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Alcids at Ft. Macon



Yes, I did see all 3 alcids -- TB Murre, Dovekie, and Razorbill -- all
in the water and all within 100 yards of me! But, the Dovekie was easy,
and the Murre was quite difficult (I finally got it at 5:40). I was
there from 330 to closing time at 6 pm Thursday, and the murre was out
of sight for most of the time. It spends a lot of time behind the
wall/fence at the Coast Guard station, out of sight from the Ft. Macon
beach. Several folks saw it yesterday ACROSS the inlet along the west
side of Radio Island!

If the murre is out of sight for a while, you may want to try going on
Park property west of the Station to look back into the "cove". There
are a few parking spaces at the park office, across from the Station
entrance. Most of the spaces are for Park staff, and for visitors to the
office to pick up a map, etc. But, you can walk across the road and walk
down a mowed strip outside the CG fence on the left, and then this mowed
strip dumps you onto a dirt track that will bring you to the shoreline
where you can view the boat basin for the CG station. Again -- do this
only if you fail after a few hours from the main beach area at the park.
I'm sure the Park staff doesn't want the few parking spaces at the
office taken by birders, but as you are not allowed to do any roadside
parking, and as it as a few tenths of a mile from the main lot back to
the far side of the fence, this is your best bet. Also -- do NOT cut
through the ranger residence to get to the area. Walk the fence line to
the dirt track. Hopefully, you won't need this information, but I
wouldn't leave Ft. Macon empty-handed without looking in the CG boat
basin.

Also -- the winds Friday onward thru the weekend will be strong from the
NE -- meaning blowing across the inlet onto the park. Water will no
longer be calm along the shoreline, and I suspect looking for any alcids
could be a challenge. The calmest waters might then be the immediate
south-facing beach, not the west-facing inlet side where the murre often
spends. Also, the bird is now a bit wary of fishermen and stays a bit
farther out. You might want to stop at the bathhouse parking area a mile
back up the beach to scan the ocean -- always a good thing to do anyway,
for alcids, Little Gull, etc -- and especailly if the winds are NE.

Good luck. With the strong winds forecast Fri - Sun and blowing onto the
tip of the park, birding conditions will be unfavorable and downright
nippy. 
-- 
Harry LeGrand
NC Natural Heritage Program
DENR   Office of Conservation and Community Affairs
1615 MSC
Raleigh, NC 27699-1615
(919) 715-8687 (work)
FAX: 919-715-3085
e-mail: harry.legrand@ncmail.net