Trail 19: Alleghany Trail (Part C) & Middle Crabtree Creek Trail

04/28/2012.  9:55 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 49.279, W 78, 38.520
End:   GPS N 35, 48.822, W 78, 37.098

Access to this trail is possible through Rothgeb Park, which is located near 2745 Rothgeb Drive.  Parking is available along the street in front of the park.

The day was cloudy and cool, with temperatures in the mid 50s Fahrenheit. I was enthusiastic to get back to the Alleghany Trail because there were so many birds around last time.  Today's outing covered parts of three different trails along the Crabtree Creek (East) part of the Capital Area Greenway.

The Rothgeb Park entrance leads to Alleghany Trail (Part C) which crosses back and forth across Crabtree Creek a couple of times until the trail reaches Anderson Drive.  From this point, the trails are not as well marked, and there are a number of branches, some of which are long access paths from various streets.

Across Anderson Drive, just down Oxford Road, is the next segment - the Fallon Creek Trail.  This segment is fairly short, and ends at Kiwanis Park.  A branch just before the entrance to the park leads to the much longer Middle Crabtree Creek Trail.  

The day started off well with several species sighted within the first half hour or so, but then the birds grew quiet and there was a long period with limited activity, especially along the Fallon Creek Trail. Activity picked up again a little before noon.

Birds Sighted Along Alleghany Trail (Part C)

Carolina Chickadee:  At Rothgeb Park entrance.

Northern Cardinal:  GPS N 35, 49.296, W 78, 38.512.

Blue Jay:  Two moving about together.

Mallard:  Male and female out on Crabtree Creek.  Later, I saw a pair of Mallards with two large ducklings.

Canada Goose:  Four adults and five smallish goslings.

Carolina Wren:  GPS N 35, 49.304, W 78, 38.473. Jumping around some large blocks of wood that were partially buried in ivy.

White Breasted Nuthatch:  GPS N 35, 49.298, W 78, 38.419.

Downy Woodpecker:  On the same tree with the White Breasted Nuthatch and only inches away.  Woodpeckers were rather rare today, perhaps because many of the trees were covered in ivy.

American Robin:  GPS N 35, 49.364, W 78, 38.375.

Eastern Bluebird:  At Marlowe Road entrance to trail.

Birds Sighted Along Fallon Creek Trail: This trail begins just across Anderson Drive. When you reach a place with two bridges, one continuing forward and one heading north, the north trail across the long bridge leads to Middle Crabtree Creek Trail. The other path leads to Kiwanis Park.


Brown Thrasher:  GPS N 35, 49.102, W 78, 37.847.  Was singing an amazing variety of songs from a high perch.

Brown Headed Cowbird:  GPS N 35, 49.012, W 78, 37.829.


Blue Gray Gnatcatcher:  Near cowbirds in Kiwanis Park.

Birds Sighted Along Middle Crabtree Creek Trail (Part A):

Tufted Titmouse:  GPS N 35, 49.105, W 78, 37.669.

Gray Catbird:  GPS N 35, 49.009, W 78, 37.669.  Two birds eating some kind of berry. A new species for the Capital Area Greenway list!

After this point, I passed under Wake Forest Road into a more urban area.  The trail passes near a number of restaurants and other businesses, though it still follows Crabtree Creek.

Common Grackle:  GPS N 35, 48.938, W 78, 37.458.

European Starling:  Only two or three of them in an open field area.

American Crow:  GPS N 35, 48.899, W 78, 37.381.

American Goldfinch:  GPS N 35, 48.874, W 78, 37.318.

Northern Rough Winged Swallow:  GPS N 35, 48.836, W 78, 37.171.  There were perhaps eight of these flying low over the river back and forth just west of a railroad overpass.  New birds for the Capital Area Greenway list.

Belted Kingfisher:  Saw it in flight twice as it passed under the railroad overpass.

Unknown Warbler:  This bird was bright yellow on the breast with two streaks of dark color along the sides.  No rufous cap so it was not a Palm Warbler.  Might have been a very bright yellow Pine Warbler, but I could not be sure.

