Date: 6/14/26 12:33 pm From: Christopher Hill (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Quick release plates
> Joe Donahue <joe_donahue...> wrote:
> I would call B&H and talk to them about your issues. Maybe even get in a bulk discount.
I already did. Their answer was basically that I'm right. Quoting [re: Gitzo]: "the only plate that's compatible is the plate that comes with the head. "
Date: 6/14/26 11:02 am From: Joe Donahue (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Quick release plates
I would call B&H and talk to them about your issues. Maybe even get in a bulk discount.
Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail for iPhone
On Sunday, June 14, 2026, 1:42 PM, Christopher Hill (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> wrote:
OK, Carolinabirds listserv, let's see if you've still got the juice. Though I'm not 100% sure I'm here for answers, might mostly be here to broadcast my complaints.
I (well, the school I teach at) have two large telephoto lens cameras and four spotting scopes. I teach ornithology, which is why I have so many scopes. I am constantly moving scopes back and forth from tripods to window mounts, so quick release swapping is essential.
For decades I have used the manfrotto rectangular quick release system, but those were getting cranky and modern tripod heads seem to use the Arca-Swiss type quick release plates. So, prompted by a drop onto asphalt of a nice Kowa scope when the manfrotto quick release wasn't as secure as I thought, I decided to upgrade/update the whole flock to the Arca-Swiss standard. It will cost a pretty penny, but what the heck, every few decades one (my institution, that is) can afford it.
Now to my complaint: This new cross-manufacturer Arca-Swiss standard is not a standard! While approximating the same shape, the Arca-swiss compatible Oben brand clamp is about 0.3mm too big to firmly hold the Arca Swiss compatible Gitzo plate, which therefore slides around in it. WTF, manufacturers?? Why adopt the new standard if you're still going to have bespoke, manufacturer-specific takes on it? It's frustrating because there is a window mount that meets my needs perfectly for $80 (Oben) but if I have to have everything from the same manufacturer then I'll probably have to return that and fork over $400 (Gitzo) instead.
And to be honest, the Arca-Swiss idea kind of sucks anyway (doesn't snap in, you have to tighten a screw to get it to hold, so not as quick as a quick release should be).
Yeah, I guess I was mostly complaining but among all the scope users out there, if you have found a favorite quick release solution, please feel free to comment about it because I'm still in the middle of figuring out what I'm getting.
Chris Hill,Conway, SC
Date: 6/14/26 10:42 am From: Christopher Hill (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Quick release plates
OK, Carolinabirds listserv, let's see if you've still got the juice. Though I'm not 100% sure I'm here for answers, might mostly be here to broadcast my complaints.
I (well, the school I teach at) have two large telephoto lens cameras and four spotting scopes. I teach ornithology, which is why I have so many scopes. I am constantly moving scopes back and forth from tripods to window mounts, so quick release swapping is essential.
For decades I have used the manfrotto rectangular quick release system, but those were getting cranky and modern tripod heads seem to use the Arca-Swiss type quick release plates. So, prompted by a drop onto asphalt of a nice Kowa scope when the manfrotto quick release wasn't as secure as I thought, I decided to upgrade/update the whole flock to the Arca-Swiss standard. It will cost a pretty penny, but what the heck, every few decades one (my institution, that is) can afford it.
Now to my complaint: This new cross-manufacturer Arca-Swiss standard is not a standard! While approximating the same shape, the Arca-swiss compatible Oben brand clamp is about 0.3mm too big to firmly hold the Arca Swiss compatible Gitzo plate, which therefore slides around in it. WTF, manufacturers?? Why adopt the new standard if you're still going to have bespoke, manufacturer-specific takes on it? It's frustrating because there is a window mount that meets my needs perfectly for $80 (Oben) but if I have to have everything from the same manufacturer then I'll probably have to return that and fork over $400 (Gitzo) instead.
And to be honest, the Arca-Swiss idea kind of sucks anyway (doesn't snap in, you have to tighten a screw to get it to hold, so not as quick as a quick release should be).
Yeah, I guess I was mostly complaining but among all the scope users out there, if you have found a favorite quick release solution, please feel free to comment about it because I'm still in the middle of figuring out what I'm getting.
Date: 6/14/26 10:18 am From: Linda Foster (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Black Oil Sunflower price drop
I buy 120 pounds from them at a time in Moyock NC.
*Linda C Foster*
On Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 1:11 PM Jeremy Wrenn <carolinabirds...> wrote:
> To make a utilitarian use of listserve, I bought 40lbs of black oil
> sunflower seed from my local Tractor Supply for $21.99 today. Thought that
> was a pretty good price, and I've always found it to be good quality. The
> birds have never had issue with it.
>
> I can't guarantee that your local beach has the same price, but I sure
> enjoyed spending about $12 less for the bag than normal.
>
> Is the price dropping everywhere or did I just come across an anomaly
> today?
>
> --Jeremy Wrenn
> Wake Forest, NC
>
Date: 6/14/26 10:11 am From: Jeremy Wrenn (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Black Oil Sunflower price drop
To make a utilitarian use of listserve, I bought 40lbs of black oil sunflower seed from my local Tractor Supply for $21.99 today. Thought that was a pretty good price, and I've always found it to be good quality. The birds have never had issue with it.
I can't guarantee that your local beach has the same price, but I sure enjoyed spending about $12 less for the bag than normal.
Is the price dropping everywhere or did I just come across an anomaly today?
Date: 6/14/26 9:41 am From: Scot Quaranda (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Listserve still serves
I don’t use GroupMe either and would love to know about the Mountains of North Carolina!
Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef> ________________________________
From: <carolinabirds-request...> <carolinabirds-request...> on behalf of Katie Slawitschek <carolinabirds...>
Sent: Sunday, 14 June 2026 10:33:33
To: James Hancock <jamespiano...>; <carolinabirds...> <carolinabirds...>
Subject: Re: Listserve still serves
Can someone share what the RBA group is on GroupMe? Or any other relevant GroupMe bird groups. Im in SC
From: <carolinabirds-request...> <carolinabirds-request...> on behalf of James Hancock <carolinabirds...>
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 8:13 AM
To: <carolinabirds...> <carolinabirds...>
Subject: Listserve still serves
Carolina birds should now be less about rarities (groupme and ebird fulfill this) and more about the joy of birding. Talking about the FOS birds, what you saw on a trip, unusual behaviors ( I love hearing about them).
Those are the posts I read now😀
Skip Hancock
Coinjock NC
Date: 6/14/26 7:33 am From: Katie Slawitschek (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Listserve still serves
Can someone share what the RBA group is on GroupMe? Or any other relevant GroupMe bird groups. Im in SC
From: <carolinabirds-request...> <carolinabirds-request...> on behalf of James Hancock <carolinabirds...>
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 8:13 AM
To: <carolinabirds...> <carolinabirds...>
Subject: Listserve still serves
Carolina birds should now be less about rarities (groupme and ebird fulfill this) and more about the joy of birding. Talking about the FOS birds, what you saw on a trip, unusual behaviors ( I love hearing about them).
Those are the posts I read now😀
Skip Hancock
Coinjock NC
Date: 6/14/26 6:26 am From: Kent Fiala (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve
Remembrance of the time */before Carolinabirds/*. I posted this on Facebook several years ago.
I was out at Ebenezer Point this morning, and my mind turned back to Dec 10, 1994, when I was there to see what was then a Marbled Murrelet, later Long-billed Murrelet (the only lifer I've ever gotten on my birthday!). And I got to thinking, how did we ever bird back then? How did people find out about this bird? How did I find out about it? Eventually I think I've recovered a memory that I was tipped off by a personal email from Will Cook. All of the people who saw it must have benefited by such direct personal contacts.
The bird was discovered by Ricky Davis on the 9th, and four people whom he contacted got out to see it. The next day (10th) over 30 people were reported to have seen it, and a few more got in on the single brief sighting on the 11th.
I think this was just about on the cusp of the time when lots of people were getting on the Internet. Probably a lot of birders did not have email yet. I believe that I personally had not yet heard of the World Wide Web. Carolinabirds was two years in the future. Widespread use of mobile internet was around a decade and a half in the future. I think most people did not even have cell phones. It was also a number of years before you could check distances on Google maps, or navigate with GPS.
The Carolina Bird Club was running a Rare Bird Alert recorded message (maintained by Taylor Piephoff and transcribed by me for a national rare bird alert listserv) that you could call and listen to, but I don't know how many people called every day. If there was an update on the 9th or 10th, I missed transcribing it; I got a Dec 11th transcript out after the last sighting of the bird.
Date: 6/14/26 6:11 am From: Kent Fiala (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve
I took a day off from work to chase the mango, one of I believe only two times I ever did that. We found the mango immediately upon arrival, so then I thought, now what do I do with this whole day? So I went to see a Vermilion Flycatcher in Goldsboro that was also being talked about on Carolinabirds.
