POCOSIN NWR "SWAMP ON A HILL"

BURNED OUT AREA AT POCOSIN


SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY

BLACK BEAR AT POCOSIN

Day 27 --Pocosin-“Swamp on a hill” NW Refuge

Did you ever go into an isolated area (no ‘civilization’) of about 110,000 acres with a map that you felt was adequate , and ended up finding out (after you were ½ way into the area) that the map really didn’t tell you where you were or where you are”.? That happened to us this day,

but first we had to get the amenities out of the way. This NWR was 28 miles from our Park, and in Columbia N.C.. The Fish and Wildlife HQ was where we had supposed we could get some good directions. We had a “basic” map, but needed to know especially which road allowed us to enter the Reserve. The HQ was closed on Sat and Sun so that ended that quest.
I felt I needed to get an oil change and that would be wise to do it while we were in town. There was a BP station that had three bays so I stopped there to inquire if he could do an oil change and filter for our truck. (Toyota Tundra ’07) He said he could. This turned out to be fortunate as we got right in. They did have to go to a parts store for the filter but after an hour we were on our way .NO 10 MINUTE LUB HERE AND NOT AT 10 MINUTE LUB PRICES! $54.00 WAS THE COST. But we were on our way to the Refuge.
Earlier on the way way up to the HQ. we passed NO signage that told of this place, yet, there was an entry along this road (NC 94) somewhere. (None of those official brown signs) We stopped a mail carrier and she did not know how to get into it (she was delivering mail one road away from the entry). We asked a couple in a car. They lived there but did not even know of the Reserve!!! Finally I stopped at a house and the gentleman named Carl, told me to go to “Frying Pan Road” (Really) then he said to turn left there and not the direction of the sign. He was right as there was no sign for that side of the road. It was the entrance to the Reserve and the gravel road all the way through was adequate and maintained There were no signs at all. Now began a 4 hour test of direction and intuition. The official map for the Reserve did not have a correct scale, nor were any deviating roads that we came to while driving that were on the map. This area is a forested, peat bog, small timbered piece of real estate that goes on and on and on. We drove 75 miles after we got into the Reserve and 80 miles previously trying to find the entrance and also while driving home. (we drove down three, long dead ends). .
The ride was filled with good observations however. The wildlife in this area was excellent and although we did not see any cougar (there are some here) we did see deer, fox, turkey, and TA TA TA A BLACK BEAR. It was ahead of us a few hundred feet and moving for an opening . I said to Ruth “Get the camera” It was in her lap but when you get “beary” excited everything stops focusing except the animal. She did get one snap off and it is “decent”. The fox we saw twice as we backtracked to see him stalking a Turkey and we never did know if it actually tangled with it or not.. There were lots of Turkeys , some rabbits, and a few birds. Last year there was large fire in the reserve and we did pass by much of that . 10,000 acres were burned and the peat fires were long-lasting.
There were other birds; the Green Heron, Bobwhite (flushed two of them) , another Red Tailed Hawk, Wood Duck (m and f) Great Crested Flycatcher, Killdeeer, Meadowlark, and the Prothonotory Warbler one more time. There were many of the latter. We saw 32 bird species. There are two large lakes for fishing and wildlife in the Refuge.
There were a few birds that we did not identify as they were elusive in the heavy cover. For those of you that have driven the back roads in the UP of Michigan, this would be similar with more deciduous trees and each road having a canal alongside. I have not seen any reasons for the canals as yet.. I suspect that the road system in the Reserve (built in 1987) was built from the dirt that was dug from where the canals are now. I’ll check on that.. This 110,000 acre plot was donated in part form the conservation fund in conjunction with the Richard Mellon Foundation. It is an awesome and isolated Refuge. We were on the Reserve/Refuge 4 hours and did not see single car or person , until the last 30 minutes when we saw two people. It was a great day for nature and the out of doors.
We headed home, as we finally, at 4:30, drove out of the Reserve and onto the pavement of NC 45 that led us back to the campground. A simple supper and some relaxing time and the day was tied in a bow, with the colors of the setting sun.
Tomorrow we will get to one of the local Methodist churches. There is one in every town here no matter how small. Those circuit riders did a great job.. Our nature program for Sunday will be local as there is a small refuge in Swan Quarter that we will seek out. Isn’t it time for laundry you say? Thanks for reading and send an e mail to crazy4birds@comcast.net

