Date: 10/21/25 2:55 pm From: Noah Rokoske (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: A PSA for the Ellerbe Creek Railroad Grade Hotspot in Durham NC
A PSA for the ellerbe creek railroad grade: when I arrived this afternoon, the cut-through trail was covered over by a small mountain of muddy logs that had been dredged up from the creek (they were pushed up against the bridge in the water and blocking the flow of the creek) by the dozer on railroad wheels on the trestle. So: I recommend that folks accessing this hotspot to continue straight onto the MST connector trail and get onto the railroad from the paved cutover. The brush and saplings along both sides of the western riprap had been ripped up and dragged out, too, and the trestle is covered with mud and debris, so be careful crossing.
~ Noah
Date: 10/21/25 11:27 am From: \<hilton...>\ (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: This Week at Hilton Pond North (1 Oct 2025)
From fall foliage to colorful fruits and migrant warblers to predatory insects—box turtles, too!—nothing beats the wonders of October in the mountains. All this we describe in our latest photo essay for "This Week at Hilton Pond" at <https://www.hiltonpondnorth.org/twahpn-20251001.html>. There's also a Red Fox trail cam video and our usual summary of birds banded or recaptured. Autumn's Showcase is just for you in Installment #22; please take a look! :-)
Dr. BILL HILTON JR.
"Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project”
℅ Hilton Pond North: Blue Ridge Birds & Nature
2918 Silas Creek Road
Lansing NC 28643
(803)684-5852
The mission of Hilton Pond North is "to conserve plants, animals, habitats, and other natural components of the Blue Ridge Region of the eastern United States through observation, scientific study, and education for students of all ages.
"Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to watch the sunset." BHjr.
I had one singing up here in Boone this morning! I love them. Drat, this means cold weather...
________________________________ From: <carolinabirds-request...> <carolinabirds-request...> on behalf of Helen Kalevas <carolinabirds...> Sent: Monday, October 20, 2025 5:37 PM To: carolinabirds listserve <carolinabirds...> Subject: 1st white-throated sparrow
Date: 10/20/25 7:17 am From: Kent Fiala (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Christmas Bird Counts in the Carolinas
Christmas Bird Count season is coming back around. As always, you can find a list of counts in the Carolinas at https://www.carolinabirdclub.org/christmas/. If you are a Carolina Bird Club member and I have you registered as a count compiler, you can log in and enter the dates of your count. Otherwise email the information to me.
Date: 10/19/25 1:47 pm From: scompton1251 <scompton1251...> Subject: South Carolina Woodpecker Grand Slam
Birders.The Yellow- bellied Sapsucker arrived today. making it possible to register seven Woodpecker species on my morning walk.on our Marion Road. Just now I drove the two.miles to our local Red-cockaded cluster and heard three RCW there. I've gotten.better at recognizing the peeks and rattles of our Hairy Woodpeckers, who reside in our Black Gum swamp with the other species. All of them can be found at times spead out along our road, which has extensive Oak Floodplain forest. This is my first time noting all eight SC species in one day..Steve Comptonrural.Dorchester. SC Sent from my Galaxy
Date: 10/18/25 10:05 pm From: Noah Rokoske (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Raptor ID bodie island NC
Dear birders,
I request your assistance with the identification of a raptor I observed Oct 18 near the Oregon Inlet Campground at Bodie Island, NC. This bird was seen around midday, first circling rather low over the dunes separating the beach from the campground. My camera was about 15 feet away from me, and by the time I got to it to try for a photo, the bird had caught a thermal and was practically gone. The first thing that struck me about this bird was the wings. They were quite slim and pointed and kept very flat (ie, not a Harrier). At first, I thought it might have been a gull on the wing, but I was able to confirm raptorhood. The underside of the bird was primarily white or pale (it was so far away it was hard to tell), though the wingtips and tail tip were darker (an apparent rufous-brown). There did not seem to be any markings or variations on the underwing other than the darker tips. The tail was rather long and seemed to have a dark ridge or line running down the underside from the rump to the tail tip, with white on either side of this line on the first half of the tail, and the final half being all darker. My overall impression was that of a medium-sized raptor with slightly slimmer and longer proportions (ie, not a Buteo). Perhaps Kite-ish? The bird disappeared generally in a WNW direction, high high above. I was able to take a poor photograph, and if you think it may help with ID, I’ll be glad to send it in, as well.