Kent Fiala
On 6/12/2026 11:54 PM, Steve Shultz (via carolinabirds Mailing List) wrote: > The mango was amazing. After this record there was a pattern of > vagrancy even up to the Midwest. It has not been repeated however. > This was probably the most incredible bird ever seen in NC. Honored > to have seen it. > > Steve Shultz > > >> On Jun 12, 2026, at 8:42 PM, Rob G <carolinabirds...> wrote: >> >> >> re: the Green-breasted Mango: Yeah, that was a spectacular find, but >> (and merely my speculation) I never believed it got here under its >> own power -- I once worked for a company that dealt with large cargo >> trucks hauling tropical plants from south to north -- birds flew into >> and out of those trucks pretty regularly... I imagine the Mango >> entered such a hauler way south somewhere (and got trapped) and when >> the truck arrived in say Charlotte(?), and the back gate opened, out >> it flew! FWIW. >> >> -- Rob Gluck.... Carrboro, NC. >> >> >> On Friday, June 12, 2026 at 08:22:51 PM EDT, Sandy Cash (via >> carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> wrote: >> >> >> I’m late to this discussion, but the Green-breasted Mango we had over >> 25 years ago in Concord is my favorite nationally rare species we’ve >> had in NC. At least one of the major field guides makes a passing >> reference to that specific bird. >> >> -Sandy >> >> Sandy Cash >> Carrboro, NC, USA >> >> On Wed, Jun 10, 2026 at 1:58 PM Steve Shultz <carolinabirds...> >> wrote: >> >> The booby was an amazing inland bird! >> >> From an ABA perspective, they are fairly easy since they breed in >> Hawaii. I choose not to count Hawaii birds on my ABA list, but >> others do, and the rules allow. Otherwise, there have been about >> a hundred accepted continental records for that species. >> >> The bluetail is an amazing record too! … but my post was about >> nationally rare birds found in NC 😉 >> >> Steve Shultz >> >> >> > On Jun 10, 2026, at 1:06 PM, Robert Lewis <rfermat...> >> wrote: >> > >> > Steve Shultz wrote: >> > >> >> But back to the Garganey. There is one being seen at Pea >> Island in Dare County (found by Audrey Whitlock.) It’s an amazing >> find. This is perhaps the rarest chasable bird to grace North >> Carolina in a decade. Most “rare birds” aren’t. They are locally >> rare, slightly late, slightly early, or uncommon. This duck is >> rare. It is continentally rare. Virtually no one in NC has seen >> one in NC, and few have seen one in the United States, especially >> an alternate plumaged drake. It’s a big deal*. >> > >> > No doubt it's a great record. But I don't think it is quite as >> rare as Steve suggests. There are about 100 records in North >> America outside of Alaska, and 80 in Alaska. Furthermore, a >> pattern is beginning to appear of the bird appearing in the East >> in late May - early June. Now, Red-flanked Bluetail -- that's RARE! >> > >> > Personally, I still think the Red-footed Booby of a few years >> ago in Wake County is truly amazing. There are only two inland >> records in North America. (The other was in Alabama.) And yes, >> it was chaseable. I chased it! So did dozens of others. >> > >> > Bob Lewis >> > Durham NC >>
Date: 6/14/26 5:13 am From: James Hancock (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Listserve still serves
Carolina birds should now be less about rarities (groupme and ebird fulfill this) and more about the joy of birding. Talking about the FOS birds, what you saw on a trip, unusual behaviors ( I love hearing about them).
Those are the posts I read now😀
Skip Hancock
Coinjock NC
Date: 6/13/26 12:32 pm From: Sandy Cash (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve
Weirdly enough, there *are* still a couple of key holdouts against the
GroupMe hegemony - the LRGV RBA is still on WhatsApp, and SE AZ (maybe all
of AZ) uses…Discord.
-Sandy
Sandy Cash
Carrboro, NC, USA
On Sat, Jun 13, 2026 at 9:21 AM "Len (null)" <carolinabirds...> wrote:
> I remember driving up from Greenville, SC. There were about a dozen other
> birders there. We saw the mango immediately. It was Nov 24, 2000.
>
> Len Kopka
>
> On Jun 13, 2026, at 6:33 AM, Dennis Forsythe <carolinabirds...>
> wrote:
>
>
> All
>
> Ed Blitch and I drove up from Charleston to see the Mango. We saw it as
> soon as we arrived and after more viewing we drove home arriving at 6PM. A
> great bird and a spectacular day with my late friend Ed. Blitch 3 .
>
> Dennis
>
> On Fri, Jun 12, 2026 at 11:55 PM Steve Shultz <carolinabirds...>
> wrote:
>
>> The mango was amazing. After this record there was a pattern of vagrancy
>> even up to the Midwest. It has not been repeated however. This was probably
>> the most incredible bird ever seen in NC. Honored
>> to have seen it.
>>
>> Steve Shultz
>>
>>
>> On Jun 12, 2026, at 8:42 PM, Rob G <carolinabirds...> wrote:
>>
>>
>> re: the Green-breasted Mango: Yeah, that was a spectacular find, but (and
>> merely my speculation) I never believed it got here under its own power --
>> I once worked for a company that dealt with large cargo trucks hauling
>> tropical plants from south to north -- birds flew into and out of those
>> trucks pretty regularly... I imagine the Mango entered such a hauler way
>> south somewhere (and got trapped) and when the truck arrived in say
>> Charlotte(?), and the back gate opened, out it flew! FWIW.
>>
>> -- Rob Gluck.... Carrboro, NC.
>>
>>
>> On Friday, June 12, 2026 at 08:22:51 PM EDT, Sandy Cash (via
>> carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> wrote:
>>
>>
>> I’m late to this discussion, but the Green-breasted Mango we had over 25
>> years ago in Concord is my favorite nationally rare species we’ve had in
>> NC. At least one of the major field guides makes a passing reference to
>> that specific bird.
>>
>> -Sandy
>>
>> Sandy Cash
>> Carrboro, NC, USA
>>
>> On Wed, Jun 10, 2026 at 1:58 PM Steve Shultz <carolinabirds...>
>> wrote:
>>
>> The booby was an amazing inland bird!
>>
>> From an ABA perspective, they are fairly easy since they breed in Hawaii.
>> I choose not to count Hawaii birds on my ABA list, but others do, and the
>> rules allow. Otherwise, there have been about a hundred accepted
>> continental records for that species.
>>
>> The bluetail is an amazing record too! … but my post was about nationally
>> rare birds found in NC 😉
>>
>> Steve Shultz
>>
>>
>> > On Jun 10, 2026, at 1:06 PM, Robert Lewis <rfermat...> wrote:
>> >
>> > Steve Shultz wrote:
>> >
>> >> But back to the Garganey. There is one being seen at Pea Island in
>> Dare County (found by Audrey Whitlock.) It’s an amazing find. This is
>> perhaps the rarest chasable bird to grace North Carolina in a decade. Most
>> “rare birds” aren’t. They are locally rare, slightly late, slightly early,
>> or uncommon. This duck is rare. It is continentally rare. Virtually no one
>> in NC has seen one in NC, and few have seen one in the United States,
>> especially an alternate plumaged drake. It’s a big deal*.
>> >
>> > No doubt it's a great record. But I don't think it is quite as rare as
>> Steve suggests. There are about 100 records in North America outside of
>> Alaska, and 80 in Alaska. Furthermore, a pattern is beginning to appear of
>> the bird appearing in the East in late May - early June. Now, Red-flanked
>> Bluetail -- that's RARE!
>> >
>> > Personally, I still think the Red-footed Booby of a few years ago in
>> Wake County is truly amazing. There are only two inland records in North
>> America. (The other was in Alabama.) And yes, it was chaseable. I chased
>> it! So did dozens of others.
>> >
>> > Bob Lewis
>> > Durham NC
>>
>>
>
> --
> Dennis M Forsythe PhD
> Emeritus Professor of Biology
> The Citadel
> Charleston, SC
> 843-708-1605 cell
>
Date: 6/13/26 3:33 am From: Dennis Forsythe (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve
All
Ed Blitch and I drove up from Charleston to see the Mango. We saw it as
soon as we arrived and after more viewing we drove home arriving at 6PM. A
great bird and a spectacular day with my late friend Ed. Blitch 3 .
Dennis
On Fri, Jun 12, 2026 at 11:55 PM Steve Shultz <carolinabirds...>
wrote:
> The mango was amazing. After this record there was a pattern of vagrancy
> even up to the Midwest. It has not been repeated however. This was probably
> the most incredible bird ever seen in NC. Honored
> to have seen it.
>
> Steve Shultz
>
>
> On Jun 12, 2026, at 8:42 PM, Rob G <carolinabirds...> wrote:
>
>
> re: the Green-breasted Mango: Yeah, that was a spectacular find, but (and
> merely my speculation) I never believed it got here under its own power --
> I once worked for a company that dealt with large cargo trucks hauling
> tropical plants from south to north -- birds flew into and out of those
> trucks pretty regularly... I imagine the Mango entered such a hauler way
> south somewhere (and got trapped) and when the truck arrived in say
> Charlotte(?), and the back gate opened, out it flew! FWIW.
>
> -- Rob Gluck.... Carrboro, NC.
>
>
> On Friday, June 12, 2026 at 08:22:51 PM EDT, Sandy Cash (via carolinabirds
> Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> wrote:
>
>
> I’m late to this discussion, but the Green-breasted Mango we had over 25
> years ago in Concord is my favorite nationally rare species we’ve had in
> NC. At least one of the major field guides makes a passing reference to
> that specific bird.
>
> -Sandy
>
> Sandy Cash
> Carrboro, NC, USA
>
> On Wed, Jun 10, 2026 at 1:58 PM Steve Shultz <carolinabirds...>
> wrote:
>
> The booby was an amazing inland bird!
>
> From an ABA perspective, they are fairly easy since they breed in Hawaii.
> I choose not to count Hawaii birds on my ABA list, but others do, and the
> rules allow. Otherwise, there have been about a hundred accepted
> continental records for that species.
>
> The bluetail is an amazing record too! … but my post was about nationally
> rare birds found in NC 😉
>
> Steve Shultz
>
>
> > On Jun 10, 2026, at 1:06 PM, Robert Lewis <rfermat...> wrote:
> >
> > Steve Shultz wrote:
> >
> >> But back to the Garganey. There is one being seen at Pea Island in Dare
> County (found by Audrey Whitlock.) It’s an amazing find. This is perhaps
> the rarest chasable bird to grace North Carolina in a decade. Most “rare
> birds” aren’t. They are locally rare, slightly late, slightly early, or
> uncommon. This duck is rare. It is continentally rare. Virtually no one in
> NC has seen one in NC, and few have seen one in the United States,
> especially an alternate plumaged drake. It’s a big deal*.
