Start: GPS N 35, 48.340, W 78, 41.549
End: GPS N 35, 48.872, W 78, 42.762
My starting point for this part of the Reedy Creek Trail was a bit difficult to access. It is the point where the House Creek Trail splits away, and the main trail continues across I-440 via a long pedestrian bridge. The only way to reach this junction is by walking some distance along either the south section of the Reedy Creek Trail, or from Horton Street where there is parking next to a section of the House Creek Trail. I chose to access the trail from Horton Street. If I was not trying to continue viewing the trail from east to west, a better option would have been to park at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Because I had previously reported on birds seen along the House Creek Trail, I did not begin keeping track of birds until I reached my starting point at the pedestrian bridge.
Birds Sighted from the Pedestrian Bridge through the Museum Park
This part of the trail moves away from the freeway after the pedestrian bridge, and passes through a decent patch of woods. About halfway to Blue Ridge Road, the museum offers several trails, some paved and some not, for walkers and cyclists to enjoy. Although I don't believe these are technically part of the Reedy Creek Trail, I decided to try a paved path called the Blue Loop. A sign suggested this loop was about one mile in length. I also noticed a pond along the way that I hoped might attract some birds. The Blue loop leaves the forest and passes through open fields with an occasional large and interesting sculpture placed along the way. The pond is small and I did not actually see any birds there, but that may have been the fault of the weather. It started to drizzle just about the time I set foot on the Blue Loop and continued until I had left this section of the trail and moved on to the next.
Tufted Titmouse: Just one, in the same area I saw the Vireos.
Carolina Chickadee: At least three together, and a total of five on the day.
Red Bellied Woodpecker: I saw one of these in the same area with the three previous species. This one was a juvenile with some fuzzy feathers still on its back.
Summer Tanager: GPS N 35, 48.301, W 78, 41.987. This was a female. I haven't seen one of these along the Raleigh Greenways in a long time.
Northern Cardinal: In the same area with the Tanager. I saw a total of five but heard many more.
American Redstart: GPS N 35, 48.390, W 78, 42.076. This was a female. A new species for my Capital Area Greenway list.
Eastern Bluebird: GPS N 35, 48.444, W 78, 41.515. These were quite numerous around the open fields of the museum, and also later along Reedy Creek Road. I counted 23 in total.
American Crow: Also numerous around the grounds of the museum. I counted 13 in total.
European Starling: Huddled on power lines as the rain fell. I counted nine in total.
Rock Pigeon: GPS N 35, 48.533, W 78, 42.171. I saw 10 of these along the edge of the museum roof near the outdoor movie screen. I would later count 84 more on power lines along Reedy Creek Road.
Beyond the Museum of Art, the Reedy Creek Trail simply follows along the south side of Reedy Creek Road. The sidewalk is wide, and flanked by a number of state government and university buildings. I walked the road starting around 10:30 AM and saw almost no traffic. I think I was passed by cars only two or three times. It appears that all of these buildings are closed on Saturday, so the walk was much more pleasant than it might have been.
Northern Mockingbird: GPS N 35, 48.638, W 78, 42.464. I saw a total of six of these.
American Robin: Surprisingly, I only saw one of these on the day.
Blue Jay: GPS N 48.831, W 78, 42.748. I saw three of these here. I had heard Blue Jays calling in two other places but could never get a look at them.
Mourning Doves: I saw just two of these flying overhead.
New Species Sighted on the Return Trip
White Breasted Nuthatch: GPS N 35, 483872, W 78, 42.829.
Chipping Sparrow: GPS N 35, 48.845, W 78, 42.829. I saw at least eight of these, but there may have been several more.
This part of the Reedy Creek Trail shows some promise for birding, particularly if you include some of the short unpaved trails through the Museum of Art grounds. I was excited to see an American Redstart, which I had only seen a couple of times before, and the Summer Tanager was a nice addition as well. I suspect this trail would be even better in a month or so when some of the leaves come off of the trees and it is a bit easier to see into the woods. I count a total of 18 species for this outing, which is not bad by recent standards. Had it not rained for an hour or so, those numbers might have been a bit higher.
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