Yet Another Spectacular Bird for Lake Norman

I was finishing lunch in Mint Hill last Saturday when I got the call: a flock of American avocets had been found on a large mudflat on the southern shore of Lake Norman. I had not previously seen that species in Mecklenburg County so I immediately postponed some household chores and headed the birds’ way. Thanks to 70 mph speed allowances and the I-485 connector to I-77, I arrived in about 35 minutes. I needn’t have hurried so. A beautiful flock of 10 American avocets was loafing in the shallow water just off the flat.

American avocets are among the most spectacular and elegant shorebirds in North America. They are large and strikingly colored with a cinnamon-colored head and neck, black and white wing stripes, and blue legs. But the most unusual thing about avocets is their bill. The bill is long, thin and turns upward. Avocets sweep it sideways in the shallows to catch small invertebrates.

American avocets breed over a large portion of the country west of the Mississippi River. They spend the winter sparingly along the southeastern coast, arriving in august and September. I suspect the Lake Norman flock was heading for a barrier island off the Carolina or Georgia coast. The birds varied in plumage with the fading cinnamon head parts still visible in some individuals while others had those areas white. They may have been immature birds or adults that had already molted away the cinnamon plumage.

The sighting is just the second county record for the species. I feel really fortunate I was in town and answered my phone to get the report. By 7:45 the next morning the flock had moved on. I can go a couple of years nowadays without adding a new bird species to my county list. 

As I have mentioned several times in the last month, there is a load of shorebird habitat right now along the Catawba River and smaller ponds. Water levels are low and in the next month I suspect more highly unusual sighting will come to light as shorebird migration peaks. Conditions are this good every ten years or so. If you encounter shorebirds try to snap a photo and send it to me. I am interested in seeing what is coming through.   

In breeding plumage the American avocet is quite striking. Note the odd upturned bill.

American Avocet by Phil Fowler

Even in non-breeding plumage the birds are quite elegant.

American Avocet by Phil Fowler

American avocets are flocking birds, rarely encountered alone. 

American Avocets by Phil Fowler

Another Nice Wader in the Area

I have written about my quest to see as many species of birds in Mecklenburg county as I could in 2014. I ended up in a tie with the previous high number of 205 species. One bird I missed that year was the white ibis, a species I figured I could find with a little bit of hard work. It wasn’t to be.

Yesterday I got word that a probable white ibis was at an old cow pond in Mint Hill. I hustled over and sure enough, an immature white ibis was wading around in the shrinking pond with a great egret. Only about eight months late, but it was still nice to see this species that is pretty tough to find in the county.

The immature bird below is pretty much in the same plumage as the Mint Hill bird from yesterday. The vast majority of white ibis that come into the Piedmont during the summer are immature / juvenile birds in this brown and white plumage.

Immature White Ibis by Taylor Piephoff

The adult birds, one of which is shown below, more accurately reflects the name of the bird. the plumage is all white except for solid black wing-tips that are seen well only in flight.

Adult White Ibis by Taylor Piephoff

An Ultra-Rarity From Lake Norman

Many Florida residents visit North Carolina during the summer months. Until recently that referred to humans only, but birders statewide are enjoying another visitor from the Sunshine State in the upper reaches of Lake Norman.

A limpkin, a large unique wader common only in Florida and southeastern Georgia has been hanging out and foraging on mudflats in the Catawba County portion of the lake. There are only four previous records of limpkin from North Carolina, all from the coastal plain. Therefore this is the first record of the species from the Piedmont

region.

Birders have been coming from all over to add this limpkin to their NC State List, and with good reason…the last time a limpkin showed up in the state was 1998.

For now the bird is content with its mudflat under a railroad trestle spanning the lake. Currently it is accessible only by canoe, boat, or kayak. But birds move around. When it decides to move it could show up anywhere in the area. 

Here are some photos of the limpkin taken by Lori Owenby. Note the long legs and brown plumage flecked with white. The pattern is similar to that of immature night-herons, but the limpkin has longer legs and a longer, thinner bill.