New Species Sighted on Return Trip:  I turned around at Atlantic Avenue to head back to the car.

Eastern Phoebe:  GPS N 35, 48.867, W 78, 37.306.  Hawking for insects.

Cedar Waxwing:  GPS N 35, 49.254, W 78, 38.066.  At least ten and perhaps more eating berries from a tree alongside Anderson Drive.

Yellow Rumped Warbler:  GPS N 35, 49.323, W 78, 38.113.

Great Crested Flycatcher:  Another new bird for the Raleigh Greenway list and my lifelist. This is a bird that I thought I saw back in early January, but could not be sure.

Eastern Towhee:  GPS N 35, 49.432, W 78, 38.177.  Male.

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  Back at entrance to Rothgeb Park.

Today was my largest tally of species to date.  A total of 27 species identified, plus a warbler that I could not identify.  This outing added three new birds to the Capital Area Greenway list, as well as one bird to my lifelist.  What a great day!  The total for the Greenway List now stands at 55 species.

Trail 18: Crabtree Creek East - Alleghany Trail (Part B)

04/07/2012.  9:55 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 49.482, W 78, 39.094
End:   GPS N 35, 49.303, W 78, 38.506

The entrance to this section of the trail is near 3200 Northampton Street and runs along the southern border of Root Elementary School. There is room to park on the street next to the trail entrance. This part of the trail runs through a stand of trees for perhaps 300 feet, then lets out onto Lassiter Mill Road. From there, the trail is essentially the sidewalk that borders the road, running north for several hundred feet until the street crosses Crabtree Creek. About 200 feet beyond the bridge, on the right side of the road, is another entrance to the trail. This section of the Alleghany Trail may be my most favorite stretch of the Capital Area Greenway so far. It was a very pleasant walk, and I saw more species on this outing than on any other so far.

Birds Sighted Between Northampton St. and Lassiter Mill Rd.

American Robin:  GPS N 35, 49.482, W 78, 39.094. At the trailhead. As has been the case lately, these were fairly numerous along the trail.

American Crow:  GPS N 35, 49.471, W 78, 39.065.  Flying overhead and calling.

Yellow Rumped Warbler:  Male.

Northern Cardinal:  Male and female pair.

Tufted Titmouse:  Single individual.  Not as common as usual.

Birds Sighted Along Lassiter Mill Road

Brown Headed Cowbird:  GPS N 35, 49.574, W 78, 38.943. Singing away atop a high tree. This is a new bird for the Greenway list.

House Finch:  GPS N 35, 49.604, W 78, 38.935.

Birds Sighted Between Lassiter Mill Rd. and Rothgeb Drive Entrance

Downy Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 49.604, W 78, 38.935. Female.

Mourning Dove:  Solitary.

White Throated Sparrow:  GPS N 35, 49.591, W 78, 38.896.

Blue Jay:  These were more numerous here than anywhere I have been so far along the Raleigh Greenway.

Hermit Thrush:  Got a good close look at this one.

Carolina Chickadee:  GPS N 35, 49.541, W 78, 38.833.

Cedar Waxwing:  GPS N 35, 49.496, W 78, 38.798. At least 20 of these birds were moving through the forest. This is only the second time that I've seen Cedar Waxwings, and the first time I've been able to look at them with binoculars. A nice new addition to the Greenway list.

Common Grackle:  GPS N 35, 49.498, W 78, 38.800.  Only my second sighting of these along the Raleigh Greenway, though I have seen them at other places around town many times.  At least 10 were present at any one time.

Carolina Wren:  Singing beautifully.

Blue Gray Gnatcatcher:  GPS N 35, 49.467, W 78, 38.778. Got a good long look at this bird, though it did seem to move about every two seconds. This is a new one for both the Greenway list, and for my lifelist.

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker:  One of many woodpeckers seen today.

Red Tailed Hawk:  GPS N 35, 49.374, W 78, 38.610. Perched in a mostly leafless tree.

I turned around at about noon when I came across an entrance from near 2745 Rothgeb Drive.  This will be the starting point for my next outing.