Thank you, and remember to look up!
In the first photo I took one of Daniel Irons's photos of his 2023 bird and juxtaposed it next to the recent bird. The recent bird has a longer bill. Could these two be the same individual? Does the bill keep growing on this species?
Date: 10/12/25 2:09 pm From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: The Elegant Tern of 2023
I meant to say Explore, then *Species Maps* (enter the species name here),
and Location (North Carolina). If you want, use the Date field to narrow
down the time frame of the search.
Harry LeGrand
On Sun, Oct 12, 2025 at 4:46 PM Harry LeGrand <hlegrandjr...> wrote:
> It's on an eBird report. Search eBird -- Explore, Species -- Elegant
> Tern, Location -- North Carolina, and you get the two reports. Here's the
> 2023 one.
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S149892169 >
> Harry LeGrand
> Raleigh
>
> On Sun, Oct 12, 2025 at 4:36 PM Peter Vankevich <carolinabirds...>
> wrote:
>
>> I'm trying to view a photo of the Elegant Tern that was seen on the Outer
>> Banks in 2023. It is not in the Carolina Birds Photo Gallery.
>> Any suggestions?
>> Regards,
>> /Peter Vankevich
>>
>
Date: 10/12/25 1:47 pm From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: The Elegant Tern of 2023
It's on an eBird report. Search eBird -- Explore, Species -- Elegant Tern,
Location -- North Carolina, and you get the two reports. Here's the 2023
one.
On Sun, Oct 12, 2025 at 4:36 PM Peter Vankevich <carolinabirds...>
wrote:
> I'm trying to view a photo of the Elegant Tern that was seen on the Outer
> Banks in 2023. It is not in the Carolina Birds Photo Gallery.
> Any suggestions?
> Regards,
> /Peter Vankevich
>
Date: 10/12/25 1:36 pm From: Peter Vankevich (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: The Elegant Tern of 2023
I'm trying to view a photo of the Elegant Tern that was seen on the Outer Banks in 2023. It is not in the Carolina Birds Photo Gallery. Any suggestions? Regards, /Peter Vankevich
I do want to caution some potential viewers -- it contains MUCH vulgar
language and a lot of scatological references, so be prepared; probably "R"
rated. Entertaining, yes, but whether it portrays extreme birders/listers
and bird conservation in a good light or not, you can be the judge. The
video of the birds is high quality/class.
Harry LeGrand
Raleigh
On Fri, Oct 10, 2025 at 6:50 PM Rob G <carolinabirds...> wrote:
> Don’t recall if this has been mentioned here before, independent film
> “Listers” (out since August, about 2 brothers doing a ‘big year’) — I only
> learned of it recently and flabbergasted at how good/entertaining it is
> (especially for birders, but other nature-lovers as well), *AND* it has
> an NC connection: one of the significant segments is about the (in)famous
> “Swallowgate” episode in Chapel Hill many years ago (many of you will
> recall), including commentary from Kent Fiala & Nate Swick.
>
> Anyway, full-length, 2-hr. movie available on YouTube here, for your wet
> weekend entertainment:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-wAqplQAosLISTERS: A Glimpse Into
> Extreme Birdwatching <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-wAqplQAo> >
> LISTERS: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching
>
> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-wAqplQAo> >
> -- Rob Gluck.... Carrboro, NC
>
>
>
>
Date: 10/10/25 3:50 pm From: Rob G (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: “Listers” film….
Don’t recall if this has been mentioned here before, independent film “Listers” (out since August, about 2 brothers doing a ‘big year’) — I only learned of it recently and flabbergasted at how good/entertaining it is (especially for birders, but other nature-lovers as well), AND it has an NC connection: one of the significant segments is about the (in)famous “Swallowgate” episode in Chapel Hill many years ago (many of you will recall), including commentary from Kent Fiala & Nate Swick.
