Trail 37: Lake Raleigh - Trailwood Drive

03/02/2014.  8:55 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35,46.015, W 78, 40.659
End:   GPS N 35, 46.078, W 78, 41.456

Lake Raleigh is located on NC State University's Centennial Campus. The parking lot at Lake Raleigh can be a little tricky to find. It is accessible by means of a small road that looks more like a walking path at first glance. If you have GPS, you may be able to use the address 2298 Main Campus Dr, Raleigh, NC 27603 to find the small road that leads down to the lake. If that doesn't work, start at the intersection of Main Campus Drive and Trailwood Drive, then follow Main Campus Drive for quite awhile. When you reach Initiative Way (right side only), start looking for signs about public fishing access.  The small road that leads down to the lake will be on your left between Initiative Drive and Campus Shore Drive/Partners Way. Alternatively, you can use the GPS coordinates under "Start" above to pinpoint the parking lot itself.

On weekdays, the little parking lot at Lake Raleigh is considered university parking from 7 AM to 5 PM. The photo at left indicates how to get a visitor pass during these hours. When I arrived on Sunday at just before 9 AM, mine was the only car in the lot. By the time I left at 11:30 AM, all 8-10 spaces were taken.

I would divide this trail into three sections. There is the first part of the trail that skirts the edge of Lake Raleigh and from which the water is usually partly or completely visible. The second part begins when the trail pulls away from the lake to enter a more heavily wooded area. This section includes a strip of predominately evergreen trees, followed by a somewhat marshy area with more deciduous trees on the south side of the trail. The second section ends when it meets Avent Ferry Rd.  However, the Walnut Creek Trail technically continues along Avent Ferry road to the southwest for a few hundred feet, turns south on Trailwood Drive, and then heads back into the woods in the direction of Lake Johnson about 100 feet from the intersection with Avent Ferry Rd. I consider this to be the third part of the trail, although I did not see much in the way of new species while walking along the roadside.

Birds Sighted Along the Lake Shore

It was sunny but cool when I started, and many of the birds seemed to be just becoming active. I saw two or three species just standing in the higher branches of trees appearing to sun themselves before heading out for the day's activities.

Northern Mockingbird:  I only saw one of these on the day. It was sunning itself in a tree next to my parking space.

Brown Thrasher:  Also visible from the parking lot, this bird was poking around in the grass north of the lot. Later, I would see two of these together foraging in a grassy area.

Carolina Chickadee:  Several times along the trail I saw a single chickadee.  Could have been the same one each time for all I know.  The first was near the parking lot.

Yellow Rumped Warbler:  Also near the parking lot.

Eastern Bluebird:  Sunning itself in a tree near the parking lot.

Double Crested Cormorant:  I saw at least 17 of these from the dock (pictured above). Most of the individuals I saw were perched in the distant trees that you can see in the photo at left.

Bufflehead:  At first I saw just a single male, but later I saw a pair plus one more male.

Ring Billed Gull:  I saw nine of these flying near the dock. Later, there were probably 50 or more way off in the distance on the lake, but I couldn't see well enough to count them. It looked like they might be resting on some kind of sand bar. I did manage to see one of them use its foot to scratch its head while in flight!

Pied Billed Grebe:  This was a great find for me, as it is a new bird for my lifelist. I saw it at the beginning and the end of the outing.

Great Blue Heron:  This one was foraging along the lake edge.

Northern Shoveler:  Three males and one female. This was a new species for my Raleigh Greenway list.

Bald Eagle:  GPS N 35, 46.022, W 78, 40.678. While standing on the dock looking for ducks, a juvenile Bald Eagle flew in and landed atop one of the distant trees where the cormorants were perched.  The cormorants were annoyed and tried to chase it away, but it would not go.  It stayed for several minutes before moving on. Although this is my second sighting of Bald Eagles along a Capital Area Greenway trail, this is the first time I have seen one while birding for this project.  So this will add another new species to the Raleigh Greenway list.

Eastern Towhee:  Male.

Ruby Crowned Kinglet:  GPS 35, 46.062, W 78, 40.703.

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  Male. This time I got a glimpse of the red patch on the belly.

Song Sparrow:  GPS N 35, 46.067, W 78, 40.725.

Fish Crows:  I originally saw three of these and had to verify their species by their call.  Later I saw nine of them together, and again confirmed by call.


Species Sighted Along the More Wooded Western Part of the Trail:

This was the area with the short gallery of pine forest followed by some fairly marshy areas on the south side of the trail.

American Crow:  GPS N 35, 46.038, W 78, 40.900.  Confirmed by call.

Tufted Titmouse:  GPS N 35, 46.037, W78, 40.931. I saw two of these.

Unidentified Hawk:  I saw a long-tailed hawk in flight.  Must have been either a Coopers or a Sharp Shinned.  I have seen both previously along the Walnut Creek trail.

Golden Crowned Kinglet:  GPS N 35, 46.039, W 78, 41.010.

Red Tailed Hawk:  In Flight.

Pine Warbler:  GPS N 35, 46.109, W 78, 41.128.  I'm pretty sure I saw at least two different individuals in the short gallery of pine trees (see photo at left).

Winter Wren:  GPS N 35, 46.144, W 78, 41.186.  My first Winter Wren of the year.

Downy Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 46.152, W 78, 41.207. Female.


White Breasted Nuthatch:  In same area with Downy Woodpecker.

New Species Sighted Roadside Along Avent Ferry and Trailwood Drive:

Avent Ferry Road is quite busy, and the traffic may keep many birds away.  However, the sidewalk that represents this part of the Walnut Creek Trail does run along a marshy, wooded area which probably attracts some birds.  I only saw two or three species, and only one was new for the day.

Northern Cardinal:  Male.

New Species Sighted on the Return Trip:

White Throated Sparrow:  GPS N 35, 46.173, W 78, 41.254. At least five.

