Interlude 3: Lumphini Park in Bangkok

12/17/2012.  6:40 AM.

Start & End:  GPS N 13, 43.807, E 100, 32.255.

Lumphini Park is a 142 acre park in the Silom district of Bangkok.  It is the oldest park in the city.  The park is easily accessible by BTS Skytrain, or by MRT Subway.  I took the BTS Skytrain from National Stadium Station near MBK Shopping Center to the Sala Daeng stop.  Follow the signs to Exit 5 as you leave.  If you take Exit 5 (to the left), you will end up across a busy street from the southwest entrance to the park. Crossing this street was a challenge. There is a pedestrian crossing signal, but it did not seem to be working when I was there.

 A safer way to get to the park would be to follow the signs that lead beyond Exit 5 to the MRT. Enter the station, then follow signs to Lumphini Park. You will exit Silom station near the park entrance (see photo at left). The other way to go is to take the MRT Subway to Silom station and follow the signs from there.

Lumphini Park was very busy despite the early hour of my arrival. Near the southwest entrance (see map), perhaps 100 people were being led in aerobic exercise to music. A little deeper into the park I saw a group doing Tai-Chi, and scattered throughout the park were individuals doing Tai-Chi on their own. There were a good number of morning joggers, and in one corner of the park, a small group was singing karaoke. This was on a Monday morning before 8 AM! All this to say that Lumphini Park is not the quietest place to go birding. But there are a some areas with fewer cement paths that were more peaceful and more conducive to birding.

I entered the park from the southwest corner and immediately turned north toward the largest body of water. The photo at left is of the first large green area I saw, near the entrance. As might be expected, the first birds that I saw are common park species.

Black Collared Starling: I saw several of these in the plaza area just before the park entrance. They have a very powerful call.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow:  Very common in the park, as elsewhere in Thailand.

Rock Pigeon:  Probably the most common bird in the park. No surprise there.

Common Myna:  GPS N 13, 43.850, E 100, 32.302. Also very common in the park.

Asian Pied Starling:  Not as many of these as I remember from Suan Rot Fai.

Large Billed Crow:  GPS N 13, 43.850, E 100, 32.302.  These were all over the park and pretty boisterous.

Great Myna:  Another really common bird in the park.

Little Egret:  GPS N 13, 43.932, E 100, 32.365. There were a number of these, but fewer wading birds overall than I expected considering the amount of water present.

Indian Roller:  GPS N 13, 44.009, E 100, 32.541. This bird is very beautiful, particularly in flight.

Javan Pond Heron:  These were seen in several places around the park.

Coppersmith Barbet:  GPS N 13, 44.022, E 100, 32.530.  Another quite colorful bird.  Saw these in two places.


Oriental Magpie Robin:  GPS N 13, 43.910, E 100, 32.613.  Seem to be less common here than at other parks I've visited.

Black Naped Oriole:  GPS N 13, 43.882, E 100, 32.652.  I saw the first of these in a grassy area to the northwest of the large lakes.  I couldn't get a good look at it then, so was unsure of its identification.  It was in an open area with many trees in the northeast quadrant of the park that I finally confirmed.  There were a number of them in the area.  A new species for my lifelist.

Possible Asian Brown Flycatcher: This looked like the Asian Brown, but there are many similar flycatcher species in my book and I would want a better look before deciding for certain.

Brown Shrike:  GPS N 13, 43.866, E 100, 32.579. Another new species for my lifelist.

Spotted Dove:  GPS N 13, 43.866, E 100, 32.579.

Zebra Dove:  GPS N 13, 43.789, E 100, 32.303.

In addition to birds, Lumpini Park is also known for its monitor lizards (see photo above). The one pictured here was about 3 feet long.  I saw a number of these, particularly around the large lakes.

This trip netted 16 species in about 2 hours and 20 minutes. I had seen most of these before at Suan Rot Fai.  I was disappointed not to see any sunbirds or bee-eaters here. There may well be some in the park, but I missed them this trip. Overall, I think Suan Rot Fai is a better birding choice. It is quieter, seems to have more habitat variety, and feels much larger. However, if you are a birder who is new to Thailand or Southeast Asia, this park seems like a good place to get to know some of the more common species in the Bangkok area. If you want to keep up with birds in the city, consider following the Bangkok City Birding blog. 

Trail 31: Walnut Creek East - Rose Ln to Apollo Hts

10/27/2012.  9:30 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 45.663, W 78, 36.005
End:   GPS N 35, 45.907, W 78, 36.582

There are two ways to access this part of the Walnut Creek Trail.  The first is to find 2412 Little John Rd., park along the street, and then take a very short paved access path to Rose Ln.  From there, just a bit to your left and across the road, you should see a wooden walkway entering a marshy area next to Walnut Creek (see photo below).  The other access point is directly from Rose Ln.  There is an unpaved pull-off near the trail entrance, which is located around 586 Rose Ln.  However, my Garmin GPS device was mistaken about where this address should be located, and tried to tell me I had arrived several hundred meters too early.  Check the addresses listed on some of the mailboxes to pinpoint the correct location if this is a problem.

It was cloudy and breezy when I arrived, and temperatures were somewhere in the mid-60s Fahrenheit.  I really liked this trail from the start. It begins with a wooden walkway next to a small marsh, and I heard a lot of woodpecker calls as I moved west.  There are open vistas at several points that make it easier to spot birds on the move, and there were surprisingly few people on the trail for a Saturday with fairly warm temperatures. In terms of atmosphere for birding, this segment probably rates in the top five or so of the trails I've walked so far.

