 species of warbler, Orange-crowned, Black & White and butterbutt.

We've found mid-December to be a great time to visit as there are very few
people in the park, the restaurants are not crowded, and they innkeepers
are practically giving the hotel rooms away on the MB strip.  Can't wait
til next year!

Happy holidays,
Steve Shultz
Cary, NC