Rare birds being found this time of year
As is typical for this time of year, a number of uncommon to rare birds are being found throughout the Carolinas.
A burrowing owl was observed and photographed at Masonboro Inlet south of Wrightsville Beach, NC. First observed on Nov. 3, the bird appeared to favor the jetty rocks as a roosting site.
Primarily a Western species, there is a disjunct burrowing owl population in Florida, but finding one north of there is a very rare occurrence. Several years ago, one showed up at Huntington Beach State Park. Perhaps the North Carolina bird may stop off there should it return to its likely Florida home.
A scissor-tailed flycatcher was found and photographed at the ferry terminal at Ft. Fisher, NC on Nov. 4 and 5.
A sage thrasher was discovered at Warren Wilson College near Asheville, NC on Oct. 31, providing a number of folks with diagnostic views and photo ops. Another Western species, a sage thrasher east of the Mississippi is a highly unusual occurrence. There are two previous North Carolina records, while none have been documented in South Carolina.
Of interest is an Oct. 30 report of a gray-crowned rosy finch on the Ivestor Gap Trail near Haywood in western North Carolina. A bird of western mountains, one this far east would be notable indeed. Unfortunately, there were no photographs made and the bird has not been re-sighted.
After a brief absence, the previously reported buff-bellied hummingbird at Winston-Salem, NC has resumed its sojourn there. At least two rufous hummingbirds that were banded last winter in North Carolina have returned to their previous winter sites.
Sea ducks are returning to our area. A number of black scoters have been observed of late around the
Murrells Inlet jetties. Black are the most common of the three scoter species we see in winter, although surf and white-winged frequently mingle within the groups.
SCDNR recently reported wood storks had a great year breeding in South Carolina for 2015, with almost 2,500 nests documented. Although downlisted from Federal endangered status, wood stork remains listed as a threatened species under full protection of the Endangered Species Act. The area of the South Carolina/North Carolina border marks the northernmost edge of the species' breeding range in North America. A number of these amazing birds continue to avail themselves of resources in the marshes at Huntington Beach State Park and elsewhere along the Strand along with a host of other wading birds, including a few roseate spoonbills.
This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 4:21 AM with the headline "Rare birds being found this time of year."