12/16/2011. 10:45 AM.
Start: GPS N 35, 56.377, W 78, 34.760
End: GPS N 35, 55.952, W 78, 33.655
I had a little trouble finding the Neuse River Trailhead with the GPS unit in my car. Falls of Neuse road splits less than a mile before the Neuse River, into Old Falls of Neuse Road, and New Falls of Neuse Road. The entrance to the trailhead is on Old Falls of Neuse Road. So if you are driving up Falls of Neuse Road from I-540 to get there, you need to turn left onto Old Falls of Neuse Road after you pass a street called Waterwood Court. If you cross the river, you have gone too far.
The true beginning of the trail is directly off of Old Falls of Neuse road. There was some sort of guard rail next to the road where the paved trail begins, so it is a difficult place to park. A sign just off the road reads: "Falls of Neuse Canoe Launch - 12098 Falls of Neuse Road." Unfortunately, that address does not work on Google Maps. Just before the canoe launch sign along Old Falls of Neuse Road is a long driveway and a Capital Greenway sign reading "Neuse River Trail." If you drive down the driveway you will come to a fairly spacious parking lot, located at GPS N 35, 56.365, W 78, 34.541. From the parking lot, you can turn left to cover the short part of the trail from the canoe launch, or turn right to begin a long walk along the Neuse River. Both were productive birding areas, though I was surprised by the number I saw within sight of the parking lot itself. I think this part of the trail may be quite new.
The weather was cloudy but it was somewhere near 60 degrees Fahrenheit when I arrived, though slightly breezy. I walked directly from my car to the Neuse River Trail asphalt path and began seeing birds right away. The first five birds were seen within about 300 feet of my car. I saw nine birds altogether between the parking lot and the canoe launch site.
From the Parking Lot to the Canoe Launch and Back. Species are listed in order of sighting. GPS coordinates are not repeated if species are sighted within a couple of hundred feet of each other.
Great Blue Heron: N 35, 56.375, W 78, 34.544. Perched on a tree next to the river.
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Chickadee
Ruby Crowned Kinglet: This one was a little tricky at first. It was one of the smaller birds I've seen here in Raleigh with what appeared to be oversized eyes and a shortish tail. I finally got a look at the back of the head and saw a little orange streak there that clinched it.
Northern Cardinal
Red Bellied Woodpecker: N 35, 56.402, W 78, 34.659. I saw these in at least two different areas along the trail.
Downy Woodpecker: N 35, 56.398, W 78, 34.659. I saw these in at least three places.
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker (Male): Only saw one of these on this trip, but it brought the total to three species of woodpecker in under an hour. It is also a species I did not see on the Abbotts Creek Trail.
White-Throated Sparrow
I spent a good amount of time working on another sparrow species among the reeds beside the river. It was cryptic, only showing itself briefly before disappearing again among the reeds. It was also at a pretty good distance. I never got a good enough look to be sure, though I considered the Savannah Sparrow as one possibility.
From the Parking Lot South Along the Trail (new sightings only): ca. 12 PM
As you leave the parking lot, it doesn't take long until you approach an overpass with fairly heavy traffic. GPS N 35, 56.239, W 78, 34.589. This is New Falls of Neuse Road, and there is an access point on the south side to the trail. There were not many birds on either side of this overpass for several hundred feet, perhaps because of the traffic noise. Eventually, I came to a spot that was teeming with activity.
Blue Jay
American Robin: There were a number of these around, and much of their attention seemed focused on a small tree with what looked like old, dried up fruits on it.
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
Eastern Towhee (Female)
Yellow Rumped Warbler
Black Vulture: N 35, 56.028, W 78, 34.144. Saw four sitting together on a large electrical stanchion.
Red Headed Woodpecker: I saw and heard a number of these on this end of the trail, well beyond the overpass.
I also believe I heard a Northern Flicker twice. I'm not very good a birding by ear, but the sound reminded me of the red-shafted flickers we used to hear when I lived in Arizona. I saw one bird in flight that might have been a Northern Flicker as well, but it was hard to pick out any color against the cloudy sky.
Not counting the flicker, I identified four species of woodpecker on this trip - red bellied, downy, yellow bellied sapsucker, red headed. The best day so far for both woodpeckers and total species count (17). Five new species were added to my Capital Area Greenway count, for a total of 27 species.
I ended where the Neuse River Trail intersects with a long access pathway from the 3500 Block of Falls River Avenue. Birding on the way back was not terribly productive as there was very little movement.
No comments:
Post a Comment