Interlude 4: Chiang Mai University Main Campus, Thailand

08/17/2013.  7:35 AM.

Start:  GPS N 18, 48.449, E 98, 57.230
End:   GPS N 18, 48.449, E 98, 57.230

Chiang Mai University's main campus is located about 5 km (3 miles) west of the city center and has a surprising number of trees and small wooded areas within the campus boundary.  The main campus is also adjacent to the Huay Kaew Arboretum along its northern border. The campus is situated just at the base of Doi Suthep Mountain, without much development between the campus and mountain foothills, so the trees here have the potential to attract forest species more normally found along the slopes of Doi Suthep.

The front entrance to Chiang Mai University's campus is accessible from Huay Keaw road, which runs from the northwest corner of the old city to the Chiang Mai Zoo and beyond to Doi Suthep.  It can be easily reached by Sangtheo. If the driver does not understand where you want to go, ask to be taken to the zoo, then turn and walk back a few hundred meters (past the Arboretum) to the main gate of the university.

The most promising areas for birding would seem to be those that border the campus on the Doi Suthep side, so I began my outing along some pathways separated by open spaces that are located near the university's front gate.  I then made my way to the small lake on campus to see what sort of water birds I might find, then headed to the western edge of campus as my final stop.

Species Sighted Near the Front Gate:

White Vented Myna:  GPS N 18, 48.483, E 98, 57.155. These birds are ubiquitous around the city of Chiang Mai, and were no less numerous in the open fields on campus.

Common Myna:  Also very common around the city, and frequently found foraging in the same patches as the White Vented Myna.

Lineated Barbet:  GPS N 18, 48.446, E 98, 57.163. My first view of this bird was so brief that I couldn't tell what it was. Later, it did me the favor of perching with its mate on an open tree branch long enough to determine its species name.

Greater Coucal:  I saw these in two different places around campus.  They are surprisingly common in the city, given their size.

New Species In Vicinity of the Lake:

I first reached the edge of the lake at GPS N 18, 48.381, E 98, 57.079. It is a small lake with two or three small islets within it. A pathway follows the edge of the lake for about half of its circumference.  It seems to be a popular place for couples to have their photos taken.


Black Crowned Night Heron:  GPS N 18, 48.476, E 98, 56.996. Several of these were perched on trees on one of the three islets. Many can be seen nesting in the trees of the islet closest to the dock that projects into the lake.

White Throated Kingfisher: I first saw a bright flash of blue wings across the water. Fortunately, the kingfisher returned to a branch right out in the open, making identification easy.

Green Billed Malkoha: GPS N 18, 48.474, E 98, 57.058. I was trying to figure out another bird species name when I noticed this even bigger bird in the background.  The red eye skin and very long tail is a big giveaway.

Asian Koel: This is the bird I was trying to identify when I saw the Malkoha. I have heard it many times, but only seen it once or twice. It has a call that always makes me think of the jungle.

New Species Along the Western Edge of Campus:

Spotted Dove:  GPS N 18, 48.227, E 98, 56.884. These are also common birds around the city and I was surprised it took so long to see one. I ended up seeing several in this part of campus.

Ashy Woodswallow?:  I wasn't able to figure out what species this bird was while at the university, so I took notes on what I had seen and tried to find it later. I think it was the Ashy Woodswallow, but can't be certain. I'll be ready if I see it again, though.


New Species Sighted on Return Route:

Oriental Magpie Robin: I saw both an adult and a juvenile.

Olive Backed Sunbird: GPS N 18, 48.306, E 98, 57.005. Got a nice view of this male when it was flushed from one tree and into another by a passing motorcyclist.

Streak Eared Bulbul: I think I had seen these earlier in the day but wasn't able to identify them.

I spent three hours or so on campus and only identified 12 species.  There were at least three additional species that I saw but had no idea what they might be, so I think a birder with more experience in Chiang Mai would do better. I did manage to see some species that I would not expect to see around the city proper, such as the Malkoha, Kingfisher, Koel, and Barbet. I will probably return to the university on future weekends as access is easy and there are still areas left to explore.

Trail 33: Walnut Creek East - Wetland Center to S. Wilmington St.

03/21/2013.  3:20 PM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 45.629, W 78, 37.526
End:   GPS N 35, 45.433, W 78, 38.425

Access to this portion of the Walnut Creek Trail is quite easy from the Walnut Creek Wetland Center on Peterson St. just west of the intersection with South State St.  The Center has a sizable parking lot just east of the entrance to the trail, and bird feeders next to the Center appear to attract a good number of species.

