Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Bear Island WMA -- February 26, 2012: So What Was THE Bird of the Day?

         Sunday, February 26, 2012, I decided to return to Bear Island Wildlife Management Area (WMA) to photograph the Tundra Swans on Marys House Pond at sunrise.  This is an activity that I do every year because it is one of the most beautiful experiences in which a nature-lover can indulge in the chill of a cold February dawn. 

Tundra Swans on Marys House Pond -- Bear Island WMA -- February 26, 2012
Tundra Swans -- Bear Island WMA -- February 26, 2012

         I will post several more photos of the swans and describe more fully the sense of wonderment aroused by viewing the exquisite routine of these handsome birds taking flight in a future edition of the blog.  Because, unbelievable as it may seem, the Tundra Swans were NOT THE Bird of the Day for myself nor for several other birders who converged on Bear Island WMA throughout the day from all over the state.  Now, our birding together was not an organized event.  Myself, I had arranged at the last minute the night before to meet my birding buddy, Carl Broadwell, there.  A few others had arranged to travel with or to meet another birding buddy.  Haphazardly, many of us found each other there Sunday morning.  A couple of other birding buddies called me during the day to arrange a meeting place at Bear Island also.  Before I left for the day in the mid-afternoon, I had birded with 11 other people!  A horde of photographers from the Carolinas' Professional Photographers Association also arrived at  dawn to photograph the Swans.  Though I did come for the Swans, I also came for another reason.  We birders all came for that same reason.  So what brought us together?-- our quest for THE Bird of the Day!

       As such, you must now be wondering:  What was THE Bird of the Day?  At Bear Island, so many possibilities exist as the birdlife there is rich and diverse.  Was it the gleaming American White Pelicans who float effortlessly over the marshes and who often roost with the Tundra Swans on Marys House Pond at night?

American White Pelicans with Tundra Swans on Marys House Pond -- Bear Island WMA -- February 26, 2012

No, the graceful American White Pelicans, though awe-inspiring, did not capture the title of THE Bird of the Day.

       Nothing quite defines elegance as do these marvelous American Avocets!

American Avocets on Marys House Pond -- Bear Island WMA -- February 26, 2012

Yet, they did not qualify for the nomination.  

        How about the exotic escapee-from-somewhere, the Black Swan, that had been sighted frequently in the Bear Island WMA over the past week? 

Black Swan -- Bear Island WMA -- February 20 , 2012
Black Swan with American Coots -- Bear Island WMA -- February 20, 2012

Well, a few birders were interested in seeing him though he cannot be counted on any list since he does not qualify as a "countable" bird.  He is not truly a wild bird which perchance flew here from his native Australia.  The SC Department of Natural Resources (DNR) folks believe he may have escaped from a neighboring property.  I had already seen this "Black Beauty" Monday, February 20.   Thus, no, not only was the Black Swan missing in action Sunday, he simply was not of much interest to most of the birders who came together in a quest Sunday.

        I did see some of my favorite species, such as this perky White-Throated Sparrow ....

White-Throated Sparrow -- Bear Island WMA -- February 28, 2012

and this magnificent Red-Headed Woodpecker creating a new nesting hole!.

Red-Headed Woodpecker -- Bear Island WMA -- February 26, 2012

I also captured some of my sharpest images ever of a White-Breasted Nuthatch ....

White-Breasted Nuthatch -- Bear Island WMA -- February 26, 2012
White-Breasted Nuthatch -- Bear Island WMA -- February 26, 2012

.... eating poop!.  Though all of these candidates were interesting in their own ways, they simply could not compete with THE Bird of the Day!

              And so, DRUM ROLL PLEASE!  THE Bird of the Day, in rather plain Jane plumage, a very rare visitor to our state, was .... a lovely-for-birders Hudsonian Godwit, first identified by Paul Serridge and reported to Carolina Bird Listserv on Friday, September 24 by Jeff Click, both of the Greenville County Bird Club.