Birds Sighted Between Entrance and Dacian Road:  There is a small playground where Dacian Rd. meets the Greenway trail, and it was fairly active with children.

American Crow:  Saw several of these from the wooden walkway at the trail entrance.

Carolina Chickadee:  In a tree beside the marsh.

Carolina Wren:  In the same tree with the Carolina Chickadee.

American Robin:  GPS N 35, 45.645, W 78, 36.010.

White Throated Sparrow:  GPS N 35, 45.624, W 78, 36.023.  I'm still not seeing these in great numbers yet.  I'm assuming they will start to flock together as winter arrives.

Northern Cardinal:  Two males seemed to be traveling together.

Ruby Crowned Kinglet:  GPS N 35, 45.631, W 78, 36.043.  My first of these this season.

Eastern Phoebe:  GPS N 35, 45.680, W 78, 36.072.

Possible Broad Winged Hawk:  GPS N 35, 45.704, W 78, 36.096.  I only got about a two second look at this hawk while it was in flight.  I looked back over my shoulder, saw it, and then it disappeared behind a stand of trees, never to reappear again.  But its wings had a distinctive shape that made me think it might be the Broad Winged Hawk. They were unusually wide toward the middle and then rather pointy at the tips. I've never seen this species before, so I could be mistaken. According to ebird.org, there have only been a few sightings of this hawk in the area during the month of October in the past few years.  A couple of locations in Chapel Hill and one in the Clayton area, so the odds are against me.  But something to watch out for in the future.

Birds Sighted Between Dacian Road and Apollo Heights: 

Northern Flicker:  GPS N 35, 45.779, W 78, 36.187.  At one point I saw three of these in a single tree.  They were eating some sort of berry that was attracting a great deal of attention from other species as well.

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  In the same tree with the first Flicker.

Red Winged Blackbird:  GPS N 35, 45.780, W 78, 36.303. I probably saw at least 100 of these in all.  They were perching high in a cluster of trees with cloudy skies behind.  It took a moment to notice the red patch on the wings of the males, which indicates how far away they were. I have only rarely seen these birds, and was not aware how different the females look.  I spent probably 20 minutes trying to figure out what those other birds flocking with the Red Winged Blackbirds might be, and only figured out that they were females after I got home and took a look at Google images.

Mourning Dove:  GPS N 35, 45.779, W 78, 36.357.

Downy Woodpecker:  Same tree with Mourning Doves.

Tufted Titmouse:  GPS N 35, 45.771, W 78, 36.433.

There is a trail access point from Apollo Heights. The address is 756 Lunar Drive. The sky had begun to darken and I thought it might rain. It turned out to be a false alarm, but the parking lot associated with the Ralph Campbell Community Center is a convenient place to access this part of the trail.

New Species Sighted on the Return Trip:

Blue Jay:  GPS N 35, 45.768, W 78, 36.395.

Northern Mockingbird: Same place as the Blue Jay.

Black Vulture:  Saw three of these in flight back at the trail entrance.  I haven't seen Black Vultures in many months now. Turkey Vultures are much more common, it seems.

I saw a total of 17 species on this outing, which is a healthy number for me given that I was only on the trail for about 2.5 hours. Nothing new was seen, except possibly the Broad Winged Hawk, but I did see some old friends that I have not spotted since last spring.  The path was quite pleasant, though, and it is one I would like to visit again.

Trail 30: Walnut Creek Trail - Softball Complex and Worthdale Park

10/18/2012.  9:10 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 45.546, W 78, 34.930

End:   GPS N 35, 45.825, W 78, 35.252

The southeastern starting point for the Walnut Creek Trail is poorly marked. According to the Capital Area Greenway map, the first segment of the trail begins at the northwestern edge of Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion (3801 Rock Quarry Road, GPS N 35, 45.173, W 78, 34.779) and ends at Walnut Creek Softball Complex (1201 Sunnybrook Road). Neither end of this segment of the trail has a sign indicating that it is part of the Greenway, although midway along the trail there is a Raleigh Parks sign. The trail ends at the softball park, then picks up again about half a mile north on Sunnybrook Road at Worthdale Park. Although the map indicates that the trail continues from there to Rose Lane, in truth it appears to simply follow sidewalks through a residential neighborhood for about five blocks.  At Rose Lane, the trail picks up again and becomes a more standard woodsy trail. Plans to join these trail segments together, and then eastward to the Neuse River Trail are underway.

I had trouble finding parts of this trail on my first outing, so the following report is a compilation of what I found on two outings about one week apart.  Although the eastern-most end of the trail begins at the Time Warner pavilion, a sign on the gate to that facility said something about no trespassing (even though part of the gate was open) so I decided to start at the softball complex at the other end of this trail segment instead.  When entering the softball complex, turn right and then take either the first or second right into the parking areas, and drive along the parking lot until you see the little yellow post (see photo at left).

The morning started out with mostly clear skies and a temperature in the low 50s. The first part of this trail segment follows the edge of an unpaved parking lot along the boundary of the park. Most of the bird activity on my arrival was out in the trees that dot the parking area. The trail eventually enters a more woodsy area beside Walnut Creek for a short distance, then passes under the Beltline (I-440) before emerging next to unpaved parking lot A-1 at the Time Warner Pavilion.  The total length of this segment is probably no more than half a mile.

Birds Sighted Between Softball Complex and I-440

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  In parking lot at start of trail.  I saw two of these moving together between trees.

Blue Jay:  Also seen from the parking lot.

American Crow:  GPS N 35, 45.507, W 78, 34.910.