Anyway, full-length, 2-hr. movie available on YouTube here, for your wet weekend entertainment:
Date: 10/8/25 1:44 pm From: Lynn Erla Beegle (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: 3 items: Stilt Sandpiper in Wake County, Prairie Ridge opens early Oct 10, Big Day is Oct 1
3 items: Stilt Sandpiper in Wake County, Prairie Ridge opens early Oct 10, Ebird's Big Day is Oct 11
A STILT SANDPIPER was photographed at the north mudflat of Nelson Road (east of Kitty Hawk Drive) in Wake County NC today October 8. The hotspot name is Brier Creek Reservoir. Bring a scope and boots if you walk the fishing trail, but you might be able to see it from the road if it stays for Thursday and beyond. Here is a sample list by Ann S: https://ebird.org/checklist/S277981811
This is a reminder that the Prairie Ridge Ecostation opens early (7 am) on Friday October 10 for fall birding. The address is 1671 Gold Star Drive, Raleigh NC (Wake County). Normally, the property opens at 9 am, so this is a special opportunity to explore it at dawn. This is a drop-in any time (7 or later), self-guided birding experience, designed to give you extra morning time at Prairie Ridge. The next date is November 21 at 6:45 EDT. For future dates, see https://naturalsciences.org/calendar/event/early-birds-2024-10-11/all/
Saturday October 11 is October Big Day 2025 - a time we encourage everyone to make ebird checklists: https://ebird.org/news/october-big-day-2025 -- Be a part of the global team and help set a new record for October birding!
Date: 10/7/25 2:42 pm From: David D Gravermoen <gravermoen...> Subject: Re: Bird ID from picture
Hi Adam,
Post away!
David Gravermoen.
> On Oct 7, 2025, at 3:57 PM, Adam Stopka <carolinabirds...> wrote:
>
>
> Hi All,
>
> Was recently given two pictures done by a neighbor's mom when she lived in NC in the 1950s. One is obviously a Cedar Waxwing but the other I'm having a harder time identifying.
>
> Anyone on the listserv willing to take a stab? Happy to email a picture to you offline!
>
> Cheers,
>
> Adam Stopka
> Fall City, WA
Date: 10/7/25 12:58 pm From: Adam Stopka (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Bird ID from picture
Hi All,
Was recently given two pictures done by a neighbor's mom when she lived in NC in the 1950s. One is obviously a Cedar Waxwing but the other I'm having a harder time identifying.
Anyone on the listserv willing to take a stab? Happy to email a picture to you offline!
Nice sighting Alan. John Fussell would be glad to hear it.
Nathan Dias - Charleston, SC
On Mon, Oct 6, 2025 at 9:41 AM Alan Meijer <carolinabirds...> wrote:
> Stopped at Terra Ceia Christian School this morning to repair a soccer
> net. There on the power pole guy line sat a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE.
> Shortly thereafter, a Fish Crow joined it nearby calling non-stop. I
> took a photo with my phone through my binoculars and then got out the
> Merlin app. I could see the Shrike calling but the app kept calling it
> a Killdeer, never logging a sound as a shrike. (Photo uploaded to
> Carolina Bird Club Gallery:
> https://www.carolinabirdclub.org/gallery/Meijer/losh.html)
>
> Alan Meijer
> Beaufort Co. NC
> (Pantego NC)
>
Date: 10/6/25 11:48 am From: steve stevens (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: thermal monocular
Derb/listserv,
I borrowed a friend's InfaRay PH35+ for a night and was really impressed. It's a camcorder style unit as opposed to a monocular which I liked as I could walk with the display flipped out as opposed to having to look through an optic. The specifications are online, and it has many features you can read about including a pointing laser and the ability to take photos/video. The menus were in Chinese but I found it easy to navigate. It isn't cheap, but is considerably cheaper than anything else I've found of comparably value.
Date: 10/6/25 8:47 am From: Ian McDonald (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: thermal monocular
Glad this subject has come up. Thermal has been a tool I’ve used religiously for the past couple years.
Last year, Janelle and I did a big year and I would estimate that we used thermal to locate (not id) ~50 of the 350 species we saw last year. It has been an absolute game changer for us. You’d be shocked on the number of birds you miss. It has opened a whole new realm of birding for us.
