I first noticed the grebe towards the end of the day on the 16th of October. I hadn’t seen one here in our Wetlands since 2012, September to be exact. These smallest of grebes likely to be found in the east, are by no means rare, or even uncommon. A trip to any of the big lakes in our area during late fall or winter should score a look at one. Despite their relative common local occurence,Read more
Posts tagged: #migration
Odes Around Us
Top Photo: Carolina saddlebags. Dragonflies and damselflies belong to an order of insect called Odonata. Dragonflies are in the suborder Anisoptera, the damsels in the suborder Zygoptera. Dragonflies usually hold their wings out to their sides when at rest. They are typically larger and bulkier than damselfies. Dragons have large compound eyes which, in many species, cover most of the head. Some species eyes only just meet at the top of the head, but still cover a large portion ofRead more
Bluebird Update 6/17/14
We still have two nests with four eggs each and one nest remains a work in progress. The Cow Pasture and Bungee Jump nests both have four eggs apiece. I had predicted that the Cow Pasture eggs would have hatched by this week. I should stop making predictions, the occupants of the nest are still in egg form. The Bungee Jump nest’s eggs were deposited after the Cow Pasture eggs and I wasn’t quite sure if the female was incubatingRead more
Female Redhead
In a recent post I highlighted two pair of Redheads that dropped into the Wetlands for the day. The following day the birds were gone, presumably continuing on to wherever it was they were originally heading. A line of heavy storms moved through our area on Friday, two days after the four redheads were with us. Soon after the heaviest of the rain passed, I noticed a lone redhead swimming in our Wetlands, a female. There’s no way to knowRead more
Purple Martins in the snow
As reported last week Purple Martins are on their way north. The first arrivals in North Carolina have been seen, just in time for the snow, sleet, freezing rain and cold. The birds were spotted in the southern portion of our state in Maxton (2/9) and Godwin (2/10) NC. Both of those locations are on the coastal plain about 56 miles distance from one another. These birds are insectivorous, wish them luck.Read more
It’s February
You don’t need a calendar to know that it’s February, just take a hike around the Wetlands here at the Museum. If you see two Canada Geese, it’s February. These two geese drop in every February, very often its within a few days of the first of the month. The geese are absent during summer through winter, spending only late winter and spring with us. I guesss their arrival could be termed as a harbinger of spring. It may beRead more
Purple Martin Arrivals 2014
For those of you who have an interest in Purple Martins, those large iridescent purple swallows of summer, they’re on the move and slowly making their way north. Here, see for yourself at The Purple Martin Conservation Association Scout Arrival Study page. So far, the early arrivals (scouts) have been seen in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. It won’t be long till one is spotted right here in North Carolina! Enjoy.Read more
High Flying Birds
It all started while on the Main Wetlands Overlook. I was talking about the previous week’s weather, birds, and other creatures with photographer Kevin Odom. There were currently alto cumulus and cirrus clouds above and I wondered if a front was moving in on us. Suddenly, in came a great blue heron. The bird landed on a boulder out in the Wetlands, looked around a bit and began to preen, a good opportunity to get some nice photos. Then, KevinRead more
What will the weather bring us?
Weather systems often bring in unusual birds. Strong cold fronts sometimes carry with them birds from the far north. Unusually cold weather creates strong needs within birds to feed, simple survival is the name of the game. During extreme cold periods you often see birds at your feeders that are absent during mild weather especially when the leaf litter is covered with snow. On Thursday, a day when upon awaking from a three dog night, the air temperature was aRead more