FACT : Did you know that Rachel Carson (“Silent Spring”, was an employee and chief editor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service? (1932 -1952)POCOSIN NWR

Day 16 SOUTHERN DELAWARE- LIGHTHOUSES AND WW 2

Day 16 SOUTHERN DELAWARE- LIGHTHOUSES AND WW 2

This Tuesday we looked south of the campground to see what was just between the Maryland border and Lewes Delaware. We had not explored this section of land. In between these points are two lighthouses on land and a number of wildlife viewing areas. The first objective was the State Park at Henlopen just a block away from the Lewes Ferry docks.

This Park has a number of features relating to WW2. In May of 1945 just after the war ended, a German submarine surrendered to the US Marines here and were interred first at Fort Miles (now the park land) and then in northern New Jersey. Also from WW 2 the giant 12 inch gun emplacements are still present at the preserved Fort Miles along with the fire tower, Battery 519 and the barracks. On the beach atop a large dune are the “off limits” nesting areas for the Piping Plover. These birds are “late” arriving this year due to the inclement weather. (Six consecutive days of rain.) In 1964 the US Gov’t. Returned the land to the state of Delaware turned the Fort into a tourist attraction and it was made into a 543 acre park. Much of the beach at the park is only accessible for fishermen with special $150,00 permits to surf fish. One access road that led to Gordon Pond (see later) was “Liaise Faire” to us. We had been warned not to mess with trespass laws.

FORT ,MILES 12 INCH GUN, BARRACKS AND ANTI-SHIP,ANTI-AIR BATTERIES. (3”)

On the beach atop a large dune are the “off limits” nesting areas for the Piping Plover. These birds are “late” arriving this year due to the inclement weather. (Six consecutive days of rain.) In 1964 the US Gov’t. Returned the land to the state of Delaware turned the Fort into a tourist attraction and it was made into a 543 acre park. Much of the beach at the park is only accessible for fishermen with special $150,00 permits to surf fish. One access road that led to Gordon Pond (see later) was “Liaise Faire” to us. We had been warned not to mess with trespass laws.

Also at Henlopen State Park was a former site of the immigration service’s holding camp for immigrants who came into the country with diseases or were very ill. They remained here until they were well and then released. Over a period of 35 years (1884-1918) some 200,000 of them were processed through. There is no facility there at this time.

The birds were minimal here but a friendly Wood Thrush helped the day count.
Then we worked our way to the southern end of this park by driving 15 miles roundabout to the other end and a pond called Gordon’s Pond. This site of 100 acres had been a Pirate den , a salt mine, and more recently a cooperative agreement among the various agencies to make it wildlife Preserve. There are many excellent biking and hiking trails here, and many youth camping sites. We met some retired ladies from D.C. who shared our telescope with us to spot a Wilson ’s phalarope. This is the bird that spins in the shallow water to stir up the food. It was a beautiful bird and a first for Ruth and me.
We drove by the homes and beautiful landscaped yards in Henlopen Acres that wound around the streets to show their spring blossoms and beautiful manicured lawns. The trees were tall and the colors vibrant and varied. The dominant bush was the many deep colors of the Azalea Bush. Yet few birds in all this “over cover”.

FENWICK ISLAND (DEL) LIGHTHOUSE .--- OSPREY AND MATE ON NEST

The last effort of the day was to drive to the very southern border of the state (borders with MD) and locate the lighthouse that marks the border between the two states. With only one short “turn back” we located it on the “inside bay”.

