January 30 (Friday evening)

catfish farm near Roper and fields west of Lake Pettigrew

habitats -- ponds, agricultural fields, patches of woodland

weather -- clear, chilly, light wind

January 31 (Saturday)

Pungo Lake (Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge [NWR]) 7:50--11:00 AM

Lake Mattamuskeet (Mattamuskeet NWR) 12:00-3:30 PM

Swanquarter-Ocracoke ferry (Swanquarter NWR) 5:00-7:40 PM

habitats -- low pocosin, lakes, forest edge, open sound

weather -- sunny, chilly (0-10 C), light NW wind

February 1 (Sunday)

Silver Lake (Ocracoke) 7:15-7:30 AM

Ocracoke ferry terminal 8:50-8:00

Hatteras Inlet ferry 8:00-8:30 AM

ponds and beach near Cape Hatteras (Cape Hatteras National Seashore) 9:00-12:00 PM

Pea Island NWR (especially North Pond)

Sawyer Road (Alligator River NWR) 2:30-3:30 PM

habitats -- beach, ponds, inlets, ocean, woodland, agricultural fields, waterfowl impoundments, pocosin

weather -- sunny, warmer, stiff SW wind (10-15 mph)

THIS TRIP visited five national wildlife refuges administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service and one national seashore administered by the National Park Service.   Together with state gamelands, they make the Pamilco Peninsula and the Outer Banks one of the great wild places in North America (especially in January!).

SOME HIGHLIGHTS

• Bald Eagles around the catfish ponds near Roper -- a total of 27 including 8 adults.

• Black Bear and Red Wolf tracks frozen in the road on the north side of Pungo Lake

• Surf Scoters, Common Loons, and one immature Great Cormorant from the Swanquarter-Ocracoke ferry

• Peregrine (tundra subspecies) perched on the shore of the pond at Cape Hatteras Point (plus a second Peregrine not seen so well at the north end of Pea Island)

• carcass of a 2.5-meter-long Greater Hammerhead on the beach near Cape Hatteras Point, left by fisherman who had removed the dorsal fin and lower jaw!

• 15,000 Redheads in dense array on North Pond at Pea Island NWR

• American Bittern in plain view right beside the highway on Pea Island and then flushed from a small marshy spot -- a very secretive and well camouphlaged species seldom seen so clearly!

See notes on special observations at the bottom!