Mute Swan:  GPS N 35, 46.035, W 78, 40.901. These are supposed to be rare in Raleigh at this time of year, but I have seen one at Lake Lynn this winter, and now one at Lake Raleigh.

Wood Duck:  Male.  I have not seen a Wood Duck in many years, and never here in North Carolina. This is probably because I usually bird in the woods rather than along bodies of water. Wood Ducks were my grandmother's favorite birds and every time I see one I think of her and how she prompted my interest in birds.

Belted Kingfisher:  GPS N 35, 46.058, W 78, 40.820.

Turkey Vulture:  GPS N 35, 46.055, W 78, 40.696.  At least one and possibly two of these circling over campus in the distance.

Canada Goose:  It is kind of amazing that I only saw one Canada Goose on a lake of this size, and only at the end of the day.

This was my most productive solo birding outing ever.  Thirty-Two (32) species identified, a new addition to my lifelist, and six new additions to the Raleigh Greenway list (Bufflehead, Pied Billed Grebe, Northern Shoveler, Bald Eagle, Mute Swan, Wood Duck).  I would definitely recommend Lake Raleigh as a place to come birding in the winter.  Lots of species variety, a pleasant atmosphere, and very uncrowded, at least on a Sunday morning.

Trail 36: Walnut Creek Trail - Lake Wheeler Rd. to Lake Raleigh

02/05/2014.  2:27 PM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 45.634, W 78, 39.649
End:   GPS N 35, 46.065, W 78, 40.827

There is an entrance to the Walnut Creek Trail on the south side of Lake Wheeler Rd. where it shares a T-intersection with Centennial Parkway. The entrance runs beside a gas station with an associated Subway restaurant behind it. I parked in the Subway lot, had a late lunch, and then hit the trail. Conditions were bad for birding through most of the outing, with a strong, fairly sustained wind and temperatures in the upper 40s Fahrenheit. I probably would not have gone out except that it was the weekend of the Great Backyard Bird Count and I wanted to add some data from the Raleigh Greenways to the event. The one consolation on the day was that the skies were clear, but a lot of birds seemed to be hiding deep in the trees trying to ride out the wind. It finally let up some toward the end of the outing, and I did end up seeing some good species variety.

The access trail (see photo at left) brought me back to last outing's endpoint. From there, the Walnut Creek trail passes under Lake Wheeler Rd. just a little southwest of the access point and leads to the portion of the trail that runs through NC State's Centennial Campus and toward Lake Raleigh. I should note that the RGreenway App that I've been using let me down with this particular part of the Walnut Creek Trail. It does not show the trail as it passes onto Centennial Campus and does not pick it up again until the trail leaves campus at Trailwood Dr. The trail is also poorly marked on campus, so once I reached the lake and passed the parking area there, I mistakenly followed a paved pathway north along a small waterway (North Creek) instead of continuing around the lake toward the edge of campus. This side trail had some nice natural areas along it, though, and I did see several bird species as I walked, so it wasn't a complete loss.

Birds Sighted Between Lake Wheeler Rd. and Main Campus Dr.

This first section was the least developed of those I walked during this outing. See photo at left. Walnut Creek is on the left of the path, a fairly deep woods is on the right.

Unidentified Hawk:  I saw this bird as I was leaving the car and walking toward the trailhead. It was a rather thin hawk with a long tail, and must have been either a Cooper's or a Sharp-Shinned. It was in flight through the trees and disappeared quickly. It could have been the same Cooper's Hawk that I saw further down the trail, but I could not be sure of its identification.

Carolina Wren:  GPS N 35, 45.517, W 78, 39.759.  One of the few birds out in the open and braving the wind in this section of the trail.

Eastern Phoebe:  GPS N 35, 45.573, W 78, 39.917. I saw two of these not very far apart from each other along the edge of the trees.

Eastern Bluebird:  GPS N 35, 45.628, W 78, 40.009.  Saw a total of three of these.

White Throated Sparrow:  In the same area with the bluebirds. I counted a total of seven, but there were likely more.

New Species Sighted from Main Campus Drive to Lake Raleigh

There were more students out and about between Main Campus Drive and the edge of Lake Raleigh. The woods on either side of the trail is also home to a Frisbee golf course, and there were a few runners and bikers as well, despite the windy conditions.

Carolina Chickadee:  GPS N 35, 45.882, W 78, 40.508.  Saw only two of these at any one time.

Song Sparrow:  Same area as chickadees.

Northern Cardinal:  GPS N 35, 46.066, W 78, 40.709. Male and Female.

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  Same area as Cardinals.

Double Crested Cormorant:  Saw at least two of these flying over the lake.  Two other birds flying in the distance were probably also Cormorants.

New Species Sighted on the Centennial Campus North Creek Watershed Trail

Blue Jay:  GPS N 35, 56.328, W 78, 40.778. Only saw one of these, but heard at least one more calling.

Northern Flicker:  Saw just one in the distance.

Dark Eyed Junco:  GPS N 35, 46.537, W 78, 40.726. Saw these right at the end of the trail when I climbed a grassy incline to see if the trail continued further.

American Crow:  GPS N 35, 46.382, W 78, 40.774. Confirmed identification by call.

Eastern Towhee:  GPS N 35, 46.170, W 78, 40.779. Male.

Cooper's Hawk:  GPS N 35, 46.065, W 78, 40.827. I first saw this hawk from the North Creek Watershed Trail, but moved up to the Walnut Creek Trail at the edge of Lake Raleigh to identify it.  It is an immature hawk with yellow eyes, but its size and rounded instead of squared tail indicates Cooper's rather than Sharp Shinned.

New Species Sighted on the Return Trip from Lake Raleigh

European Starling:  Near the place where I saw the Cooper's Hawk. A group of eight were together high in a tree, perhaps looking for a place to settle down for the night.

Red Shouldered Hawk:  GPS N 35, 45.518, W 78, 39.802. Much larger in the body than the Cooper's Hawk with a shorter tail. Confirmed by its call using my iBird Pro app.