> >
> > No doubt it's a great record. But I don't think it is quite as rare as
> Steve suggests. There are about 100 records in North America outside of
> Alaska, and 80 in Alaska. Furthermore, a pattern is beginning to appear of
> the bird appearing in the East in late May - early June. Now, Red-flanked
> Bluetail -- that's RARE!
> >
> > Personally, I still think the Red-footed Booby of a few years ago in
> Wake County is truly amazing. There are only two inland records in North
> America. (The other was in Alabama.) And yes, it was chaseable. I chased
> it! So did dozens of others.
> >
> > Bob Lewis
> > Durham NC
>
>
--
Dennis M Forsythe PhD
Emeritus Professor of Biology
The Citadel
Charleston, SC
843-708-1605 cell
Date: 6/12/26 5:42 pm From: Rob G (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve
re: the Green-breasted Mango: Yeah, that was a spectacular find, but (and merely my speculation) I never believed it got here under its own power -- I once worked for a company that dealt with large cargo trucks hauling tropical plants from south to north -- birds flew into and out of those trucks pretty regularly... I imagine the Mango entered such a hauler way south somewhere (and got trapped) and when the truck arrived in say Charlotte(?), and the back gate opened, out it flew! FWIW.
-- Rob Gluck.... Carrboro, NC.
On Friday, June 12, 2026 at 08:22:51 PM EDT, Sandy Cash (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> wrote:
I’m late to this discussion, but the Green-breasted Mango we had over 25 years ago in Concord is my favorite nationally rare species we’ve had in NC. At least one of the major field guides makes a passing reference to that specific bird.
-Sandy
Sandy CashCarrboro, NC, USA
On Wed, Jun 10, 2026 at 1:58 PM Steve Shultz <carolinabirds...> wrote:
The booby was an amazing inland bird!
From an ABA perspective, they are fairly easy since they breed in Hawaii. I choose not to count Hawaii birds on my ABA list, but others do, and the rules allow. Otherwise, there have been about a hundred accepted continental records for that species.
The bluetail is an amazing record too! … but my post was about nationally rare birds found in NC 😉
Steve Shultz
> On Jun 10, 2026, at 1:06 PM, Robert Lewis <rfermat...> wrote:
>
> Steve Shultz wrote:
>
>> But back to the Garganey. There is one being seen at Pea Island in Dare County (found by Audrey Whitlock.) It’s an amazing find. This is perhaps the rarest chasable bird to grace North Carolina in a decade. Most “rare birds” aren’t. They are locally rare, slightly late, slightly early, or uncommon. This duck is rare. It is continentally rare. Virtually no one in NC has seen one in NC, and few have seen one in the United States, especially an alternate plumaged drake. It’s a big deal*.
>
> No doubt it's a great record. But I don't think it is quite as rare as Steve suggests. There are about 100 records in North America outside of Alaska, and 80 in Alaska. Furthermore, a pattern is beginning to appear of the bird appearing in the East in late May - early June. Now, Red-flanked Bluetail -- that's RARE!
>
> Personally, I still think the Red-footed Booby of a few years ago in Wake County is truly amazing. There are only two inland records in North America. (The other was in Alabama.) And yes, it was chaseable. I chased it! So did dozens of others.
>
> Bob Lewis
> Durham NC
Date: 6/12/26 5:22 pm From: Sandy Cash (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve
I’m late to this discussion, but the Green-breasted Mango we had over 25
years ago in Concord is my favorite nationally rare species we’ve had in
NC. At least one of the major field guides makes a passing reference to
that specific bird.
-Sandy
Sandy Cash
Carrboro, NC, USA
On Wed, Jun 10, 2026 at 1:58 PM Steve Shultz <carolinabirds...> wrote:
> The booby was an amazing inland bird!
>
> From an ABA perspective, they are fairly easy since they breed in Hawaii.
> I choose not to count Hawaii birds on my ABA list, but others do, and the
> rules allow. Otherwise, there have been about a hundred accepted
> continental records for that species.
>
> The bluetail is an amazing record too! … but my post was about nationally
> rare birds found in NC 😉
>
> Steve Shultz
>
>
> > On Jun 10, 2026, at 1:06 PM, Robert Lewis <rfermat...> wrote:
> >
> > Steve Shultz wrote:
> >
> >> But back to the Garganey. There is one being seen at Pea Island in Dare
> County (found by Audrey Whitlock.) It’s an amazing find. This is perhaps
> the rarest chasable bird to grace North Carolina in a decade. Most “rare
> birds” aren’t. They are locally rare, slightly late, slightly early, or
> uncommon. This duck is rare. It is continentally rare. Virtually no one in
> NC has seen one in NC, and few have seen one in the United States,
> especially an alternate plumaged drake. It’s a big deal*.
> >
> > No doubt it's a great record. But I don't think it is quite as rare as
> Steve suggests. There are about 100 records in North America outside of
> Alaska, and 80 in Alaska. Furthermore, a pattern is beginning to appear of
> the bird appearing in the East in late May - early June. Now, Red-flanked
> Bluetail -- that's RARE!
> >
> > Personally, I still think the Red-footed Booby of a few years ago in
> Wake County is truly amazing. There are only two inland records in North
> America. (The other was in Alabama.) And yes, it was chaseable. I chased
> it! So did dozens of others.
> >
> > Bob Lewis
> > Durham NC
>
Date: 6/12/26 1:29 pm From: Gretchen Schramm (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: guide for day trip in Belize
Marcia, I just got back from a burning trip in Belize and had some great
guides. Where are you going?
On Fri, Jun 12, 2026 at 4:27 PM Marcia Mandel <carolinabirds...>
wrote:
> I'm looking for a guide for a one day trip in Belize. I'm going on a tour
> but have one day on my own and there are a few birds I want to be sure that
> I see. Please let me know if you can recommend someone. Thanks.
> Marcia
>
>
>
Date: 6/12/26 1:27 pm From: Marcia Mandel (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: guide for day trip in Belize
I'm looking for a guide for a one day trip in Belize. I'm going on a tour but have one day on my own and there are a few birds I want to be sure that I see. Please let me know if you can recommend someone. Thanks. Marcia
Date: 6/12/26 11:04 am From: Jeremy Wrenn (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Anyone going out early tomorrow to look for the Garganey?
I have a ride now, thanks!
Here's to good birding!
--Jeremy Wrenn
On Fri, Jun 12, 2026, 1:17 PM Jeremy Wrenn <jeremy.wrenn...> wrote:
> Is anyone going out early tomorrow morning (Saturday 6/13) from or through
> the Triangle (around Raleigh) to look for the Garganey?
>
> Looking to ride along or drive with someone and share gas costs.
>
> Email me back directly if you are and open to a tag-along!
>
> Thanks,
>
> --Jeremy Wrenn
> Wake Forest, NC
>
Date: 6/12/26 10:17 am From: Jeremy Wrenn (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Anyone going out early tomorrow to look for the Garganey?
Is anyone going out early tomorrow morning (Saturday 6/13) from or through the Triangle (around Raleigh) to look for the Garganey?
Looking to ride along or drive with someone and share gas costs.
Email me back directly if you are and open to a tag-along!
Date: 6/12/26 8:17 am From: Alan Meijer (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Ruffed Grouse and Swainson's Warbler on BRP.
Took a brief jog along the BRP on Tuesday evening after work and then Wednesday morning before work.
June 10. Henderson County. BRP: Halfway between the Little Pisgah Tunnel and the Mills River Valley Overlook, just south of where 151 branches off the BRP, I saw a RUFFED GROUSE standing in the grass in full sunshine on the side of the road. I did a U-turn to confirm what I thought I had seen. Sure enough. I have photos. He looked wet but undisturbed. What was great was that it was foggy and cloudy everywhere else but that spot remained in full sunshine as I did my u-turns to drive back to that spot.
June 11. Buncombe County. BRP. Tanbark Ridge Tunnel Parking Lot (south end). I stopped here briefly because of the number of cars here (and finding out it's a popular trailhead. I had the windows down and before I could stop, I could clearly hear the loud song of a SWAINSON'S WARBLER over all the other bird songs. I found it quite quickly on the [left side of the road, when heading north toward Mt. Mitchell] skulking around in the undergrowth. He was loud and was constantly calling. Other birds at this site included: EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE, EASTERN PHOEBE, RED-EYED VIREO, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, HOODED WARBLER, and NORTHERN PARULA.
On Mt. Mitchell, I didn't see much but did see a large flock of PINE SISKINS, CANADA WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, and heard the virtuosic singing of a WINTER WREN that would not come out of the brush for a view.
Other birds seen and heard on this trip included: CANADA WARBLER, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER closer to Boone, NC on Hwy 221 on Monday evening after work. I saw one BROAD-WINGED HAWK soaring just above me and would have gotten a great photo had it not been for the mist that enshrouded the hawk, or rather, me.
Date: 6/11/26 1:07 pm From: Kent Fiala (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve - Steve Shultz
Dowitchers were split in the 5th edition of the AOU Check-list, published in 1957. Peterson's Second Revision edition, the dominant field guide for three decades or so, was published in 1947. I had several years of blissful ignorance before I learned about the split--probably from the Golden Guide in 1966.
