So Long, and Thanks For All the Birds!

While our time on the Ocracoke had ended, James and I still needed to make our way back home. And, being an island, the only way to get off it was by ferry. Anybody who's ever taken a ferry, especially during peak season, knows that there's a lot of waiting involved. You wait in line to get your ticket. You wait in line to get on the ferry. You even wait while they tell you what lane to get in once you're on the boat! So, to kill time, I did a little exploring around the terminal, and found a nice little spot with a good view of the Pamlico Sound. Immediately, I noticed something big and brown in the sand next to the water's edge - a Horseshoe Crab!

He must've been 2 - 2½ ft long, pretty sizeable!

I'd never seen one this intact in the wild before. Unfortunately, as is often the case with these cool beach finds, he was dead. He'd buried himself pretty good in the sand before he died, so digging him out wasn't really an option, but I've studied these guys in Bio lab before. Underneath is an amalgam of primitive claws and legs, and in fact they're not really related to crabs at all, but rather they're members of the clade Chelicerata, which also happens to include things like spiders and scorpions (crabs and other crustaceans are more closely related to insects). Oh, and another reason you don't want to dig him up? He's pretty darn spiny!

How do I know? I er, kind of tried to dig him up.

Looking back over the sound, there were few birds. A few Spotted Sandpipers on the jetty, a couple of Royal Terns rollicking on the sea breeze. I was actually about to turn back when I heard an odd shrieking whistle, and then a reply from along the jetty. Looking right, I watched as a vocalizing American Oystercatcher flew past to join its friend on the rocks, which was pretty cool to see. Along the shore, the lapping waves brought small fish close to the sand. I still haven't figured out what they are, so if you have any ideas, let me know!

While we're on the subject, anchovies are the worst pizza topping. Ever.

After having a decent amount of fun watching the little fishes, I made my way back to the local establishment known as SMacnally's to have a beer or two while the ferry made its way into port. Lucky for James and I, some guys had just finished their chartered fishing trip and were cleaning their catch, throwing the remains into the harbor. Where there's a free lunch to be had, there are always birds that follow, in this case Brown Pelicans and Laughing Gulls.

He was really putting on quite a show, catching fishy bits in midair!

And that was that. The ferry was arriving and James and I had to get on the boat. As we turned to leave, one of the Brown Pelicans flew up onto a nearby pylon, and James took the opportunity to photograph the bird at close range - and what a pic! He couldn't even fit the whole bird in the frame! Looking at it again, I'm almost ashamed that I wrote off pelicans the whole trip, instead focusing my attention on shorebirds and ibises - they really are nice-looking birds.

He sat there passing judgement on me for a good ten minutes!

Well, we had a ferry to catch, a mainland to get to, and apparently some Reddish Egrets to see. If I could just say one thing to the island that had been my home for those four days, I think it'd be: so long, and thanks for all the birds!

North Point or Bust!

There are some days that you can just look at your birding brother and go, damn that was a good day of birding! Our last full day on Ocracoke was one of these days. Not so much the birds we found (though we found some good ones), but also more the manner in which we found them. For our last day, we decided to head to Ocracoke’s North Point, a place that is normally a diminutive beachfront, but come low tide, extends itself by several hundred feet.

James found this juvenile Tricolored Heron before we'd even left!

Not wanting to walk the sandy beach in hiking boots, I instead decided to go for something I’d call “birding casual” – barefoot, wading through the mud and water, just trying to get as close to the birds as possible. With a cool breeze coming off the ocean, it’s definitely the most relaxed birding experience I’ve ever had. Oh, and did I mention there were birds? Lots and lots of birds! Immediately we came upon a large flock of gulls, terns, and skimmers.

Royal Terns were by far the most common terns I found on Ocracoke

James really took his Jackal mode to the next level, and decided to lie on his stomach to sneak up on the birds. And amazingly enough, the birds didn’t seem to mind! The Common, Forster’s and Least Terns that abounded in the colony were quite content to let this human into their midst, and even this Black Skimmer couldn’t bring himself to fly away.

Zoom in and you can see a series of grooves along the bill - anyone know what they're for?

That is, until I saw one very acrobatic white bird bank and juke over the salt flats. I raised the alarm to James, who immediately stood up to take the shot, causing some of the Least Terns to flush. Unfortunately, the pics didn’t turn out, and it looked like it might be lost to the ages. We rounded the corner, and as James crawled on his stomach towards another group of terns, and he asked me to check the bird closest to him with the scope. “Holy crap!” I exclaimed, “Gull-billed Tern!”

Only he wouldn't turn around for us dangit!

The Gull-billed Tern was a lifer for both of us, and to see one on the landed on the ground at close range like this really added another level to the sighting. As James tried to photograph an uncooperative nearby adult Tricolored Heron, we watched as something snow-white flew onto the flats and ended up landing right next to him, leading to what is probably my closest-ever sighting of a White Ibis, and a very nice looking individual at that!

I don't think I will ever get tired of White Ibises!

From there, we scoped out every flock of terns and gulls around to try and find a Black Tern, or maybe something better. No dice, but by the time we’d run out of Piping Plovers and Sanderlings to look at, we were all the way out on the northern point of the island. On our right the majestic Atlantic Ocean lapped the shore, and to our left we could see Hatteras just a couple thousand feet away, with the Hatteras Village water tower visible just past that. As we waded back along the white sand shores, this Ruddy Turnstone ran parallel to us, pausing to eat when it could. And with that, our Ocracoke adventure was over.