Mourning Doves:  Saw four of these sitting together on a wire. I'm surprised I did not see more of these given the developed nature of the campus.

Golden Crowned Kinglet:  GPS N 35, 45.531, W 78, 39.659. Saw three of these along the last part of the trail just before I turned north to return to my car.

I saw a total of 19 species on this outing.  Most are common birds that I see frequently, but the Double Crested Cormorants were new birds for the year, and I managed to see two different hawk species on the same outing.  That is the second time in a row that I've seen two or more species of hawk in a single outing. It would seem that this part of the Walnut Creek Trail, from S. Wilmington to Lake Raleigh, is a very good place to look for hawks. I have seen a total of four different species in two trips.

Trail 35: Walnut Creek Trail - S Wilmington to Lake Wheeler

02/01/2014.  8:58 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 45.495, W 78, 38.627
End:   GPS N 35, 45.549, W 78, 39.593

The Walnut Creek Trail changes briefly from nature trail to sidewalk at S Wilmington St. Across the street from the endpoint of the nature trail is Fayetteville St, which you must follow for a block to Water Works St. and then turn left and walk about 500 more feet before reacquiring the Walnut Creek nature trail on the left. Access to this entry point is easy from Eliza Pool Park, located at 1600 Fayetteville St. (at the corner of Fayetteville and Water Works). There is a parking lot at the far corner of this one block park on Summit Avenue. Exit the parking lot, take a left, and walk 300 feet or so down Summit Ave. to find the trail entrance.

My iPod battery gave out early in this outing, so the photo of the trail entrance at left is the only one I have for the day. Temperatures were in the high 20s Fahrenheit at the outset, but warmed to maybe 40 degrees by the time I was finished.

This trail segment can be divided into two major parts. One section begins at Water Works Road and passes under S. Saunders St., paralleling I-40 for maybe a third of its distance. This part of the trail is more thinly wooded, but has a nice raised wooden bridge area over what is probably a marsh during warmer weather. The second part of the trail between S. Saunders and Lake Wheeler Rd. quickly moves away from the freeway and passes through more heavily wooded land with quite a bit of underbrush for sparrows and other small birds to hide in. This section also passes beneath a railroad bridge as it nears Lake Wheeler Rd. Although I was on the trail for nearly three hours, I only saw two other people out, both running with their dogs.  I suspect that the cold weather and some icy snow still present on the wooden bridge may have deterred most local visitors from coming out this morning.

Birds Sighted Between Water Works and S. Saunders

European Starling:  GPS N 35, 45.495, W 78, 38.627.  There were two of these perched in a tree across the street from the trail entrance. I would later hear a larger group off in the trees, but I never actually saw more than two at a time.

American Robin:  These birds were everywhere along the first section of this trail. They seemed to be focused on foraging in the grass along the trail edge (along with a healthy number of sparrows) for quite a long distance. The largest number I counted in one place was 12, but I'm pretty sure there were dozens of them in the immediate area.

Chipping Sparrow:  These were on the ground in a yard across the street from the trail entrance. I counted at least five of them, but there were probably more around.

Red Bellied Woodpecker (see photo at left):  In a tree across the street from the trail entrance. This was a male, but I would later see a female further down the trail. The photo is from the web.

Northern Mockingbird:  GPS N 35, 45.429, W 78, 38.666. It was chasing an American Robin from tree to tree.

White-Throated Sparrow:  I saw these at a number of locations along the trail, the first being from the wooden bridge. The largest number I counted in one place was eight.

Northern Cardinal:  GPS N 35, 45.401, W 78, 38.706. Not as common as they are along some trails, but I saw at least three different individuals on the day, and probably as many as six or eight. I saw females more often than males for some reason.

American Crow:  Heard them call, then saw them fly overhead in a small group of three.

Eastern Towhee:  GPS N 35, 45.275, W 78, 38.707.

Yellow Rumped Warbler:  GPS N 35, 45.240, W 78, 38.788.

Red Shouldered Hawk:  Near where I saw the Yellow Rumped Warbler between the trail and the I-40 freeway. It was perched high in a tree.  Later, I saw what I believe was the same bird in flight.

Tufted Titmouse:  GPS N 35, 45.252, W 78, 38.865. There were three of these in one spot along the trail. One was chasing another with some enthusiasm. Not sure if this was a male chasing a female or if it was a male chasing another suitor away from a female.

Birds Sighted Between S. Saunders and Lake Wheeler Rd.

Carolina Wren:  GPS N 35, 45.256, W 78, 39.015.

Brown Headed Nuthatch (see photo at left): GPS N 35, 45.336, W 78, 39.132. I have not seen one of these in a very long time. If I recall correctly, I've only seen it one other time on the Raleigh Greenways. This bird is a high priority species for conservation in eastern North Carolina. They are almost exclusively found in southern US pine forests, and they need old growth forests with lots of dead trees for nesting. Fire suppression and deforestation has put them under some pressure. This year, Audubon North Carolina has a project to improve the nesting success of the Brown Headed Nuthatch by placing 10,000 nest boxes at locations around the state. This approach was successful with the Eastern Bluebird, and it is hoped that it will work for these nuthatches as well. The photo is from the web.

Blue Jay:  Saw two of these near where the nuthatch was searching for food.

Brown Thrasher:  GPS N 35, 45.364, W 78, 39.164.

Hermit Thrush (see photo at left):  Saw two of these together for the first time. The photo is from the web.

Downy Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 45.469, W 78, 39.252. This one was a female.

Carolina Chickadee:  Same area as the Downy Woodpecker.

Turkey Vulture:  GPS N 35, 45.489, W 78, 39.272.

Ruby Crowned Kinglet:  Got a good look at the head and could not see a crown, but it was definitely this Kinglet.