Brown Thrasher:  In the same area where I saw the crows.

Northern Mockingbird:  GPS N 35, 45.478, W 78, 34.766.

Birds Sighted Between I-440 Tunnel and Pavilion Parking

Carolina Chickadee:  GPS N 35, 45.341, W 78, 34.662

Mourning Dove:  Saw four of these in the same area with the chickadees.

Northern Cardinal:  GPS N 35, 45.295, W 78, 34.704

Canada Goose:  GPS N 35, 45.234, W 78, 34.716.  There were 25 of these walking around the pavilion parking area grounds, and while I was watching them, another 41 flew by overhead.

New Species Sighted on Return Trip:  The photo at left shows the point that I believe to be the beginning of the Walnut Creek Trail at Time Warner Pavilion.  Parking lot A-1 is partially visible in the left of the photo.

American Robin:  GPS N 35, 45.441, W 78, 34.687.  Several Robins were eating berries from a high up in a tree.

Downy Woodpecker:  Also in the berry tree.

Northern Flicker:  GPS N 35, 45.481, W 78, 34.718.  Two of these were spotted in the same tree.

White Throated Sparrow:  GPS N 35, 45.487, W 78, 34.900.  This was the first White Throated Sparrow that I have seen in some time.

Eastern Towhee:  In same area with the sparrows.

Tufted Titmouse:  GPS N 35, 45.503, W 78, 34.913.

I saw 15 species of mostly very common birds on this segment of the trail over the course of about an hour and 45 minutes.  The next segment of the trail begins at Worthdale Park. It is possible to walk the one-third mile or so north on Sunnybrook until you reach the park. I actually birded the park a week earlier because I could not find the entrance to the trail inside the Time Warner Pavilion.  I saw mostly similar birds at Worthdale Park, so my report below only includes new species seen. 

Worthdale Park has two entrances.  One is from Sunnybrook Road just south of the intersection with Middle Branch Road.  The other is from 1001 Cooper Road.  From the Sunnybrook entrance, a trail curls around the edge of the park, then crosses a small bridge over a tiny creek and leads to Little John Road.  This segment of the Walnut Creek Trail is even shorter than the one at the softball complex.  I did manage to spot 10 species of birds in about 45 minutes, but they were mostly the same common birds seen on the previous segment of the trail.  The exceptions were:

Eastern Bluebird:  GPS N 35, 45.814, W 78, 35.160.

Eastern Phoebe:  GPS N 35, 45.824, W 78, 35.213.

White Breasted Nuthatch:  Saw this one from the same area where I saw the Phoebe.

Between these two short trail segments, I saw a total of 18 species.  Nothing seen was new or unusual.

I typically report a summary of the birds seen after each group of 10 trails.  Trails 21-30 were walked between May 20th and October 18th and reflect summer and early fall species.  The most common birds over the period were Northern Cardinal, Carolina Chickadee, American Crow, and American Robin.  These were seen on at least 8 of 10 outings.  Moderately common birds were Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, Northern Mockingbird, Carolina Wren, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, Brown Thrasher and White Breasted Nuthatch.  These were all seen between five and seven times.  The birds seen three or four times include Canada Goose, Gray Catbird, Barn Swallow, Blue Gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Great Blue Heron, House Finch, Mallard, Northern Flicker, Ruby Throated Hummingbird, Song Sparrow, and Turkey Vulture.  Those seen only once or twice are the Chipping Sparrow, Common Grackle, Eastern Towhee, European Starling, Pileated Woodpecker, Red Headed Woodpecker, Belted Kingfisher, Black and White Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Coopers Hawk, Field Sparrow, Fish Crow, Great Crested Flycatcher, Green Heron, Hairy Woodpecker, Indigo Bunting, Northern Rough Winged Swallow, Pine Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Red Shouldered Hawk, Red Tailed Hawk, Red Winged Blackbird, Summer Tanager and White Throated Sparrow.  Fifteen species that had been spotted on earlier trips were not seen during the period.  Some of them are migratory and will likely be returning in the next month or so.

       

Trail 29: Neuse River Trail - Anderson Point North Part B

10/04/2012.  9:45 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 47.940, W 78, 32.581
End:   GPS N 35, 48.852, W 78, 32.261

There are a number of ways to access this portion of the Neuse River Trail, which lies north of New Bern Road.  There is an access bridge from the east side of the Neuse River that comes from Loch Raven Parkway.  The bridge is located just south of the small Milburnie dam and both the bridge and road are so new that they do not yet appear on Google Maps.

An even better entrance, in my opinion, is from Raleigh Beach Road just southwest of Allen Drive on the west side of the river.  The access way is short and unpaved (see photo at left), but it passes next to a pond surrounded by many small dead trees, and seems to be a popular hangout for Red Headed Woodpeckers.  It seemed to attract quite a variety of other birds as well.  The only down side is that you have to park on the shoulder of the road next to the entrance, but Raleigh Beach Road is not heavily traveled.

It is also possible to access the trail from a little further north via Milburnie Park, which is not fully developed yet, and Allen Drive. The closest intersection is Allen Drive and Raleigh Beach Road.  From the Google map, it appears that the Neuse River Trail used to follow Raleigh Beach Road for a short distance, though it now continues along the river instead. There is some designated parking at Milburnie Park.

The conditions were cloudy with a light rain when I arrived.  Temperatures were probably around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It continued to rain for the first hour or so on the trail, but was partly sunny by the time I finished 3.5 hours later. One nice thing about birding on a rainy weekday morning is that you see very few other people. Outside of a couple of maintenance workers in trucks, I only saw three others the whole time I was on the trail.