Kent Fiala
On 6/11/2026 3:59 PM, Wayne Hoffman wrote: > Hi - > > I think the 2 North American dowitchers were not split until after Peterson wrote his first field guide. > > Wayne > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Christopher Hill" <carolinabirds...> > To: "kent fiala" <kent.fiala...> > Cc: "carolinabirds" <carolinabirds...> > Sent: Thursday, June 11, 2026 3:16:53 PM > Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve - Steve Shultz > > Not that I was identifying dowitchers then,* but the first field guide I was exposed to (Peterson 2nd ed) only listed one: "Dowitcher." > > Chris Hill > Conway, SC > > *not gonna lie, there are dowitchers I leave unidentified to this day. > >> On Jun 11, 2026, at 3:10 PM, Kent Fiala <carolinabirds...> wrote: >> >> External sender <carolinabirds...> >> >> Make sure you trust this sender before taking any actions. >> >> Fun fact, you can't identify Bell's Vireo using the Reed guide, because he left it out. Messed me up because Bell's Vireo happened to be one of the first birds I encountered back in 1961 when Reed was actually my only field guide. >> >> Kent Fiala >> >> On 6/11/2026 9:07 AM, Chris Clarke (via carolinabirds Mailing List) wrote: >>> Steve - Bronze Age? I still occasionally use my Chester A. Reed bird book... (that is not a joke) >>> >>> Chris Clarke >>> Apex, NC
Date: 6/11/26 12:59 pm From: Wayne Hoffman (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve - Steve Shultz
Hi -
I think the 2 North American dowitchers were not split until after Peterson wrote his first field guide.
Wayne
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Hill" <carolinabirds...>
To: "kent fiala" <kent.fiala...>
Cc: "carolinabirds" <carolinabirds...>
Sent: Thursday, June 11, 2026 3:16:53 PM
Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve - Steve Shultz
Not that I was identifying dowitchers then,* but the first field guide I was exposed to (Peterson 2nd ed) only listed one: "Dowitcher."
Chris Hill
Conway, SC
*not gonna lie, there are dowitchers I leave unidentified to this day.
> On Jun 11, 2026, at 3:10 PM, Kent Fiala <carolinabirds...> wrote:
>
> External sender <carolinabirds...>
>
> Make sure you trust this sender before taking any actions.
>
> Fun fact, you can't identify Bell's Vireo using the Reed guide, because he left it out. Messed me up because Bell's Vireo happened to be one of the first birds I encountered back in 1961 when Reed was actually my only field guide.
>
> Kent Fiala
>
> On 6/11/2026 9:07 AM, Chris Clarke (via carolinabirds Mailing List) wrote:
>> Steve - Bronze Age? I still occasionally use my Chester A. Reed bird book... (that is not a joke)
>>
>> Chris Clarke
>> Apex, NC
Date: 6/11/26 12:17 pm From: Christopher Hill (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve - Steve Shultz
Not that I was identifying dowitchers then,* but the first field guide I was exposed to (Peterson 2nd ed) only listed one: "Dowitcher."
Chris Hill
Conway, SC
*not gonna lie, there are dowitchers I leave unidentified to this day.
> On Jun 11, 2026, at 3:10 PM, Kent Fiala <carolinabirds...> wrote:
>
> External sender <carolinabirds...>
>
> Make sure you trust this sender before taking any actions.
>
> Fun fact, you can't identify Bell's Vireo using the Reed guide, because he left it out. Messed me up because Bell's Vireo happened to be one of the first birds I encountered back in 1961 when Reed was actually my only field guide.
>
> Kent Fiala
>
> On 6/11/2026 9:07 AM, Chris Clarke (via carolinabirds Mailing List) wrote:
>> Steve - Bronze Age? I still occasionally use my Chester A. Reed bird book... (that is not a joke)
>>
>> Chris Clarke
>> Apex, NC
Date: 6/11/26 12:10 pm From: Kent Fiala (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve - Steve Shultz
Fun fact, you can't identify Bell's Vireo using the Reed guide, because he left it out. Messed me up because Bell's Vireo happened to be one of the first birds I encountered back in 1961 when Reed was actually my only field guide.
Kent Fiala
On 6/11/2026 9:07 AM, Chris Clarke (via carolinabirds Mailing List) wrote: > Steve - Bronze Age? I still occasionally use my Chester A. Reed bird > book... (that is not a joke) > > Chris Clarke > Apex, NC
Date: 6/11/26 12:01 pm From: Steve Shultz (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve - Steve Shultz
Love it!
Steve Shultz
> On Jun 11, 2026, at 9:08 AM, Chris Clarke <carolinabirds...> wrote:
>
>
> Steve - Bronze Age? I still occasionally use my Chester A. Reed bird book... (that is not a joke)
>
> Chris Clarke
> Apex, NC
Date: 6/11/26 9:23 am From: <badgerboy...> Subject: Re: Did owners of Meat Camp Creek hotspot shut down access?
The current owner, Aaron Simon, has said repeatedly that he welcomes birders to drop in. He sometimes has campers out there, and he suggests that birders say hello to anyone they meet and just mention what they are doing.
Guy (McGrane, Boone NC)
On 6/11/2026 10:20 AM, Kevin Hudson (via carolinabirds Mailing List) wrote: > Havent been here in two years, looks like it hasnt been mowed in quite > a while. > Didnt see any "No Trespassing/Private Property" signs until i got back > to trail along creek. > > Thanks! > Kevin Hudson > Apex NC
Date: 6/11/26 7:25 am From: Kevin Hudson (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Did owners of Meat Camp Creek hotspot shut down access?
Havent been here in two years, looks like it hasnt been mowed in quite a while. Didnt see any "No Trespassing/Private Property" signs until i got back to trail along creek.
Date: 6/11/26 7:11 am From: Robert Lewis (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve - Steve Shultz
That's neolithic. But cool.
Bob Lewis
Durham NC
On Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 09:08:01 AM EDT, Chris Clarke (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> wrote:
Steve - Bronze Age? I still occasionally use my Chester A. Reed bird book... (that is not a joke)
Date: 6/11/26 6:08 am From: Chris Clarke (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve - Steve Shultz
Steve - Bronze Age? I still occasionally use my Chester A. Reed bird book... (that is not a joke)
Date: 6/10/26 10:58 am From: Steve Shultz (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve
The booby was an amazing inland bird!
From an ABA perspective, they are fairly easy since they breed in Hawaii. I choose not to count Hawaii birds on my ABA list, but others do, and the rules allow. Otherwise, there have been about a hundred accepted continental records for that species.
The bluetail is an amazing record too! … but my post was about nationally rare birds found in NC 😉
Steve Shultz
> On Jun 10, 2026, at 1:06 PM, Robert Lewis <rfermat...> wrote:
>
> Steve Shultz wrote:
>
>> But back to the Garganey. There is one being seen at Pea Island in Dare County (found by Audrey Whitlock.) It’s an amazing find. This is perhaps the rarest chasable bird to grace North Carolina in a decade. Most “rare birds” aren’t. They are locally rare, slightly late, slightly early, or uncommon. This duck is rare. It is continentally rare. Virtually no one in NC has seen one in NC, and few have seen one in the United States, especially an alternate plumaged drake. It’s a big deal*.
>
> No doubt it's a great record. But I don't think it is quite as rare as Steve suggests. There are about 100 records in North America outside of Alaska, and 80 in Alaska. Furthermore, a pattern is beginning to appear of the bird appearing in the East in late May - early June. Now, Red-flanked Bluetail -- that's RARE!
>
> Personally, I still think the Red-footed Booby of a few years ago in Wake County is truly amazing. There are only two inland records in North America. (The other was in Alabama.) And yes, it was chaseable. I chased it! So did dozens of others.
>
> Bob Lewis
> Durham NC
Date: 6/10/26 10:06 am From: Robert Lewis (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve
Steve Shultz wrote:
>But back to the Garganey. There is one being seen at Pea Island in Dare County (found by Audrey Whitlock.) It’s an amazing find. This is perhaps the rarest chasable bird to grace North Carolina in a decade. Most “rare birds” aren’t. They are locally rare, slightly late, slightly early, or uncommon. This duck is rare. It is continentally rare. Virtually no one in NC has seen one in NC, and few have seen one in the United States, especially an alternate plumaged drake. It’s a big deal*.
No doubt it's a great record. But I don't think it is quite as rare as Steve suggests. There are about 100 records in North America outside of Alaska, and 80 in Alaska. Furthermore, a pattern is beginning to appear of the bird appearing in the East in late May - early June. Now, Red-flanked Bluetail -- that's RARE!
Personally, I still think the Red-footed Booby of a few years ago in Wake County is truly amazing. There are only two inland records in North America. (The other was in Alabama.) And yes, it was chaseable. I chased it! So did dozens of others.
Date: 6/10/26 6:51 am From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Reminder: A call for Spring Reports for the Briefs for the Files
Fellow birders,
Here is a good enough reason for the Carolinabirds listserve to provide a forum for important announcements!
Now that the Spring Season is over (March - May), as *The Chat'*s Briefs for the Files editor, I would like to hear from *any of you who have not posted important records for the season already on eBird. * The great majority of the Briefs over the past decade have come from the editor perusing the eBird database, species by species, and picking out the most signficant reports. This is tedious (looking at over 400 Species Maps!), but I need to wait for a few more days to start so that any and all rarity sightings (as seen on the Carolina Bird Club Sightings page) have hopefully been approved as valid. But, *a few of you might have some important records that were not on eBird, so please let me know what notable birds you saw*.
As we know, this was a poor spring for strong fronts and strong winds, especially winds from the west and northwest, that could bring major pushes of Neotropical migrants from west of our region into the Carolinas. As a result, we have been in various stages of drought, and the scarcity of westerly winds meant a disappointing spring for notable warblers, for example. The drought did provide sizable mudflats at some lakes, and thus inland shorebirding was more exciting than usual. So, it was a mixed bag for birders, but coastal birding was rather dull owing to a scarcity of unsettled weather. Thankfully, there were enough easterly winds that birders did see some good seabirds from shore and off the Outer Banks on pelagic trips.
I'd like to hear from folks by* June 25*, if possible. Again, *almost all of you submit eBird reports, so those data are already available to me on the website, and thus a big "Thank You" for posting results.*
Harry LeGrand, Brief for the Files editor (for *The Chat*) Raleigh
Date: 6/9/26 7:50 pm From: Lynn Erla Beegle (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve
Ah, Kent Fiala was certainly the leading edge of digital birding!