ANSERIFORMES
Tundra Swan	6000	mostly near Pungo Lake
Snow Goose	3000	in a very nervous flock north of Pungo Lake (including just 4 dark morph "Blue Geese") -- plus perhaps 100 more at Pea Island
Ross' Goose	1	in flight with a flock of Snow Geese north of Pungo Lake
Brant	400	in several flocks on the sound behind Hatteras -- none close to the ferry
Canada Goose	2500	scattered everywhere but mostly at Pea Island
Wood Duck	5	glimpsed as they took flight from wooded canals
Green-winged Teal	100	including some at clear view at Mattamuskeet and Cape Point
American Black Duck	30	especially at Mattamuskeet and Cape Point Pond
Mallard	40	mostly in pairs
Northern Pintail	3000	on all lakes
Northern Shoveler	40	mostly in pairs with males in full plumage
Gadwall	100	in small flocks everywhere but lots on ponds near Cape Hatteras
American Wigeon	200	in small groups everywhere
Canvasback	60	on Lake Mattamuskeet north of the old pumping station
Redhead	15000	in one flock on North Pond at Pea Island
Ring-necked Duck	250	scattered in small groups but mostly on ponds inland
Greater Scaup	80	far out on Lake Mattamuskeet
Lesser Scaup	11	on a pond in a borrow pit east of Tarrboro with Ring-necks
Long-tailed Duck (Oldsquaw)	2	from the ferry -- before the sun set!
Black Scoter	20	flying past Cape Hatteras
Surf Scoter	80	on Pamlico Sound from the ferry -- males had bizarre bills and coral feet!
Bufflehead	250	mostly on Pamlico Sound and behind Hatteras Island
Hooded Merganser	30	mostly inland on borrow pits near Tarrboro
Red-breasted Merganser	10	scattered in inlets and on Cape Pond
Ruddy Duck	15	in small groups
GALLIFORMES
Northern Bobwhite	1	crossing the road south of Roper
GAVIIFORMES
Red-throated Loon	2	well out in Pamlico Sound
Common Loon	33	mostly on Pamlico Sound but also at Cape Hatteras Point
PODICIPEDIFORMES
Pied-billed Grebe	35	scattered on ponds, ditches, lakes
Horned Grebe	7	in the surf on the sheltered side of Cape Hatteras Point
PELICANIFORMES
Northern Gannet	300	flying northward past Cape Hatteras -- demonstrating dynamic soaring
American White Pelican	2	on Lake Mattamuskeet in the sunshine
Brown Pelican	20	along the beaches -- a low number
Great Cormorant	1	immature beside a Double-creasted Cormorant on a marker near Swanquarter
Double-crested Cormorant	5000	scattered everywhere, but several thousand roosting on a sandbar in Hatteras Inlet
CICONIIFORMES
American Bittern	1	in plain view beside the highway near Oregon Inlet
Great Blue Heron	30	in ditches, at edges of ponds
Great Egret	15	at Lake Mattamuskeet and Pea Island
Snowy Egret	2
Tricolor Heron	1	at Cape Hatteras Point pond
White Ibis	20	at Mattamuskeet and Oregon Inlet
FALCONIFORMES
Black Vulture	3	in Plymouth early Friday morning
Turkey Vulture	70	including several at Cape Point
Bald Eagle	37	including 27 at the catfish ponds near Roper, others at Pungo Lake, Lake Mattamuskeet, and Alligator River NWR -- a record number for a January field trip
Northern Harrier	25	including 3 adult males in gray plumage
Sharp-shinned Hawk	4	including two soaring overhead near Pungo Lake
Cooper's Hawk	1	near Pungo Lake
Red-shouldered Hawk	5	scattered
Red-tailed Hawk	12	a low number
American Kestrel	30	on power lines and fences on the mainland and the banks
Merlin	1	glimpsed at Cape Point
Peregrine	2	offered good views, especially the pale bird (tundra subspecies) at Cape Hatteras Point pond
GRUIFORMES
American Coot	80	especially at Mattamuskeet
CHARADRIIFORMES
Black-bellied Plover	4	on banks in inlets in their gray plumage (soon to be Grey Plover)
Semipalmated Plover	2
Killdeer	120	in wet fields
American Oystercatcher	1	on a flat in Hatteras Inlet
American Avocet	3	loners -- an unusual situation
Greater Yellowlegs	7	mostly in flooded fields at Alligator River NWR
Willet	10	found by Muellers on the beach near Cape Hatteras
Ruddy Turnstone	1	on a flat in Hatteras Inlet
Sanderling	20	on beaches
Least Sandpiper	1	on the shore of Lake Mattamuskeet near Dunlins
Dunlin	80	on the shore of Lake Mattamuskeet and sandbars in Hatteras Inlet
Wilson's Snipe	3	in muddy, grassy area
Bonaparte's Gull	1	at Lake Mattamuskeet
Ring-billed Gull	4000	everywhere -- in fields on the mainland, along the surf on beaches, following the ferries -- where they fed from our hands
Herring Gull	100	mostly near Cape Hatteras and inlets
Lesser Black-backed Gull	1	in a small group of gulls near Cape Hatteras Point
Great Black-backed Gull	80	scattered on Lake Mattamuskeet, the sound, and the banks
Forster's Tern	1	at Lake Mattamuskeet
COLUMBIFORMES
Rock Pigeon	100	especially near highway overpasses and in towns
Mourning Dove	300	scattered everywhere, especially in harvested corn fields
STRIGIFORMES
Great Horned Owl	1	flew over the road east of Roper
CORACIIFORMES
Belted Kingfisher	4	-- fewer than usual
PICIFORMES
Red-bellied Woodpecker	3	scattered
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	2
Downy Woodpecker	2	with chickadees
Hairy Woodpecker	2	at Mattamuskeet and Alligator River NWR
Northern Flicker	15	scattered everywhere there was a tree
Pileated Woodpecker	1
PASSERIFORMES
NEW WORLD FLYCATCHER FAMILY (TYRANNIDAE)
Eastern Phoebe	9	scattered in trees near water
JAY AND CROW FAMILY (CORVIDAE)
Blue Jay	1	in Hatteras
American Crow	30	in family groups on mainland and Outer Banks
Fish Crow	1	calling at Hatteras lighthouse -- none on Ocracoke!
SWALLOW FAMILY (HIRUNDINIDAE)
Tree Swallow	100	at Mattamuskeet NWR and especially Alligator River NWR
TITMOUSE FAMILY (PARIDAE)
Carolina Chickadee	12
CREEPER FAMILY (CERTHIIDAE)
Brown Creeper	1	in a flock with chickadees and yellow-rumps
WREN FAMILY (TROGLODYTIDAE)
Carolina Wren	2	a low number -- none at Ocracoke!
House Wren	1	in thickets on the causeway across Lake Mattamuskeet
KINGLET FAMILY (REGULIDAE)
Golden-crowned Kinglet	4	at Mattamuskeet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	18	scattered in shrubby places with flocks
THRUSH FAMILY (TURDIDAE)
Eastern Bluebird	40	on wires and fences in agricultural areas
American Robin	300	especially in pocosins at Pungo Lake and Alligator River NWR
MIMIC FAMILY (MIMIDAE)
Gray Catbird	1	at Mattamuskeet -- scarce in winter
Northern Mockingbird	9	scattered in thickets especially on the Outer Banks
Brown Thrasher	1	at Mattamuskeet
STARLING FAMILY (STURNIDAE)
European Starling	300	including some with Red-winged Blackbirds
WARBLER FAMILY (PARULIDAE)
Orange-crowned Warbler	1	on the causeway at Mattamuskeet
Yellow-rumped Warbler	250	especially in pocosins and with flocks
Pine Warbler	1	at Mattamuskeet
Palm Warbler	2	at Mattamuskeet
Common Yellowthroat	1	male in a ditch near Pungo Lake
NEW-WORLD SPARROW FAMILY (EMBERIZIDAE)
Eastern Towhee	1
Chipping Sparrow	6	beside the highway near Roper
Field Sparrow	1	with other sparrows east of Roper
Savannah Sparrow	30	in grassy fields near Pungo Lake and beside Cape Point pond
Fox Sparrow	1	with other sparrows east of Roper
Song Sparrow	30	scattered in thickets
Swamp Sparrow	10	skulking in wet fields and canals
White-throated Sparrow	50	in shrubby thickets especially along roads
CARDINAL FAMILY (CARDINALIDAE)
Northern Cardinal	30	at least, scattered in thickets and along roadsides
BLACKBIRD FAMILY (ICTERIDAE)
Red-winged Blackbird	5000	including big flocks near Pungo Lake
Eastern Meadowlark	30	in grassy fields
Rusty Blackbird	12	in a swamp near Lake Mattamuskeet
Boat-tailed Grackle	15	mostly near the feeder at the visitor center at Pea Island NWR -- none on Ocracoke!
Common Grackle	500	mostly streaming over Plymouth Friday morning
Brown-headed Cowbird	80	near cattle pens at the experimental farm east of Roper
FINCH FAMILY (FRINGILLIDAE)
House Finch	2	at Ocracoke
OLD-WORLD SPARROW FAMILY (PASSERIDAE)
House Sparrow	4	at the experimental farm east of Roper

