2.04- Coastal snow

Snow descends on mallards (anas platyrhynchos) swimming past a man-made Osprey nest platform near Harker's Island, NC
(Click on image to enlarge)

Snow came down across Down-East North Carolina today, dropping one to two inches across the region, with up to one inch of accumulation in places. It was nice big fluffy snow, not like the minuscule flakes of the November flurries.

I know, I know, for all you folks with that "flinty Chicago toughness" our President so admires, it's no big deal... just like a mid-July day. But it is unusual around here, though it caused no problems along the coastal counties... some wimpier inland counties delayed school and government openings, but not the hearty down-easters.

This picture was taken near Harker's Island, along Core Sound, near Cape Lookout. I will be back and forth to the area over the next few days, and hope to get some good pictures in the area.

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1.14- "Capt. Cecil" and Yellow-Shafted Northern Flicker

"Captain Cecil," tied up stern-to at the Garland Fulcher Seafood Co. docks on Raccoon Creek

Captain Cecil was tied stern-to the docks while crew pulled out, straightened and re-wound her warp cables this afternoon.

As you can see, all was calm in the creek, and yesterday's rain and clouds have departed.

Can anyone help me identify these birds?

Please drop me a comment or e-mail if you can help!

[OK, thanks to Keith Bruno and Raf for identifying this bird for me!]

I saw these two birds by the roadside in Minnessot Beach today, and was only able to grab about three drive-by shots of them...

One is seen flying away, while the other waited warily for me to pass by. I looked through my NatGeo Birds of North America guide, to no avail... (I need to find my Peterson's Guide)

[UPDATE: Keith Bruno dropped me a note identifying this as a "a flicker, possibly the yellow shafted variety"... Then, while I was writing this update, Raf from Port Townsend, WA dropped me a comment to the same effect... Yes indeedy, my NatGeo guide does have an illustration and description of the very bird as a Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus), "Yellow-shafted" variety... I had not looked carefully through the Woodpecker section because I spotted these birds hanging out on the ground, which seemed unlikely woodpecker behavior... various internet sources confirm that the Flicker, unlike other woodpeckers, forages on the ground for ants and such...

As the NatGeo guide describes them: "Two distinct groups occur: "Yellow-shafted Flicker" in the east and far north, and "Red-shafted Flicker" in the west.... brown, barred back; spotted underparts, with black crescent bib. White rump is conspicuous in flight [see my flight photo below]... "Yellow-shafted Flicker" has yellow wing lining and undertail color..."

Another new one for my life list and my photo life list, Yay!]

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12.18- In the trenches

Workers trenching and laying communications cable along Midyette St.

A crew was out laying cable in the misty rain on Midyette St. today... also a Bay River Sewer crew was working on a manhole nearby (more distant trucks).

The crews were pretty busy, so I did not find out any info on what they are doing... I'll ride by tomorrow and see if I can find out.

Also today the Pelicans were out again in full force (see yesterday's post)... So I decided to take some video to capture their frenetic feeding on the Neuse River just outside the Oriental Harbor breakwater:

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12.17- Diving Pelican

A Brown Pelican begins its dive for a fish in the Neuse River

(Click on image above or here for full size)

My favorite animal subject is featured again today... the Brown Pelican. There were about six pelicans hunting over the Neuse near the South Avenue waterfront today, trailed by a few free-booting seagulls. Below is the rest of the dive:

(Click on image above or here for full size)


(Click on image above or here for full size)

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11.30 - Belted Kingfisher

A male Belted Kingfisher perches on a mainmast spreader at Oriental Harbor Marina

"The only kingfisher in most of North America," according to the National Geographic Field Giude. "Common and conspicuous along rivers and brooks, ponds and lakes, estuaries..."

"Call is a loud, dry rattle"... The bird's call was what whaat brought my attention to its' presence, but I would describe it more as a repetitive chittering.

I have seen these birds hovering near the mouth of Whittaker Creek, but not gotten a picture before today.

Kingrishers "hover over water or watch from low perches, then plunge headfirst to catch a fish."

Very cool. Now added to my photographic life-list.

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10.15- Great Blue Heron at sunset

A Great Blue Heron comes in for a landing on the Lou-Mac Park Fishing Pier as the sun sets and the Hunter's Moon prepares to rise.