This lighthouse is on the site referred to as the “Transpeninsular Line” and was establish in the 1700 by agreement with the King of England and the US Government. It marked the line between the state of PA at that time and the COUNTY of Maryland, and the state of Delaware. The survey was undertaken by 4 men, two from Delaware and two from Maryland. It stretched east and west past the center of the state 35 miles west. It is (the lighthouse) 78 feet high and has a third order Fresnel lamp. Not in use today it was presented to Friends of the Lighthouse in the 1960’s. It is not used today as almost all lights are automatic and electronically operated as “front” and “back” lights. Both residences (the lighthouse keepers and the assistants) are occupied still.

FACT: Did you know that over 400 US ships were sunk off the coast of the US during WW2?

THE TRANSPENINSULAR LINE PLAQUE THE ORIGINAL STONE BEARING THE
SEALS OF THE PENNS (NORTH) AND CALVERTS (SOUTH SIDE) (1769)

The rain held off today until we started back and the prediction was that we will not have rain tomorrow when we break camp at least until afternoon. We will head for Chincoteague as the next camping spot. Thanks for reading and send an e mail anytime to: crazy4birds@comcast.net with any comments or questions. I will design a short quiz in the next few blogs. Just to keep you on your toes!!! (About the trip of course).

Getting ready to roll again East Cost trip

The trip is planned. The routes, stopping places, sites to see and people to visit. This trip will take us to the East Coast eventually, as we do "double duty" with two pricipal objectives.

1. Deliveringthe church handbells and chimes to Plumsteadville PA and the Malmart Bell Factory for refurbishing and polishing.

2. A 6 week tour of the East Coast centering mainly on the National Wildlife Refuges and similar sites for spring birding . THis will include but not be limited to ;

New Jersey

a. Forsythe NWR -NJ

b. Barnegat Lighthouse - NJ

c. Manumuskim River preserve- NJ

d. Cape May NWR- NJ

-----------------------------------

Delaware-Maryland

a. Pokomoke River SP

b. Cypress Swamp

c. Assateague NWR

d. Wallops Island NWR

e. Ocean City

---------------------------------

Virginia

a. Kitty Hawk

b. Nags Head - (orchids)

c. Kiptopeke Banding Station

d. Cape Hatteras Seashore

e. Many lighthouses

f. MacKay Island (free Ferry)

g.First Landing SP

--------------------------------

North Carolina

a. Ferries (2) to NC

b. Swan Quarter NWR

c. Mattamuskeet NWR

d. Alligator River

Last day on the road (Iowa and Illinois to Michigan)

     Overnight in Coralville , a suburb of Iowa City, the home of the Iowa U. Hawkeyes and after a good complimentary breakfast at the Comfort Inn, we headed east for the last day on the road for this trip. The Iowa River runs through Iowa City (bet you didn't know that!). Most of this eastern part of Iowa grows less corn than the western part as the terrain changes abruptly with more rolling hills and steep revines cutting up the landscape. The same is true of western Illinois. We noticed the difference between the very large acreage in ranches and farms in Nebraska and western Iowa but the very much smaller ones with more farmhouses closer together in Central and eastern Iowa. In Nebraska there were places where looking in any direction there was not a farmhouse in view for as far as you could see. NONE! The one muddy road that we took had fine birding sites, was an example  of no houses anywhere, as the road is strictly a farm road and is not use (nor plowed) in the winter. Fortunately we went on that road before the rain and snow.
     One of the highlights for me was the most beautiful rest area facility that I have ever been in on any highway in the USA. Many of Iowa's rest stops have been converted to 'green', modern, works of art .  Inside it is difficult to describe adequately, but there are frescoes, works of art, and animal bones  (ancient) embossed in the walls for visual effect. The skylights and transoms lets in the light at different heights. The post card picture will show what the outside looks like and I think you would say it looks like a hotel or large house at least. They are works of art! There art more than a dozen now in Iowa.