I use the thermal just about any time we go birding (regardless of the weather conditions). I have a Pulsar Merger LRF XL50 Thermal Binocular (predecessor to the LRF XT50). It has an extremely sharp HD sensor with 1024x768 resolution with ability to take photos, stream and record videos. It performs well under almost any weather condition.
Recently, our hawk watch conditions were terrible (bright blue sky with no clouds), simply looking up with it, I was able to spot streaming Broad-winged hawks that others were able to confirm with their bins. It was even great spotting kettles. If you are on Facebook, join the Riverbend Hawk Watch and I’ve posted some of the photos/videos.
Whenever a bird is at Hooper Ln., it takes only a minute or so to scan the sod farms to locate the rare plovers and sandpipers. Snowy Plover at Cape Point, LeConte’s sparrow at B. Everett Jordan Lake Dam, Black Rail and American Barn Owl at Bodie Island, Short-eared owls at Alligator River, all were instances where I’m sure we would not have found the bird without the assistance of thermal. Thermal even worked well at Jeanette’s Pier and on pelagic trips regardless of the time of year (but made me sick).
I’ve used the thermal at night to watch migrating birds, and have seen hundreds. However, I could not identify a single one as I’m not versed with nocturnal flight calls…yet
As mentioned previously, there is a learning curve to distinguish the heat signatures. If you are prone to motion sickness, I would recommend trying it out first before buying, as these are not cheap.
We love sharing our technology, if anyone would like us to join upcoming CBCs to help find birds that are normally impossible to spot, please reach out to us. If you see a guy lugging a big lens and two sets of binoculars, and want to see the thermal, I’d be happy to show you.
Happy Birding!!
Ian R. McDonald
Cell: 8283020554
From: <carolinabirds-request...> <carolinabirds-request...> on behalf of Michael Fogleman <carolinabirds...>
Date: Sunday, October 5, 2025 at 1:14 PM
To: Trevor Sleight <sleightphoto...>
Cc: Derb Carter <dcarter...>, carolinabirds listserve <carolinabirds...>
Subject: Re: thermal monocular
I have a Pulsar Telos XP50. It ain't cheap but it works great. It has a 640x480 pixel sensor with a 50 Hz refresh rate. It can supposedly resolve temperature differences down to 0.015 degrees Celsius. The battery life is fantastic, it can last ~8 hours on a single charge. It's weather proof and generally very robust construction and feels good in the hand. It can take pictures and record videos. It has a mobile app that can show you what the scope sees and control it.
I used it to find those Chuck-will's-widows earlier this year. No way I would have found them with the monocular.
If you know of a screech owl nest cavity in the breeding season, you can usually pretty easily find the male roosting nearby using the monocular.
Speaking of cavities, you can usually tell if one is occupied or not due to the heat.
Sleeping raccoons are a common find.
I found a very young fawn bedded down really close to where I was standing. Completely invisible to me without the monocular.
I've had many "accidental" finds while looking for other things. A black & white warbler nest, a white-eyed vireo nest, a chickadee nest in a cavity, a very young fledgling sitting dead still in the bushes, etc.
The scope works best on fully cloudy days, or just after a rain, or at night. If it's cloudy or rainy, most of the landscape is at an even temperature, so then the animals really pop out. If it's sunny, everything is at uneven temperatures and nothing stands out anymore. This is significant - if it's sunny out I won't usually bother with it at all.
As far as how you go about using it, you can just carry it around and inspect things that you think might be interesting (like tree cavities) or you can sweep large areas looking for whatever. It's a fairly narrow field of view but that's good if you hope to find small heat sources that aren't very close up.
Michael Fogleman
Cary, NC
On Sun, Oct 5, 2025 at 12:05 PM Trevor Sleight <carolinabirds...><mailto:<carolinabirds...>> wrote:
Hi Derb/ list serve,
I’d recommend searching for episodes of “Naturally adventurous” and “Life List: A birding podcast”that discuss thermals. Neither goes into the technical side of things but both are informative. One important takeaway is that thermal birding is its own pace and style of birding that requires an adjustment just like someone birding with the intention of taking photos birds differently than someone with just bins. I’d also recommend the two podcasts in general in addition to better known ABA podcast by Nate Swick.
