Royce Hough served as our guide. With his able assistance, and with the benefit of some advance information gleaned from the carolinabirds listserv, members of the group spotted 132 species over the four-day weekend. The group also spotted large numbers of raw and steamed oysters (only $4.00 per dozen at Kelly’s), and some tasty seafood (not to mention an outstanding selection of cold beers and ales) at Tortuga’s Lie. Friday was mostly a travel day but separate groups did some birding at the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge and at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Highlights at Alligator River included many Bald Eagles, even more Northern Harriers, a Merlin, and, at dusk, several Short-eared Owls. Ducks included Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, American Black Duck, Gadwall and thousands of Northern Pintail.

On Saturday morning, the group started south from Nags Head, stopping first at Oregon Inlet. In the harbor, we spotted several species of ducks, including Northern Pintails, Red-breasted Mergansers, and a Surf Scoter. On the west side of Highway 12, we saw a Brant and a Ruddy Turnstone. On the beach, near the abandoned Coast Guard station, most of the group got a long and close look at a Peregrine Falcon, apparently resting after a large meal. From there, we traveled south to the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. In addition to a wide variety of ducks, the group saw large flocks of Snow Geese and Tundra Swans, along with a Tricolored Heron and a Black-crowned Night-Heron. The remainder of the day was spent at the area surrounding the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Seen there were an American Bittern, a Glaucous Gull, and several Glossy Ibis. An Eared Grebe was spotted in a salt pond south of the Lighthouse, and a Lesser Black-backed Gull and a Common Loon were seen along the beach.

Sunday morning dawned clear, cold and extremely windy, not very good conditions for birding. Part of the morning was spent at the Pine Island Hunt Club north of Duck. Most of the 6600-acre property, which was recently donated to the National Audubon Society by Winston-Salem resident Earl Slick, is not yet open to the general public. We were treated to a private tour of the lodge by caretaker Jeff Davenport and had an opportunity to see some of the ducks being fed on the property. After some of us spied a roadside Sora, we spent most of Sunday afternoon at Bodie Island. The viewing platform overlooking the marsh provided yet another opportunity to see ducks at close range. There were several American Wigeon and Hooded Mergansers in addition to several species noted previously.

On Monday, the group scattered as some headed for home, and others took advantage of beautiful weather to try and find some birds that had evaded us. Many in the group finally located a rare Franklin’s Gull on the west side of the Mann’s Harbor Bridge. A return to Alligator River failed to produce an Ashthroated Flycatcher, but we did see a mature Golden Eagle. A final trip down to Lake Mattamuskeet was very productive: we saw Redheads, Canvasbacks, Greater Scaup, and, for some, a Black-headed Gull. In the marsh area near Wildlife Drive, we saw several Cattle Egrets. Along the Wildlife Trail, we saw many land birds including Yellow Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Yellow- bellied Sapsucker, and both Kinglets.

Once again, the trip provided an excellent opportunity to see old friends, make new ones, and spend numerous hours enjoying the incredible scenery and wildlife of the Outer Banks. To those of you who haven’t yet “taken the plunge,” I encourage you to join us on our next weekend excursion.

Intrepid Birders

Hi there!

Bodie Lighthouse

Franklin's Gull

Hatteras Salt Pond

Nags Head Sunrise

Pea Island

Tundra Swans

Well-deserved Break

Come Join the Fun!

ASFC offers a wide variety of opportunities to watch birds with fellow Auduboners.

Second-Saturday Birdwalks
These are held most every month in and around Winston-Salem. They are informal outings, starting at 9:00 and lasting a couple of hours. Beginners are invited and welcome. Check the calendar for location.

Extended Field Trips
We hold at least two weekend field trips each year. These usually run over an extended weekend and involve a drive to the mountains or coast. Beginners are always welcome.

Other Outings
We have other day trips from time to time. These are often held on third Saturdays of the month, during peak birding times. Normally day trips out of WS, we encourage and invite experienced birders and beginners.