Vertebrates at Pea Island NWR and Mattamuskeet NWR
(also Nags Head, Bodie Island Pond, Alligator River NWR, and en route)

November 11-13, 2005

Weather

  • November 12: clear, light wind, ocean nearly calm
  • November 13: clear, light W wind, ocean glassy
  • Drivers: Matthew McKown, David and Amy Luther, Lindsay Berk

Some highlights and notes ...

  • Sunny, calm weather all weekend -- but few mosquitos!

  • Three adult Bald Eagles over Tarrboro included at least one larger female -- the other two swooped at each other and finally locked talons and fell cartwheeling downward almost to the treetops -- possibly two males competing for the female -- or male-female courtship

  • Young female Black Bear putting on a show for us at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge -- up on her hind feet for a better look at us, sitting in the road to take a load off her big feet, crossing and re-crossing in front of us

  • A family (two adults, one young) of Mute Swans on North Pond, Pea Island NWR -- further evidence that this invasive species will soon be a regular feature of the NC coast

  • White Pelicans -- at least 19 -- an indication that this species is becoming a regular winter visitor at Pea Island

  • Lesser Black-backed Gull on the beach in front of the Sea Foam in Nags Head -- stragglers from the other side of the Atlantic

  • 20,000 Double-crested Cormorants that aggregated in a dense flock just beyond the surf in front of the motel -- although no feeding seemed to occur

  • A male Magnificent Frigatebird flying southward above the dunes in front of the motel -- a straggler from the Caribbean

  • Many ducks, geese, and swans had yet to arrive from the north, probably because of the warm weather in eastern North America this fall so far

  • Nevertheless, one of the few families of Tundra Swans at Mattamuskeet included five (5) young with the two adults -- probably a record number!

  • By diligent searching, we found one of the highest numbers of species ever for a BIOL 72L trip in November -- including many species of ducks, shorebirds (sandpipers and relatives), gulls and terns, and herons.

In the lists below . . .

  • A = Alligator River NWR
  • N = Nags Head (near the Sea Foam Motel on the beach)
  • P = Pea Island NWR
  • B = Bodie Island Pond
  • O = Oregon Inlet (jetty and nearby beach and dunes)
  • M = Mattamuskeet NWR

Please send additions/corrections to Haven Wiley

Amphibia

Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)just one (M)

Reptilia

Yellow-bellied Slider (Chrysemys scripta)many (P, M)
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)at least 3 (P)