New Birds Sighted on the Return Trip to Lassiter Mill Road

Turkey Vulture:  GPS N 35, 49.303, W 78, 38.506.  In flight.

Hairy Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 49.450, W 78, 38.769. Got a clear view of the long beak and the little dark lines running from shoulder area toward the chest.

Dark Eyed Junco:  Single individual.

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 49.562, W 78, 38.856.  This woodpecker was down low near the base of a tree working away at the bark and seemingly unconcerned that I was maybe 12 feet away.

Palm Warbler:  This little warbler landed right in front of me about seven feet away while I was watching the Red Bellied Woodpecker. The cap on its head is very distinctive. This was a new one for my lifelist as well as the Greenway list.

All in all, this was a very productive outing.  I identified a total of 24 species.  Four were new sightings for the Greenway list, and two were new sightings for my lifelist. I also saw four different species of woodpecker.  This outing brings the total for the Capital Area Greenway list to 52 species.

Trail 17: Crabtree Creek East - Alleghany Trail (Part A)

04/01/2012.  9:05 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 50.257, W 78, 39.510
End:   GPS N 35, 49.482, W 78, 39.094

I've divided the Crabtree Creek Trail into eastern and western sections, with the dividing line being the Ironwood Trail (South). My intention is to explore the entire eastern section first, then to come back and follow the entire western section.

The Alleghany Trail begins a short distance to the east of the southern endpoint of the Ironwood Trail, at a point where the main Crabtree Creek Trail meets the North Hills Trail Segment.  The North Hills Trail Segment is about a quarter mile long and quite steep. It is technically part of the Crabtree Creek Trail system, but the main Crabtree Creek Trail is at the bottom of the hill.

Once down the hill, a turn to the left puts you at the start of the Alleghany section of Crabtree Creek Trail. The Alleghany Trail passes under the 440 freeway after only a short distance, then follows along Crabtree Creek and Alleghany Drive. Anyone wishing to avoid the steep hill down from North Hills Park can instead access the trail just south of the 440 freeway near the intersection of Alleghany Drive and Alamance Drive.

Birds Sighted Between North Hills Park and the 440 Freeway Overpass: I expected to see a number of birds around the North Hills Park parking lot before descending the steep trail, but saw very little activity. Today's start was a little earlier than usual, so that might be the reason.

American Crow:  GPS N 35, 50.301, W 78, 39.534.

Northern Cardinal:  These were plentiful along the trail, often in pairs.

Possible Palm Warbler:  I caught sight of a yellowish bird flying across the trail. It proceeded to land in a distant tree where it was mostly obscured by leaves, but what I did see of it made me think it was a warbler. It stayed only long enough to make a few calls, then flew away. I checked the calls for all of the likely warblers in the area, and the Palm Warbler was by far the closest. This would be a new one for my lifelist, as well as the Capital Area Greenway list. Unfortunately, it is not a confirmed sighting so I won't be adding it to either list.

Tufted Titmouse: GPS N 35, 50.277, W 78, 39.611. It was waggling its wings in a way I had not seen before, apparently as part of a courtship ritual. Later, I heard one singing a very beautiful song. Much sweeter than the raspy sound I've grown used to.

Carolina Wren: GPS N 35, 50.248, W 78, 39.707.  It was on a naked branch less than 20 feet from the 440 freeway overpass, and at about eye level, singing its beautiful song. These birds can sure produce a lot of volume for such small bodies!

Birds Sighted Between the 440 Overpass and Hertford Street Entrance:  The beginning of this section feels somewhat secluded from the houses that line Alleghany drive. Later, the trail runs very close to the backyards of some very large houses, some of which must be at least 4000 square feet. Considering the size of some of these houses, and the location right along the river, I assume that some of Raleigh's one-percenters live here. Near the end of this section, the trail becomes a dirt path.

White Throated Sparrow: GPS N 35, 50.143, W 78, 39.518. This one was in a tree and appeared to be eating something like an inchworm.