I want to remind birders of one other important way to get the Rare
Bird information: the "Sightings" page of CarolinaBirdClub.org:
https://www.carolinabirdclub.org/sightings/ "“Notable” sightings are submitted to an eBird reviewer for
acceptance. Only those sightings with a check mark by the species name
have so far been accepted; others are pending confirmation."
The "Sightings" page automatically finds and pulls data of any rare
bird detected in NC and SC - whether the bird has been confirmed or
not. Confirmation can take an hour or days, and unconfirmed birds do
NOT show up on Hotspot summaries. THey are listed in date order, and
you can also filter the sightings by county. Checking the "Sightings"
page frequently is the best way to get information quickly.
I recall seeing a report of a pair of American Avocet at Shelley Lake,
which is close by me in Wake County. I was stuck at work when I saw it
listed on the Sightings page. I informed my students that I had a
"birding emergency" and Extra Help was canceled at 1 today. For my
lunch hour, I drove to Shelley and found the Avocets - I had the scope
in my car, but, I had to jog quite a ways in a skirt and heels!
https://ebird.org/checklist/S94087598 So keep the "Sightings" page of CarolinaBirdClub on Your Favorites for
your web browser!
Lynn Erla Beegle
Raleigh North Carolina
On Tue, Jun 9, 2026 at 10:01 PM Kent Fiala <carolinabirds...> wrote:
>
> I claim to be the very first Carolina birder to post an observation from the field. Here is that message; it was sent from a Palm device, I think my trusty Palm Tungsten T3, tethered via USB cable to my flip phone. This was 3 years before the first iPhone.
>
> To: "Carolinabirds" <carolinabirds...>
> Subject: Iceland Gull
> From: "Kent Fiala" <fiala...>
> Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 8:03:00 -0500
>
> I'm at the Farrington bridge now; the Iceland Gull is still present. It took me a little bit longer than Steve's 10 seconds to find it; maybe twice as long. It really stands out among the Ring-bills.
>
> --
> Kent Fiala
> via wireless
>
>
>
> On 6/9/2026 7:41 PM, ncsealord (via carolinabirds Mailing List) wrote:
>
> Some early adopters of technology (Kent Fiala, I am looking at you) started to send e-mail from the actual location of the bird
Date: 6/9/26 7:01 pm From: Kent Fiala (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve
I claim to be the very first Carolina birder to post an observation from the field. Here is that message; it was sent from a Palm device, I think my trusty Palm Tungsten T3, tethered via USB cable to my flip phone. This was 3 years before the first iPhone.
> To: "Carolinabirds" <carolinabirds...> > Subject: Iceland Gull > From: "Kent Fiala" <fiala...> > Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 8:03:00 -0500 > > I'm at the Farrington bridge now; the Iceland Gull is still present. > It took me a little bit longer than Steve's 10 seconds to find it; > maybe twice as long. It really stands out among the Ring-bills. > > -- > Kent Fiala > via wireless
On 6/9/2026 7:41 PM, ncsealord (via carolinabirds Mailing List) wrote:
> Some early adopters of technology (Kent Fiala, I am looking at you) > started to send e-mail /from the actual location of the bird /
Date: 6/9/26 5:27 pm From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve
I agree with everything that ncsealord, Steve Shultz, AND Ben Dover said
here.🤪
There are a few dozen of us who "joined" the Carolinabirds listserve way
back in the 1990s, I guess it was, when Will Cook started it. Yes, for a
decade perhaps, this WAS the best place for folks to post sightings or
records of rare species. But, by the mid 2020s, most of the species
reported here seem to deal with backyard birds, such as hummingbirds. Rare
species reporting and discussion here have been dwindling, and moving to
Facebook and GroupMe, as Steve says.
There are still very important announcements that are posted here, such as
the closing, temporary or permanent, of a favored birding site. There are
announcements about bird club meetings, other important festivals or
events, and so forth. These announcements work well here because the
person posting isn't limited by space, unlike many texting sites or
Facebook sites. So, it is very important that Carolinabirds be the major
"bulletin board" for birding events in the Carolinas.
It is also important for discussions about puzzling birds, discussion of
field marks, and other identification issues. There have also been recent
discussions about birding cruises, outside the Carolinas. There are
frequently important discussions about optics -- what are the best spotting
scopes, best binoculars, best for the money, etc.
So, the Carolinabirds listserve certainly has a major function that
Facebook groups and GroupMe groups cannot address well. It is just a matter
of folks posting to the listserve -- with the knowledge that two major
areas need to be avoided -- religion and politics. And, I will admit, with
the current situation in the country right now, whereby funding for natural
resources and conservation -- such as national wildlife refuge staff, for
example -- has been seriously reduced, it is hard to stay away from the
second topic. But, folks who have recently visited Pea Island refuge,
Mattamuskeet refuge, or especially Alligator River refuge, will note the
near lack of management of such refuges -- lack of raising and lowering of
impoundment water levels, lack of gravel/dirt road maintenance, etc. I was
told that there are now 4 staff (full-time at least) to manage SIX coastal
NC refuges, including these three.
Harry LeGrand
Raleigh
On Tue, Jun 9, 2026 at 7:41 PM ncsealord <carolinabirds...> wrote:
> In the beginning there was a telephone tree. Rare bird information passed
> from person to person via a “phone tree”. This worked so long as you were
> a limb, or at least a leaf, on the tree. Intraday or even day to day
> updates were difficult and uncommon. Remember you had to find a phone, have
> the coins for the call, and sometimes that was long distance. If you are
> Gen Z or later DM me and I will explain what “coins” are, why finding a
> phone was sometimes difficult (and what one looked like), and the concept
> of a “long-distance call”. We may not make it all the way to collect calls,
> but you’ll at least get the gist.
>
>
>
> Eventually someone created the answering machine. It was a miracle. A
> pre-recorded message of current rarities was available day or night. The
> occasional need for coins and the specter of long-distance calls was still
> a factor.
>
>
>
> Then the sun rose over the land. Phones had evolved into things that came
> in bags and sported aerials the size of a small TV station transmitter, but
> calls could be *made from the field*. Instantaneous information was
> possible. You still had to be the person called to know, but wow, the
> technology was amazing.
>
>
>
> But it got better. A thing called e-mail happened. Now rare bird
> information could be sent instantly to an unlimited (mostly) number of
> people. Updates could be sent in more or less timely fashion. Some early
> adopters of technology (Kent Fiala, I am looking at you) started to send
> e-mail *from the actual location of the bird *from their phone*. *It was
> a revolution. Birds could be chased and chasers had a reasonable
> expectation of finding what they were looking for. Updates could be
> intraday or even more frequent.
>
>
>
> Decades went by.
>
>
>
> And then e-mail died. Sort of like MySpace. It worked, everyone had it.
> But it became blasé. And who wants to actually write entire sentences (with
> punctuation!?) Bro. Way too much work.
>
>
>
> Messaging apps came on the scene. It was pretty much the same thing as
> email, except you thumb type in little phrases. Grammar mavens shuddered.
> This was (and is) not the place for lengthy discourse or discussion. Just
> the facts ma’am, and in as few characters as possible, if you please.
>
>
>
> GroupMe fought WhatsApp and now rules the bird info exchange word. Or I
> should say that Microsoft rules, but whatever. And it’s not all bad. With
> email you got it all. The stuff you wanted and the stuff you didn’t.
> Someone’s first hummingbird of the year mixed with threads about hunters,
> outdoor cats, and squirrel-proofing.
>
>
>
> With GroupMe superfluous info is quickly crowdsourced to the curb. You can
> subscribe to local, state, or regional groups, and decide if you want to
> only look at the discussion, the RBA, or all of it. You can have your phone
> ding when a rare bird note is posted but stay silent when posts are added
> to the discussion chats.
>
>
>
> The bad thing? You don’t know what you don’t know. Did you know there is
> an OBX-only GroupMe? One for the mountains too. If I visit Kodiak, Alaska,
> how many GroupMe are there and how do I join? I don’t know. It’s a bit more
> work, and you now have to look at multiple places for the same info you got
> via email before, but it’s all there, just not in a box with a bow. That is
> the state of the world today. Just Google it and follow the directions.
>
>
>
> GroupMe is good. It’s all business. There is not much personality, there
> is not much discourse or diatribes. It does what it should. Until it too
> becomes passe and something else comes along.
>
>
>
> But back to the Garganey. There is one being seen at Pea Island in Dare
> County (found by Audrey Whitlock.) It’s an amazing find. This is perhaps
> the rarest chasable bird to grace North Carolina in a decade. Most “rare
> birds” aren’t. They are locally rare, slightly late, slightly early, or
> uncommon. This duck is rare. It is continentally rare. Virtually no one in
> NC has seen one in NC, and few have seen one in the United States,
> especially an alternate plumaged drake. It’s a big deal*. And there was
> nary a word on Carolinabirds. So, I felt it appropriate, if a bit sad to
> send a note. But also to reflect on the true death of the listserve.
> Carolinabirds, RIP. We knew you well. You entertained us. You informed us.
> One could pretend to be at work but really reading email on bird sightings.
> We looked forward to lengthy discourses from talented submitters. We
> cringed at lengthy diatribes by known entities. But it was a community, and
> it was fun.
>
>
>
> For details on the duck, refer to GroupMe 😉
>
>
>
> Steve Shultz
>
> Still playing with Bronze Age tools in Apex, NC
>
>
>
> *Assuming the NC bird records committee accepts the bird as being of wild
> origin. This is always a thing with waterfowl.
>
>
>
Date: 6/9/26 4:41 pm From: ncsealord (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Garganey and the Demise of the Listserve
In the beginning there was a telephone tree. Rare bird information passed from person to person via a “phone tree”. This worked so long as you were a limb, or at least a leaf, on the tree. Intraday or even day to day updates were difficult and uncommon. Remember you had to find a phone, have the coins for the call, and sometimes that was long distance. If you are Gen Z or later DM me and I will explain what “coins” are, why finding a phone was sometimes difficult (and what one looked like), and the concept of a “long-distance call”. We may not make it all the way to collect calls, but you’ll at least get the gist.