S4E28: Thermal Imaging Devices as a Natural History Game-Changer
Naturally Adventurous
Feb 11, 2024 • 49 min
Comparing thermal scopes, Hurricane Helene effects, and the beauty in the unknowns on pelagics
Life List: A Birding Podcast
Sep 30, 2024 • 1hr, 5 min
Happy birding,
Trevor Sleight
On Oct 5, 2025, at 11:41, Derb Carter <carolinabirds...><mailto:<carolinabirds...>> wrote:
I read in trip reports that birders are increasingly using thermal monoculars for nocturnal birds and mammals. Interested if you have experience with these devices for this use and any recommendations.
Stopped at Terra Ceia Christian School this morning to repair a soccer net. There on the power pole guy line sat a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. Shortly thereafter, a Fish Crow joined it nearby calling non-stop. I took a photo with my phone through my binoculars and then got out the Merlin app. I could see the Shrike calling but the app kept calling it a Killdeer, never logging a sound as a shrike. (Photo uploaded to Carolina Bird Club Gallery: https://www.carolinabirdclub.org/gallery/Meijer/losh.html)
Date: 10/5/25 10:14 am From: Michael Fogleman (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: thermal monocular
I have a Pulsar Telos XP50. It ain't cheap but it works great. It has a
640x480 pixel sensor with a 50 Hz refresh rate. It can supposedly resolve
temperature differences down to 0.015 degrees Celsius. The battery life is
fantastic, it can last ~8 hours on a single charge. It's weather proof and
generally very robust construction and feels good in the hand. It can take
pictures and record videos. It has a mobile app that can show you what the
scope sees and control it.
I used it to find those Chuck-will's-widows earlier this year. No way I
would have found them with the monocular.
If you know of a screech owl nest cavity in the breeding season, you can
usually pretty easily find the male roosting nearby using the monocular.
Speaking of cavities, you can usually tell if one is occupied or not due to
the heat.
Sleeping raccoons are a common find.
I found a very young fawn bedded down really close to where I was standing.
Completely invisible to me without the monocular.
I've had many "accidental" finds while looking for other things. A black &
white warbler nest, a white-eyed vireo nest, a chickadee nest in a cavity,
a very young fledgling sitting dead still in the bushes, etc.
The scope works best on fully cloudy days, or just after a rain, or at
night. If it's cloudy or rainy, most of the landscape is at an even
temperature, so then the animals really pop out. If it's sunny, everything
is at uneven temperatures and nothing stands out anymore. This is
significant - if it's sunny out I won't usually bother with it at all.
As far as how you go about using it, you can just carry it around and
inspect things that you think might be interesting (like tree cavities) or
you can sweep large areas looking for whatever. It's a fairly narrow field
of view but that's good if you hope to find small heat sources that aren't
very close up.
Michael Fogleman
Cary, NC
On Sun, Oct 5, 2025 at 12:05 PM Trevor Sleight <carolinabirds...>
wrote:
> Hi Derb/ list serve,
>
> I’d recommend searching for episodes of “Naturally adventurous” and “Life
> List: A birding podcast”that discuss thermals. Neither goes into the
> technical side of things but both are informative. One important takeaway
> is that thermal birding is its own pace and style of birding that requires
> an adjustment just like someone birding with the intention of taking photos
> birds differently than someone with just bins. I’d also recommend the two
> podcasts in general in addition to better known ABA podcast by Nate Swick.
>
> S4E28: Thermal Imaging Devices as a Natural History Game-Changer
>
> Naturally Adventurous
>
> Feb 11, 2024 • 49 min
>
>
> Comparing thermal scopes, Hurricane Helene effects, and the beauty in the
> unknowns on pelagics
>
> Life List: A Birding Podcast
>
> Sep 30, 2024 • 1hr, 5 min
>
>
>
> Happy birding,
> Trevor Sleight
>
> On Oct 5, 2025, at 11:41, Derb Carter <carolinabirds...> wrote:
>
>
> I read in trip reports that birders are increasingly using thermal
> monoculars for nocturnal birds and mammals. Interested if you have
> experience with these devices for this use and any recommendations.