Birds Sighted Between Raleigh Beach Rd. and Allen Dr./Milburnie Park Entrance:

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  Saw this bird within 30 seconds of exiting the car.  It would presage a great day for viewing woodpeckers!

Northern Cardinal:  Saw several of these over the course of the day, but the first was at the trail entrance.

Tufted Titmouse:  GPS N 35, 47.927, W 78, 32.566.

Carolina Chickadee:  As is common, these birds were together with the Titmice.

Red Headed Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 47.914, W 78, 32.534.  It has been a very long time since I saw one of these, and today I saw at least two, and perhaps as many as four different ones, all on the short access path to the Greenway.

Northern Flicker:  GPS N 35, 47.894, W 78, 32.492.  I saw one of these at two or three places along the trail.  At least one was a male. This is another woodpecker that I do not see often on these birding trips, despite seeing one quite often in my backyard.  Within the first thirty minutes of birding I was already up to three woodpecker species.


Gray Catbird:  GPS N 35, 48.134, W 78, 32.337.  I have never seen as many Gray Catbirds as I did between the Loch Raven Parkway access bridge and the Bridges Lake marsh.  It could have been just one pair playing tricks on the silly birder, but they seemed to be everywhere.

Birds Sighted Between Allen Drive Entrance and End of Trail:

The marshy area in the photo at left is called Bridges Lake according to Google Maps and is crossed by a long wooden bridge.  The view is quite striking on both sides.  I only saw one bird out on the marsh, a Great Blue Heron, but from this point on the eastern side of the trail passes by marshland with a screen of trees on one side, and a relatively new looking housing development with almost no trees on the other. Despite the lack of trees to the west, the birding along this part of the trail was quite good.


Great Blue Heron:  GPS N 35, 48.297, W 78, 32.369.  Saw this one from the bridge.

Common Yellowthroat:  At north edge of bridge.  This is a new bird for both the Capital Area Greenway list, as well as my lifelist!

Blue Jay:  GPS N 35, 48.343, W 78, 32.374.  I had heard these several times before I finally saw them.

American Robin:  Surprisingly uncommon on this trail.  In same tree with Blue Jay for a short time.

Northern Mockingbird:  Spent a short time harassing the Blue Jay.

Eastern Phoebe:  Same area with Blue Jay and Mockingbird.

Brown Thrasher:  GPS N 35, 48.380, W 78, 32.347. Saw these in two or three places along this part of the trail.

Canada Goose:  GPS N 35, 48.490, W 78, 32.249.  A flock of 8-10 flying out over the river.

Carolina Wren:  GPS N 35, 48.791, W 78, 32.135.

Pileated Woodpecker:  I saw this bird from same place I saw the Carolina Wren.  I heard it drumming on a large, dead tree, then got a nice glimpse of it from fairly close before it flew off onto another dead tree a little further away. There was a second Pileated Woodpecker perhaps 200 feet from the first. This was the fourth woodpecker species of the day, and one that I have only seen three times before on the Greenways.

As you can see from the photo (above), the trail comes to sort of an end while the next extension is being build.  There is a little wooden bridge, a short section that is taped off, then a pristine new piece of trail that extends onward.  It seems that the point of this is to keep people off the other trail until it is officially open.

New Species Sighted on Return Trip:

Chipping Sparrow:  GPS N 35, 48.843, W 78, 32.234.  The only sparrows seen today.

Downy Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 48.121, W 78, 32.174.  Woodpecker species number five for the day and a record for a single day's outing for me!  I saw this one while I was trying to figure out a new warbler species.

Prairie Warbler:  The second new species for both the Greenway list and my lifelist!

Eastern Bluebird:  GPS N 35, 47.902, W 78, 32.512.

A total of 21 species were sighted on this particular outing, making it one of the best days since I started birding the Greenways last December. The sighting of the Common Yellowthroat and Prairie Warbler brings my lifelist to 355 species... at least that's the number I've managed to record.  The Raleigh Greenway list now boasts 63 species in about ten months and 27 outings. This completes all of the Capital Area Greenway trails north of Crabtree Creek and west of the Neuse River.  I will next begin working on the trails that are southeast of the city and work my way to the southwest.

Trail 28: Neuse River Trail - Anderson Point North Part A

09/22/2012.  9:00 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 46.463, W 78, 32.510
End:   GPS N 35, 47.951, W 78, 32.451

This part of the Neuse River Trail runs north along the west bank of the Neuse River starting at Anderson Point Park, which is located at 20 Anderson Point Drive.  The park itself is situated south of the Knightdale bypass (Hwy 264 or 54), and access to the trail from the park is by means of an overpass.  However, there is another parking lot near the intersection of Anderson Point Dr. and Neuse View Dr that is much closer to the part of the trail that runs along the river.  This parking lot also provides access to a canoe launch on the Neuse River.  My outing began at this parking lot.  There are plans to eventually connect Anderson Point Park to the Crabtree Creek Trail, but it appears that this project is not yet complete.

This trail is one that I had visited a couple of times before, back when I tended to go birding only once or twice a year.  At the time I did not know it was part of the Capital Area Greenway system, and thought it was just an extension of Anderson Point Park.  The trail is better marked now.  This trail was the first place I ever saw a Red Headed Woodpecker, and it was not paved the last time I visited.  The trail is now paved, seems to follow a somewhat different course than it did before (generally closer to the river's edge), and has two access points from across the river via footbridges.  One of these appears to join up with a new trail called the Mingo Creek Trail, and the other leads to Loch Raven Parkway.  I ended my outing for the day at the Loch Raven Parkway entrance, and will hopefully complete this part of the Neuse River Trail on my next outing.

