lower neuse bird club · for the mountain trip continues with a likely departure date of may 8th....
TRANSCRIPT
Editor: Carol Oldham, [email protected]
Lower Neuse Bird Club
Club Officers
President
Bob Gould
288-4615
Vice President
Who will it be?
Secretary
Mike Brooks
649-1200
Treasurer
Christine Root
745-4488
Field Trips
Al Gamache
675-8376
Newsletter Editor
Carol Oldham
876-1620
Refreshments
Captain
Susan McCrocklin
288-5043
April 2017
Volume 25
Issue 8
April Program: Birding in Alaska Club member Les Coble will provide a “show & tell” about his birding trips
to Alaska.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017 at 6:30 pm
Meetings are held at Garber United Methodist Church, Country Club Road,
New Bern, Room 123 of the Ministry Center, across the street from the
main church. Parking and entrance are at the rear of the building.
Join us for refreshments & conversation for the first half hour. Business
meeting begins at 7 pm, followed by this month’s program topic.
Refreshments for this meeting are being provided by Al Gamache.
Minutes from March 2017 By Mike Brooks
Lower Neuse Bird Club
President Bob Gould welcomed over 20 members and one guest to the
meeting. He explained the plan for the field trips to the North River
Preserve on February 11th and the Croatan National Forest on April 1st,
respectively. The bird walk at Camp Brinson is set for May 13th. Planning
for the mountain trip continues with a likely departure date of May 8th.
This year's trip may include visits to the Roanoke, Virginia and Sparta,
North Carolina areas. Stay tuned for more information!
In Show and Tell, Al Gamache reported seeing a Vesper Sparrow at Fort
Macon State Park. Brown Creepers are still regular visitors at Pauline
Sterin's residence. Chris Root reported seeing swans, geese, and a White-
fronted Goose at Pongo Lake. Chris has also seen a Black-headed Vireo.
And Sally Roth reported that Ruddy Ducks and Horned Grebes are still
visible on the Neuse River. Continued on Page 2
Page 2
Minutes from March 2017 By Mike Brooks
Lower Neuse Bird Club
Continued from Page 1
Chris Root reminded us that the spring meeting of the Carolina Bird Club
(CBC) will be April 28–29 in Winston-Salem. Visit the CBC website for
registration and planned events.
The program for this meeting was a presentation prepared by the Bogue Inlet
Shorebird Stewards. Bob introduced the guest speaker, Annika Andersson,
who is a biologist in the Coastal Waterbird Investigations and Management
unit of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. She works for Dr. Sara
Schweitzer and studies nesting shorebirds at Bogue Inlet in cooperation with
the Bogue Inlet Shorebird Stewards. Least Terns and Wilson's Plovers are
the predominant nesters on Emerald Isle. The breeding season is March
through September. To attract nesters, the team ropes off an area in a large
sandy or gravelly expanse and the shorebirds will nest there. It sounds so
simple, but it's true. Interestingly, predation is not a major problem on
Emerald Isle. However, surface temperature of the sand, unleashed dogs,
and human activity pose greater threats. But we can control the human
induced disturbances by obeying local ordinances, controlling our pets, and
properly disposing food and trash. The Bogue Inlet Shorebird Stewards
welcome volunteers in maintaining posted nesting sites, surveying and
recording of birds and nests, and with community outreach and education.
If interested, the Stewardship Coordinator is David Greenwald,
(252) 933-0318, [email protected].
Anikka provided three useful web sites. An excellent presentation
on plovers can be found at www.audubon.org/sites/default/files/
plover_identification.pdf. A URL with links to many Audubon presentations
on shorebirds is as follows: www.audubon.org/sites/default/files/
documents/audubon-coastal-bird-survey-presentation.pdf. And this URL
has links to various shorebird surveys: www.migratoryshorebirdproject.org/
uploads/documents/PFSS_shorebird%20ID%20slides.pdf.
This was an informative and educational program. It was greatly
appreciated by all who attended the meeting.
A note from Dr. Michelle
Moorman, our speaker at
the February meeting,
regarding the article in last
month’s newsletter.
“Thanks for sending this.
It's a good write-up,
although there's one
correction that needs to
be made: we think SAV is
dying due to light limitation,
not low dissolved
oxygen. I'm glad you
enjoyed the program and
I'm glad you had a nice visit
to the refuge.”
April 1 Northern Croatan No special notes. Meet at BridgePointe Hotel parking lot for departure
by 7 am.
May 13 Camp Brinson with Wade Fuller
June 3 North River Preserve
Most trips end by noon and do not require much walking. Remember to
bring your binoculars, scopes, field guides, insect repellent, rain gear, snacks
and water.
Unless otherwise announced, all trips depart from the parking lot of the
BridgePointe Hotel at 7 am sharp. Carpools can be arranged as we meet up.
The planned destination may be changed at the last minute if a special
sighting or different location gives us a better opportunity for birding.
Information will be updated with each newsletter.
Carolina Bird Club
Spring Meeting
April 28-29, 2017
Winston-Salem, NC
First Saturday Field Trips
Page 3 Volume 25, Issue 8
LNBC Membership Dues Lower Neuse Bird Club annual membership dues are $15 per person and
cover the program year from September 2016 through May 2017.
Dues may be paid at a monthly meeting, or you may send them directly to:
Christine Root, LNBC Treasurer, 651 Quail Road, Merritt, NC 28556.
Checks should be made payable to LNBC.
*Please be sure to notify Carol Oldham, Newsletter Editor, of any changes to your
email or other contact information.
Cool Springs Bird Hike with Mike Campbell, Regional Education
Specialist with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.
May 25, 9 am to 1 pm. Interested persons should contact Mike via his
email, [email protected], or by phone, 252-670-0090.