The trail passed beneath the railroad tracks a little beyond the area where I saw the Ruby Crowned Kinglet.  On the west side of the tracks, I saw quite a bit of bird activity, but only two new birds.

Golden Crowned Kinglet:  GPS 35, 45.566, W 78, 39.540.

Pine Warbler:  Just saw one of these.

New Species Sighted on the Return Trip

Northern Flicker:  Only got a quick glimpse of this one and was not able to tell whether it was male or female.

Field Sparrow:  GPS N 35, 45.514, W 78, 39.310. I think it has been awhile since I saw this one along the Raleigh Greenways. It may be that I missed them, though, as it took a bit of time for me to decide what they were this time around.


American Goldfinch:  This was a female. Hardly any yellow color at all.

Red Tailed Hawk:  GPS N 35, 45.250, W 78, 38.732. This one I saw in flight, but the red tail made it unmistakable.

Sharp Shinned Hawk (see photo above - the photo is from the web):  Probably 15 minutes passed between seeing the Red Tailed Hawk and this one. The Sharp Shinned Hawk was perched in a tree right beside the entrance to the trail on Water Works St. I saw it at first from a considerable distance.  My first impression was that it was really skinny. I had never seen a hawk so slim. The tail was fairly long, so I guessed it must be either a Cooper's Hawk or a Sharp-Shinned Hawk, both of which are present here in winter, though the Cooper's Hawk is apparently more common.  The Sharp Shinned Hawk is supposed to be smaller, and this one was very small. It was wide at the shoulders and narrower at the hips. It also had a yellow eye, which indicates a juvenile. I took a lot of notes, then looked it up when I got home to confirm. Although I've probably seen one of these before, this was the first time I had enough information for a positive ID.

I believe this is the first outing along the Greenways in which I was able to identify more than one hawk. I'm sure that I've never seen three on one outing. It was nice to be able to add a Sharp Shinned Hawk to my lifelist as well as the Raleigh Greenway list. In total, I was able to identify 28 different species on this outing. This is the second week in a row with a well above-average count. I can't help but wonder if the new binoculars might be a contributing factor!

Trail 34: Little Rock Trail

01/18/2014.  9:35 AM.

The southern entrance to the Little Rock Trail is on Peterson Street just across from the Walnut Creek Wetland Center. Access from this point is easy, as you can leave your car in the Wetland Center parking lot. The trail runs along Little Rock Creek and is lightly to moderately wooded as it passes through several urban neighborhoods on its way downtown. The northern endpoint of the trail is less clear. Signs suggest that the trail ends at the northern entrance to John Chavis Park on Lenoir Street. However, a tree-lined sidewalk called Chavis Way continues for three more short blocks north, ending at the old City Cemetery. According to a very nice free app I found called RGREENWAY, the northern end of the trail is actually at the old cemetery on E. Hargett Street. I started my outing at the City Cemetery, which is located at the intersection of E. Hargett and S. East Streets, then proceeded south to the Wetland Center before returning the length of the trail to retrieve my car.

Birds Sighted in the City Cemetery:

It was clear but cold when I arrived at the City Cemetery. The temperature was around 35 degrees Fahrenheit and conditions were a little breezy at times. Normally, I might have avoided such a cold day, but I was anxious to try out my new pair of Zeiss Conquest HD 10x42 binoculars to see how much they would help with bird identification along the Capital Area Greenway. I was not disappointed. These are a substantial step up from the Nikon Action 10x40 binoculars I've been using the past few years, and the brightness and image clarity makes subtle field markings much easier to see.

The City Cemetery (see photo from the web, above) has some large trees scattered about the grounds. Although they were mostly bare at this time of year, I discovered quite a bit of bird activity on my arrival. I forgot to bring my GPS device on this outing, so will report species by section of the trail rather than specific location.

American Robin:  Saw only two of these in the cemetery, but would later see seven in one place further south.

Dark Eyed Junco:  A total of six of these were moving around the cemetery together.

Northern Flicker (Yellow Shafted):  This one was clearly a male because it had the black moustache.

Blue Jay:  I only saw one of these in the cemetery. I saw either this same bird or another one later in the southern part of the trail.

Eastern Bluebird:  Saw two here, and would later see three together further south.

House Finch:  Only one.

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  This one was a male because it had a red-orange crown from forehead to back of neck.

New Species Sighted Along Chavis Way:

The photo at left is of the Chavis Way path. To the left of the line of trees in the photo is a strip of open grassy space, bordered by houses or other buildings.

European Starling:  There were seven of these in the grass near the path.

Probable Cooper's Hawk:  This hawk was perched in a lone tree along Chavis Way.  It had orange eyes, three dark bands on both the front and back of the tail, a narrow white tip to the tail, reddish barring down the chest and sides, and white below.  The back was a fairly dull, rather uniform brown color.  I think it was too large to be a Sharp Shinned Hawk. I looked away to check my bird book and it disappeared without me having the chance to see it in flight.

New Species Sighted in John Chavis Park:

Northern Cardinal:  A male and female.

Song Sparrow:  Alone down near the creek edge. This bird had a characteristic dark spot in the middle of the breast that aided my identification.

White Throated Sparrow:  I saw small groups of these in two or three places along the trail. There were at least seven birds in this grouping.

Carolina Wren:  I saw these birds at three or four locations along the trail.

Eastern Phoebe:  Saw just one of these in the area of the park just before the tunnel that leads to the rest of the trail.

American Crow:  I saw a group of 15 of these fly over the park. I could distinguish them from Fish Crows by call.

New Species Sighted Between the Tunnel and the Trailhead at Peterson Street:

Downy Woodpecker:  I heard this bird pecking away at something, but it took a moment to find him because he was only about two feet off the ground.  I expected him to be up higher. He was removing bark from a small sapling.

Gray Catbird:  I found this bird by accident while watching a White Throated Sparrow. The Catbird was hidden in the shadows of some underbrush along the edge of the woods and was not moving much.

Yellow Rumped Warbler: Only saw one of these on this outing.