Birds Seen Between Parking Lot and Mingo Creek Access Point:

Northern Cardinal:  Visible from parking lot.

Northern Mockingbird:  GPS N 35, 46.474, W 78, 32.573.

European Starling:  Cluster of three birds on a high tension power line.

Mourning Dove:  GPS N 35, 56.625, W 78, 32.331.

Birds Seen Between Mingo Creek Access Bridge and New Bern Ave. Overpass:  See photo at left for the Mingo Creek Bridge.

American Crow:  GPS N 35, 46.854, W 78, 32.282.

American Robin:  Perched high in a tree.

Blue Jay:  GPS N 35, 46.959, W 78, 32.266

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  Same area as Blue Jay.

Canada Goose:  GPS N 35, 47.399, W 78, 32.184.  A flock of about 15-20 birds in flight.

The New Bern overpass is located at GPS N 35, 47.586, W 78, 32.357.  Prior to reaching this overpass, there is a boardwalk under construction over what is probably at times a marshy area.  Currently, trail users must follow a somewhat muddy path that diverts around the new construction.  Presumably this boardwalk will be completed soon.

Birds Sighted Between New Bern Ave. and the Loch Raven Parkway Access Point:

Tufted Titmouse:  GPS N 35, 47.680, W 78, 32.507.

Carolina Chickadee:  In same trees with Titmice.

Gray Catbird:  GPS N 35, 47.752, W 78, 32.566.

Brown Thrasher:  GPS N 35, 47.791, W 78, 32.557.

Along this part of the trail, I did see two or three species that I was unable to identify.  In one case, I saw a flash of yellow color but did not get to see the bird through my binoculars.  In two others, they were species that I did not immediately recognize and I got only a brief look, not enough to make a firm identification.  The vegetation was quite thick along the trail in many places, which made it difficult to get long looks at the birds.  I suspect this would be a much better place to come in a few weeks when the trees have shed some of their leaves.

New Species Sighted on the Return Trip:  I saw no new species on the return trip until I was almost back to the parking lot.

Turkey Vulture:  GPS N 35, 46.456, W 78, 32.471.  Two birds in flight.

This was a somewhat disappointing outing, as I only identified 14 species.  None were new species for the Raleigh Greenway list.  I remember my previous trips here being more productive.  The poor showing could have something to do with the time of year, or it might relate to the new construction along this trail.  Perhaps the wildlife has not completely adjusted to the changes in the trail yet.  I hope to continue north and find the end of this trail on my next outing.

Trail 27: Lake Lynn Trail

08/30/2012.  8:45 AM.

Start & End:  GPS N 35, 53.265, W 78, 41.844

The Lake Lynn Trail is a 2.8 mile path that begins at the Lake Lynn Community Center (7921 Ray Road) and includes a loop of about 2.1 miles around Lake Lynn. The lake is artificial and was apparently set up to control flooding. The trail around the Lake is connected at its southern end to the Haresnipe Creek Trail, but appears to simply follow along Lynn Road west to Leesville Road, then south to West Millbrook Road.  I have chosen not to report on trails that are primarily or exclusively roadside trails for this project.

There are two other public access points to the Lake Lynn Trail, one on Lynn Road, the other on Glenharden Drive, as well as several more from surrounding apartment complexes. This trail is the closest part of the Capital Area Greenway to my own home, so I have been here to walk a number of times before, but never with my binoculars. The trail is often busy, even on weekday mornings, and is a popular place for exercise.

The pathway leading from the community center parking lot to the Lake Lynn loop passes through a marshy area where deer are sometimes seen. The northern part of the lake is quite shallow and is a popular hangout for domesticated ducks and geese, as well as Great Blue Herons, Green Herons, and an abundance of turtles. Snapping turtles are also found occasionally in this area. The southern section of the lake has deeper water and fewer water birds, but most of this area is still lined with trees, providing the possibility of seeing other birds.  My outing began at the Lake Lynn Community Center parking lot.

Birds Sighted Along Marshy Area Between Parking Lot and Lake:

The morning began a bit slowly, then picked up after about 9:15 AM. I returned along this section at the end of the outing and had much better luck at that time (see below).

Blue Jay:  This bird was spotted in the parking lot.

Gray Catbird:  GPS N 35, 53.220, W 78, 41.876.

Northern Cardinal:  Same area as the Catbird.


Birds Sighted Along East Side of Lake Lynn Loop:

Mallard:  GPS N 35, 53.038, W 78, 41.974.  At least fifty were present.

Canada Goose:  In same area with mallards.

Green Heron: GPS N 35, 53.022, W 78, 41.973. There were three of these out on the flats. I chatted with a photographer who told me there are six of these who frequent the lake. This is a new bird for the Raleigh Greenway List.

White Breasted Nuthatch: GPS N 35, 52.609, W 78, 41.828.

Hairy Woodpecker:  In same area with the Nuthatch. Got a good look at the long beak and the dark stripe in front of the shoulder.

Song Sparrow: GPS N 35, 52.581, W 78, 41.807. Perched on a post near one of the apartment complexes.

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 52.484, W 78, 41.799.  Amid the pine trees on the grounds of an apartment complex.

Birds Sighted Along West Side of Lake Lynn Loop:

Mourning Dove:  GPS N 35, 52.355, W 78, 41.789.