Eastern Phoebe: GPS N 35, 50.048, W 78, 39.518. Hawking for insects by the creek.

House Finch: Male and female pair, near the Eastern Phoebe.

American Robin: Lone individual standing beside the path.

Carolina Chickadee:  GPS N 35, 49.969, W 78, 39.443.

Ruby Crowned Kinglet:  Female.

Blue Jay:  GPS N 35, 49.878, W 78, 39.304. Had a mouth full of nesting material.

Probable Sharp Shinned Hawk:  Soaring above the creek at a bit of a distance. It was definitely a small hawk with a long tail, and the markings seemed to fit best with the Sharp Shinned.

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 49.788, W 78, 39.321.

American Goldfinch:  Lone male.

Canada Goose:  This goose was alone and in a foul mood. Lots of hissing and general discontent at my passing.

The trail turns to a dirt path for a short distance from GPS N 35, 49.656, W 78, 39.214, where it runs right next to the river. At the end of the dirt path is an entrance to the trail adjacent to 536 Hertford Street. From this point, the Crabtree Creek - Alleghany Trail technically continues on, but about a quarter mile of this distance is sidewalk that runs through this wealthy residential neighborhood.  The trail passes Root Elementary School, beside which there is an entrance back into the trees at around 3200 Northampton Street. This is where I turned around for the day.

Birds Sighted on the Return Trip:

Northern Mockingbird:  GPS N 35, 49.480, W 78, 39.086. Sighted along Hertford Street.

Brown Thrasher:  GPS N 35, 49.703, W 78, 39.335.

Dark Eyed Junco:  GPS N 35, 49.905, W 78, 39.332.

Yellow Rumped Warbler:  GPS N 35, 50.070, W 78, 39.573. These were moving around as a pair.

White Breasted Nuthatch:  Also in a pair, with one seemingly chasing the other.

I arrived back at the car around 12:20 PM. I did not identify any new birds this time, though the possible Palm Warbler and probable Sharp Shinned Hawk would both have been new birds if I could have confirmed them. Total count for this outing was 19 species, which is on the high end of the normal range for recent outings.

Trail 16: Ironwood Trail (South Part)

03/24/2012.  10:20 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 50.552, W 78, 39.709
End:   GPS N 35, 50.318, W 78, 39.845

Access to the south part of the Ironwood Trail is near 4806 North Hills Drive. Visitors can park on the street right next to the entrance.

The outing began with a drizzle and wet conditions from rain overnight. Temperatures were in the mid-60s Fahrenheit when I arrived. The rain stopped shortly after I started walking, and it looked like conditions might improve. I even saw the sun trying to poke through the cloud cover about an hour into the walk. So when I reached the end of the Ironwood Trail where it intersects with the Crabtree Creek Trail, I decided to continue on Crabtree Creek Trail headed east until I could find a good access point with convenient parking for my next outing.

By the time I turned around, the rain was back, and much heavier than before. Most of the birds stopped moving around at this point, and I did not see anything new on the return trip. I saw fewer species on this day than on any other this year, but did pick up a new species for the Capital Area Greenway list, so the outing was not a total loss.

Birds Sighted on South Part of Ironwood Trail:

Northern Cardinal:  At entrance to the trail. These were the most numerous birds seen on this day.

American Robin:  Perched alone in a high tree.

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 50.523, W 78, 39.698. Clinging to the highest point on a dead tree and calling out to others.

Brown Headed Nuthatch:  GPS N 35, 50.462, W 78, 39.765.  I have only seen this bird once before, back in 2006 in Cary. This time, the nuthatch was hanging around on a dead tree that a Red Bellied Woodpecker was trying to make a nest in, and seemed to be trying to bully it into leaving. The nuthatch kept flying and landing at a point near the woodpecker, then flying away again. I wondered if the nuthatch might be trying to chase the woodpecker away because it had a nest of its own in the area. When I passed by on the return trip with the rain falling, it was still harassing the woodpecker.

Great Blue Heron:  Two of these flew over while I was watching the nuthatch bully the woodpecker.