>
> Derb Carter
>
>
I’d recommend searching for episodes of “Naturally adventurous” and “Life List: A birding podcast”that discuss thermals. Neither goes into the technical side of things but both are informative. One important takeaway is that thermal birding is its own pace and style of birding that requires an adjustment just like someone birding with the intention of taking photos birds differently than someone with just bins. I’d also recommend the two podcasts in general in addition to better known ABA podcast by Nate Swick.
S4E28: Thermal Imaging Devices as a Natural History Game-Changer
Naturally Adventurous
Feb 11, 2024 • 49 min
Comparing thermal scopes, Hurricane Helene effects, and the beauty in the unknowns on pelagics
Life List: A Birding Podcast
Sep 30, 2024 • 1hr, 5 min
Happy birding,
Trevor Sleight
> On Oct 5, 2025, at 11:41, Derb Carter <carolinabirds...> wrote:
>
>
> I read in trip reports that birders are increasingly using thermal monoculars for nocturnal birds and mammals. Interested if you have experience with these devices for this use and any recommendations.
>
> Derb Carter
Date: 10/5/25 8:41 am From: Derb Carter (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: thermal monocular
I read in trip reports that birders are increasingly using thermal monoculars for nocturnal birds and mammals. Interested if you have experience with these devices for this use and any recommendations.
Reliable sources told me that kinglet and sapsucker are back in the yard, so it must be fall!
Something else that fall brings is hurricanes, though happily this year has been rather quiet in the Carolinas.
People often purposely remove themselves from the path of hurricanes, and as people, we often presume that animals act like we do. So most might assume that birds either a) try to avoid hurricanes, or b) not having particularly reliable internet connection with which to watch Fox's Weather Command, don't know one is coming and get splattered.
We often hear or talk about "storm blown" birds that get whipped up in the whims of the weather and deposited unwillingly on inland lakes and reservoirs.
But what if birds are "smarter" than that? What if they not only know the storm exists, but they know from hundreds or even thousands of miles away just where that storm is? And what if they adjust their behavior accordingly? Well, apparently at least one species of petrel consists of a bunch up hopped-up adrenaline junkies that purposefully fly right into hurricanes.
I mean, yeah, the Hurricane Hunters fly right into storms, but why would a bird? Many folks are aware that hurricanes stir up the water, specifically, they create upwelling that causes subsurface water to rise. The result of this that makes "weather sense" to us is that once a strong hurricane passes, it's less likely to have one form along the same path since the water is cooled. They call that the "cold water wake". Used in a sentence, "Imelda crossed Humberto's cold water wake and lost strength".
Since those same upwellings bring food to the surface, hurricanes could act like a slowly moving buffet.
Date: 10/3/25 11:39 am From: \<hilton...>\ (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: This Week at Hilton Pond North (15 Sep 2025)
What do a multi-hooked seedpod and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have in common? "This Week at Hilton Pond” (Lansing NC) we explore the connection, so please take a look at our latest installment at https://www.hiltonpondnorth.org/twahpn-20250915.html . There's also a video of an amazing ant swarm and helpful photos of not-so-confusing fall warblers. As always, "Nature Notes" and bird banding results are part of the mix.
Dr. BILL HILTON JR.
"Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project”
℅ Hilton Pond North: Blue Ridge Birds & Nature
2918 Silas Creek Road
Lansing NC 28643
(803)684-5852
The mission of Hilton Pond North is "to conserve plants, animals, habitats, and other natural components of the Blue Ridge Region of the eastern United States through observation, scientific study, and education for students of all ages.
"Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to watch the sunset." BHjr.
Date: 9/28/25 9:04 am From: <sshultz...> Subject: Buff-breasted Sandpiper - Brier Creek Res, Raleigh (Wake County) NC
Eddie Owens found a very rare for Wake County*** Buff-breasted Sandpiper this morning at Brier Creek Reservoir (Kings Pond) near RDU airport. Park on Nelson Road before the construction/no trespassing signs and follow the fisherpeople's trail that starts at the fire hydrant until you get to the broken off liquor bottle stuck on a tree branch*. The directions will actually make sense once you get there. The bird is on the flats between your location and the apparent location of the Angus Barn water tower. Be careful, as there is an ankle-breaker of a stump hole right on the trail as you approach the lake. Don't say I didn't warn you**.