Northern Mockingbird:  GPS N 35, 52.648, W 78, 42.064

Great Blue Heron:  GPS N 35, 52.850, W 78, 42.064. This bird was perched in a tree near the boardwalk pictured at left. The photographer told me there are four of them who frequent the lake.

Belted Kingfisher:  GPS N 35, 53.032, W 78, 42.037. I have seen this bird here a couple of times before as well. It seems to like to stand in a partly denuded tree on the north end of the lake on the east side. But the tree is only visible from the west side, near the northern end of the trail.

Birds Sighted On Return Path to Community Center Parking Lot:

Fish Crow: GPS N 35, 53.039, W 78, 41.975. Confirmed by sound of call.

Tufted Titmouse: GPS N 35, 53.175, W 78, 41.912. This one turned out to be a bit difficult to find.

Pileated Woodpecker: GPS N 35, 53.191, W 78, 41.903. This was probably the highlight of the day for me. I haven't seen one of these since my outing on the Neuse River Trail last winter, and I have never seen one at the park before. It did not stay long, but was nice to see.

Common Grackle: GPS N 35, 53.195, W 78, 41.902. Saw several of these moving through the swampy area.

Turkey Vulture:  Saw two of these in flight from the parking lot.

I ended the outing with a total of 19 species for the day, and one new addition to the Capital Area Greenway List. That brings the total to 61 species since December of last year.

Trail 26: Marsh Creek Trail

08/23/2012.  8:20 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 49.732, W 78, 35.985
End:   GPS N 35, 49.352, W 78, 35.486

The Marsh Creek Trail intersects with both Ingram Drive and Glenraven Drive, but the easiest access point is from the parking lot for Brentwood Park. The Marsh Creek Trail runs along the eastern boundary of the park, then continues on a short distance beyond. A small bridge across the creek connects the trail to Glenraven Drive, and about 100 feet later, the trail comes to an abrupt end.  There is room for an extension of the trail, and there is a vague footpath that continues on along the creekside, but the morning was wet and the grasses were fairly tall, so I did not explore it.

The morning started slow, with very few birds making an appearance in the open.  During the first hour, I only saw four different species. After about 9:15 AM though, activity picked up and I began to see a nice variety of birds. The morning was partly cloudy and the temperature was in the low 70s when I arrived.  It was mostly sunny by the time I left at 10:45 AM.

Birds Sighted During First Hour:

Ruby Throated Hummingbird:  GPS N 35, 49.751, W 78, 35.890. I saw hummingbirds in three different places in the park and along the trail. Brentwood Park has a number of "islands" of flowering plants, which probably attract them.

Gray Catbird:  GPS N 35, 49.765, W 78, 35.890. This bird was calling from a fairly dense line of bushes along the edge of the trail.  I finally got a look at it when it briefly came to the ground.

Northern Cardinal:  This bird, too, was being rather cryptic in the same set of bushes as the Grey Catbird.  Later, a couple in the park told me that a large hawk likes to hang around the area, so maybe the birds have learned to stay hidden in the morning until they know the hawk is not around.

Tufted Titmouse:  GPS N 35, 49.682, W 78, 35.851. I have not seen one of these for several outings now.  In the winter, they were among the most common.  I do think that I hear them from time to time, but they seem to be more cryptic in the summer.

New Species Sighted After 9:15 AM

Red Bellied Woodpecker: GPS N 35, 49.681, W 78, 35.915. I believe there were two of these, though I only saw one clearly enough to identify it. They were in the stand of trees toward the southern end of the park where the fenced in baseball diamond is located.

Carolina Chickadee:  Same place as the woodpecker. I was also surprised at how few of these I saw, given their usual numbers.

Eastern Bluebird:  GPS N 35, 49.707, W 78, 35.945. There was at least one adult and one juvenile in the park, perhaps more.

Blue Gray Gnatcatcher: GPS N 35, 49.704, W 78, 35.919. Two of these were seen in the brightly flowering trees along a path that cuts across the middle of the park.

American Crow:  Saw this bird fly over when I was watching the Blue Gray Gnatcatchers.

House Finch:  GPS N 35, 49.772, W 78, 35.946. Perched on fencing around one of the playing fields.

Blue Jay:  GPS N 35, 49.824, W 78, 35.917. Saw at least three of these as they moved across the park on their way somewhere else.

Downy Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 49.608, W 78, 35.817. There was a mini-flurry of bird activity in this one spot, beginning with this woodpecker.

White Breasted Nuthatch:  Same area as the woodpecker.


Possible White Eyed Vireo:  This bird had a longish body and fairly long tail.  The most distinctive thing about it was the golden yellow coloring along the shoulder area just under the wings, and some yellowish color along the tail.  I saw it for only a few seconds, and could not get a positive identification from my books or iBird App.  The White Eyed Vireo seems closest, but my experience with the juvenile Eastern Bluebird last outing means that it could be a juvenile of a species that normally has more yellow on the body in adulthood.

Black and White Warbler:  GPS N 35, 49.615, W 78, 35.822.  A new bird, both for the Raleigh Greenway list, and for my lifelist!

Northern Flicker:  GPS N 35, 49.741, W 78, 35.940.  Although I see one of these a lot in my backyard, I believe this is only the second time I have seen these while walking the Capital Area Greenways.  Both of the individuals I saw had the telltale black moustache indicating that they were males.  Perhaps a parent and maturing juvenile?

The total for this outing was 15 species, excluding the possible White Eyed Vireo. This outing brings the Capital Area Greenway list to 60 different species sighted.

Trail 25: Honeycutt Creek and Baileywick Trails

08/11/2012.  7:10 AM.