White Throated Sparrow:  A little group of six of these appeared to be eating some kind of seed from a low tree. Strangely, I have not seen so many sparrows in one place for several weeks now.

Carolina Chickadee:  GPS N 35, 50.446, W 78, 39.790.

Carolina Wren:  GPS N 35, 50.410, W 78, 39.833.  This one was perched about five feet from the ground and singing at the top of its lungs. Quite a large sound from such a small bird.

Downy/Hairy Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 50.325, W 78, 39.832. Could not get a close enough look to be sure, although its size suggested a downy.

Birds Sighted Along Short Segment of Crabtree Creek Trail: The bridge you see in the photo on the left leads to the eastern branch of Crabtree Creek Trail. I followed only a short segment of this trail until it reached the intersection with the North Hills Trail Segment a few hundred feet north of I-440. The trail ends at GPS N 35, 50.265, W 78, 39.722. The North Hills Trail Segment leads to North Hills Park which has plenty of parking. It would make an excellent access point to this end of the Ironwood trail.

Canada Goose:  GPS N 35, 50.300, W 78, 39.816. A pair of these were swimming together on Crabtree Creek.


Tufted Titmouse:  I was surprised it took so long to see one of these, as they are usually much more numerous.

I was only able to identify 10 species on this outing. I do think I might have seen a pair of White Breasted Nuthatches at one point, and a group of what might have been Common Grackles flying by in the distance another time, but in both cases the birds were too far away and the low clouds made it hard to see any colors or features well enough to be certain. The addition of the Brown Headed Nuthatch brings the Capital Area Greenway List to 48 species.

Trail 15: Ironwood Trail (Middle Part)

03/17/2012.  9:55 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 50.832, W 78, 39.968
End:   GPS N 35, 50.552, W 78, 39.747

There are at least two ways to access this part of the Ironwood Trail.  The long path from near 5105 North Hills Drive was described in my last posting (Trail 14: Ironwood Trail North Part). I chose to enter the trail from the west side this time, using a long access path near 1812 Stannard Trail. There is a community building with a parking lot a short walk from the access point, which was convenient, though if I had to choose an entry point again, I would probably use the North Hills entrance because that whole path is wooded on both sides, and runs along the creek for most of the way.

The day was warm and sunny with temperatures already in the mid-60s Fahrenheit by the time I arrived. The access path from Stannard Trail was fairly long and passed between open lawn on one side and a stand of trees on the other for much of its distance. I saw four different species within the first couple of minutes on the access path. These were mostly common birds that are often seen at feeders.

Birds Sighted Along Stannard Trail Access Path:

American Robin:  GPS N 35, 50.832, W 78, 39.968.

Northern Cardinal:  This male was high up in a tree singing away.

House Finch:  GPS N 35, 50.849, W 78, 39.954. Male and female.

American Goldfinch:  Moving around with the house finches.

Birds Sighted Along Ironwood Trail (Middle Part):  This trail follows the river.  The birds were more vocal here than on any other outing this year, presumably because it is breeding season.

Blue Jay:  GPS N 35, 50.888, W 78, 39.693.

Yellow Rumped Warbler:  Very active toward beginning of trail.

Tufted Titmouse:  Fairly common as usual.

American Crow:  GPS N35, 50.759, W 78, 39.758.

Dark Eyed Junco:  Saw just one of these.

Hairy Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 50.639, W 78, 39.798.  This is only my second confirmed sighting of this bird.

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker:  Saw this bird in two places along the trail.

Great Blue Heron:  An immature one was seen walking in the creek, and later a mature one flew overhead.

White Breasted Nuthatch:  GPS N 35, 50.602, W 78, 39.766.

White Throated Sparrow:  These have been surprisingly uncommon the last two or three outings compared to previous ones, and the numbers seen have been smaller.

Red Shouldered Hawk:  GPS N 35, 50.552, W 78, 39.747.  Perched high up in a tree right next to the end of this section of the trail.

Carolina Chickadee:  I heard these a few times, but it took until the end of the trail to actually see them.