Eventually someone created the answering machine. It was a miracle. A pre-recorded message of current rarities was available day or night. The occasional need for coins and the specter of long-distance calls was still a factor.
Then the sun rose over the land. Phones had evolved into things that came in bags and sported aerials the size of a small TV station transmitter, but calls could be made from the field. Instantaneous information was possible. You still had to be the person called to know, but wow, the technology was amazing.
But it got better. A thing called e-mail happened. Now rare bird information could be sent instantly to an unlimited (mostly) number of people. Updates could be sent in more or less timely fashion. Some early adopters of technology (Kent Fiala, I am looking at you) started to send e-mail from the actual location of the bird from their phone. It was a revolution. Birds could be chased and chasers had a reasonable expectation of finding what they were looking for. Updates could be intraday or even more frequent.
Decades went by.
And then e-mail died. Sort of like MySpace. It worked, everyone had it. But it became blasé. And who wants to actually write entire sentences (with punctuation!?) Bro. Way too much work.
Messaging apps came on the scene. It was pretty much the same thing as email, except you thumb type in little phrases. Grammar mavens shuddered. This was (and is) not the place for lengthy discourse or discussion. Just the facts ma’am, and in as few characters as possible, if you please.
GroupMe fought WhatsApp and now rules the bird info exchange word. Or I should say that Microsoft rules, but whatever. And it’s not all bad. With email you got it all. The stuff you wanted and the stuff you didn’t. Someone’s first hummingbird of the year mixed with threads about hunters, outdoor cats, and squirrel-proofing.
With GroupMe superfluous info is quickly crowdsourced to the curb. You can subscribe to local, state, or regional groups, and decide if you want to only look at the discussion, the RBA, or all of it. You can have your phone ding when a rare bird note is posted but stay silent when posts are added to the discussion chats.
The bad thing? You don’t know what you don’t know. Did you know there is an OBX-only GroupMe? One for the mountains too. If I visit Kodiak, Alaska, how many GroupMe are there and how do I join? I don’t know. It’s a bit more work, and you now have to look at multiple places for the same info you got via email before, but it’s all there, just not in a box with a bow. That is the state of the world today. Just Google it and follow the directions.
GroupMe is good. It’s all business. There is not much personality, there is not much discourse or diatribes. It does what it should. Until it too becomes passe and something else comes along.
But back to the Garganey. There is one being seen at Pea Island in Dare County (found by Audrey Whitlock.) It’s an amazing find. This is perhaps the rarest chasable bird to grace North Carolina in a decade. Most “rare birds” aren’t. They are locally rare, slightly late, slightly early, or uncommon. This duck is rare. It is continentally rare. Virtually no one in NC has seen one in NC, and few have seen one in the United States, especially an alternate plumaged drake. It’s a big deal*. And there was nary a word on Carolinabirds. So, I felt it appropriate, if a bit sad to send a note. But also to reflect on the true death of the listserve. Carolinabirds, RIP. We knew you well. You entertained us. You informed us. One could pretend to be at work but really reading email on bird sightings. We looked forward to lengthy discourses from talented submitters. We cringed at lengthy diatribes by known entities. But it was a community, and it was fun.
For details on the duck, refer to GroupMe 😉
Steve Shultz
Still playing with Bronze Age tools in Apex, NC
*Assuming the NC bird records committee accepts the bird as being of wild origin. This is always a thing with waterfowl.
Date: 6/6/26 4:47 am From: Alan Meijer (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: 43 Mississippi Kites in Chocowinity, Beaufort Co, NC
Came through Chocowinity NC around 4:30 in the afternoon and there, to my amazement, were 43 MISSISSIPPI KITES, kiting over an oat field. This field is bounded by highway 33 to the north and Carrow Road to the east. (35.521856,-77.137057)
Date: 6/1/26 7:37 pm From: Erik Thomas (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Raven Rock St. Pk. Spring Bird Count, 2026
The Raven Rock St. Pk. Spring Bird Count for 2026 took place on May 3. We came up with 102 species and 2806 individual birds. We had to delay the count a day because of rain, but we were still able to field 7 parties, with 13 total birders. On the count day, we enjoyed cool temperatures and clear skies, albeit with some wind.
Notable finds were 9 Anhingas, 5 Northern House-wrens, a Grasshopper Sparrow, 33 Bobolinks, 4 Swainson's Warblers, and 3 Northern Yellow Warblers.
Our Christmas count is tentatively scheduled for Sat., Dec. 19, and we can always use additional birders.
Date: 5/29/26 5:12 am From: Chris Williams (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Potential sandhill crane
At 8am driving west on I-40 just before exit 285 i saw what appeared to be a sandhill crane.
At first i thought it was a GBH. But it flew with neck and legs extending front and back. Also flight was more lumbering. Body and overall structure bulkier than GBH.
Sun was also at my back and the bird was well lit.
Looked like it was flying just over the trees, maybe not going far.
The 9th straight Watauga Co. Spring Count was done on May 9, 2026. With good effort and a decent migrant movement, the crew found over 4000 birds of 123 species. Big thanks and kudos to the 17 birders in 12 parties who gave their time and effort for bird occurrence knowledge. But a special shoutout to D. Shetterly and P. Geiger who went way above the bar with 16 party hours, and scoured many habitats to find an amazing 704 birds of 87 species, mostly eked out one at a time.
Date: 5/25/26 7:43 am From: \<hilton...>\ (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Hilton Pond north (6 May 2026) A Quintet of Warblers—Plus a Hummingbird Flower
For a birder (or bird bander) hardly anything is more enjoyable than spotting the first warblers of a new spring season. “This Week At Hilton Pond North” we showcase five of these colorful creatures (an unusual Blue-winged Warbler shown here), plus a couple of other migrants. There’s an account of a much-overlooked native hummingbird flower you might plant, with our usual lists of all birds banded or recaptured during the period. To view photo essay #38, just click on https://www.hiltonpondnorth.org/twahpn-20260506.html.
(After reading, please check out our latest podcast.)
Dr. BILL HILTON JR.
"Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project”
℅ Hilton Pond North: Blue Ridge Birds & Nature
2918 Silas Creek Road
Lansing NC 28643
(803)684-5852
The mission of Hilton Pond North is "to conserve plants, animals, habitats, and other natural components of the Blue Ridge Region of the eastern United States through observation, scientific study, and education for students of all ages.
"Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to watch the sunset." BHjr.
Date: 5/23/26 3:09 pm From: Will Cook <cwcook...> Subject: Re: Triangle Spring Bay-breasted Warbler
I agree with Steve and Harry - just adding a note that my Mason Farm report was a seen only adult male and the first spring Bay-breasted I recall ever seeing in the Triangle area.. Requiring a comment for spring Triangle sightings isn't a bad idea. I hope they were just more common this spring. Will Cook (currency in Hanoi, Vietnam listening to a White-breasted Wsterhen) Sent from Android device On May 24, 2026 4:26 AM, Harry LeGrand <carolinabirds...> wrote:
I also am a bit suspicious of a lot of Bay-breasted Warbler reports in eastern Piedmont this spring, as the weather was poor for pushing Trans-Gulf spring migrants this far east in any numbers. We need nighttime winds from the west or even northwest, and most winds were from the south, north, or east. I clicked on nearly all of the roughly 15 eBird pins in the Wake/Durham/Orange/Chatham area in April/May, and it appears that the species is not an eBird write-in from late April into about May 20, perhaps -- as MOST accepted reports had no comment at all. Comments are required to be accepted, IF the species were a write-in. So -- not a write-in, and thus there is no way for anyone seeing such a report to know 1) if it was seen, 2) if seen, was it a full-plumaged male or a female, 3) was it heard only by the reporter, or 4) was it heard only by Merlin. A FEW of these did include a photograph, or state that the bird was seen and with a description -- good for those who provided these. I consider it rare in many springs to uncommon in others, but I have seen a fair number in May here over the many years. But, Steve's concern is understandable, and I will add that the song of a Bay-breasted Warbler is NOT safely identifiable in NC, without visual confirmation. Its high and thin "wee-si wee-si wee-si" type of song is simply not distinctive. It can be confused with a Black-and-white Warbler, a Cape May Warbler, an American Redstart, and a few others.  In sum, it is a relatively scarce species in the Piedmont in spring that really needs to be seen to be placed on an eBird list. Harry LeGrand Raleigh On Sat, May 23, 2026 at 4:42â¯PM ncsealord <carolinabirds...> wrote:
Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
A note about Bay-breasted Warbler (BBWA) in spring in the Piedmont.
I noticed that there were âa lotâ of reports of BBWA in the Triangle this spring. Having lived here for a long time, it seemed unusual. So I checked eBird and saw that yes, there have been ~16 reports (some of the same bird(s)) of BBWA this spring in the Triangle.
Â
Most BBWA follow a more western northbound route in the spring, and the bird is admittedly not at all common here in spring (fall is different).
Iâve also noticed that Merlin seems to âlikeâ BBWA and tends to ârecordâ it when it might not be present. Sort of like the whole Worm-eating Warbler/Chipping Sparrow thing. But I am not quite sure what the âmatchâ song
is that it is keying on. Last year when I noticed this up in the VA mountains I thought it might be confusing it with part of the Cerulean Song ,but that is clearly not the case here. But Iâve seen it pop up enough to realize itâs in error (and folks who have it pop up on Merlin should probably proof it either by hearing the song themselves and agreeing Merlin is correct, or see the bird.)
Â
I went back and checked eBird for 2010 and 2015 to compare (5 springs versus 1, mostly pre-Merlin, granted fewer eBird users). There were a total of 5 (3 individual birds) spring reports of BBWA during that 6-year period and four of those years had no reports at all.
