My second vacation devoted entirely to birding!
But, sadly, it was a short one.
Day 1 had us (Tina and I) leaving Silver Springs, MD (after she had flown out the night before from Silicon Valley, CA) on a trip South to Kill Devil Hills on North Carolina's outer banks.
We arrived around 6 PM and got checked in, changed and ready to head out around 7 PM. (Yes - we had a very late start) but had time to hit the beach that bordered the hotel we stayed at. That is where I got my first look at the Laughing Gull. And my second, and third.... and 1,000th! They were everywhere. It was a life-list tick that hit me in the face like a cream pie in a Three Stooges movie. I also saw Boat-tailed Grackles everywhere so ended up with my first 2 life ticks after only a few minutes exploration.
Most of that day (Tuesday) was spent travelling and settling in.
Next day, Wednsday, we went to the Wright Brothers National Memorial and walked around for a couple of hours. That is where I got lifer ticks for Eastern Meadowlark and Savannah Sparrow. I got some really nice pics of female Boat-tail Grackles. I also got a year tick for Purple Martin at the memorial.
After enjoying the memorial, we headed south along the outer banks to Cape Hatteras. We found a nice spot to pull over and while Tina searched for seashells, I searched for stray pelagics. I did get a good year tick for a nice in-line flight of about 15 Brown Pelicans that paralleled the beach about 50 meters out. I was certain I saw some type of Albatross, the wingspan compared to the body length was simply amazing, but it was too far out for a pic - they came back too out of focus to even tell it was anything more than a dark blob. Maybe it was a frigate bird or something - I know it wasn't a gull! But it wasn't anything I could tick by a longshot either.
From Hatteras, we headed towards the Great Dismal Swamp. Mid-April. The height of the spring migration. I had high hopes and great expectations!
We stopped at the Washington Ditch parking area on our way to our hotel in Suffolk for some late afternoon birding. We decided against hiking 4.5 miles out to lake Drummond that day because we were already feeling a bit worn from walking on the sands of Cape Hatteras for hours earlier, so we took the boardwalk that took us through a part of the swamp. That is where I saw the bird that I had read about in a book about the Great Dismal Swamp, had studied up on in my Sibley's, Peterson's field guid and Peterson's Warblers book - the Swainson's Warbler - the fifth lifer for the trip. Along that same boardwalk, I spotted an all yellow warbler. I could see no markings other than yellow. And the yellow was as bright as a summer plumage American Goldfinch. Everything in my Peterson book showed more subdued colors. I assumed "Yellow Warbler" but could see no red stripes on the breast. There is nothing else I could even remotely call that bird but a Yellow Warbler, but it still didn't "feel" right to me so I let it go unticked :( .
After the boardwalk, we crashed at the hotel and arrived the next morning (late again - it takes this woman forever to get ready in the morning. I told her I officially considered it "endearing" and not annoying and not to rush. It was her vacation - I was just there for the fun) around 11:00 AM (I was also responsible for getting us there late since I drove the wrong way and we had to back track, D'OH!).
Thursday saw us at the Jericho Ditch entrance to the swamp. We picked out a route of just over 8 miles that wouldn't force us to back-track (I enjoy a hike much more when I know it is a one-way hike - going halfway and then turning around and re-tracing my route just robs me of some of the enjoyment).
We thought we would be travelling through actual swamp. In fact, we travelled along raised dirt berms that followed ditches that were dug by George Washington (well, by his slaves) so as to facilitate moving the harvested lumber to the coast. So the terrain looked the same the entire time! It was almost like we were on a treadmill that just had a projection screen in fron that slowly changed. Birds were EVERYWHERE though! I heard so many different calls. I decided right there and then that I am going to begin learing at least a few new bird calls every week. During that endless hike I did get good year ticks of a Great Crested Flycatcher and a Grey Catbird. I also got a lifer tick of a Prairie Warbler. I saw at least 4 or 5 unidentifiable warblers - I was sure I saw a Black and WHite Warbler - which would have been a year tick, but I only saw it's upperside and couldn't really confirm it during the 3 seconds it allowed me to see him.
During that walk we got to see a pair River Otters - an animal I had never seen before in the wild. And a Great Blue Heron that allowed us to come so close to it that I could not even fit the entire bird into my viewfinder with my 300mm lens! It was the closest I think I have ever been to a GBH. (see attached pictures)
After that hike, we headed north - back up to Silver Spring MD and spent the night back at my place.
The next day (Friday) we started out by visiting the National Arboreteum where I saw my first Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher of the year. From the Arboreteum, we headed across the Anacostia river to the Kennilworth Aquatic Gardens. Another great boardwalk setting that takes you out through some tidal mudflats and reeds. I got a year tick for Greater Yellowlegs and a lifer for the Bald Eagle. We also got to see what two giant Snapping Turtles look like when they are mating - SCARY!!!!!!! It was about that time that I got a good look at the first Eastern Kingbird I had seen this year (tick!).
After leaving the Aquatic Gardens, we headed towards Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge. All the usual suspects were there, but I did get a year tick for the Killdeer.
We then headed back to my place to watch Repoman and some cheesy horror movies until we crashed. She flew out this morning and that is the end of this trip report!
Total: 7 lifers and 8 year ticks.
To see some of the pics from this trip check my 2006 year-list thread here:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=48535