     We did not see any of the wind generator propellers or the generators that we did yesterday.
Just outside of Iowa City is West Branch, Iowa and is the birthplace of President Herbert Hoover. There is a museum and his home site is there.
     At the crossing the Mississippi River at Davenport/Rock Island there is a wonderful vista on the IL side at an state Rest Area. It is worth the long drive (1/3 mile) to it, as it overlooks the River for many miles to the north. We took the time to stay a few minutes and take  some pictures. There are three bridges at that point crossing the River. One for I-80, one for I-74  and one for I-280

The view at the Mississippi River on the IL side looking north (upriver) 

Note the truck top just showing its roof on-80 below.

Davenport is on the IA side of the River.

 
Ruth takes a stroll to stretch the legs after a morning ride. This is the same rest area. The Mississippi River is on the background.

     We moved along the I-80 corridor nicely and smoothly with not many trucks until we got to the interchanges at Joliet Il. There were a few places where the orange barrels were out , mostly where they were working on the bridges and overpasses. I suppose it was a normal day of traffic, but it sure looked like the rush hour (12:00 Pm). Even though I-80  has five lanes at one point , it is a mad scramble. Also the speed limit changes quite often from 55-65-70-55-70-65, etc. That can be confusing to the accidental traveler.  In western IL the I-80 corridor crosses the  old Hennepin Canal as well as the Michigan Illinois Canal.   Q. Know anything about them?
    No suspense.   A.   The Hennepin Canal was built in the 1800's to shorten the distance for transporting goods from Chicago to Rock Island by 418 miles. It was never operated, however, as the Corps of Engneers widened the Locks on the Mississippi River and the Canal was never used. It is a recreation  area now and used by the public. (A very long State Park)
     The Illinois- Michigan Canal (Lake Michigan)  was opened in 1848  and continued in use until 1933, when railroads, and other waterways were improved, so it too, was no longer needed. Interstingly after the great Chicago fire in 1871, the refuse and debris from the fire was dumped into the canal and ended up in Lake Michigan. The city of Chicago got its water 3.5 miles out on the lake so this could have been another disaster. They stopped doing this and prevented a calamity, more than likely.
     It was good to see Michigan again. Ruth and I have not had time to visit the southern shores of Lake Michigan and talked about putting that on our "buckty list" soon. There are two roads (little known) that run quite close to the lakeshore. Those roads are A2 and M 63. They go through such towns as  Ganges, Glenn, Riverside, Shoreham, Lakeside, Herbert and Union Pier. Some of the signs you may have seen when driving I-94 or I-196. We will keep you posted if we do that .
     We arrived at home at 4:00 PM to see the snow piles gone, and the hyacinth blooming along with the daffodils. Spring is truly here in spite of what they said was an almost record cold last night here at 22 F. Brr.
     We are happy that you were able to follow along and join us vicariously at least. There will be more trips, so stay tuned.   - Jim and Ruth. (A  few "add ons" follow)

This message is quite clear as the boys ran into Indians and 4 arrows went through them. They lived to a ripe old age.  This is just south of Grand Island NE

Here is the same site that was under a controlled burn the day we went by.  (See previous days)

This is about 4  days later. (After the snow)

When I got home the first hyacinth had bloomed, along with some cold, drooping daffodils.

And surprise of surprises! A bird had laid an egg in the bird feeder. 

I suspect that it was from a Mourning Dove as it is all white with no markings at all.

Headin' home from a successful birding trip.

Tuesday April 15, 2014  Nebraska to Iowa - One more day on the road!