I had planned on bringing you Part Two of "Endurance," a feature essay about Capt. Bruno (see prior post, below), today, but I have a bit more work to do on that one, so it's not quite ready yet.

Instead I am posting a picture I caught today - a Great Blue Heron that was hanging out on the Lou-Mac Fishing Pier.

The bird was very stoically and majestically perched on the pier when I arrived on the scene riding my bike down South Ave., so I pulled over at a discrete distance and pulled out the little Kodak.

I had taken a couple of OK pictures of him standing straight and tall on the pier, silhouetted against the southern sunset sky, but was still waiting for the perfect pose when a couple came walking past the pier with their dog, and my Heron flew away (most birds, even the intrepid seagulls, flee their roosts at the sight of even the smallest of dogs in the vicinity).

As I reviewed the few pics I had already taken, all of which were out of focus or badly exposed, I cursed the little dog and its' humans for disturbing my photo shoot...

I resigned myself to the missed shot, and sat down to read my current book ("The Rescue," Joseph Conrad) as the sunlight continued to fade... After a few paragraphs, I caught the Heron in the corner of my eye circling the pier, and grabbed the Kodak just in time for this landing.

Sorry little dog and humans for my hasty curses... I already have plenty of pictures of Herons standing up straight and tall, and thanks to y'all I caught this action shot! Thanks little dog.

"Endurance," the Capt. Bruno essay (see prior post, below) will continue... It should be up tomorrow, but I'm not yet sure, since I normally post my "Skywatch Friday" entry on Thursday afternoons (go figure)... but my planned SWF posting is related to Capt. Bruno, so I may continue the story tomorrow... If not, it will be on Friday... TUNE IN TO FIND OUT!

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10.12- Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-bellied woodpecker hunts for bugs in a Persimmon tree next to Oriental Harbor.

I heard a very noisy bird call as I was riding past the Dinghy Dock this afternoon (returning home from sailing in the Bauer 10)...

I stopped and listened until I finally spotted the source up in a Persimmon tree.

I got a few pictures of the bird, which I did not recognize, but suspected was a woodpecker due to its' behavior (pecking at the tree bark and pulling bugs out).

Back at home I found the bird, officially Melanerpes carolinus in one of my bird guides. The bird in today's picture is a male.

I'm not sure where the "carolinus" in the latin name comes from, but this bird's habitat extends across the U.S. from Atlantic Ocean into the Great Plains (excluding most of New England)...

It is a fairly common bird, but it is a brand new addition to my own life-list.

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10.8- Breakwater perch #2 - Heron edition

A Blue Heron surveys Oriental Harbor from its' perch at the end of the Oriental Harbor breakwater.

Okay, this is becoming a series: birds perched on the breakwater... see the very
similar photo of a Brown Pelican perched in pretty much the same spot in my posting of Oct. 1.

As in the Oct. 1 photo, I took this from about 15 to 20 feet away from the bird while sailing the Bauer dinghy back into the harbor after a brief sail out to Oriental marker #1.

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10.1- Breakwater perch

A Brown Pelican surveys the Neuse River from its' perch at the end of the Oriental Harbor breakwater

I photographed this brown pelican (one of my favorite subjects) from about twenty feet away as I was sailing around the breakwater in the Bauer dinghy.

Usually birds perching on the breakwater fly away as I sail closer, but this one stayed put, keeping one eye on me and the other on the river.

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7.18- Pelecanus occidentalis (breed Orientalis)

A Brown Pelican (pelecanus occidentalis) takes wing from its perch on top of Pecan Grove Marina's private Marker #1 at the mouth of Smith Creek. Masts in the background are at Oriental Harbor Marina, across the creek.

Seems like I take a lot of pictures of Pelicans, but they are such cool birds. They always remind me of something that should be on Skull Island in "King Kong" (the original).

I took this picture while sailing around the harbor in a Bauer 10 foot Dinghy. I really wanted to get a picture of the bird perching, because they look like painted wooden carvings... in hindsight I was lucky it decided to take off just as I pointed the camera.

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6.04- To every thing, Tern, Tern, Tern...

A Tern (common tern) takes the place of seagulls which usually occupy this choice piling on the Neuse River.

I have seen very few terns around here, but plenty of seagulls of numerous varieties.

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