Birds

Common Loon5 flying southward (N) and one on the ocean (P)
Red-throated Loona flock of 30 flying southward (N)
Pied-billed Grebe40 (P,M)
Northern Gannethundreds moving southward over the ocean 10-50/minute (N, P)
American White Pelican19 on North Pond (P)
Brown Pelicanmany along the beach (P, N)
Double-crested Cormorant30000 including a massive aggregation near the beach (N), many elsewhere (P, M)
Magnificent Frigatebirdone male flew past the motel on Sunday (N)
Great Blue Heronmany along ditches and in ponds (A, P, M)
Great Egretmany around edges of ponds (P, M)
Snowy Egret2 (P), 6 (M)
Little Blue Heron1 immature (P), 3 adults (B)
Tricolored Herononly one! (M)
Black-crowned Night-Heronseveral heard after dark (A), 3 immatures in Engelhardt (M)
White Ibis50 (P,M)
Tundra Swan100 (P), 2000 scattered (M), almost no families, but one included five young (M)
Mute Swan3 (family with one young) (P)
Snow Goose50 including one blue morph (P), perhaps 2000 in distance including all morphs (M)
Canada Goosescattered groups, pehaps 700 in all (P, M)
Green-winged Teal50 (P,B) and a few in scoter and pintail flocks flying southward (N)
American Black Duck300 mostly in pairs
Mallard6 (P)
Northern Pintail1000 (P,B), many in distance (M), flock of 30 flying southward over the ocean (N)
Blue-winged Tealone female (B)
Northern Shovelersmall groups (P, M)
Gadwallsmall groups (total about 150) with flocks of wigeon
American Wigeon100 (P), 2000 (M)
Canvasbacktwo (male and female) (M)
Redheadone male (M)
Ring-necked Duck2000 (M)
Lesser Scaup20 (P), 20 (M))
unidentified eider15 (all females) flying southward over the ocean with Red-breasted Mergansers -- species uncertain (Common or King) -- stragglers from farther north (N)
Black Scoter500 in about 12 flocks flying southward over the ocean (N)
Surf Scoter5 in flocks of Blacks (N)
Red-breasted Merganser40 in three flocks flying southward over the ocean (N)
Ruddy Duck10 (P), 2000 (M) especially in large flocks far out on the lake
Turkey Vulturescattered on the mainland
Osprey5 (P, M)
Bald Eagle3 adults above Tarrboro engaged in swooping at each other and finally locking talons and cartwheeling downward almost to the treetops (male-male contest or male-female courtship?), also 7 immatures and one adult (M)
Northern Harrier7 including one adult male (A, P, M)
Sharp-shinned Hawkone immature female soaring (B), another (M)
Cooper's Hawkone immature female in the trees (M)
Red-shouldered Hawkone beside the highway (A)
Red-tailed Hawk20
American Kestrel10
Merlinone female near Oregon Inlet (P)
Northern Bob-whiteone flushed by the highway on the way to Plymouth
King Railone calling in reeds (M) -- another calling bird (apparently a rail) unidentified!
American Coottwo dense flocks (M), otherwise scarce
Black-bellied Plover8 (P, N)
Semipalmated Plover2 (P)
American Oystercatcher5 flew past Oregon Inlet jetty (P)
American Avocet140 (P)
Greater Yellowlegs20 (P)
Willet20 (N, P)
Ruddy Turnstone4 on Oregon Inlet jetty (P)
Sanderling30 on beaches (N, P)
Western Sandpiper6 with Dunlins (P)
Least Sandpiper8 on mud (P)
Purple Sandpiper3 on Oregon Inlet jetty (P)
Dunlin60 (P)
Wilson's (Common) Snipe40 in a muddy field (M)
American Woodcockone flushed beside the road at dusk (P)
Laughing Gullmany (N, P, M) -- about to leave for the Caribbean and South America for the winter
Bonaparte's Gullnot a single one! -- yet to arrive from northwestern Canada for the winter
Ring-billed Gullthe most numerous gull, on the beach and inland
Herring Gullscattered (N, P, M)
Lesser Black-backed Gullone roosting on the beach, another chasing a Ring-billed Gull (N) -- stragglers from the other side of the Atlantic
Great Black-backed Gullnumerous everywhere (N, P, M)
Caspian Ternone (M)
Royal Tern15 (N,P,M) including young following adults -- about to head south for the winter
Forster's Tern30 (N, M)
Rock Doveferal pigeons around highway bridges
Mourning Dovescattered on the coast and inland
Great Horned Owlone seen beside the road and two heard hooting 1--3--3-2-1 (a different pattern than in Orange County!)(A)
Short-eared Owl2 over the fields at dusk (A)
Belted Kingfisher12, scattered
Red-bellied Woodpeckerone en route
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckerone crossed the highway en route
Northern Flicker8 scattered (P, M)
Pileated Woodpeckertwo north of the lodge (M)
Eastern Phoebe2 (P,M)
Tree Swallow2 (P), 20 (near Stumpy Point)
Blue Jayone en route
American Crowscattered inland
Fish Crowlots (N)
Carolina Chickadeeone (P)
Carolina Wren3 (P, M)
House Wrenone across the road from our motel (N)
Sedge Wrenseveral called in short marsh, two allowed close looks to those wading in the marsh! (P)
Marsh Wrentwo calling in cattails (B)
Golden-crowned Kingletone (P)
Ruby-crowned Kingleto12 (N,P,M) including one busy male under our feet (B)
Eastern Bluebird20 on power lines
Hermit Thrushfeeding with quivering wings on the path (P)
American Robinfew en route
Gray Catbird4 (P,M)
Northern Mockingbird2 (P,M)
Cedar Waxwing6 (P)
European Starlingflocks everywhere!
Yellow-rumped Warbler100 (N,P,M)
Common Yellowthroat6 (P,M)
Northern Cardinalfew (N,M)
Eastern Towheefew (P,M)
Savannah Sparrow10 (P,M)
Song Sparrowscattered (P,M)
Swamp Sparrowfrequent in marshes (P,M)
White-throated Sparrowfew (P)
Red-winged Blackbirdscattered flocks (P, M)
Eastern Meadowlark15 (P,M)
Boat-tailed Gracklemany (N, P)
Common Gracklescattered in flocks of other blackbirds
Brown-headed Cowbird1 (N)
House Finch5 (N)
American Goldfinchone en route
House Sparrow6 in Tarrboro and Nags Head
TOTAL SPECIES115

Mammals

Bottlenose Dolphinseveral pods heading southward (N)
Nutriaone habituated animal near the Visitor Center (P) -- another invasive species introduced to the Outer Banks from South America
White-tailed Deerseveral (M)
Black Bearone young female put on a show at dusk! (A)