Hudsonian Godwit -- Bear Island WMA -- February 26, 2012

            For those of us who arrived at Bear Island at dawn, we waited out the departure of the swans -- because who wants to miss that show! -- before continuing down the dike to look for the Hudsonian Godwit in what reportedly seemed to be his preferred corner of Marys House Pond.  Funny though, the nature photographers did not stick around to look for the bird.  I guess they just did not realize how special it is.  And initially, we did not see him either though we were searching.  Ah well!  So we left the dike and then ran into others who decided to go down the dike to look for themselves.  Lucky for us that they did!  By the time they went out onto the dike, he was there in his corner and they called us so that we could join them!  The morning was overcast as the photos will show.   For size reference, I took a few photos of this Hudsonian with other shorebird species.

Hudsonian Godwit with American Avocet, Long-Billed Dowitcher and Dunlin -- Bear Island WMA -- February 26, 2012


Hudsonian Godwit with Dunlin -- Bear Island WMA -- February 26, 2012
             After watching the bird for awhile, we left to bird other parts of the WMA.  Once the sun came out towards noon, though, I wanted to return to attempt better-lit photos.  There he was, still in his preferred corner of the pond!  That was when I was able to capture the image below.  I sat on the dike eating my lunch hoping the bird would come closer if I sat still.  I had received late morning calls from my birding buddies, Andy Harrison and Aaron Given, asking me if I had seen the bird.  Thus, I was also waiting on their arrival to help them see the bird.
        
Hudsonian Godwit -- Bear Island WMA -- February 26, 2012
            Just before they arrived, all of the shorebirds took flight.  Something had spooked them.  I do not know what.  The Hudsonian Godwit also left but circled a couple of times ... as though it did not really want to leave.  This allowed me to obtain some rather conclusive diagnostic photos of his wing patterns, and to ooo and ahhh as well!  His foraging appearance may be plain Jane but in flight, he was more striking!  Unfortunately, I could not track him well enough to report where he had gone.  But considering his propensity for that corner, I was hopeful, we would relocate him.
                          
Hudsonian Godwit -- Bear Island WMA -- February 26, 2012

Hudsonian Godwit -- Bear Island WMA -- February 26, 2012

              When Andy, Aaron and crew arrived, they scanned the pond with their scopes and spotted him on the far side.  We decided to go there in our cars.  When we arrived there, the guys quickly found the bird via their scopes again, heading back across the pond to his favorite corner.  This time he was still close enough for the guys to get satisfactory views of his field marks through the scopes.  I decided to call it a day and I left the guys to continue birding in Bear Island.  I confess, though, as always, it was difficult to leave.  The weather had cleared and the birds were beautiful.  And on this day in particular, our Hudsonian Godwit was strikingly so!

          For this post, I did some research on the species on a few different sites mentioned below to try to learn a bit more.  The Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) is one of 4 Godwit species and is perhaps the least well-known in terms of its life history.  The population was once thought to be more limited in size than it actually is due to a lack of knowledge of its very remote breeding & wintering sites and migration staging sites.  However, research in the later half of the twentieth century has increased our knowledge of such sites, and thus the estimated world population is now proposed to be between 50,000 and 70,000 birds according to The Birds of North America Online (BNA Online) reference site. You can see a range map for this species from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (CLO) on their species account of this bird here on the CLO's All About Birds website .Thus, its risk factor for extinction is not as dire as once thought.  In 1988,  The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)  listed the bird as "Near Threatened" on its  IUCN Red List of species, a list that tracks extinction risks for the animal and plant life of our planet.  In 2008, it was listed as "Least Concern." 

         This is a species which truly makes migration a test of endurance.  Not only does it fly from its sub-arctic breeding grounds on the tundra of Alaska and Canada to Southern South America, but it also flies several thousands of miles non-stop at a time!    On its southbound route, most birds, those breeding in Alaska as well as Canada, are known to stage in areas of Canada and then, fly eastward towards the Atlantic. Most of the eastern population of these birds appear to fly 5000 km non-stop from James Bay in Canada over the western Atlantic to South America!  During its northbound migration, first arrivals to North America generally occur in late March - early April.  This fact makes its appearance here in South Carolina in late February a very unusual sighting indeed.  Also, the birds are generally known to migrate northward through the middle of the US, west of the Mississippi.  Sightings of individuals during migration are sporadic over a rather narrow range.  You can see a range map for this species from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (CLO) on their species account of this bird here on the CLO's All About Birds website.  They typically arrive on their northern breeding grounds in May, make and raise babies, and then begin staging for their southbound migration in late June through July with departures from these locales occurring from late July through early September with the juveniles being the last to depart.  Research also suggests that this species does not make use of traditional stopover sites as do other species.  Rather, its selection of stopover sites seems to be more dependent on current weather factors and on-the-ground conditions.  Quite the hardy, world traveler, I would say!

