Winter Storms Benefit Gulls

I went down to Pea Island a few days after a big winter storm with high winds. We still had high winds and also had high tides, so the combination led to some coastal flooding, with sand and water on parts of  Hwy 12.

I was surprised to see a cloud of gulls flying across from the Visitor Center since we usually just see single fly bys.  I climbed over the little ridge of sand scraped to the side of the road, then walked through wet sand still on the road, and over a higher ridge of sand on the other side. Then I climbed through a valley in the dunes to see  birds both on the shore and flying in big groups over the area where the waves broke. 

When I reached the top of the dunes, I could see almost no beach.  Rather the high waves broke almost at the dunes.  And I saw a little basin, near the top of the dunes, that had clearly been formed by recent wave action as the waves had pushed water around the end of one of the dunes, scouring out the basin in the process.  And on what beach there was, there seemed to be an entire reef of oysters torn loose by the big surf, then pushed on-shore. 

A gull flies across the breaking waves

The view just in front of the dunes- that's the base of a dune in the foreground- lesser black-backed herring, and ring-billed gulls

Lots of oyster shells and probably some other shell species as well

It seemed to be mostly Bonaparte's gulls that were hunting over the wayes

A wider view of the action

These guys could fly in very close formations

Herring gull with crab - wish I could hire him to get some for me

When I started home, I saw a gull in the middle of the highway with an oyster he had dropped to open it.

Across the road, it looked like business as usual, except the birds were staying out of the wind.

There were very few birds in view across from the visitor center, but I stopped at the blind, which is protected by dunes,  and found lots of gadwalls, a few swans, avocets, green-winged teal, double crested cormorants and greater yellowlegs.  On the way by going south, I'd also seen western sandpipers, white pelicans, and snow geese taking advantage of the lower winds where the pond is narrower and there are more islands and dunes.

Yellowlegs and gadwall were close enough to photograph from the bird blind

On the hunt

Avocets were scattered around in small groups, also feeding

When this comes out, I expect to be playing, paddling, and birding with my South Carolina friend, Laurel.  Looking forward to all of that.

Many of these birds will soon begin their flight to their summer homes. Hope you help keep track of migration by turning in your bird counts on a regular basis to eBird.


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My Birdest Day

January 12, 2016

We have been having lots more birds at the North Pond at  Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.  The Visitor Center overlooks this pond and has three scopes set up in the front windows for the enjoyment of visitors.

I worked there last Sunday after a night of moderately heavy rain.  A huge puddle had formed in the grass just behind the parking lot and I drove in to find it being used by forty white ibis and at least thirty Canada geese, as well as about a hundred grackles. Red winged blackbirds were also hanging around as were a pair of Savannah sparrows. Several photographers, including me, got to enjoy them.

Juvenile and adult white ibis

The Canada geese are grazing while the white ibis probes for bugs and worms

Then Tuesday, I arrived to find the pond at least twice as full of birds as usual. there were at least forty great egrets, over fifty American white pelicans, more than one hundred fifty tundra swans, and maybe fifty double crested cormorants. I saw many great blue herons, including five together. The avocets were back about 120 strong and, as the day passed, more and more gulls came in out of the wind and sat on the distant sandbar. The American white pelicans were very active, flying about and landing with a watery skid, looking like barefoot water skiers for a few seconds. Some were also actively feeding in a large group looking like dancers as they bobbed for fish, while the wind blew their "skirts" over their heads. Snow geese flew through and then one batch settled down where we could barely see their heads beyond the grass. 

Lots of great egrets and a few gadwalls

Mostly pelicans

One eagle came and sat on the osprey tower, then left and then both members of the regularly seen pair came back to delight visitors. The snow geese sat where they could barely be seen and the gadwall and bufflehead hung way back on the back side of the pond to get out of the winds and waves. I was so blown away, that I took habitat pictures of the birds. Even then, they live where I can barely catch them with the camera.

After the eagle left his perch, he flew over a group of feeding ducks and put them up

I had my camera in my hand when snow geese flew by the front windows

Can you find at least four species of birds? The front blob is a feeding tundra swan

Eagles on the osprey tower in front of the Visitor Center

We can watch red-breasted mergansers but not get their pictures.  This was in Manteo bay

I caught this young goose goose stepping near the road on the way to Pea Island Visitor Center

Several weeks ago, I took a movie of the white pelicans feeding.   Tuesday, we got to watch this behavior again and it delighted our visitors. You might like to the feeding ballet.  The wind was blowing at thirty plus mph so it's jerky.  Please MUTE your computer to avoid listening to the wind.

Hopefully this current cold spell will finally bring more birds down here and working will get even more exciting.

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