Date: 4/18/26 6:53 pm From: 'Kurk Dorsey' via NHBirds <nhbirds...> Subject: [NHBirds] Durham birds this morning
Birders
I had a rewarding morning poking around some of Durham's warm spots (nothing was hot today).
The dogs and I started with a foggy walk around Fogg drive and playing fields, glad that we were not birding hurricane ridge or tsunami swale. We found a small group of Rusty Blackbirds passing through, 2 Louisiana Waterthrushes, and a Sapsucker with its Morse-code tapping. We also had a porcupine in a willow tree, but no willow flycatchers in pine trees.
After feeding the dogs, I was off to the dump with two metal pipes strapped to the roof of the car in what was probably at least a misdemeanor, and once I was done at the dump I was obligated to go further down Bay Road (I viewed it as community service for my transgressions). At Longmarsh, I encountered the one rare bird of the day, a Black-throated Green Warbler singing high in the trees. Pretty unexpected this early, and in fact I had a brain cramp when I first heard it, trying to recall what it was. Other birds in the Longmarsh area were Winter Wren, Blue-headed Vireo, and the only White-throated Sparrows of the day.
Next stop was the causeway at Adams Point, with the tide well out, the wind well in, and a mist to add to the chill. Greater Yellowlegs, RB Mergs, Buffleheads, GW Teal, and a solo Loon were nice, but any Osprey was probably on its way back to Florida.
Things slowed down at Moore fields, which recently got a nice coating of manure from the cow barns, so you might stay on the gravel road for a few days. I had to work to find a lone Meadowlark, pretty high up in a tree across the road from the rolled up hay bales where they often hang out. Maybe it thought it was a tree sparrow? My only Savannah Sparrows of the day were there as well, but also took some work to find.
I then swung over to Oyster River Forest, which was birdy but nothing too unusual until I was heading out when I heard a strange noise above and behind me, reminiscent of a cowbird. I looked up to see a Woodcock flying above tree level with a Cooper's Hawk in warm pursuit (no hot pursuit today). There must be a really interesting back story to how those two got matched on Bumble or Hinge, but they flew over the field and out of view before I could get to the ending credits. Also had my first dragonfly of the year, which reminded me of my grandmother's old saying: April Dragonflies bring May Mississippi Kites.
One last morning stop was at Surrey Lane marsh, which has plenty of water but not much to show in the way of water birds, with just 4 Wood Ducks. But there was a really cool sighting, a mid-size Snapping Turtle working its way back to the water very slowly through the woods. It had mud on its back, so I wonder if it had just dug itself out of a winter mud bath—seems early for egg-laying? I was going to ask about it, but it snapped at me, as one does.
I think I ended up with 69 species of birds, 6 mammals, and two turtles, plus no citations for pipes falling off my car, so it made for a good mid-April excursion.