Turkey Vulture:  Saw one of these flying high overhead. White color along the length of the underparts of the wings make identification easy.

Northern Mockingbird: Saw these relatively common birds only twice along the trail.

Eastern Towhee:  One male scratching in the underbrush.

Golden Crowned Kinglet: I got a really nice view of the golden crown stripe on this one.

Hermit Thrush:  This is a bird that I do not see often on the Greenways. This time it came out into the open for a short time.

Carolina Chickadee:  I'm surprised I did not see more of these. They are usually common along the Greenways.

White Breasted Nuthatch: I spotted this bird when I stepped up to the edge of the treeline to take a photo of some red berries there (see photo below). The nuthatch was in the tree right above me and vocalized as I was taking the photo.

Ruby Crowned Kinglet:  I believe this is the first time I've seen both a Golden Crowned and Ruby Crowned Kinglet on the same outing. I ended up seeing a Ruby Crowned Kinglet in two locations, and both times the red crown patch was visible. One of the Kinglets let me get within just a few feet and still didn't seem concerned about my presence.

There was one species that I was unable to identify. Far in the distance, I saw one or two warbler-like birds that were yellow-green in color. They were not in pine trees, but I think they were probably Pine Warblers.

Although I managed to identify 26 species along this trail on a cold winter day, I would not rate this trail as among my favorites for birding. I tend to prefer trails that are more wooded and where it is less obvious that you are walking through neighborhoods. That said, for what is probably the most urban trail that I have walked so far, this one had a surprising abundance of bird species.  Most of them were common birds that I have seen many times along the Greenways, but a few were uncommon, such as the probable Cooper's Hawk, the Song Sparrow, the Golden Crowned Kinglet, and the Hermit Thrush.

Finally, if you are interested in exploring the Raleigh Greenways, I recommend giving the RGREENWAY app a try. You choose the name of a greenway from a list, and the app will provide a map showing the greenway path, along with suggestions for where to park. The app provides regular or satellite views and is free on iTunes. If you use it on a phone, you can check in when you enter a greenway, keep track of the distance traveled and elapsed time, get weather updates, and report any issues you see along the greenway to ClickFix, which is apparently monitored by the City of Raleigh.

Interlude 7: Doi Inthanon National Park, Thailand

11/23/2013.  6:45 AM.

Start:   GPS N 18, 31.560, E 98, 29.959
End:    GPS N 18, 32.612, E 98, 31.521

Doi Inthanon National Park is about 500 square kilometers in size and boasts Thailand's highest mountain at an elevation of 8415 feet (2565 meters).  It is located just an hour or so from the southern city limits of Chiang Mai and has a paved road that will take you to the summit with a minimum of curves.  The area around the peak is often misty and usually quite cool.  Visitors can order coffee or hot chocolate from the shop next to the main parking area at the top of the mountain to ward off the chill.  Across from the summit restrooms and gift shop is a bog area with a nice wooden walkway that is definitely worth a visit for birders and non-birders alike. Doi Inthanon is also one of the few places in Thailand where freezing temperatures can be found on some winter mornings.

For this trip I again asked Uthai of Chiang Mai Birding to take me and my friend for a day of birding in the mountains. We left Chiang Mai just before 5 AM and were at Checkpoint 2 just after sunrise. This appears to be a popular place to start, as there were three or four birding groups there within the first half hour. We stayed there a long time, walking a few hundred meters up and down the road from the checkpoint, and continued to see new species until after 10 AM, with a peak of activity around 8 AM.  Checkpoint 2 is at an elevation of 1667 meters.

Our second stop was at the summit. We spent a short time around the coffee shop watching three species of birds that are regular visitors because the shop puts out fruit to attract them, then headed across the street to the sphagnum bog and walked the wooden pathways over marshy ground and through a forest draped with moss and fungi.  On our way back down the hill, we stopped at a wide spot in the road with a number of tall trees for a closer look at some bulbuls, then onward to Park Headquarters and the associated campground and lodging area.  Our last stop was the Wachiratan Waterfall.

Birds Sighted At Checkpoint 2

1.  Yunnan Fulvetta:  We saw five of these near a pair of picnic tables next to the checkpoint. Our guide said that some birders leave food on the tables hoping to attract and photograph Niltavas.

2.  Mountain Bulbul:  We saw two of these.

3.  Spangled (Hair Crested) Drongo:  This drongo can be distinguished from other species by its upcurved tail.

4.  Small Niltava:  See photo above.  A gorgous blue bird with darker black markings.  Photo is from the web.

5.  Black Throated Sunbird:  Another really beautiful bird. I did not get a long look at this one, so am hoping to see it again sometime.

6.  Golden Throated Barbet:  See photo at left.  The photo is from the web.

7.  Rufous Bellied Niltava:  Saw a female first, and later a male.

8.  Wedge Tailed Green Pigeon:  Saw at least nine of these.  Quite colorful compared to the lowland pigeons here in Thailand.



9.  Large Billed Crow:  I'm a little surprised at how relatively uncommon crows are here in Thailand compared to the States, but you do see them occasionally.

10.  Yellow Bellied Fairy Fantail:  A pretty little yellow and black bird.

11.  Gray Throated Babbler:  A fast-moving little bird.

12.  Scarlet Minivet:  See photo at left.  The photo is from the web.  We saw both a male and female. Females are yellow.

13.  Dark Backed Sibia:  We saw four of these.

14.  Black Crested Bulbul:  Easy to identify by the bright yellow color and black crest.

15.  Japanese White Eye:  Saw four of these.

16.  Chestnut Vented Nuthatch:  I rarely see woodpeckers on birding outings here in Thailand.  These little tree climbers are the next best thing.

17.  Gray Chinned Minivet:  A lighter head and grayish chin relative to the Scarlet Minivet.  We saw both a male and a female.