Â
Now BBWA is a cyclical breeder and numbers can fluctuate quite a bit. Plus more people use eBird now. But there have always been a lot of really good birders in the Triangle, and many of them have updated eBird with their records, so I think the point is fair, although you can argue the adoption of eBird as a factor.
Â
My real statement here is that BBWA is a very uncommon spring warbler (Iâve never seen one in the spring here) and seems to have a) either had a banner year, which is noteworthy in itself, or b) Merlin is being Merlin 😊
Â
This is NOT to say that folks misidentified BBWA this spring (and no one needs to call me to tell me they saw theirs, I trust you!) but I think itâs also good know which songs Merlin tends to err on, and this appears to be one.
Date: 5/23/26 2:41 pm From: <badgerboy...> Subject: Wilkes Co. Spring Count May 3, 2026
The 7th annual Wilkes County Spring Count was on May 3, and 8 birders combed the county, finding about 2000 birds of 124 species. Effort and total individuals found, were slightly down this year, while diversity was up. 3 new count species were Sharp-shinned Hawk, Bobolink, and Blue-winged Warbler. Those interested in all the details including top 5 birds, tough misses, and a full list can see those in the recap on my personal google drive here <https://drive.google.com/file/d/11vlyej_d8fSx3C6l3MK08uMxgt76RT43/view?usp=drive_link>. Great big THANKS to all participants, and next years' count needs more birders.
Date: 5/23/26 2:26 pm From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Triangle Spring Bay-breasted Warbler
I also am a bit suspicious of a lot of Bay-breasted Warbler reports in
eastern Piedmont this spring, as the weather was poor for pushing
Trans-Gulf spring migrants this far east in any numbers. We need nighttime
winds from the west or even northwest, and most winds were from the south,
north, or east.
I clicked on nearly all of the roughly 15 eBird pins in the
Wake/Durham/Orange/Chatham area in April/May, and it appears that the
species is not an eBird write-in from late April into about May 20, perhaps
-- as MOST accepted reports had no comment at all. Comments are required to
be accepted, IF the species were a write-in. So -- not a write-in, and thus
there is no way for anyone seeing such a report to know 1) if it was seen,
2) if seen, was it a full-plumaged male or a female, 3) was it heard only
by the reporter, or 4) was it heard only by Merlin. A FEW of these did
include a photograph, or state that the bird was seen and with a
description -- good for those who provided these.
I consider it rare in many springs to uncommon in others, but I have seen a
fair number in May here over the many years. But, Steve's concern is
understandable, and I will add that the song of a Bay-breasted Warbler is
NOT safely identifiable in NC, without visual confirmation. Its high and
thin "wee-si wee-si wee-si" type of song is simply not distinctive. It can
be confused with a Black-and-white Warbler, a Cape May Warbler, an American
Redstart, and a few others. In sum, it is a relatively scarce species in
the Piedmont in spring that really needs to be seen to be placed on an
eBird list.
Harry LeGrand
Raleigh
On Sat, May 23, 2026 at 4:42 PM ncsealord <carolinabirds...> wrote:
> Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
>
> A note about Bay-breasted Warbler (BBWA) in spring in the Piedmont.
>
> I noticed that there were “a lot” of reports of BBWA in the Triangle this
> spring. Having lived here for a long time, it seemed unusual. So I checked
> eBird and saw that yes, there have been ~16 reports (some of the same
> bird(s)) of BBWA this spring in the Triangle.
>
>
>
> Most BBWA follow a more western northbound route in the spring, and the
> bird is admittedly not at all common here in spring (fall is different).
>
> I’ve also noticed that Merlin seems to “like” BBWA and tends to “record”
> it when it might not be present. Sort of like the whole Worm-eating
> Warbler/Chipping Sparrow thing. But I am not quite sure what the “match”
> song
>
> is that it is keying on. Last year when I noticed this up in the VA
> mountains I thought it might be confusing it with part of the Cerulean Song
> ,but that is clearly not the case here. But I’ve seen it pop up enough to
> realize it’s in error (and folks who have it pop up on Merlin should
> probably proof it either by hearing the song themselves and agreeing Merlin
> is correct, or see the bird.)
>
>
>
> I went back and checked eBird for 2010 and 2015 to compare (5 springs
> versus 1, mostly pre-Merlin, granted fewer eBird users). There were a
> *total* of 5 (3 individual birds) spring reports of BBWA during that
> 6-year period and four of those years had no reports at all.
>
>
>
> Now BBWA is a cyclical breeder and numbers can fluctuate quite a bit. Plus
> more people use eBird now. But there have always been a lot of really good
> birders in the Triangle, and many of them have updated eBird with their
> records, so I think the point is fair, although you can argue the adoption
> of eBird as a factor.
>
>
>
> My real statement here is that BBWA is a very uncommon spring warbler
> (I’ve never seen one in the spring here) and seems to have a) either had a
> banner year, which is noteworthy in itself, or b) Merlin is being Merlin
> 😊
>
>
>
> This is NOT to say that folks misidentified BBWA this spring (and no one
> needs to call me to tell me they saw theirs, I trust you!) but I think it’s
> also good know which songs Merlin tends to err on, and this appears to be
> one.
>
>
>
> Steve Shultz
>
> Apex NC
>
>
>
A note about Bay-breasted Warbler (BBWA) in spring in the Piedmont.
I noticed that there were “a lot” of reports of BBWA in the Triangle this spring. Having lived here for a long time, it seemed unusual. So I checked eBird and saw that yes, there have been ~16 reports (some of the same bird(s)) of BBWA this spring in the Triangle.
Most BBWA follow a more western northbound route in the spring, and the bird is admittedly not at all common here in spring (fall is different).
I’ve also noticed that Merlin seems to “like” BBWA and tends to “record” it when it might not be present. Sort of like the whole Worm-eating Warbler/Chipping Sparrow thing. But I am not quite sure what the “match” song
is that it is keying on. Last year when I noticed this up in the VA mountains I thought it might be confusing it with part of the Cerulean Song ,but that is clearly not the case here. But I’ve seen it pop up enough to realize it’s in error (and folks who have it pop up on Merlin should probably proof it either by hearing the song themselves and agreeing Merlin is correct, or see the bird.)
I went back and checked eBird for 2010 and 2015 to compare (5 springs versus 1, mostly pre-Merlin, granted fewer eBird users). There were a total of 5 (3 individual birds) spring reports of BBWA during that 6-year period and four of those years had no reports at all.
Now BBWA is a cyclical breeder and numbers can fluctuate quite a bit. Plus more people use eBird now. But there have always been a lot of really good birders in the Triangle, and many of them have updated eBird with their records, so I think the point is fair, although you can argue the adoption of eBird as a factor.
My real statement here is that BBWA is a very uncommon spring warbler (I’ve never seen one in the spring here) and seems to have a) either had a banner year, which is noteworthy in itself, or b) Merlin is being Merlin 😊
This is NOT to say that folks misidentified BBWA this spring (and no one needs to call me to tell me they saw theirs, I trust you!) but I think it’s also good know which songs Merlin tends to err on, and this appears to be one.
I've used Kowa spotting scopes for, well, longer than I would like to admit. They've been durable, reliable, and with the price of new glass ever increasing, still give enough service to not require a foray into the market for a new tube.
But the years have taken a toll. One scope suffered a dented housing near the primary lens, and that instrument appeared to lose its nitrogen purge as some type of condensation appeared on the inside of that lens. I was not sure this was reparable but sent the scope to Kowa service in California. I was quite pleased that they could not only fix the damage, but even with a new primary lens, the damage to my wallet was less than $200.
But when it rains it pours. I used my back-up scope while the one above was enjoying the West Coast. I soon noticed what appeared to be a dark smear on one of the internal lenses. It did not appear to affect the view, but I know that anything affecting the glass will result in less than perfect results. So, another call to Kowa, and that scope was soon on a trip to California as well. After a few weeks, the Kowa folks called and indicated that (not sure how this happened) grease was on the mirror. I assume factory installed grease since I don't make a habit of lubricating my scopes. Happily, they could fix it.
So, two experiences in short order. Both scopes are now back and as good as new.
If you have Kowa optics that have seen better days, a visit to the shop might be all you need. And I highly recommend their service department. Good communication, good results, reasonable prices.
Date: 5/20/26 12:35 pm From: Robert Lewis (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Durham Spring Count summary
Hello All,
The Durham Spring Count was held on April 26. The weather did not cooperate. We awoke to steady light rain and cool temperatures. It drizzled and misted off an on most areas most of the day. That is probably why we tallied only 105 species, the lowest in quite a while. On the other hand that is only 5-6 below the long term average, so kudos to us!
We missed Sharp-shinned Hawk and Screech Owl. We had fourteen warblers, a good total considering the weather.
There were an unusual number of exclusives: Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Great Egret, Bobolink, Purple Martin, Cliff Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Wood-Pewee, American Redstart, Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Looking over the past eight years, I see that there are usually no exclusives! Kudos again!
Date: 5/19/26 5:28 am From: Michael Welch (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Team Sapsucker Big Day was in NC this year
It was good to have this enthusiastic, elite team of birders from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in the WNC area on May 9 for their annual Big Day. They were able to highlight some of the amazing habitat conservation work being done by an equally amazing organization.
Date: 5/18/26 7:08 am From: Derek Aldrich (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: Creation of a new eBird hotspot for mudflats at Falls Lake, NC
I am the SC Hotspot Admin and have no plans to go anywhere. A couple of the
rare bird reviewers have hotspot privileges for there respective
counties as well. The introduction of hotspot groups, with a parent
hotspot, has allowed hotspots to be created that probably would have never
been made before.
On Mon, May 18, 2026 at 9:51 AM Harry LeGrand <carolinabirds...>
wrote:
> There have been dozens of eBird lists this spring at the upper end of
> Falls Lake, Wake County, at a locale that never had an eBird hotspot
> associated with it. As we know, creating a new hotspot is a tricky matter.