        After having learned so much about the migration patterns of this species, I am even more awed by his visit to our state!  I am also extremely pleased about this addition to my life list knowing how rare he is for our neck of the woods and I am equally delighted to have shared this experience with so many other SC birders (new friends and old!) this past Sunday morning.  Let's hope this endurance athlete makes a good, long and productive life for himself.  The typical life span for this species is unknown although their brethren Marbled Godwits are known to live as long as 29 years!  Who knows?  Perhaps our bird will find this East Coast migration to his liking and  I will be able see and photograph him again next February when I go to Bear Island to see the Tundra Swans at dawn!  I would nominate him for THE Bird of the Day again!

Citations:
Elphick, C. S., and J. Klima. 2002. Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica). In The Birds of North America, No. 629 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
 
IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 29 February 2012.
 
Walker, Brad M., Nathan R. Senner, Chris S. Elphick and Joanna Klima. 2011. Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/629 

Saturday, February 25, 2012

CawCaw Interpretive Center in September

           Caw Caw Interpretive Center, one of our Charleston County Parks, is one of the best places to go birding locally, especially if you go one the Wednesday or Saturday bird walk led by Perry Nugent, one of Charleston area's most expert birders.   This park, located a few miles south of Charleston on Highway 17, has a variety of habitats including pine, hardwoods, cypress swamp and old rice impoundments managed now for waterfowl.  On September 10, with  an influx of fall migrants in the area, Carl and I decided to see what Perry would help us spot out at Caw Caw on the Saturday morning walk.

Little Blue Heron (juvenile) -- CawCaw Interpretive Center, Ravenel, SC -- September 10, 2011
        Although we saw many bird species, I cannot say that I was very successful with the photography this day.  This young Little Blue Heron posed very nicely for me, as did this scraggly-looking Great Blue Heron.

Great Blue Heron -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 10, 2011
    
          This Yellow-Throated Warbler, being the curious sort, responded well to phishing but he was a bit coy about showing himself.

Yellow-Throated Warbler -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 10, 2011

              While out on the dikes of the impoundments, we had one of those very rare days when we heard and/or saw both a Least Bittern (our Bittern of Summer) and an American Bittern (our Bittern of Winter), which flew right over us.  Regrettably, I do not have any photos of either bird.  This Green Heron did not mind showing himself briefly, however.

Green Heron -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 10, 2011

            Also, we watched while this Golden Orb ate lunch.

Golden Orb -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 10, 2011

           A Fall arrival we hoped to see, a male American Redstart, very nicely bounced about a tree overhead and flashed his orange and black tail.  Still, the male American Redstarts must be among the most difficult birds to photograph as they rarely sit still and they are always in the leaves!  So I WILL congratulate myself on this sort of decent photo. 

American Redstart -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 10, 2011

          This Eastern Wood Peewee may be my favorite bird of the day.  He sort of led us down the trail, perching out in the open, usually just out of reach of my long lens.  But on a couple of occasions (for the photos below), he perched long enough for me to capture him as I tried to inconspicuously sneak up to him.



Eastern Wood Peewee -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 10, 2011

            Along the marshes of the impoundments, we also saw Common Gallinule, a Solitary Sandpiper, a Spotted Sandpiper, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks, Prairie Warblers, Common Yellow Throats, Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows and even a Northern Rough-Winged Sparrow and as well as some very reclusive Painted Buntings.  None of them were interested in being photographed this day. 

           This sleepy little Tree Frog (either a Green or a Squirrel Tree Frog) did not seem to be aware of us at all.

Squirrel Tree Frog -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 10, 2011
Tree Frog -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 10, 2011

              Our bug expert friend, Merle Shepherd, professor emeritus of entomology at Clemson University's Coastal Research and Education Center here in Charleston, was also birding with us at CawCaw that morning and he identified for us this lovely, caterpiller as the Banded Sphinx.

