Saturday, July 7, 2018

North Carolina Chronicles: Settling In and Getting Out

Butler's Birds is now broadcasting definitively from Wayne County, North Carolina. After a much needed and much relished pause in the mountains, the last several weeks have been all about getting up and running at work and up and filing lost or damaged claims with the moving company (seriously, the worst). 
On the bright side, we have a proper yard now, which can start generating a proper yard list. Other than some fervent lawn mowing and ferocious weed-whacking, I have not been able to tend it and make it more birdacious, but all the same there have been a few good pulls.  

Between the generic sounding name and their generic use on logos, Blue Jays have little aura about them. To be fair, they are a quotidian yard bird as well, but they're still gorgeous and not often crushable, in my prior experiences.


The best yard bird(s) so far came under odd circumstances, with 3 Mississippi Kites waiting out a heavy morning shower in the large dead pine across the street. My understanding is that any bird seen from one's yard is still countable. Luckily these birds also flew directly through our airspace when departing, so, double good.

  

As well as the incidental yard birds, we've had some cool moths and 'phibs. The first one below, a Cecrophia Silk Moth I believe, was on its last legs. The Luna Moth, like all Luna Moths, was actually an extraterrestrial. The Fowler's Toad (?) lives by our garden hose. Most evenings I watch it hunt with great success.

                      

The main mission for local birding, other than upping the rookie county numbers, is to photograph Barred Owl well. True to form, last time I saw one at Cliffs of the Neuse it was flushed and didn't stick around. So too this time. Fortunately there were still vocal Prothonotaries around then, as now, to console and to covet.


12 comments:

  1. MIKI is a sick yard bird, Laurence! Pretty sweet to have crushable Prothonotaries around too.

    In my experience, winter has always been a better time for great looks at Barred Owls. Hungrier birds and no foliage make for more sightings (esp. along roadsides) and better photo ops. The Owl About Minnesota FB group is littered with Barred pics all winter and early spring. Summer hits and they pretty much stop.

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    1. Thanks for the encouragement Josh. I’ll wait and freeze the bastards out then!

      Especially because winter won’t bring much else here, unless I get to the coast.

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  2. Wayne County is home of Howell Woods! You are in a good spot. At least for spring migration.

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    1. WHAT!?
      My understanding was it is in Johnston County, much to my sadness.
      Has their been ABA-influenced gerrymandering ?

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  3. MIKI, great way to ring in the new yard list. Charismatic megamoths and resident hose toad should be heralded as well. Looking forward to seeing the inevitable geri birding setup. How big of a lot are you on?

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    1. We have a bit over an acre, and near some woods. Really pretty good loca potential, of not in a great area overall.

      I shall give Casa de Bastardos a run for money perhaps in a couple years

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  4. I have to second that MIKI as an insanely good yard bird, especially so soon after moving in. How is your 5MR?

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    1. Hmm...about identical to the yard list. Nothing to brag about (or else you’d know all about it)

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  5. Excellent yard birding so far! Seriously though, how is your 5MR?

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    1. My 5MR is basically the same as my yard as far as habitat, with a few small water features.
      I fear it will be pretty lowly other than during migration, and even then, on a relative scale.

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  6. I sure hope any birds seen from your yard count or my yard list probably wouldn't even be in double digits...

    But anyway, good luck with your new yard! ...and 5MR!

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    1. I think we’re good. We can define the tick as based on where thenobsevation takes place, not where the observer is.

      Although...this means one could love on the western most Aleutian island and potential log distant yard birds with a scope that are not in the same continent?

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