Spring Mountain Trip: Warbler Road, May 6-8
Details on Page 6.
Extra Birding Opportunities
New Member
Heidi Artley
180 Campbell Creek Rd
Aurora, NC 27806
252-322-5381
252-229-1511 cell
Page 4
Lower Neuse Bird Club Page 4
Monthly Bird Walk: North River Preserve
March 11, 2017 By Mike Brooks
After a week of temperatures that exceeded 70 degrees, we were greeted by a
brisk 35-degree morning. Undeterred, we hit the road anticipating a good
day of birding.
John Fussell, our host, welcomed a group of a dozen birders at the gate of the
North River Preserve. Proceeding down the unpaved road, the changes that
had occurred since this property transitioned from farmland to a wetland
conservation project were strikingly obvious. As we traveled the road, flights
of Eastern Meadowlarks, Savannah Sparrows, and frequent sightings of
Northern Harriers greeted us. In fact, these birds
would be the three most abundant species at the
Preserve on this trip. At our third stop, the light
permitted a wonderful view of a Swamp Sparrow.
Its' beautifully colored face, neck and rusty wing
tips more than compensated for the absence of a
white throat. At our fourth stop, a distant
Meadowlark put on a fantastic acrobatic display
that marveled those who tracked it. But due to
the growth of the grass and shrubs, to our
disappointment, we did not see the Horned Larks
as we had in previous years at these identical spots.
Song Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, and some Killdeer claimed the area
surrounding the old maintenance shed. As we walked a field north of the
shed, we flushed 20 or more Wilson's Snipe from their foraging spot.
What an amazing sight as they flew off in raucous zigzags!
Back in the cars, we proceeded east and in frequent stops, spotted Eastern
Phoebes, playful Yellow-rumped Warblers, Eastern Bluebirds, and a Great
Egret. On the perimeter road of Tract 4, we saw Blue-gray Gnatcatchers,
Northern Flickers, and Pine Warblers in the line of trees that separated the
Preserve from the farmland to the east. A Belted Kingfisher and a half dozen
female Hooded Mergansers inhabited an impoundment. The final stop was
at the mound - the highest elevation point at the Preserve. There we saw or
heard more sparrows, Northern Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, Carolina
Wrens, and a Catbird in the wooded area separating the Preserve and the
large farm.
Meadowlark
Photo by Michael Creedon
Eastern Phoebe
Photo by Michael Creedon
Before leaving North River, John Fussell wanted to check a nearby
impoundment for rails. We hiked, and to no avail, no rail. Liz
Lathrop and Mike Creedon had stayed behind. Because they did,
they had seen and photographed a beautiful Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
Better yet, the kinglet was still there when we returned and made
several sorties back and forth in the tree line before us. To our
amazement, this particular kinglet had a very bold ruby crown,
and most of us managed to see it. Definitely a candidate for bird
of the trip! With that achievement, we called it a day and headed
home.
A special thanks to John Fussell for accommodating us, and we look
forward to the June trip with anticipation of seeing Dickcissels and
Common Nighthawks. The total count was 50 species, but the genuine
thrill was seeing the Swamp Sparrow, Snipe, and the Ruby-crowned
Kinglet. And this made for a satisfying day.
Page 5 Volume 25, Issue 8
Photo by Michael Creedon
Ruby-crowned
Kinglet
A tiny bird seemingly
overflowing with energy,
the Ruby-crowned Kinglet
forages almost frantically
through lower branches of
shrubs and trees. Its habit
of constantly flicking its
wings is a key identification
clue. Smaller than a warbler
or chickadee, this plain
green-gray bird has a white
eyering and a white bar on
the wing. Alas, the male’s
brilliant ruby crown patch
usually stays hidden—your
best chance to see it is to
find an excited male singing
in spring or summer.
Text from
allaboutbirds.org
Monthly Bird Walk: North River Preserve Continued from Page 4
Birders getting a look at the Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
Photo by Michael Creedon
Page 6
Lower Neuse Bird Club Page 6
This year I have tried to add a little different approach to our periodic
“mountain trip”. The plan is to leave New Bern at 7:00 AM on Saturday
May 6th, returning late afternoon on Monday May 8th. Our destination is
the Roanoke, VA area, specifically the so-called Warbler Road. The Warbler
Road lies within the Jefferson National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
It is a series of interconnected roads (about 13 miles) that offer a wide
diversity of habitat. It is home to about 25 species of breeding warblers with
the potential to see additional migrating warblers. We should also encounter
a large variety of other passerines.
The drive to Roanoke should take 5-6 hours, depending on stops. Pack a
lunch and snacks for the drive up as we will most likely stop along the way.
I have reserved a block of rooms in Troutville, VA, north of Roanoke. We
will stay there Saturday and Sunday nights. All rooms have 2 double beds
and are non smoking. The rate is $84.16 plus tax per night, single or
2 persons. Everyone must make his/her own reservations before April 14th.
The reservation number is (540) 992-5335. Identify yourself as from the
New Bern Bird Club. The Quality Inn has two floors but no elevator. They
will try to accommodate anyone who prefers a ground floor room. Please do
not wait until the last minute to make your reservations as rooms tend to be
at a premium on weekends.
Because we are venturing into “uncharted territory,” I need to know who is
definitely going. As always, “the less cars the merrier,” so plan to car pool if
at all possible. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might
have; phone 288-4615 or email [email protected].
Check out these links for more information on the Warbler Road:
wildlifesouth.com/Locations/Virginia/WarblerRoad.html or
roanokevalleybirdclub.com/Birding%20Sites.html (scroll down to
#6 Warbler Road)
Spring Mountain Trip: Warbler Road
May 6-8, 2017 By Bob Gould