Honeycutt Creek Start:  GPS N 35, 54.216, W 78, 37.362
Honeycutt Creek End:   GPS N 35, 54.066, W 78, 37.606

Baileywick Trail Start:    GPS N 35, 54.138, W 78, 40.172
Baileywick Trail End:     GPS N 35, 54.608, W 78, 40.099

This report features two independent trails that are both fairly short.  The Honeycutt Creek Trail is only 0.36 miles in length, and passes along the edge of Honeycutt Park. The Baileywick Trail is 0.6 miles in length and passes through Baileywick Road Park. Each trail seemed a bit short for a full outing, so I decided to combine them into a single day. However, because they are several miles apart, I separately recorded all species seen on each of the trails. This means that a species first seen on the Honeycutt Creek Trail may be repeated if also seen on the Baileywick Trail.

The Honeycutt Creek trail can be easily accessed from Honeycutt Park, which is located on Clear Creek Farm Drive just west of Honeycutt Road in northeast Raleigh. The trailhead is a short walk down Clear Creek Farm Drive from the parking lot, but it is also possible to access the trail by walking through the park past the athletic field. I actually saw more birds flying around the grounds of the park on my way to and from the trail than I did along the trail itself.

This trail is a little odd. It is apparently in planning for expansion, but at present is rather uninspiring. I would divide it into three short segments. The first runs from the trailhead to the eastern edge of the athletic field. This section has tall trees on both sides, but parallels Honeycutt road, so there is significant traffic noise. The second segment begins on the east side of the athletic field (see photo above). Here, there is a screen of trees on one side, and open grass and the athletic field on the other. The mixed habitat should attract different types of birds, although I saw relatively few species among the trees.

After skirting the park, the trail again enters the woods for a short distance, coming to an abrupt end under a set of large power lines (see photo at left). The end of this trail is only a short distance north of I-540, and there is considerable traffic noise here. Based on my experience, I'd recommend focusing on the park rather than the trail, although I did see one new species for the Capital Area Greenway list on the trail.

Birds Sighted Along the Honeycutt Creek Trail:

Summer Tanager: GPS N 35, 54.196, W 78, 37.367. A male started calling soon after I stepped onto the trail, and then seemed to follow me for a short distance along the wooded segment near the trailhead. This is a new species for the Greenway list.

Northern Mockingbird: GPS N 35, 54.170, W 78, 37.473.

Mourning Dove:  GPS N 25, 54.089, W 78, 37.511. Resting on one of the large power lines.

Birds Sighted In Honeycutt Park:

Indigo Bunting: GPS N 35, 54.222, W 78, 37.503. A pair of these were resting together on the cyclone fencing in the park. I thought I saw one of these last week, but this was the first confirmed sighting and so it is a new bird for the Raleigh Greenway list.

Carolina Wren: GPS N 35, 54.239, W 78, 37.489.

House Finch: GPS N 35, 54.221, W78, 37.473. A small flock of perhaps 10 - 12 birds.

Northern Cardinal:  In same area as finches.

Chipping Sparrow: A medium-size flock of perhaps 20 birds.

Ruby Throated Hummingbird:  Around the bushes in the parking lot.

Baileywick Trail:  I attempted to access this trail from its southern terminus on Strickland Road. There is no place to park on Strickland, and the nearest side streets are mostly quite narrow. In the end, I parked on Windjammer St. in the Wentworth Park housing development. However, after walking the trail, I would recommend either Davishire Dr. or the main parking lot for Baileywick Road Park as better places to leave a car.

I arrived at the southern entrance to Baileywick Trail at 8:40 AM, about 20 minutes after leaving Honeycutt Park. Much of this trail has trees on both sides, and many of them are pines. However, as the trail passes through the park, it also opens up onto large grassy areas, potentially attracting birds who prefer open spaces as well. In addition to the paved trail through the park, there is also an unpaved trail that runs to the west of the main route.

Birds Sighted Along Paved Part of Baileywick Trail:

American Crow:  GPS N 35, 54.192, W 78, 40.177. I initially saw three of these on the roof of one of the houses along Davishire Dr.

Carolina Wren:  GPS N 35, 54.223, W 78, 40.174.

Mourning Dove:  GPS N 35, 54.343, W 78, 40.170.

Probable American Goldfinch:  Only got a brief glimpse of this one up high in a tree, so could not be sure.

Northern Cardinal:  GPS N 35, 54.255, W 78, 40.171.  At a feeder in one of the back yards along the trail.

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 54.238, W 78, 40.181. Ended up seeing a male, female, and a juvenile over about a five minute period in one house's yard.

Eastern Towhee:  GPS N 35, 54.208, W 78, 40.181.  Female.

Song Sparrow:  In front yard facing Davishire Rd.

Birds Sighted on Unpaved Trail:

American Robin:  GPS N 35, 54.455, W 78, 40.229.

White Breasted Nuthatch:  GPS N 35, 54.423, W 78, 40.256.

Blue Jay:  In same area with Nuthatch.

Downy Woodpecker:  In same tree with the Nuthatch.

Carolina Chickadee:  GPS N 35, 54.406, W 78, 40.253.


Eastern Bluebird:  GPS N 35, 54.353, W 78, 40.216. I had a terrible time identifying this bird. It was a juvenile and showed only a bit of blue along the posterior parts of the wings, but didn't look anything like the species with prominent blue color in my iBird App, or my Tekiela bird guide. The head and back were a brown color, it had a large, dark eye with a light colored ring, and the upper chest was streaky like a sparrow. I had not seen a juvenile Bluebird before and so just wrote down all of the details I could, and was only able to get a positive identification when I did a search online.