18.  Spectacled Bar Wing:  We saw two of these.

19.  Flavescent Bulbul:  Four of these in total.

20.  Mountain Imperial Pigeon:  I saw this bird for the first time earlier this year in Malaysia. I didn't know it could be found so far north.

21.  Verditer Flycatcher:  A lovely shade of blue.  We saw two of these.

 

22.  Short Billed Minivet:  The third minivet species of the day!

23.  Chestnut Flanked White Eye:  A new bird for my lifelist.

24.  Mrs. Gould's Sunbird:  We first saw a juvenile male without the full colors, then later saw an adult. See photo at left (from the web).

25.  Little Pied Flycatcher:  As the name suggests, a little black and white flycatcher.


26.  White Throated Fantail:  Just saw one of these.

27.  Rufous Winged Fulvetta:  Interesting color difference between the sexes.

28.  Chestnut Crowned Warbler:  This one prefers elevations of 1500 meters or higher, so has a limited distribution in Thailand.

29.  Gray Headed Canary Flycatcher:  This one stands out with its bright body and squarish crest.

30.  White Headed Bulbul:  We saw 11 of these.  Very different look for a Bulbul.

31.  Black Bulbul:  The fifth Bulbul species seen at this one spot on the mountain!

32.  Streaked Spiderhunter:  I kept missing this one the first couple of hours of the trip.  The secret is to check out the purple banana flower buds where they like to land.

New Birds Sighted at the Summit Area:  

33.  Silver Eared Laughingthrush:  A regular visitor to the space beside the coffee shop at the summit.

34.  Chestnut Tailed Minla:  Another regular at the coffee shop.

35.  Blue Whistling Thrush:  Lovely blue bird with bright yellow bill.

36.  Dark Sided Thrush:  GPS N 18, 35.361, E 98, 29.127. This one was elusive. We had to watch for about 10 minutes to finally get a clear view of it down at the small stream.

37.  Rufous Throated Partridge:  GPS N 18, 35.355, E 98, 29.127. Another lucky find down in the bog area.

38.  Green Tailed Sunbird:  GPS N 18, 35.321, E 98, 29.092. Doi Inthanon is apparently home to a unique race of this bird.

39.  Ashy Throated Warbler:  We saw several warblers on the day that we couldn't identify because they did not come low enough for us to see their markings.  We got lucky with this one. Apparently, the only place you can see it in Thailand is Doi Inthanon, because it likes elevations of 2000 meters and above.

40.  Ashy Drongo:  GPS N 18, 23.312, E 98, 28.944.  We actually saw this one on the way down from the summit to the camping area.  It was the lighter colored version.

New Birds Spotted at the Campground Area:

41.  Oriental Magpie Robin:  GPS N 18, 32.612, E 98, 31.521.  Female.

42.  Gray Wagtail:  Only saw one.

43.  Lesser Racket Tailed Drongo:   This drongo prefers higher elevations than the similar Greater Racket Tailed Drongo.

44.  Green Billed Malkoha:  Only got a brief glimpse.



45.  Velvet Fronted Nuthatch:  Another good substitute when no woodpeckers are about.

New Birds Sighted at Wachiratan Falls:

46.  Plumbeous Redstart:  We saw two out on the rocks along the stream near the base of the falls.

47.  Taiga Flycatcher:  Perched on a branch near the falls.

It is amazing how many more species I saw on this trip than on two previous ones to the mountain. Part of it is having a guide who knows where to go, but in this case, a lot of it has to do with Uthai's amazing ear for bird calls, and his great vision.  I highly recommend having him show you around one or more birding locales if you have some time in northern Thailand and do not know the local birds well.  Forty Seven (47) species in one visit.  Thirty of them were new ones for my lifelist!

Interlude 6: Mae Hia Agricultural Research Station, Chiang Mai

10/26/2013.  6:20 AM.

Start:  GPS N 18, 45.643, E 98, 55.932
End:   GPS N 18, 46.047, E 98, 55.838

The Mae Hia Agricultural Research Station is part of Chiang Mai University. This area exhibits a mix of rice fields, ponds of varying sizes, a cattle ranch, and forested foothills. It attracts birds from a variety of habitats, and its location right at the base of Doi Suthep mountain means that birds from hillside forest habitats sometimes come down to the station for a visit. According to ebird.org, it is a birding hotspot in the Chiang Mai Area.

For this outing, I hired a professional bird guide from Chiang Mai Birding to take me on a half day birding trip around the research station. Uthai, my guide, picked me up at 5:45 AM and we headed out to the fields to catch the birds as they were getting started for the day.

We made four stops on this outing. The first was near some rice fields by the edge of a road. We saw a few joggers, but the dawn was mostly quiet.  Soon, however, the birds began to move, and we ended up spotting 24 species within perhaps 100 yards of where we started.

After a good spell at this location, we moved on to a pond surrounded by some tall trees.  We stopped for just a short time there, picking up five more species. Our next stop was at the head of a dirt trail that ran along a fence beside the Chiang Mai University Livestock Ranch. I'm not sure that is the official name, but it was something like that. This area was muddy, had some open areas with muddy puddles and little vegetation, but was right on the edge of the Doi Suthep Foothills.

Our final stop was a stretch of road running with thick trees on one side and a somewhat more open area on the other. It is apparently a good place to spot birds as they fly over, though by the time we got there, the birds were settling in to digest their morning meals and there was much less activity.

Species Sighted Around the Rice Fields:

Spotted Dove:  Our first bird of the morning was a solitary Spotted Dove. Uthai saw its outline as light was just beginning to fill the sky. It actually took me some time to pick it out against a dark background.

Cattle Egret:  Next came a group of Egrets. They turned out to be a mixed group with both Cattle Egrets and Little Egrets. The Cattle Egrets have a yellow bill and black or grey feet. The Little Egrets have a black bill with yellow or green feet.

Little Egret:  There were only a few of these mixed in with a larger number of Cattle Egrets.

