Skye Haas has an update from his recent North Carolina tour

Shazam! WINGS just wrapped up an amazing run to coastal North Carolina for our 2021 Pelagics and Pineywoods tour. Highlighted by two back-to-back days aboard the Stormy Petrel II, we had an excellent selection of seabirds and cetaceans with highly desired species like Black-capped Petrel, Audubon’s Shearwater, Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, Bridled and Arctic Terns and all three Jaegers as well as Cuvier’s Beaked Whale, Spotted Dolphins and point blank looks at a resting Sperm Whale! We then continued along the coastal saltmarshes for killer looks at Seaside Sparrows, Clapper Rails, Eastern Willets and baby Least Terns, King Rails and Wilson’s Plovers. The Pineywoods birding proved to be delight with very cooperative Swainson’s, Prothonotary, Yellow-throated and Worm-eating Warblers, along with multitudes of Brown-headed Nuthatches and Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (including an active nest of woodpeckers!), while being serenaded by Bachman’s Sparrows, Painted Buntings and Chuck-will’s Widows. Palamedes Swallowtail Butterflies were everywhere and sightings of Black Racers, Mud Turtles and Sheep Frogs helped round out a dreamy visit to the naturalist’s playground that is the Carolina coast! (Photos by Skye Haas).

Black-capped Petrel

Great Shearwater

Red-cockaded Woodpecker at nest

Cuvier's Beaked Whale  

Swainson's Warbler

Scopoli's Shearwater

Sperm Whale

Bachman's Sparrow

Yellow-throated Warbler

Blue Grosbeak