The afternoon began cloudy and about 50 degrees, but turned out to be partly sunny by the end of the outing.  For the first time on one of these reported trips, I was joined by John, a colleague and fellow birder.  That may explain why we ended up with more species on this day than I had on any of the previous 32 outings. Unfortunately, none of them turned out to be new species for the Raleigh Greenway list. Still, it was a nice day of birding.

Birds Sighted from Wetland Center Parking Lot:

The Wetland Center has bird feeders near the building, and they were busy with activity when we arrived. Six different species visited during the 10 or so minutes we stood watching them. We saw two more new species there at the end of the walk.

1.  Mourning Dove:  The only place they were seen today.

2.  Carolina Chickadee:  There were fewer of these out on the trail than I would have expected.

3.  White Breasted Nuthatch:  This was the only one we saw the entire outing.

4.  Carolina Wren:  We saw two or three of these at different places along the trail.

5.  Yellow Rumped Warbler:  These were everywhere along the trail.

6.  Pine Warbler:  This was a nice sighting as I haven't spotted one in quite a while.

Birds Sighted Between Trail Entrance and South State Street:

A short section of the Walnut Creek Trail leads from South State Street to the Wetland Center. It is a quarter of a mile or so in length, so we decided to walk this part of the trail first. The trail continues on from the other side of South State Street to the east, but I had already birded that section on a previous outing.  I should mention that there is also a trail across Peterson Street from the Wetland Center called the Little Rock Trail. It is supposed to extend up to East Martin Street, though Google Maps suggests that the wooded part currently ends at Lenoir St. I will come back to explore this little trail segment on another day.

7.  Brown Creeper:  GPS N 35, 45.521, W 78, 37.462. I don't see these often but I love to watch them climb the trees. They usually start at the bottom and work their way up, sometimes following a helical pattern.

8.  American Robin:  GPS N GPS N 35, 45.570, W 78, 37.556.

Birds Sighted Between Trail Entrance and South Wilmington Street:

9.  Red Bellied Woodpecker: GPS N 35, 45.621, W 78,37.644.  Female.

10.  Downy Woodpecker: Male. We saw three different species of woodpecker all visiting a few trees that we could see from a single spot.

11.  Yellow Bellied Sapsucker: Male. I haven't seen one of these for quite some time.

12.  Chipping Sparrow:  GPS N 35, 45.584, W 78, 37.711.


13.  Red Winged Blackbird:  GPS N 35, 45.529, W 78, 37.883.  Small flock of mostly females in a tree along Garner Rd.

14.  Red Shouldered Hawk: Perched on a lamp post along Garner Road.

15.  American Crow:  Saw three traveling together as a group.

16.  Golden Crowned Kinglet:  GPS N 35, 45.521, W 78, 37.990.

17.  White Throated Sparrow:  In same area as the Kinglet.

18.  Northern Cardinal:  GPS N 35, 45.469, W 78, 38.052. I was quite surprised that it took this long to see a Cardinal. They are typically one of the most common birds I see along the Capital Area Greenway.

19.  Song Sparrow:  GPS N 35, 45.445, W 78, 38.053. I think it has been a while since I have seen one of these.

20.  Great Blue Heron:  In flight. There is a tree along the trail with a tire over a branch about 25 feet in the air. We saw the Blue Heron fly over that area. Not sure how the tire got there (see photo below).  It's too high to throw it there. Somebody might have put the tire in place when it was a smaller tree, or it may be that one of the hurricanes or tornadoes of the past few years deposited it there.

 21.  Northern Mockingbird:  We saw a few of these along the trail.

New Species Sighted on Return Trip:

22.  Brown Thrasher:  GPS N 35, 45.439, W 78, 38.279.

23.  Eastern Phoebe:  Only one seen on this outing.

24.  Eastern Towhee:  Male. GPS N 35, 45.517, W 78, 37.937.

25.  Ruby Crowned Kinglet:  Female. GPS N 35, 45.524, W 78, 37.921.

26.  European Starling:  GPS 35, 45.576, W 78, 37.921.

27.  House Finch:  At feeders next to Wetland Center.

28.  Tufted Titmouse:  Also at feeders. I heard them calling occasionally while on the trail, but was surprised it took so long to see one.

As noted above, I'm not sure whether the unusually high number of sighted species is due to having my friend John along, or is somehow related to the species density around the trail itself.  The feeders outside the Wetland Center may have been a factor, as we saw eight species there at the beginning and end of the trip.  Five of these were not seen anywhere else along the trail. Either way, a very good outing and an enjoyable trail.