Limpkin by Lori Owenby

Limpkin by Lori Owenby

Limpkin by Lori Owenby

Waders Taking Advantage of Drought Conditions

The hot, dry conditions that have made for good shorebird habitat at area ponds has also produced attractive conditions for waders. The pond at Ezzell Farm recently hosted nine great egrets, a great blue heron, and one green heron.

I watched the nine egrets fly in late one afternoon and land in the tops of adjacent pine trees. It was a nice spectacle, and one not seen commonly in this area. These three species are the most expected waders to be encountered her but good conditions often result in some rarer species dropping in. 

Great Egret by Jeff Lewis

Great Blue Heron by Ron Clark

Green Heron by Ron Clark

The First Migrant Shorebirds Showing Up Now

I took a late afternoon walk down to an old cow pond at Ezzell Farm in Mint Hill yesterday. My hunch was that hot, dry conditions had significantly shrunk the amount of water, exposing lots of exposed mud around the edges. I was right.  As a result, I was able to tally my first migrating shorebirds of the fall migration season.

One solitary sandpiper and one spotted sandpiper foraged along the edges. Both species are among the most common shorebirds that pass thru our area but their presence indicates that the pond is attractive to shorebirds right now and could attract something a bit more interesting if conditions persist.

I’ll be checking this pond regularly for the next couple of months. 

Solitary Sandpiper by Lee Weber

Spotted Sandpiper by John Ennis

Meet the American Birding Association's Bird of the Year

I checked several wetlands and ponds last weekend for any unusual waders that might have wandered into our area. I didn’t find any but at every stop I found green herons. They seem to become more conspicuous in mid-summer as water levels fall and the number of frogs increases. I was also reminded that the green heron is the ABA’s (American Birding Association’s) Bird of the Year for 2015.

The green heron is a common resident in the piedmont during the nesting season. I most often see them sitting motionless on the edges of ponds or on downed logs or stumps. They prefer the motionless approach to hunting; waiting for a fish, frog, or other appropriate prey to wander near.  Sometimes you have to really scan the water’s edge to see them, they are only about the size of a crow after all.  That’s about two and a half times less than the size of the familiar great blue heron that is also common here.

Green herons are also unique in that they actually use bait to catch prey. An enterprising bird will use a feather, leaf, or some other floating object to attract small fish. The heron will drop the object onto the water’s surface and wait for an unwary fish to check out the disturbance. If unsuccessful the heron will simply retrieve the lure and cast again.

I see green herons along Four-Mile Creek Greenway. Watch for a small dark heron that might flush from the stream bank. But you may have to look closer than that; a few years ago a young bird allowed greenway walkers and joggers to approach to within just a couple of feet or so while it watched the water intently  for a potential snack. I think that is part of the widespread appeal of the green heron, a quiet non-menacing fearlessness that many individuals exhibit.

Green Heron by Phil Fowler

Check neighborhood retention ponds, creek banks, and pond edges for this species. They will be with us into late September until they withdraw to the Gulf Coast for the colder months. In milder winters a few individuals can be found along our coast and rarely inland as far as Mecklenburg County

Crazy (or Ingenius) Choices From Hummingbirds

I received these photos just a few days ago of ruby-throated hummingbird nests in unusual locations. I never cease to be amazed with how birds choose their nest sites. 

This bird constructed two nests on a string of lights under a front porch roof. The top photo is of the female putting the finishing touches on one of her nests. Apparently two nests were present and were simultaneously active.

Again, this bird below opted to build a nest at a front porch, this time on a hanging wind chime.

Photo by Tom Chervenak

Clearly the birds know a safe location when they see it. Obviously the nestings were successful as evidenced by the presence of nearly fully grown juveniles in both. The combination of a sheltered site, stable substrate to attach the nest to, inaccessibility to the nest from below (unlike a tree) and maybe the close proximity of humans all combined for a great nest site choice for both birds.

Photo by Tom Chervenak