A total of 19 species were identified along the two trails combined. More species were sighted along the Baileywick Trail, but the only two species that were new additions to the Raleigh Greenway list, the Summer Tanager and Indigo Bunting, were spotted on the Honeycutt Creek Trail.  That brings the total for the Greenway list to 61 species. The two trails combine for about 1 mile of total distance, or 2 miles round trip.

Trail 24: Wakefield Trail

08/04/2012.  7:25 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 57.835, W 78, 33.721

End:   GPS N 35, 56.753, W 78, 33.419

The Wakefield Trail is the most northerly trail in the Capital Area Greenway system. It begins near the intersection of Falls of Neuse and Mountain High Road. There is no parking at this trailhead, so I left my car on Mountain High Road, which is relatively wide and has only a few large houses along it. The trail's asphalt path ends at about 2925 London Bell Drive, but there is a short section of unpaved trail that continues on to around 12405 Dunard Street.    

The northern entrance to the Wakefield Trail is not marked. However, the trail runs alongside the large power line stanchions for this area, so it is easy to locate. As you travel along Falls of Neuse Road, look for the power lines as well as the little red fire hydrant just to the right of the trail entrance (see photo at left).

For much of its length, the trail runs between a golf course on the left side, and housing on the right. The golf course has open grassy areas that attract American Robins, European Starlings, and other birds that like open spaces, while some of the houses have bird feeders that attract the typical assortment of feeder birds. Because of the power lines, trees have been cut back along the trail, so the nearest trees are found only along the margins of the area. The habitat on either side of the trail is mostly bushy plants and grasses. This makes it an unusual environment compared to the other trails I have visited so far along the Raleigh Greenway.

The Wakefield Trail can be divided into three different segments. The first is from Falls of Neuse Road to Wakefield Plantation Drive. This is the longest section, and once on Wakefield Plantation Drive, visitors must walk a short distance west to pick up the trail again. The second section runs from here to London Bell Drive, where the paved portion of the trail ends. The third section is a short footpath ending at Dunard Street. As with the northern trailhead, this footpath section is not clearly marked as belonging to the Raleigh Greenway system, but seems to be indicated on the map of the system provided by the City of Raleigh.

Because I knew this trail would not have much shade, I decided to get an early start. I arrived at about 7:25 AM under partly cloudy skies and with temperatures probably in the mid- to high-70s Fahrenheit. The sun was hidden by clouds for the first hour or so, but the cloud cover burned off quickly and the rest of the outing was under clear skies.

Birds Sighted Along First Segment of the Trail: All of my first sightings for the day were made along this first segment, except for the hawk seen on the return trip. This section of the trail included two or three houses with filled feeders in the back yards, and seemed to be the part of the trail with the greatest variety and overall abundance of birds.

Northern Mockingbird: GPS N 35, 57.835, W 78, 33.721. There were a lot of Mockingbirds along the trail, and many of them were juveniles.

Mourning Dove: GPS N 35, 57.812, W 78, 33.721. Saw several of these along the trail, usually in singles or pairs.

Northern Cardinal:  GPS N 35, 57.764, W 78, 33.680. The first species I saw at the first set of feeders.

House Finch:  Saw several of these at the feeders.

Blue Jay:  Two or three of these around the feeders. The feathers of at least one seemed rather shabby so it might have been a juvenile.

Eastern Bluebird:  Just one, perched near the feeders.

American Crow:  Two of these landed on the rooftop of one of the houses while I was watching birds at the feeders.

Red Headed Woodpecker: This was a pleasant surprise. I have not seen one of these in several months.

European Starling: A small group of these were on a grassy area at the golf course.

Red Winged Blackbird: Another species I have not seen for some time. A single individual was mixed with the starlings on the golf course green.

Barn Swallow:  Flying over golf course.

Carolina Chickadee:  Only one.  At feeders.

Ruby Throated Hummingbird:  The first hummingbird I have seen along the Raleigh Greenway system. This one was attracted to a hummingbird feeder in one of the back yards.

American Robin: GPS N 35, 57.659, W 78, 33.583.

White Breasted Nuthatch:  In the same area as the Robin, climbing a tree along the edge of the golf course.

Probable Indigo Bunting:  From quite a distance, I saw a gorgeous blue bird with some dark streaks in the wings. I couldn't get close enough to confirm before it flew away, but I am pretty sure that the color scheme was correct.

Carolina Wren:  In the same tree with the Indigo Bunting, but did me the favor of staying put until I could get close enough to identify.

Field Sparrow: GPS N 35, 57.586, W 78, 33.591. These were fairly numerous along the first part of the trail.

Brown Thrasher: At edge of golf course property.

New Species Sighted on Return Trip:

Red Tailed Hawk:  Perched fairly low on one of the power line stanchions. Did not seem bothered by the attention I gave it with my binoculars, nor the fact that I passed fairly close to the stanchion on my way by.

I spotted a total of 19 species on this outing. Eighteen were first sighted along the first and longest segment of the trail, and 11 were spotted while I stood mostly stationary near two houses with feeders in the back yard. If the feeders had not been filled, the number of birds sighted would have been lower by several species at least. Not counting the probable Indigo Bunting, only one new species (Ruby Throated Hummingbird) was added to the Capital Area Greenway list on this outing.  However, I did manage to see several species that I have not seen for many months, including Red Headed Woodpecker, Red Winged Blackbird, and Field Sparrow.