Banded Sphinx Caterpiller -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 10, 2011

             Here's our group of birders with binoculars trained on something truely interesting.  I do not know what it may have been as I lagged back behind the group to take the photo.  By the time I caught up with them they were looking at something else!

Birders of CawCaw -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 10, 2011

            At the end of our walk, we came by an area where a mother American Alligator had recently hatched out some youngin'.  And here you can see one of those babies. 

Baby American Alligator -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 10, 2011

            A week later, on a rather dismal, cloudy Sunday, Carl and I decided to cheer ourselves with a "vigourous" walk around CawCaw.  Well, even on a cloudy day, defintely not the right conditions for photography, there is still plenty to see and photograph at CawCaw.

We found another Golden Orb.  And a little while later, we found another web with both male and female.  That male had better be careful!

Golden Orb -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 18, 2011
Male Golden Orb appears to be leaving the female -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 18, 2011

         In the impoundments, we also found a skittish flock of newly arrived Blue-Winged Teal!

Blue-Winged Teal -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 18, 2011

            This female Blue Grosbeak cast a doubtful eye upon us as we walked past.  At least she stayed put long enough for me to capture her in this photo.

Female Blue Grosbeak -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 18, 2011

        This young Common Yellowthroat was a much more cooperative subject.

Young Common Yellowthroat -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 18, 2011

                There were several Hmmingbirds buzzing about the marsh along the impoundments.  I had, before today when I edited this photo, assumed that the female below was a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.  Today, however, I began to wonder if she could be a Black-Chinned due to the non-central veining on her wing feathers which also appear to extend beyond the tail.  You see, a few years ago, we had a female Black-Chinned Hummer over-winter at our house.  We know this for certain, because she was identified and banded by our hummingbird expert and friend, Doreen Cubie.  I vaguely remember that Doreen pointed out the differences in the veining and length in the wing feathers as a way to differentiate between the females of these 2 species.  Doreen, if I am wrong, please pipe in and I will publish a retraction! 

Female Ruby-Throated or Blaack-Chinned Hummingbird? -- CawCaw -- Ravenel, SC -- September 18, 2011

I studied Bob Sargent's detailed observations of the distinguishing traits between the females of these 2 species on the Hummer/Bird Study Group website.  This bird seems to me to have characteristics of both -- ah it is so very confusing!  Feel free to comment if you have an opinion! 


              In the impoundment this very pale Tri-Colored Heron was fishing.

Tri-Colored Heron -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 18, 2011

             Towards the end of our "vigorous" walk, I was able to capture the action above: a Red-Shouldered Hawk being harassed by a Cooper's Hawk.

Cooper's Hawk harassing a Red-Shoulded Hawk -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 18, 2011
Cooper's Hawk harassing a Red-Shoulded Hawk -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 18, 2011
Cooper's Hawk harassing a Red-Shouldered Hawk -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 18, 2011

                  To finish on a gentler, calmer note, we observed a pair of Common Yellowthroats hunting bugs along the swamp's edge.  The female was decidedly non-photogenic in the available light so I only kept the picture of this handsome male.

Male Common Yellowthroat -- CawCaw Interpretive Center -- Ravenel, SC -- September 18, 2011

               Our two trips to CawCaw in September were quite enjoyable.  It is always great to see newly arrived Fall & Winter species for the first time.  (It will also be wonderful to see those Spring migrants and our Birds of Summer again, too!)  On September 10, with Perry's help, I got 59 species and on September 18, without Perry, I got 43 species.  I recommend experiencing CawCaw on a bird walk with Perry Nugent.  He will help you to see and hear things that you would not know were there!  Then visiting CawCaw on your own without the Perry Nugent birding team will also be delightful, but you will wonder what you missed!  Hmmm, I should go back soon!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

