Neuse River Trail and Falls Lake Dam

Some days it is nice to bird on a paved path, so I drove over to the Neuse River Greenway near the dam and headed south for about 2 miles. Granted, I arrived a bit late, after 8 a.m., but was pleased to find a total of 57 species at the river and the dam. Of interest, the Cliff Swallows at the bridge, the Osprey nest at the dam, and a lack of warblers. There is also an Osprey nest at the power line right-of-way. White-throated Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers are still in town, but I have not heard a Ruby-crowned Kinglet for two days. This is the time of year I stop trashing the butter-butts, they look very handsome! Recent arrivals include Great-crested Flycatcher and Wood Thrush. Blue-grey Gnatcatchers were everywhere and I found all the woodpeckers except a Hairy. Had two or three Barred Owls cavorting around across the river, about one mile down the trail. I continue to balance using a DSLR camera, binoculars, iPhone and a small audio recorder during my walks. There is a constant battle, should I take a photo first, record audio first, look through binocular first, or enter it in eBird. I am glad scoping season is over. It’s worth it in the long run, but, there are days I want to just walk empty-handed. On eBird I now have over 50 species with audio and 120+ species photos. I might be ready to upgrade my audio equipment this year. Thanks for stopping by.

Bird On!