Birds Sighted on Return Trip:

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 50.779, W 78, 39.727.  I heard these birds calling many times, but did not see one until the return trip.

Orchard Oriole or Baltimore Oriole?:  I saw a bird high in a tree that had a really dark orange chest and a black head with a black cape on its back. The distance made it hard to see more subtle features, but I knew right away this was a new bird for me. I've never seen an Oriole in the United States, though I have seen a Hooded Oriole and a Yellow Backed Oriole on a trip to Belize many years ago

The bird in question did a bit of singing before it flew off to another perch for a few seconds, and then left altogether. My first thought was Baltimore Oriole, but the color of the chest was darker orange than the picture in my guide, and I thought the beak was narrower at the base in the brief glimpse that I got. Once I found the Orchard Oriole, which seemed to fit, I listened to the song.  It had been a couple of minutes since I last heard the bird sing, and my ear is not great, but I thought the song was a pretty good match, and much more similar than the song of the Baltimore Oriole. Still, when I checked on ebird.org, I did not find any sightings of this bird prior to April in the Raleigh area in years gone by.  The weather is unusually warm this year, but I didn't get a good enough look at the bird while I had my field guide open to be sure of the sighting, so I will not count this on the Capital Area Greenway List.

Mallard:  GPS N 35, 50.850, W 78, 39.657.

Northern Mockingbird:  At the entrance to the access path leading from Stannard Trail as I was finishing the outing for the day.

I left the trail at 12:40 PM.  Excluding the possible Orchard Oriole or Baltimore Oriole, I saw 19 species of birds on this outing.  There were no new additions to the Greenway list, although I did see only my second Hairy Woodpecker, and what is I believe only the third Red Shouldered Hawk. It is possible that this might be the same hawk I saw the previous week on the northern part of this trail.

Trail 14: Ironwood Trail (North Part)

03/07/2012.  10:05 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 51.354, W 78, 39.687
End:   GPS N 35, 50.912, W 78, 39.787

Access to this trail is from the same parking lot in the 900 block of W Millbrook Road that was used to access the Shelley Lake Trail (East Side) last outing. The lot is on the north side of the street. Take the entrance from the east end of the parking lot and immediately turn right. The trail is marked. If you continue straight, you will end up on the Shelley Lake Trail instead.

The morning was sunny and clear with temperatures starting out in the mid-40s Fahrenheit. I did not see any birds in the parking lot this time around, but as soon as I passed under W Millbrook Road the bird activity was excellent. There were only a few people on the trail this day, but the light foot traffic and near absence of bicycles might have been because this was a Wednesday morning and not a Saturday.  

There are not many natural dividers along this trail until you come to the intersection of two access trails where I decided to stop for the day. In this entry, I will report on the birds I sighted on the trail itself, and along the relatively long accessway that leads to North Hills Drive. This accessway runs along the creek for most of its distance, and is nicely wooded on both sides. If I were to choose an access point for this intersection area, I would probably come from North Hills Drive (address 5105 is nearby). The other option is a long accessway from Stannard Trail, but this is more residential and the path leading to the Greenway is not nearly as pleasant.

Birds Sighted from Trailhead to Intersection with North Hills and Stannard Trail Accessways:

Mallard:  GPS N 35, 51.340, W 78, 39.669. A male and female swimming in the creek.

Northern Cardinal:  GPS N 35, 51.317, W 78, 39.701. This male was singing away from an open branch.

Yellow Rumped Warbler:  I don't know if the season just happens to be right for these, or if this area of the Raleigh Greenway system just has a large number of these birds, but I saw these more times along this stretch of trail than along any other I have walked so far in the Capital Area Greenway system. In fact, they were probably my most frequently seen bird on this outing.

Eastern Towhee:  Female. She settled herself down in some dense brush almost as though she had a nest in there. Might be too early for that, but I have not found these birds to be terribly shy about moving around when birders are nearby, and yet this one stayed completely still, with her body down on the ground.

Carolina Wren:  GPS N 35, 51.310, W 78, 39.717.

Mourning Dove:  Alone on a low branch next to the creek.

