Blue Mash tidbits

Migration seems to be winding down. It was slow this weekend. Nothing much about to tickle my excitement, apart from a Swainson's Thrush, for which I had to bushwack through the woods. At the far corner of Blue Mash one can exit the fenced area and walk into the woods. Generally, a good way to pick up Ovenbird, Wood Thrush, Woodpeckers etc., you get the idea. This is where I saw the Swainson's. Unfortunately you cannot walk too far before seeing signs that make you assume you just entered a Nuclear Power Station or the Pentagon premises, oh no just some hillbillie's back yard... . Anyhow, a Willow Flycatcher was pretty cooperative for photos today. Other birds in the photo section: Yellow-breasted Chat, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Prairie Warbler. Time for a road trip I guess.

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Falls Lake - North Carolina

I was psyched to be back in the South. Since my time in Georgia this was my first visit back to the South (although I did try to stay connected by watching the odd Swamp People episode). There is just something about birding in the South: the chirping cicads, the swamps, chiggers, the humidity, the possibility of treading on snakes, alligators, or meth heads. The spot I picked out was Falls Lake-Ellerbe Creek, just north of Durham. It had a nice variety of woodland, swamp and lake habitat. It was impossible to miss some of the specialities I was hoping for including Prothonotary Warbler and Brown-headed Nuthatch. Other good birds included Chat, Cliff Swallow, Eastern Kingbird, Yellow-throated Warbler, Red-headed Woodpecker, Indigo Bunting and Summer Tanager. A great memorial day morning.

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Blue Mash - after the rain

After the cold front dumped several inches of rain I was hopeful for a decent morning of birding and perhaps something 'special'. Good birding it was, special not really. Best bird of the day was a Northern Waterthrush, a first for me at Blue Mash. Another 2 year birds were added in the form of a Spotted Sandpiper and a Great-Crested Flycatcher. Plenty of Yellow and Prairie Warblers were about. Sparrows are scarce now and I was surprised to find a Swamp Sparrow, possibly a breeder. Other good birds around were Scarlet Tanagers, Orchard Orioles, Great Blue Heron, Red-shouldered Hawk, Willow Flycatcher,  White-eyed Vireos, tons of Common Yellowthroats, and Cedar Waxwings. A beaver was taking a swim in the large pond - I doubt he will call this his home.
Year list standing: 94 or 68%.

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Spring migration - Blue Mash

After two weeks in Germany, I used my last day off to swing by Blue Mash and bag whatever peak migration had in store. Last year's spring migration was meager and this year did not seem any different and only few species of warblers including a Chat and Black-throated Blue were heard. Still overall the birding was neat: A solitary Solitary Sandpiper on the large pond, several Yellow-billed Cuckoos and Red-eyed Vireos were about. Willow Flycatchers were back on territory and the first brood of Tree Swallows was out and about. Altogether I had 17!! new year list species and ended the day with 54 species. The year list stands now at 91 or 66%.

'Kraut' Birds

An overdue trip back to Germany was filled primarily with family obligations and little time for birding. Nonetheless I spent a couple of hours scouring the orchards in my home town, as well as the 'Naturschutzgebiet' Wernauer Baggerseen. In the gallery below you can see from left to right: Blue Tit, Eurasian Redstart, Common Buzzard, Tree Sparrow, Starling, Wood Pigeon, Black Kite, Great Cormorant, Greylag Goose, Eurasian Magpie and the already familiar House Sparrow. Auf Wiedersehen!

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