Also Least, Pectoral, Solitary and Lesser Yellowlegs. You might see even more!
*I did not check to see what kind of liquor, but I suspect it's not that good. It was not Eagle Rare in any case, although that would be appropriate.
**I twisted my ankle in that hole on 1/1 of this year, and just recently stopped feeling it. Since two folks fell into it while we were there this morning, I want to make sure you avoid my pain.
***The actual number of Wake County records is sort of difficult to determine as eBird incorrectly assigns a number of Durham/Granville County records to Wake, but today's is probably one of just a handful of birds. The two reports I could find that are definitely Wake County is one from 8/31/1975 at Lake Raleigh and one from Ricky Davis 9/10/1998 that was noted as being in the Wake portion of Falls Lake. There have been a number of reports from Falls Lake as recently as 2009, but I am certain that a number of these birds were in Durham or Granville Counties (certain because some of those where "my" birds, and they definitely were in those counties and not Wake.) I believe the reason behind this is that some historical reports from The Chat's Briefs for the Files have been entered into eBird, but as "Falls Lake" spans three counties, it's a bit problematic. With shorebirds at Falls, the "juicy" mudflats and vast majority of birds are in Durham and Granville; the water has to get really low to have much in the way mud in Wake, but it does happen, and birds sometimes show up in marginal habitat.
Date: 9/27/25 8:32 am From: <sshultz...> Subject: Brown Booby Lee/Chatham NC
For those not on local/state GroupMe, or don’t regularly follow eBird RBAs, but still want to know about/maybe see a bird rare to the area, an adult Brown Booby was discovered along the Cape Fear River near Buckhorn Dam (bridges Lee and Chatham County) and is still being seen on this date. The bird is often seen perched on a snag just downstream from the NC42 bridge over the Cape Fear at the Lee/Chatham border. Safest viewing is from the boat ramp on the north/Chatham side of 42. From here, look downstream past the bridge for an obvious snag on the right (Lee County) bank. If the bird is not perched here, it may be on a similar snag on the Chatham County side of the river. To see it there, it’s necessary to walk across to the middle of the bridge (not recommended) or try and stand in a safe place on the Lee County side of the bridge and look back across the river.
There is a good, dry, and safe-from-cars viewing spot from under the bridge on the Chatham County side. The bird will be in Lee County from this vantage. The slope leading from road grade to under-bridge spot is steep, rocky, and slick, so use caution. We don’t want a broken ankle 😊
Since this is a first report for both Chatham and Lee Counties, and a review species for the state bird records committee (about 5 prior inland records), it is important to document the specific location of the bird.
This just basically means it is important to understand the differences in how eBird “locates” a bird and the “rules” used by many listers and by bird records committees. eBird attributes all the birds you record on a (stationary) checklist to the place where the observer is (not where the birds are). Usually this makes no difference at all. But when you are looking across a boundary, it may matter if you are trying to document presence in a particular county/state/country. It gets a little more complicated with traveling checklists, but the point is really the same. eBird does not know (or really care) if a bird you are seeing while birding near a border is in one or the other political entity. Which is fine, eBird has different goals. eBird is happy that there is a Brown Booby within a few hundred yards of spot “x”. Doesn’t really care if it is in one, the other, or both states/counties/countries. From a science perspective, the bird was there.
But birders usually keep lists, and those lists are usually geographically bounded. State/county/country “listers” and the committees who maintain the official (or semi-official) lists for those areas typically desire more accuracy in the specific location of a rare bird. In this particular case, since I wanted to document the booby in both counties, both for potential BRC use and so that my own lists were accurate, I waited until the bird flew to the other side of the river and then ensured that I had an eBird checklist that matched that location.
At this point I believe we have enough documentation to show that the bird was present in both Lee and Chatham Counties, but if you are a competitive lister or a county lister (or just want to have a fair comparison with other listers), be aware of the eBird policy that will assign your bird to the county where you stand, not the county where the bird is. This is, of course, easily fixed. Just want to make sure folks recognize the difference (and realize that only 1.234% of folks a) are still reading, or b) care. 😊