Trail 32: Walnut Creek East - Apollo Hts to Wetland Center

02/21/2013.  2:00 PM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 45.906, W 78, 36.565

End:   South State Street near Walnut Creek Wetland Center

After a three month hiatus caused by a long trip to Thailand, followed by some uncooperative weather here in Raleigh, I finally managed to get back out on the Raleigh Greenway for some birding. It was good to be out again, and the conditions were quite nice. One advantage of winter birding is better visibility while the trees are shed of their leaves. This is particularly helpful along Greenway paths that often have fairly dense woods on both sides of the trail.

I accessed this part of the Walnut Creek Trail by parking at the Ralph Campbell Community Center. The address is 756 Lunar Drive. There is a short path from the parking lot that leads to the Capital Area Greenway. The batteries on my GPS unit died a short distance down the trail, so I had to record landmarks rather than GPS coordinates as I made my way toward South State Street and the Walnut Creek Wetland Center at the end of the trail.

The afternoon was sunny with temperatures around 45 degrees Fahrenheit at 2 PM. Soon after starting down the trail headed west, I came to a long wooden walkway that passes over an area that probably has standing water in it for at least part of the year. It was fairly dry at this point of the winter, but still a fairly productive place to spot birds.

Birds Sighted Between Community Center and Rock Quarry Road: 

Yellow Rumped Warbler: I saw a number of these along the trail. It must be a favored habitat.

Cedar Waxwing:  Several of these landed in a tree, made some noise, then moved on quickly. There were at least four of them. GPS N 35, 45.939, W 78, 36.654.

American Robin:  Saw a few of these along the trail, mostly in singles or pairs.

Northern Mockingbird:  GPS N 35, 45.936, W 78, 36.654.

White Throated Sparrow:  These were out in fairly good numbers at several locations along the trail.

Northern Cardinal:  Ubiquitous as usual.

Tufted Titmouse:  I heard this one long before I saw it. I finally got a good view of it at the end of the first long wooden walkway.

Brown Thrasher: I saw a number of these along the trail as well.  The first was by a cattail swamp area just beyond the first wooden walkway (see photo below).

Birds Sighted Between Rock Quarry Road and South State Street:

This part of the trail begins with a long wooden walkway over an area that is more marshy than the previous segment.  It ends at South State Street, which runs adjacent to the Walnut Creek Wetland Center. I stopped for the day on the east side of South State Street so I did not pass behind the Wetland Center on the west side of the road. The following reports new species for the day that were seen on either the outbound or return journeys.

Canada Goose:  Saw two of these out in the shallow water.

Eastern Phoebe:  Moving around from place to place in the marshy area by the beginning of the wooden walkway.

Turkey Vulture:  There were two of these, flying rather low. One perched for a short time before continuing its search for carrion.

Ruby Crowned Kinglet: Got a nice view of the little red spot on the head.

American Crow: Near the rusty powerline pole.

Probable Hermit Thrush:  It left before I could confirm, but Hermit Thrush seems the most likely species.

Probable Ring Billed Gull:  Flying overhead.  I couldn't see the beak to verify.

Red Bellied Woodpecker: In a tree just before the long bridge over the swampy area.

On the return trip, the long bridge over the swampy area was very productive after about 4 PM. I probably saw 80% of all the species recorded for the day while moving along the wooden walkway. 

Mallard:  At least four of these. Seen from the small viewpoint that juts out over the swamp.

Carolina Wren:  Only saw one of these today.

Carolina Chickadee:  I was surprised to only see one of these.  I don't think I've ever taken a Greenway walk where I did not see at least one. Usually there are many of them.

Downy Woodpecker:  I saw a male and female at minimum, and there may have been a third one around.

Brown Creeper:  Saw only one of these. However, they seem to be common along the Walnut Creek Trail.

Blue Jay: This one was noisy but hard to spot. It had found a place in the shade on a tree branch and was pecking away at something and vocalizing occasionally.

Common Grackle: Several of these were moving around together.

Winter Wren:  This bird was nice to see as I've only spotted the species a few times along the trails.

New Birds Sighted on Return Trip Between Rock Quarry Road and the Community Center:

Eastern Towhee:  Saw a male amid the underbrush.

Unidentified Hawk:  I flushed a hawk from a low branch of a tree toward the end of the trail, but was not able to get any detail about it for an ID.  It disappeared among the trees.

My outing ended at 4:50 PM. I managed to identify 23 species, but nothing new for the Capital Area Greenway list. Still, this turned out to be one of the most productive trails so far, particularly the area between Rock Quarry Road and South State Street. I'm looking forward to seeing what the Walnut Creek Wetland Center area will bring on my next outing.

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.