Is there a more beautiful shorebird?

It seemed to have ended before it even began, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. James and I got several lifers on this trip, and had many more great birding experiences. If you ever get a chance to bird the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I highly recommend it. Just, stay away from guys with giant pickups… they might not take too friendly to your kind ‘round there!

Interlude: Reddish Egrets of Ocracoke

Well, James and I just got back from the Outer Banks, and we've still got a whole lot more to share with you, including some fantastic shorebird pictures, and at least couple more lifers. Among those lifers are these juvenile Reddish Egrets we found while the Ocracoke-Cedar Island Ferry passed by Bird Island (remember, that place where I got my lifer Black Terns?) Well, we didn't find any more Black Terns, but these guys were a nice consolation lifer for James, and more than doubles the number I've ever seen.

Multiple Reddish Egrets this far north is pretty uncommon (I think), and check out how ratty they are! Hopefully they'll molt into their immature plumage soon, it's a shame for such an awesome bird to be stuck in such a mundane outfit. Sorry for the distant shots, by the way - these guys were about a football field's length away!

Anyway, check back tomorrow for continuing coverage of the Birding Bros. on the Outer Banks!

They Taste Like Chicken, Apparently

There are many reasons to like the North Carolina Outer Banks: pristine sand beaches, insular little communities, and great fishing, among others. There’s one reason not to, however: they hate birders. Not all the islands, mind you, but mostly Hatteras, whereupon you can find bumper stickers affixed to large four-wheel drive vehicles that espouse the motto, and I kid you not: “Piping Plovers Taste Like Chicken”. Oh, and then there’s this little gem. (Warning: PG-13!)

So why all the hate? It all comes down to that little endangered species that tastes like chicken, apparently. The Piping Plover breeds all up and down the east coast in infuriatingly small numbers, including several sites along the NC Outer Banks. In an attempt to boost Piping Plover numbers, the National Park Service has mandated that 12 miles of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore be closed to off-road vehicles (ORVs), while 24 miles of the National Seashore remains open. Which, in turn, has ignited the ire of the local ORVing population, because apparently, driving your giant 4runner all over one of the best beaches in the country is some kind of God-given right (cuz, you know, this is ‘Merica!).

Among other God-given rights...

Which brings us to the other morning, when I decided to walk the ORV trail to the southern end of the island. When I finally made it to the beach, I wasn’t greeted to the immaculate view of the Atlantic I had hoped for. No, instead I was faced with hundreds and hundreds of four-wheel drive vehicles that seemed to stretch ad infinitum along the coastline. Still, I pressed on, trying to escape these mechanical behemoths, until the realization set in that it was just not going to happen. So I made my way to the water’s edge, maneuvering my way between a Jeep and a RAV4, and what should I find not yards from these daunting vehicles? None other than a pair of little Piping Plovers.

My lifer Piping Plover! Ocracoke Island, NC - 08/10/2011

Well, they say Piping Plover tastes like chicken, and maybe there’s a reason for that – these little guys are skittish! Any time you get close to them they run away like the fires of Hell are at their tiny little heels. After a little finagling I managed to get a decent shot, and I began to make my way back home. At this point, I got a little lost, and actually managed to walk right past the ORV road back into town. Not that I’m complaining though – a little group of shorebirds contained these nice adult and immature Common Terns squabbling by the surf’s edge.

"Junior, get back here!" "But mooooom!"

And then I noticed something different in the group of shorebirds. It was a plump little thing, something halfway between the size of the obligate Sanderlings and Willets. As soon as I identified it through the scope, I raced over to get a shot – and in doing so noticed two groups of beachgoers walking in opposite directions through the incoming tide. My mouth became agape in horror as, sure enough, the Sanderlings bailed, taking all the other shorebirds with them. It wasn’t meant to be I guess. Until of course I got home, and I realized that my long shot of the shorebirds revealed none other than the bird in question – my lifer (and now ex-nemesis bird) Red Knot!

Red Knot - and still red, too! Ocracoke Island - 08/10/2010

Now truly satisfied with my journey, I began my way back up the ORV road, pausing every once in a while to take a swig of water or to rest my feet (it had been nearly seven miles of walking through sand at this point). During one of these breaks, I heard an odd squeaky chip, and noticed a little bird perch up in the reeds. At first I assumed it was one of the numerous female Brown-headed Cowbirds I noticed earlier. As I swung around the scope to check it out, I noticed the bright yellow lores on an otherwise drab bird, and I realized I had picked up my lifer Seaside Sparrow! I didn’t manage a photo (it dropped down into the reeds before I could), but James had been down that way a couple days earlier and managed this nice photo of his lifer Seaside Sparrow.

Just about every look you get at a Seaside Sparrow - 08/09/2011

With three lifers under my belt, this day stands out as one of my more rewarding birding experiences. Going forward, these lifers are going to stand out like beacons in the night, and I’ll probably forget all about the Herculean effort it took to find them, which is a good thing, because if I never see another gigantic lumbering monstrosity that is a four-wheel drive vehicle, I think I could finally die happy.