OTHER VERTEBRATES

Gray Squirrel -- a few in the woods at Mattamuskeet NWR

Nutria -- 4 or so along the entrance road at Mattamuskeet NWR

Eastern Cottontail -- 1 plus lots of tracks in dunes

Bobcat -- a set of tracks in the dunes near Cape Hatteras Point

Red Wolf -- a set of clear tracks in the road north of Pungo Lake -- really big!

Black Bear -- numerous tracks in the road north of Pungo Lake

Bottle-nose Dolphin -- a few in Hatteras Inlet

White-tailed Deer -- lots of tracks and 19 at dusk along B Canal Road

Yellow-bellied Sliders -- 5 or more in ditches at Mattamuskeet -- despite the low temperatures

NOTES

Ducks, geese, and swans are what northeastern North Carolina is famous for.   We found 25 species, almost all of the regulars.

The Snow Geese near Pungo Lake were especially wary and nervous this year.   The long hunting seasons in recent years seem to have changed their behavior!

We found several birds way off course from their usual wintering areas.   The Lesser Black-backed Gull was a wanderer from Europe, the Ross' Goose from western North America.

The snow on the Outer Banks about 10 days ago and cold weather seem to have pushed many wintering birds farther south.   Fish Crows and Boat-tailed Grackles were especially scarce this year.   Carolina Wrens were too, but they probably did not move south so the low numbers might indicate high mortality.

On the other hand, following warmer weather in the past week many wintering birds had already started heading north.   The only really northern bird present was the Great Cormorant.   On Sunday, Gannets and Common Loons streamed northward past Cape Hatteras Point.

The following wind during the ferry crossing of Pamlico Sound provided ideal conditions to see the Common and Red-throated Loons, Buffleheads, and Surf Scoters.

As usual, we missed some things we expected (or hoped) to find!   Once again a Golden Eagle in the area (see by the Muellers at Alligator River NWR on Tuesday) gave Avian Biology the slip.  

Also ... even though they were not birds ... and not even live sightings ... it will be hard to forget the carcass of the big Greater Hammerhead on the beach ... and the impressive tracks of a Red Wolf frozen in the mud north of Pungo Lake.

Our total number of bird species (120 -- remember that nobody saw all of them) is a tie for the second highest on a January-February field trip to the coast.