September Birding at Patriots Point Nature Trail & Mystery Birds

         On the Mount Pleasant side of the Cooper River, across from the Charleston peninsula, one can visit the Patriots Point Naval Museum with the USS Yorktown and the College of Charleston sports complex.  Also, located on this tip of land is a golf course, the Patriots Point Links.  And then, squeezed in-between the links and the sports complex in a narrow strip of woods containing the Patriots Point Nature Trail, a great birding location for fall migrants.  Luckily for us birders, this last strip of wooded area on this point of land that juts out into Charleston Harbor still serves as a bird-thick migrant trap in the Fall -- a resting and feeding place  -- for many migrating warblers, vireos, flycatchers, sparrows and raptors, before they continue their trip southward.  Carolina Bird Club has posted a description and directions to the trail and the SC State Trails Program site shows a detailed and printable map of the trail itself.  By clicking on the caption of the Google map that I created below, you can see highlights to areas to visit along the trail for good birds.


View Patriots Point Nature Trail in a larger map


         Having read multiple reports on the Carolina Bird Listserv of sightings of a pair of Clay-Colored Sparrows, I visited the area three times (September 11, September 25 and October 1) within a month.  Though I never did see the Clay-Colored Sparrows, I saw many different migrants and I was able to add several birds to my Charleston County list.  Each time, I went solo but I soon was not birding alone.  Many birding acquaintances and buddies also came and we helped each other to spot different species.  I also spotted and photographed several Mystery Birds.  Various birding friends have helped me to solve the puzzle on most of them and I thank them wholeheartedly for their expertise.  I learn so much from each mystery bird puzzle solved!  But there is a pair of birds that I photographed about which I never asked.  The photos were such that I was not sure they could be identified and so I put them aside, until now, as I write this blog.  My curiousity has been re-awakened.  You will find the story of these 2 birds at the end of this post on my  description of my outing for October 1.

          On September 11, 2011, I spent much of my morning in the area north of the driving range (see the map above) at the woodpile.  A slew of yellow warblers had arrived and were feasting on the sugar berries.

Yellow Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011
Yellow Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011
Yellow Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

             Some interesting and colorful dragonflies were also abundant.

Dragonfly -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

              I was able to see some female and juvenile American Redstarts as well as some males.  But, as usual, the male American Redstarts are not very cooperative subjects and so I was not able to acquire a good shot of an adult male Redstart this time.

American Redstart (female or juvenile) -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

            Along the tree line along the north end of the driving range and in the tall grasses, I spotted several Bobolinks.

Bobolink -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011
Bobolink -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011
Bobolink -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

              While birding the wooded edge, I watched a Great Egret hunting along the wooded edge.  This Great Egret is not very people shy and apparently devours a number of dragonflies and grasshoppers.  Another birder told me that he is a regular along this wooded edge.

Great Egret -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011
Great Egret -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011
        
             My good birding buddy, Andy Harrison, showed up and we decided to bird the trail, but not together, with a promise though to call each other if we found a not-to-miss bird.  It was thus that I helped Andy to see a Veery and that he helped me to locate an Ovenbird!  Unfortunately, the photographic effort on the Ovenbird was a miss.  The Veery, on the other hand, was rather cooperative.

Veery -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011
Veery -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

          There seemed to be no shortage of Northern Waterthrushes along the wooded trail on this visit and on the other 2 later visits as well.


Northern Waterthrush -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

            A little spur off to the side of the trail leads you out to an area overlooking a retention pond with the College of Charleston practice fields just beyond.  I found several painted buntings here and a horde of bobolinks in the tall ferns around the retention pond.

Bobolinks -- How many do YOU see in this photo? -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC  -- September 11, 2011
Bobolinks -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011
Bobolinks -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011
Bobolinks -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

          Finally, for my last shot of the morning, I was able to capture this juvenile Red-Eyed Vireo.

Red-Eyed Vireo -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

             On September 25, I returned to Patriots Point, still hoping to catch the Clay-colored Sparrows that continued to elude me.  Yet, plenty of other species of wildlife were there to entertain me, including the aforementioned  bug-eating Great Egret, the Northern Waterthrush, Painted Buntings, American Redstarts, etc.  The Indigo Buntings in various plumage were everywhere this time as were the Common Yellowthroats and Palm Warblers.

Female Indigo Bunting -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011
Female Common Yellowthroat -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011
Palm Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011
    
          I also was able to find this Downy Woodpecker checking out this nest hole.