White Breasted Nuthatch:  Two moving around together.

Carolina Chickadee: Maybe the most ubiquitous bird in the city.

Pine Warbler: Last week I thought I had seen one of these but wasn't positive. This week I knew what to look for and got a good look at one. Just one. The first part of the Ironwood Trail has a line of pine trees along the west side of the trail, which is probably what attracted this one. It is a new bird for the Capital Area Greenway List and for my lifelist as well.

Tufted Titmouse:  GPS N 35, 51.311, W 78, 39.757.

Probable Common Grackle:  I saw three of these at quite a distance. I didn't get the greatest view of them, but I did notice one of them spread its tail feathers and then relax them two or three times. I cannot be sure of my identification on this one, so will not count it for the day. There are times when I wish I owned a spotting scope. This was one of those times.

American Robin:  GPS N 35, 51.255, W 78, 39.810.

American Crow:  Not very numerous here.

Red Shouldered Hawk:  GPS N 35, 51.204, W 78, 39.843. Saw it perched for a brief time, then in flight. Saw it perched again on the return trip.

Red Bellied Woodpecker:  GPS N 35, 51.156, W 78, 51.157. This was a male and it seemed that he might have been just starting a new nest hole.

Downy/Hairy Woodpecker:  Got only the briefest of looks and did not have enough time to distinguish between the two species.

Ruby Crowned Kinglet:  GPS N 35, 51.021, W 78, 39.849.

Eastern Phoebe:  Saw this one "hawking" for insects. This is a new bird for both the Capital Area Greenway List and my lifelist.

Canada Goose: Saw three of these flying overhead in the direction of Shelley Lake.

There is another accessway to the Ironwood Trail that joins the trail a short distance from the intersection where I ended for the day.  It intersects the trail at GPS N 35, 51.009, W 78, 39.840. Based on the map, this accessway probably leads to Carter Street.

Birds Sighted Along Accessway from Intersection (see photo) to North Hills Drive Entrance:

Blue Jay:  N 35, 50.894, W 78, 39.661.

Red Tailed Hawk:  Saw it both perched and in flight. Today was the first day that I saw two hawk species in one outing.



New Species Sighted on Return Trip:

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker:  GPS N 35, 51.174, W 78, 39.856. I saw one of these and heard a second one calling back and forth with the one I spotted.

I saw a total of 20 species on this outing not including the probable Common Grackle or the Hairy/Downy Woodpecker. I added two new birds to my lifelist today, bringing the total to 311, and two new birds to the Capital Area Greenway List for a total of 47 species so far.

Trail 13: Shelley Lake Trail (East Side)

02/26/2012.  9:20 AM.

Start:  GPS N 35, 51.360, W 78, 39.688
End:   GPS N 35, 51.858, W 78, 38.883

Access to the Shelley Lake Trail (East Side) can be found along the 900 block of W Millbrook Road, on the north side of the street. This would also make a good alternate access point for the Shelley Lake Trail (South Side) discussed last week. In order to avoid birding the same area as last time, I entered the trail from the east side of the parking lot, and took the lower elevation outside path to get back to last week's endpoint.

It was clear and sunny when I arrived. Temperatures were in the mid-40s and many birds were active. I got off to a really good start. Within about half an hour, though, a wind picked up and it was breezy to quite windy for most of the rest of the time I was out. The wind and the movement of the trees made it difficult to hear the birds moving, or the tree-climbers pecking, and I had a long period during which I didn't manage to see much activity at all.

I was also a long way from the bridge where most of the water birds tend to congregate. Still, I saw many of the species from previous weeks from a distance. The main one I missed was Great Blue Heron. The Hooded Mergansers from last week were also in hiding. It was a bit disappointing not to see anything new out on the water this time.

Later in the morning the wind died down for a short time while I was on the Snelling Branch Trail to the east of Shelley Lake, and during that time I picked up a few woodpeckers and a White Breasted Nuthatch. I liked the Snelling Branch Trail quite a bit, and would recommend it for spotting birds that favor wooded areas.