Chinese Pond Heron:  Outside the breeding season, these birds have a rather dull brown-streaked plumage when hunting in the marshes, and very eye-catching white wings when in flight.

Common Myna:  The Mynas were a bit slow getting started in the morning compared to the marsh birds.

Coppersmith Barbet:  A pretty bird with a lot of color and easily identifiable features (see photo at left). The photo is from the web.

Great Myna:  There seems to be much confusion about this species. My bird book calls it the White-Vented Myna, but that is apparently not the accepted name on ebird.org. As far as I can tell, the one we have around here is the Great Myna, though there is another species called the Javan Myna that looks very similar.

Black Drongo:  We saw three or four of these out in the rice fields hunting for insects. They perch and wait, then do some acrobatic flying to capture their prey.

White Throated Kingfisher:  A lovely kingfisher with what appears to be an oversized bill. We saw this little beauty in three different places.  We kept hoping to see a Common Kingfisher which, despite its name, I have never seen here before. No luck today, though.

Common Sandpiper:  A new one for my lifelist.

Burmese Shrike: This was also a new bird for my lifelist (see photo at left).  It was also the 400th species I have identified worldwide!  Doesn't sound like much when you think about people identifying over 700 species during a Big Year, but it feels like an accomplishment nonetheless.  The photo is from the web.

White Wagtail:  Saw two of these in this area, and several others later on.

Pied Bushchat:  Another new lifer. The male is a nice black color with some white markings.  Saw a female as well.

Black Collared Myna:  Some sources call this a myna, others call it a starling. They are popular cage birds here because they are good mimics.  We saw six of them.

Siberian Stonechat: Another new one for my lifelist. Only saw one of these (see photo at left). The photo is from the web.

Olive Backed Sunbird: A common sight in the Chiang Mai area, but a pretty bird nonetheless.

Barn Swallow:  There were many of these around the rice fields and pond.  A very widespread bird, as we have them back in North Carolina as well.



Asian Palm Swift: I'm sure I must have seen these before, but they are hard to identify because they fly so quickly and rarely seem to land. However, my guide could tell which species they were, so they are also a new lifer for me.

White Breasted Waterhen:  We saw one of these out near the pond, and would later see another near a different body of water.  See photo at left. It is from the web.

Ashy Woodswallow: I love the blue beaks on these guys.

Zebra Dove:  GPS N 18, 45.597, E 98, 55.882. Not as numerous as the Spotted Dove. They remind me of the Inca Doves back in the States.



Brown Shrike:  This is the second time I have seen this particular shrike. The first was in Lumphini Park, Bangkok.

Wire Tailed Swallow:  We saw this lone swallow sitting on a post in the pond.  It was another new lifer for me.

Scaly Breasted Munia:  This bird is also known as the Nutmeg Mannikin.

Birds Sighted at the Long Narrow Pond:

Oriental Pipit:  This one is also known as the Paddyfield Pipit.  Yet another new bird for my lifelist.

Eurasian Common Moorhen:  The Common Moorhen has apparently been split into two species, the American version is now the Common Gallinule and the Eurasian version is the Common Moorhen.  They look extremely similar.

Streak Eared Bulbul:  A common bulbul here in Thailand, though I believe I saw this one for the first time in Japan.


Red Billed Blue Magpie:  Another new bird for the lifelist, this one is colorful with an unusually long tail. See photo above. The photo is from the web.

Birds Sighted at the Chiang Mai University Livestock Ranch:

Greater Coucal: Another common bird in Chiang Mai and one that can often be seen in the city itself.

Red Wattled Lapwing:  We saw at least 13 of these out in the fields where the cattle roam.

Green Bee-eater:  We saw several of these at the livestock ranch. Beautiful color.

Taiga Flycatcher:  GPS N 18, 46.098, E 98, 55.099. We had heard this one earlier in the morning but did not see it.

White Rumped Shama:  Another beautiful long-tailed bird. We only got a brief glimpse of this one.

Eurasian Hobby:  A type of falcon. The more common Hobby in the Chiang Mai area is the Oriental Hobby. It looks similar to the Eurasian Hobby, but has more rufous feathers on the chest and a narrower band of white around the neck. The Eurasian Hobby is quite rare in Chiang Mai. We are at the very edge of its reported winter range. My bird guide has seen over 600 species of birds in Thailand, but this was a new bird for his lifelist (as it was for me). We were able to confirm the identification because of distinctive pair of spots at the back of the head that is rare in raptors, but a feature of the Eurasian Hobby. You can see these spots when the Hobby turns its head in this video. You don't see these spots on the Oriental Hobby when it lowers its head to feed. A very lucky find. Photo from the web.

Black Winged Cuckooshrike:  Another first for me. A distinctive feature of this bird is white spots under the tail.

Plaintive Cuckoo: This one has black and brown bands under the tail.

Black Crested Bulbul: This bird is easy to identify with its black crested head and yellow body.

Chestnut Headed Bee-eater: Another beautiful bee-eater except this one is white under the chin rather than green.

Lineated Barbet:  Not quite as colorful as the Coppersmith Barbet, but a nice find and a new one for my lifelist.

Ashy Drongo:  This was the light colored morph.

New Species Sighted in the More Forested Area:

Greater Racket Tailed Drongo:  GPS N 18, 45.683, E 98, 55.530. A fairly common bird but still nice to see.

We saw a total of 41 species on this outing, compared to my normal numbers of between 12 and 20. It certainly pays to bird with a professional, and doesn't hurt to visit an area with a great diversity of birds either!

Interlude 5: Princess Mother's Health Garden, Chiang Mai

09/21/2013.  7:40 AM.

Start:  GPS N 18, 47.615, E 98, 57.952
End:   GPS N 18, 47.601, E 98, 58.037

The Princess Mother's Health Garden is part of the Chiang Mai University campus, though it seems more like a public park. It is called the Fitness Park on the CMU campus map.  It is located not too far north from the corner of Suthep Road and Nimmanhaemin Road, and is even closer to Chiang Rai Road #2 and Nimmanhaemin.  Two entrances can be found on Soi 26 off of Nimmanhaemin Road, across from Uniserv.

