Start: GPS N 35, 45.839, W 78, 35.007
End: GPS N 35, 45.839, W 78, 35.007
This one remaining section of the Walnut Creek Trail was a little tricky to access. On my previous outing, I did not think there was a way to access the trail directly from New Hope Road, so I thought I would need to try to find another access point. It turns out that there is an accessway perhaps 1/16th of a mile to the west of the New Hope Road overpass that intersects the trail from the north. However, because I ended my previous outing on the east side of New Hope Road, I did not see this access point.
Instead, I tried to access this new section of the trail from the western side, beginning in the area near the Walnut Creek Amphitheatre. There is a softball park that provides easy access to a pedestrian tunnel that passes beneath I-440, but because I was out on a Friday morning, the softball park was closed to parking. That meant I had to park even further away from the new trail segment, on the other side of the road at Worthdale Park. The positive side of this was that I discovered a little extension of the Walnut Creek Trail that now connects Worthdale Park to the Softball Park. This was a part of the trail I hadn't walked before. The down side was that my one mile of remaining trail required about a mile of walking just to reach, resulting in a four mile round trip.
The first part of the trail was a connector between Worthdale Park and the Walnut Creek Softball Complex. It is perhaps a quarter mile long or less. I then passed through the part of the trail that skirts the softball complex to reach the next new section just past the I-440 overpass. The section from there to New Hope Road is also a new segment, and is probably about a mile in length.
While passing through Worthdale Park, I saw White-Breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Chickadee, American Robin, and American Crow.
The birds were not very active in this short connector segment. I heard perhaps four or five species total but only identified two of them visually.
Red Bellied Woodpecker: GPS N 35, 45.766, W 78, 35.158.
American Robin: I saw just one of these from the same vantage where I saw the woodpecker.
There was a great deal more bird activity at the softball complex than along the new segment of trail. In only one or two spots, I saw White Throated Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, American Crow, Brown Thrasher, Blue Gray Gnatcatcher, Tufted Titmouse, and Carolina Chickadee.
American Crow: GPS N 35, 45.348, W 78, 34.585.
Blue Jay: GPS N 35, 45.146, W 78, 34.384.
Northern Cardinal: GPS N 35, 45.006, W 78, 34.281.
Black Vulture: GPS N 35, 44.983, W 78, 34.256. Finally something I have not seen in awhile! Two of them flew low overhead.
Pine Warbler: GPS N 35, 44.975, W 78, 34.234. There may have been two of them, but I could only confirm one.
Yellow Rumped Warbler: In the same area with the pine warbler(s).
Great Blue Heron: Same area as sparrows. In flight.
New Species Sighted on Return Trip:
Common Grackle: GPS N 35, 44.870, W 78, 33.969.
Hermit Thrush: GPS N 35, 44.970, W 78, 34.193. I ended up seeing two of these.
Tufted Titmouse: Same place as the Hermit Thrush.
Carolina Chickadee: GPS N 35, 45.294, W 78, 34.443.
As I passed back through Worthdale Park on my way to the car, I saw a Dark Eyed Junco, which I had not seen anywhere else along the trail.
I only ended up seeing a total of 14 species along the new trail segments, and 16 species in total. Most were very common types. I also did not find this part of the trail to be very aesthetically pleasing. The section after New Hope Road that leads to the Neuse River Trail would be preferable for both birding and walking, in my opinion.
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