Birds Sighted From Parking Lot and Along Access Path to the Lake

American Crow:  GPS N 35, 51.360, W 78, 39.688.  In a tree near where I parked my car.

Mourning Dove:  On an electrical line across the road.

Northern Mockingbird:  GPS N 35, 51.346, W 78, 39.600. Down in the shrubbery beside the first part of the trail.

Birds Sighted From Lakeside Part of Trail and From Open Field Beside the Trail:

Mallard:  GPS N 35, 51.433, W 78, 39.617.

Ring Billed Gull:  Many of these were present, but most were too far across the lake for a good count.

Double Crested Cormorant:  Saw two of these in the water feeding.

Canada Goose: As with the gulls, there were many but most were across the lake.

Probable Tree Swallow:  I saw two of these fly overhead and then over a portion of the lake edge. Didn't get a long look at them, but I immediately thought they were swallows by their shape in flight, and I did notice that they looked mostly, if not completely, white underneath and dark on top. There didn't appear to be any recent sightings on my BirdsEye App, however.  The next day, though, six Tree Swallows were sighted up at Falls Lake. So maybe I was right after all. However, I didn't get a long enough look to be certain, so I won't count this one in the Capital Area Greenway list.

Brown Thrasher: GPS N 35, 51.461, W 78, 39.562. On the ground along the treeline at the edge of the large open field of grass.

Eastern Towhee:  Male. Singing from a branch.

American Robin:  Counted twelve (12) of these together in the grass.

Northern Cardinal:  The first one was by itself in the grass near the robins.

Tufted Titmouse:  Two together in the trees by the open grassy area.

Carolina Chickadee:  In same tree with titmice.

Birds Sighted From Creek Mouth to West Side Bridge:  It was during this part of the trail in particular that the wind was quite gusty and not many birds were seen. At the intersection that forks toward the Shelley Lake Trail (West Side) on one branch, and toward North Hills Drive along the other, I first followed the connector to the west side bridge, then turned around and returned to the intersection so that I could continue on to North Hills Drive.

Turkey Vulture (in flight):  GPS N 35, 51.816, W 78, 39.463.

Ruby Crowned Kinglet:  GPS N 35, 51.956, W 78, 39.424.

The Shelley Lake Trail (East Side) comes to an end on North Hills Drive around GPS N 35, 51.862, W 78, 39.237. Across the street is the start of the Snelling Branch Trail.

Birds Sighted Along Snelling Branch Trail:  The wind died down to something more like breezy for this trail, and part of it is submerged below the level of the land around it, so the birds were a bit easier to see and hear than was true up by the lake.

Carolina Wren: GPS N 35, 51.846, W 78, 39.155.

Red Bellied Woodpecker: GPS N 35, 51.805, W 78, 39.097.

White Breasted Nuthatch: Just spotted the one.

Downy Woodpecker: GPS N 35, 51.798, W 78, 39.064.

Dark Eyed Junco:  GPS N 35, 51.807, W 78, 38.908.  Two birds in trees beside a fenced in soccer field.

Northern Flicker (male): GPS N 35, 51.841, W 78, 38.883.

Probable Pine Warbler: I have never seen a Pine Warbler before, so I didn't know what to look for. I heard it calling for a while before I finally spotted it in a little cluster of pine trees. I only got to look at it briefly before it disappeared again. I started with the Tekiela book. It only has nine species with yellow as a primary color. The Pine Warbler looked promising, but the color in the photo seemed too dull. I tried to search for other possibilities using the iBird App. Searched for common and uncommon birds in North Carolina with yellow as a primary color and forests as a habitat. Got 28 birds as matches. I listened to the calls of all that seemed to fit its look, and the pine warbler was the closest. Still, I wasn't sure, so I'm listing it as a probable and will be more ready for one if I should see it again.

After the warbler, I returned along the trail to my car without seeing any new birds. This was a long outing, around 3.5 hours. I identified 21 species and saw two others that I was not certain about (probable Tree Sparrow and Pine Warbler). No new birds for the Greenway List, however.