The Health Garden seems to attract a lot of runners, at least on the weekend.  Just across the white bridge as you enter is a paved path that is decently shaded and which passes some exercise equipment for those who want to add a little weightlifting to their workout.  This area of the park is only about 50 meters deep. Runners seem to be fewer once you get beyond it. I have been to the park twice now and only seen a couple of common birds in this area. It may be too active for most birds to want to hang around.

The sky was cloudy with temperatures somewhere in the mid-70s at the start. It turned partly cloudy a little later in the morning.

I divide the park up into four areas for birding purposes. There are the northern and eastern edges of the park, which seem to attract the most joggers, although I am pretty sure it is possible to jog around the entire periphery of the park. Next, there is the southern edge of the park, which is a medicinal plant garden sponsored by the university's pharmacy department. Right in the center of the park is a large building with a raised area across the front that is the Chiang Mai University Meeting Hall, and there is a large strip of park along most of the western side designed for additional parking when needed. The two most productive areas for birding seem to be the medicinal plant garden and, surprisingly, the trees along the western side of the meeting hall.

Although I visited the Princess Mother's Health Garden on two different Saturdays, this report will primarily focus on the second visit, when I had my GPS device with me and was better prepared.

Birds Sighted Along the Northern and Eastern Edges:

Common Myna:  As the name implies, these birds are a common sight in Chiang Mai, and there were many of them in the park. I counted a maximum of 13 in one place. The first two of the day were near the entrance. The largest gathering was in the parking area of the southwest corner.

Lesser Coucal:  GPS N 18, 47.559, E98, 58.034. My first glimpse of this bird was just its head poking up out of some ground cover. At first I thought the head looked something like a crow I might see back home, except for the red eye. It must not have liked having me near, because it flushed to a post a little ways away. At first, I thought this was the more common Greater Coucal, but it was noticeably smaller in size with a shorter tail.

Species Sighted in the Medicinal Plant Garden

Be warned that this part of the park is a mosquito haven. Didn't notice any mosquitoes in other parts of the park, just here. I got chased out on my first visit. I was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and had several mosquitoes trying to find an opening through my bug spray after I stopped to use my binoculars for a couple of minutes. They finally found an unprotected spot...the palm of my hand.  On the next visit, I came prepared with a long-sleeve shirt, and didn't wash the bug spray off of my palms after application. Had an even bigger swarm of 10-12 this time, but no bites. I expect they may be a particular problem right now because it is the rainy season. There is a small pond in the Medicinal Plant Garden that may be a breeding ground for them.

Spotted Dove:  GPS N 18, 47.473, E 98, 57.964. I originally saw five of these, but would later see at least 16 together in the southwest parking area. I have seen large numbers of doves and Common Mynas in the southwest on both of my visits to the park. The first time around I saw a pair of Zebra Doves as well.

Greater Racket Tailed Drongo:  It appears that one or two of these may make their homes here in the medicinal plant garden. I saw two the first time I came, and one the second time around. I did not see them in other parts of the park, so they seem to prefer the denser woods of the garden. Got a nice look from close up on both visits.

White Crested Laughingthrush:  In the same tree with the Racket-Tailed Drongo.  A beautiful bird that was new for my lifelist. I ended up seeing three of them together. A nice find.

Species Sighted Around the Meeting Hall

A little red bridge leads from the medicinal plant garden to the meeting hall. The meeting hall has steps that lead up to a platform. Some trees run along the western side of the hall, near the front entrance, and these trees seem to be a little arbor highway for birds moving around the park. On both visits I saw more bird activity from that platform than from anywhere else.

Great Myna: GPS 18, 47.522, E 98, 57.956. My bird book calls this the White Vented Myna, but ebird.org calls it a Great Myna. I suspect Great Myna is the more current name.

Olive Backed Sunbird: GPS N 18, 47.562, E 98, 57.967. This is probably the most common sunbird in Chiang Mai. It is the only one I've seen here so far.

Green Billed Malkoha:  I was really surprised to see this bird in the park. I had seen one on the more wooded part of Chiang Mai campus, but didn't expect to see one so far into the city. They are very good at hiding for their size, and I had to chase it around for about 10 minutes to confirm which type of Malkoha I was following.

Scarlet Backed Flowerpecker:  I heard this species several times. It makes a fast clicking kind of noise, but it took some time to actually spot one. Beautiful red color along its head and entire back. Not an uncommon bird here in Chiang Mai, but a nice one to look at nonetheless.

Oriental Magpie Robin:  GPS N 18, 47.568, E 98, 57.962. Distinctive markings.

Grey Wagtail:  I saw two of these in a little concrete-lined ditch beside the meeting hall. These birds pump their tails rhythmically as they walk around. This was a new species for my lifelist.

Species Sighted in the Overflow Parking Areas

These parking areas do not appear to be open during regular park hours. I suspect they open only for special events. They are lined with trees so are worth checking out on a visit to the park, though the main occupants of this part of the park are doves and Common Mynas.

Ashy Woodswallow:  These birds like to hang out on the wires across Nimmanhaemin Road from the park. This time around I spotted three of them. On the first visit, there were five or six. This may be a reliable spot from which to see them.

I think this park is an excellent place to start if you are a birder who has not seen many of the birds of Thailand before. Although they are not that uncommon, it was great to see a Greater Racket Tailed Drongo up close, and the park seems to be a reliable place to find them. Other larger birds in the park were Green Billed Malkoha, White Crested Laughingthrush, and the Lesser Coucal.  On my first visit, I saw a Greater Coucal in the open field across the street from the park as well.  In addition, the Olive Backed Sunbird and Crimson Backed Flowerpecker are both small but very colorful birds that are nice to see.