Pea Island NWR

[jlphoto]

Just so all you folks know, Pea Island has been really hot lately! Black necked stilts, greater yellowlegs, black crowned night herons, tri-coloreds, snowys, black skimmers, you name it!!!

For the last week there have been 5 black necked stilts in the north eastern corner of New Field with lots of yellow legs around as well. Flocks of snowys, Ibis, tri-coloreds, and great egrets upwards of 30 indivuduals have been "buzzing the tower." Morning and night, the tower has been amazing for BIF photos (birds in flight). Morning produces the best light as the birds and the marsh to the west are beautifully. In the evening though is when the large flocks of wading birds start heading north from New Feild.

Best times have been from sunrise to 9am and from around 6pm till sunset.

Also, a young buck in full velvet has been making his way across the marsh from the pamlico sound to the service road and crossing jus in front of the tower right by the waters edge the last couple of evenings.

Hey this isnt the Gator Farm or DeSoto in Florida but its about the best Ive seen up in our neck of the woods, err marsh I should say.

Jared

[rpk717]

Jared,

Thanks for the report, I would love to get up there again but man it is a haul from central SC to the OBX. I'll be coming back in January when they have the mid-year outing up there. Hope to meet you then.

BTW, welcome to CNPA and glad to see you posting. Let's see some of those flight shots in the Image Critique forum!!!

[jlphoto]

Sounds like a plan. January is a great time here. I would also like to point out that we have our annual Wings Over Water week in November and there will be a few trips going out to a place called Pelican Island where there is a major colony of pelicans nesting. Personally though, I'm just dying to get down to the colony in Charleston SC. Would be nice to find some photographers down that way that can recomend a guide to take me out there.

Jared Lloyd

[lacash]

Thanks for the info, Jared. I was down there earlier this week and agree that the action is happening at the tower. Also, I saw 9 otters in North Pond along the trail.

We (OBX Region) had our first outing last Sunday. We all had a good time. Hope to meet you and see you on one of the OBX Region outings.

[rpk717]

We (OBX Region) had our first outing last Sunday. We all had a good time. Hope to meet you and see you on one of the OBX Region outings.

Lori,

I'm on the Outer Banks mailing list but I don't think I received a notification of the outing. It would be a good idea if in addition to using the mailing list to advertise, to also make sure the OBX outings are listed here in this forum as some of our members may be traveling in the area or even better yet make plans to go to OBX in conjunction with one of the OBX outings. I know I would consider that option.

[jlphoto]

yeah i heard about the outing litterally the day after it happend. Why are we the only region that doesnt have a website up? I think that things like this should definatly be posted.

Jared

[lacash]

Robert, I agree. It would be good to post the outings on the forum.

Jared, the OBX Region is a new region and just getting going with outings. I believe there was a problem with Mark’s email getting to all the members on the email listing regarding our first outing. I will make sure that there is a post about the future outings on this forum.

[BillE]

I'm on the Outer Banks mailing list but I don't think I received a notification of the outing. It would be a good idea if in addition to using the mailing list to advertise



I believe I heard Mark say that he had trouble using the bulk email list located on the CNPA site. He said he went through and hand picked out email addresses of people that have listed their name in the Outer Banks region and sent out invitations.


I would be a good idea if in addition to using the mailing list to advertise, to also make sure the OBX outings are listed here in this forum as some of our members may be traveling in the area or even better yet make plans to go to OBX in conjunction with one of the OBX outings.

With the OBX website not operational I agree that a post in the forum would be a great way to advertise an outing.

[BillE]

Jared,

Thanks for the information. I was on Pea Island Sunday and missed the action at New Field although I did see a Rookery in the middle of the pond. Thanks for the update.

[jlphoto]

Bill,
sorry I missed you out there. I was only out there on Sunday for the evening session as I had to help a friend move that morning.
Jared

[jlphoto]

for you folks that are familiar with the area, how is the action at the photo blind typically? Ive gone in there a few times but theres never much going on over at that part of North Pond except for geese. Well there always seems to be a small handfull of yellowlegs, arctic terns, least terns, and willets that make their way through there but at quite a distance.

Seems like the photo blind will be a great spot in the winter but the waders dont tend to hang out over that way too much. At least the 3 times Ive been in.

Jared
www.JaredLloydphoto.com

[lacash]

The photo blind area gets a lot of action fall through spring and especially in the winter. I spend more time in the blind during the winter and usually able to photograph wigeons, redheads, black ducks, pintails, shovelers, snow geese, swans, godwits, avocets, etc. Sometimes the tall grasses at the waters edge make it difficult to photograph the birds in the water up close to the blind but I get a lot pictures of landing and taking off action as well as group flybys.

[rpk717]

yeah i heard about the outing litterally the day after it happend. Why are we the only region that doesnt have a website up? I think that things like this should definatly be posted.

Jared

Jared,

At the last annual meeting we announced the addition of three new regions, OBX, Triad, and Foothills. At this point we have not put together a website for any of these new regions. We are giving them some time to mature and get established before spending the money to set up the websites. If you click on the website link for these three regions it will take you to the regional forums when members can communicate with each other.

I hope that helps with your question.

[jlphoto]

Lori,
I was figuring that the fall migrations were probably the best out there. Thats typically when I see the most species while driving by the area. Sunday was brutal in there. God awful hot, the wind was from the south. I ended up stripping down to just my shorts in there - would have dropped down to my boxers if I wasnt scared someone would end up walking in hahah. All that for a couple arctic terns and yellowlegs.
Jared
www.JaredLloydphoto.com

[bucklermark]

Jared,
Welcome to the region. We are just really getting started with things out here and as you probably know, it is a busy time of year for most of us out this way. We are hoping that there will be regular communication on the forum and for the time being, we will be trying to run monthly outings (August will be announced shortly). As the region gets experienced we will be able to shape activities in a way that suits the membership best...that is one of the most important tenets of the entire CNPA organization...it is truly member driven.

Nice looking website...I use the same company for my photo business.

I would love to meet up with you at some point. I am out photographing almost everyday and on Monday-Friday can usually be found in Corolla.

It sounds like you enjoy bird photography...you will certainly have some company with a couple of us around (Lori Cash and I do a lot of bird photography...although not as often with each other as I would like).

Mark Buckler
CNPA-OBX Coordinator
www.markbucklerphotography.com
(http://www.markbucklerphotography.com)252-599-6275

[jlphoto]

Mark,
yeah that would be great. I actually live up in Carova Beach and work in Corolla for Backcountry Outfitters so I am always around that area.
Jared

www.JaredLloydphoto.com