Downy Woodpecker at a nest hole -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011

              Though I was not having much luck photographing the birds this particular day, I was doing fairly well with the bug populations and with this juvenile Southeastern Five-lined Skink. 

Juvenile Southeastern Five-Lined Skink -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011
Juvenile Southeastern Five-Lined Skink -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011

             The Dragonflies were again quite beautiful and varied on this visit.

Dragonflies -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011
Dragonfly -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011
Dragonfly -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011

              And finally, for this second visit to Patriots Point, I was quite happy to see many sulphar butterflies feeding on these red tubular flowers that were blooming in abundance.

Orange-Barred Sulphur Butterfly (?)  -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011

           My final visit for the season occurred one week later on October 1, 2012.  I arrived very early.  The first birds that I spotted were the Gray Catbirds and the Palm Warblers.

Gray Catbird -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
Palm Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
          I also had some good looks in the early light of an Acadia Flycatcher.

Acadian Flycatcher -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
Acadian Flycatcher -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
Acadian Flycatcher -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

           Early on, I also found this lovely Painted Bunting (juvenile or female).

Painted Bunting (either a female or a juvenile) -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Like the previous visits, the Indigo Buntings were there in abundance, particularly the females and the juveniles.

Indigo Bunting -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

           I enjoyed seeing this Prairie Warbler and this Yellow-Billed Cuckoo.

Prairie Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
Yellow-Billed Cuckoo -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
Yellow-Billed Cuckoo -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

            The majority of the Bobolinks seemed to have moved on as I only found this one individual bird this time.  The Common Yellowthroats, Palm Warblers, Gray Catbirds and American Redstarts though were there in force.

Bobolink -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Common Yellowthroat -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
Common Yellowthroat -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

          Additionally, I found this delightful female Yellow Warbler foraging for food in the tall shrubby plants around the woodpile.
            
Female Yellow Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
Female Yellow Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
Female Yellow Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

            In the woodpile, I found this lively House Wren.

House Wren -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
House Wren -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
      
            In the earlier part of the morning, I spotted one raptor chasing another.  I took some photos hoping that they would help me to identify the birds later.  I confess, though, I am still stumped and am looking for assistance.  Due to the poor light, all we have to go on is general silhouette, eye size and beak size.  My guess is that the chasing bird is a Sharp-Shinned Hawk or perhaps, even a Merlin, and the smaller chased bird is in the nighthawk or the nightjar family.  The smaller bird has a tiny beak and a huge eye.  It does not appear to have the telltale wing markings of a nighthawk.  I hope my birding buddy experts (you know who you are ;-) ) will respond either in the comments or via e-mail.  Below, you will see 2 sets of three photos each.  Each set includes, first, the original picture followed by a close-up of the smaller, chased bird and then the larger bird, chasing bird. 

First set:

Mystery birds -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
Mystery Bird Chased -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
Mystery Bird chasing -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Second set:

Mystery Birds -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Mystery Bird Chased -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
Mystery Bird Chasing -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

OK, so if anyone has a clue as to the possible identity of these birds, please let me know!  At least, there is no mistaking this Red-Tailed Hawk!

Red-Tailed Hawk -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

            On this final birding outing to Patriots Point in my series of 3, I was able to bird briefly with my good birding buddies, David McLean and Paul Nolan.  Unfortunately, they missed the above raptor chase which occurred earlier in the morning.  While birding in the late morning together, we enjoyed these views of a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird feeding on these red tubular flowers.  If anyone knows the identity of the flowers, I would also love to know that as well.  I could not find them in Richard Porcher's A Guide to the Wildflowers of South CarolinaI originally thought they might be Cypress-vine but I have since changed my mind.  Can anyone enlighten me here?

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird -- -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird -- -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird -- -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

            And thus concludes the adventure of my Fall birding at Patriots Point!  Though I missed my target birds -- those elusive Clay-Colored Sparrows, I enjoyed so many other species in abundance and I learned a great deal about how to identify certain species, such as Indigo Buntings and Yellow Warblers, in less obvious plumage.  Perhaps I will learn something still as I hear back from my expert birding friends on their thoughts about my final two Mystery Birds!