> Shelley Rutkin is, or at least was, the NC eBird hotspot coordinator, whom
> we turned to to create an official new hotspot. (I have.) She has moved
> out of state but still does a little bit of this, but I/we would appreciate
> words from readers *who are now (one or more folks) the eBird Hotspot
> coordinator(s) in NC (and in SC as well).*
>
> This site, mudflats on the south side of Old Weaver Trail in extreme
> northern Wake County, now has this official hotspot name (below), for which
> everyone who has birded there and used their own personal name or simply
> used coordinates should now use. I have copied material that was posted
> last night by Jeremy Wrenn and this morning by Mitchell Dart of the process
> for doing this. Again, it would be great if everyone can merge their trips
> lists with this new name. *Falls Lake--Old Weaver Trail (Wake County)*
>
> From Jeremy Wrenn:
>
> Old Weaver Trail is now a hotspot "Falls Lake--Old Weaver Trail (Wake
> County)". Not yet searchable on the eBird hotspot map.
>
> https://ebird.org/hotspot/L65544753/about?contentLang=en >
> If you can move your bird lists there from your personal location(s) for
> the Wake side of Old Weaver Trail, please do so.
> ----------------
>
> From Mitchell Dart:
>
> "It would be great for everyone who has been birding Old Weaver to merge
> their hotspot with the new official one. For anyone who hasn’t merged a
> personal hotspot before, you can find all of your hotspots by going to “My
> eBird” to “Manage” and then “Locations”. Find the personal hotspot you used
> for Old Weaver Trail, click on it, and select merge, which will bring up
> the new hotspot pin in red, which you will be able to select. I think you
> should also be able to click on this link to view your personal hotspots.
> https://ebird.org/mylocations/world?currentRow=1&sharedLocFilter=personal >
> ---------
>
> I followed these instructions and was able to merge my single list easily,
> though it might be a bit trickier if you have more lists. Hopefully, in a
> day or two we can then go to eBird, then Explore Hotspots, call up "Old
> Weaver" for example, and quickly see a lot of checklists from this new site.
>
> Harry LeGrand
> Raleigh
>
Date: 5/18/26 6:51 am From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Creation of a new eBird hotspot for mudflats at Falls Lake, NC
There have been dozens of eBird lists this spring at the upper end of Falls
Lake, Wake County, at a locale that never had an eBird hotspot associated
with it. As we know, creating a new hotspot is a tricky matter. Shelley
Rutkin is, or at least was, the NC eBird hotspot coordinator, whom we
turned to to create an official new hotspot. (I have.) She has moved out
of state but still does a little bit of this, but I/we would appreciate
words from readers *who are now (one or more folks) the eBird Hotspot
coordinator(s) in NC (and in SC as well).*
This site, mudflats on the south side of Old Weaver Trail in extreme
northern Wake County, now has this official hotspot name (below), for which
everyone who has birded there and used their own personal name or simply
used coordinates should now use. I have copied material that was posted
last night by Jeremy Wrenn and this morning by Mitchell Dart of the process
for doing this. Again, it would be great if everyone can merge their trips
lists with this new name. *Falls Lake--Old Weaver Trail (Wake County)*
From Jeremy Wrenn:
Old Weaver Trail is now a hotspot "Falls Lake--Old Weaver Trail (Wake
County)". Not yet searchable on the eBird hotspot map.
If you can move your bird lists there from your personal location(s) for
the Wake side of Old Weaver Trail, please do so.
----------------
From Mitchell Dart:
"It would be great for everyone who has been birding Old Weaver to merge
their hotspot with the new official one. For anyone who hasn’t merged a
personal hotspot before, you can find all of your hotspots by going to “My
eBird” to “Manage” and then “Locations”. Find the personal hotspot you used
for Old Weaver Trail, click on it, and select merge, which will bring up
the new hotspot pin in red, which you will be able to select. I think you
should also be able to click on this link to view your personal hotspots.
https://ebird.org/mylocations/world?currentRow=1&sharedLocFilter=personal
---------
I followed these instructions and was able to merge my single list easily,
though it might be a bit trickier if you have more lists. Hopefully, in a
day or two we can then go to eBird, then Explore Hotspots, call up "Old
Weaver" for example, and quickly see a lot of checklists from this new site.
Date: 5/17/26 7:51 pm From: William Bennett (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Grandfather Mountain IBA Spring Bird Count results
This year the Grandfather Mountain IBA Spring Bird Count was held on Saturday, May 2nd. Six counters in four groups covered over 15 miles by foot and nearly 50 miles by car, and found 911 individual birds of 67 species. The weather was foggy in the AM, with high winds on the ridge and chilly all day, with temps ranging from 30 to 51 degrees F.
The results are on par with our averages; since the count began in 2011 we have averaged 910 individuals of 70 species, with an average of 7 counters covering 12 miles by foot and 32 by vehicle. Two count firsts were Fish Crow and Swainson's Warbler, both single vocalizing birds. Notable missed species are Chimney Swift, Peregrine Falcon, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-pewee, and Indigo Bunting. The count was held around a week earlier than usual which likely contributed to some of these misses.
Several new high counts were set: Canada Goose (36 individuals, beating 20 in 2018), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (7 over 6 in 2023), American Crow (61, 45 in 2014), Tree Swallow (64, 30 in 2013), Northern Rough-winged Swallow (18, 13 in 2025), American Robin (100, 96 in 2022), and Red-winged Blackbird (25, 16 in 2016).
Several locally breeding species had lower numbers than normal: Blue-headed Vireo (13 recorded, with a historical average of 27), Winter Wren (4, average 13), Golden-crowned Kinglet, (11, average 40), Veery (6, average 29), Chestnut-sided Warbler (9, average 18), and Ovenbird (6, average of 13). Like the missed species, timing of the count could contribute to some lower numbers, and weather hampered effort on some routes. It remains to be seen from longer term data collection whether habitat change following Hurricane Helene contributes to any lower species numbers on this count.
Thanks again to all of our counters! The species results follow:
The results are in--thanks all for your responses. Greater: 25, Lesser: 0 (Unanimous!)
Most cited good field marks: longer bill length and greater curvature, also greater thickness; bolder flank streaking. I will be much more confident now assigning the species for our records.
Guy (McGrane, Boone NC)
On 5/11/2026 4:35 PM, <badgerboy...> wrote:
> Birders, > > Soliciting opinions on ID of a yellowlegs from Ashe County on 4/23/26. > Ashe Co has very few previous reports of either species, and we would > like to assign it a definite species if possible for our county bird > databases. I only ask that any opinions please be sent to ME PRIVATELY > and NOT the whole listserv, to prevent groupthink. I will keep all > individual responses private, but will release statistics. Opening > this up to all because private solicitations have produced half vote > for either species. > > The 6 pictures are on my private google drive at this link > <https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OkyMZ6vSD83gkmz948h9LkQbiDVIa3Fz?usp=drive_link>. > > Thanks in advance, > > Guy (McGrane, Boone NC) > >
Date: 5/15/26 12:55 pm From: Brian Bockhahn (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Pilot Mountain Spring Bird Count Results
The 6th ever Pilot Mountain Spring bird count on May 5, 2026 under clear skies and calm conditions was a record breaker, 13 observers tallied 123 total species on count day, well above our average of 116!
Year Total sp 2021 112 2022 119 2023 112 2024 116 2025 118 2026 123 Average 116.666667
One theme of the finding was low water farm ponds for rare herons and shorebirds! American Bittern may be new for all of Surry County!
Another theme was work the flocks, we found a whopping 25 species of warblers and often multiples of each and often singing birds.
On Fri, May 15, 2026 at 1:43 PM ncsealord <carolinabirds...> wrote:
> A major conservation win in South Carolina occurred on March 10 when Cox
> Enterprises (Atlanta-based media conglomerate), Ducks Unlimited, and the
> Wetlands America Trust announced that 4,400 acres of Clarendon Farms
> property connecting the ACE Basin and Savannah River were protected from
> development under a donated conservation easement.
>
>
>
> The property connects with an additional 1,200 acres already under
> protection and strengthens a corridor of over 20,000 contiguous protected
> acres between the two basins. Clarendon Farms, which will remain
> undeveloped in perpetuity, encompasses more than 40 miles of water frontage
> and the entirety of nine islands, in addition to upland habitat.
>
>
>
> The donation (valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars) is considered
> one of the most significant in US history in terms of value.
>
>
>
> Cox commits to preserving thousands of acres on S.C.’s fast-growing coast
> <https://www.ajc.com/business/2026/03/cox-commits-to-preserving-thousands-of-acres-on-atlantic-coast/> >
>
>
> Note that the article is in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which is
> owned by Cox. Information on the easement can also be found in the current
> issue of Ducks Unlimited Magazine.
>
>
>
> Congratulations to Cox/Clarendon, DU, the Wetlands America Trust, and
> everyone involved who saw the value in conserving critical coastal habitat
> from development.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
> Steve Shultz
>
> Apex, NC
>
>
>
Date: 5/15/26 10:43 am From: ncsealord (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Conservation Win in SC
A major conservation win in South Carolina occurred on March 10 when Cox Enterprises (Atlanta-based media conglomerate), Ducks Unlimited, and the Wetlands America Trust announced that 4,400 acres of Clarendon Farms property connecting the ACE Basin and Savannah River were protected from development under a donated conservation easement.
The property connects with an additional 1,200 acres already under protection and strengthens a corridor of over 20,000 contiguous protected acres between the two basins. Clarendon Farms, which will remain undeveloped in perpetuity, encompasses more than 40 miles of water frontage and the entirety of nine islands, in addition to upland habitat.
The donation (valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars) is considered one of the most significant in US history in terms of value.
Note that the article is in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which is owned by Cox. Information on the easement can also be found in the current issue of Ducks Unlimited Magazine.
Congratulations to Cox/Clarendon, DU, the Wetlands America Trust, and everyone involved who saw the value in conserving critical coastal habitat from development.