     Although there were drifts of snow from the north wind,s now and sleet on Sunday that were still in windrows along the north side of I-80, the sun felt warm in the 37 F temps all day long to Iowa City (Coralville IA). The middle of the week is not as busy on the road even with the usual number of trucks Some were local taking farm and ranch needs to get the spring planting started, and others on the long haul from California, Texas, Minnesota, and points beyond. It makes one realize how much we depend upon one another for products that come not only from overseas, but from the far reaches of  our own land.  I saw tomatoes from Canada, steel from Gary, fruit from California, trucks marked 'edible food', milk trucks,  empty cattle trucks and of course lots of grain, especially in the corn states of Nebraska and Iowa.  One truck passed us going up hill at 75 mph and I am sure he was empty and just anxious  to get another load to haul across country.
     Perhaps the biggest item (LITERALLY)  were the many trucks hauling those large white blade s for the new wind generators that are going up all through Iowa especially.  Each truck had an escort car ahead and behind it as those blades are 118 feet in length.  I think Ruth and I saw 8-9 of them along with some of the huge generators that move the electricity generated from them.  Total height of the nenerators is 212 feet plus the blade height!

 Can't get it all in one picture. (Ruth too it  as I couldn't get them at all.

 Well, here is the midle section

 Showing one along side a 56 foot long truck and trailer.

One of theblades in the open shows its length.
How would you like to park one of these?

     Birding was about average for us on the road especially the freeway. We saw 15 species which is about average for 70 mph viewing.  Saw quite a few hawks today and in one sewage pond from a rest area we actually saw our first Wood Duck of the trip. See, when birding, and at other times, you just shouldn't give up. Ruth said our total species on the trip was 75 so it was a good effort. Oh, one of the birds seen yesterday was reported as blue phase Snow Geese, but after thinking it over and checking the books and references, we decided that those five birds running down the road near the prairie chicken viewing, were Sharp Tail Grouse. Same family as the P.C. but even more rare to see in soem areas of the plains. There were five of them in a "pack". They ran down the road ahead of the car for about a third of a mile as we had a good look at them. (No pics) They are very similar to this Spruce Grouse .

We did go ut at sunset to see the Prairie Chickens one more time in the same spot as before, even though the temps were hovering at about 37 F with a slight wind in the face. I confess I was the wimp and sat in the car a few times to warm up while Ruth stuck it out getting video and pictures of their dancing. It was a beautiful moon that evening, although we di not stay up for the eclipse.

Supper tonight was across the street at Perkins where Ruth and I both had the turkey dinner with all th trimmings. (Easier on my system at this time as mashed potatoes go down easy and stay down.). It is very quiet here in Coralville tonight. I'll wrap it up tomorrow, but thanks for reading and following along. Happy travels!

Ruth shot this through the bare trees giving a stark effect to the scene out there on "One R Rd."

 The light from the sunset on the barn is a good contrast to the moon.

Sunset was very "clean" with no clouds to give it character.

Finally the moonrise added to the crispness and beauty of the evening.
In some places it was blood red.

Last day saw the most birds

Monday April 14, 2014 (4-14-14)

     One would expect that after a day and night of blowing snow and sleet, that the birds would be hunkered down and hard to find. That was not the case and we picked a few new ones as well. As a matter of fact the Sandhill Cranes (well, some of them) were out in the fields and others were soaring around in large numbers most of the day. Seems like they do not all go north at the same time, but in groups  at different times. Sort of like being on the freeway all at the same time would not be a good idea, so they stretch it out.  (food availability, etc)
   A bird we saw in a bush by a small pond was the Northern Shrike which was a surprise to see. They are the bird that often impales its' prey on a barbed wire fence.

     It was a four hawk day (Red Tail, Sharp Shinned, Kestrel and later in the day a Northern Harrier)), We also did better on the sparrows like the Savannah, Vesper, and Grasshopper Sparrow. At the Crane Trust visitor center we got our first Goldfinch and a White Crowned Sparrow. They have some feeders out back with a good window to observe the birds. On one pond we did observe two Horned Grebes which was new on this trip. All in all we observed 43 bird spedies today, which was the most of any day. Our total separate species is now 67 on this trip.
     The snow still was drifted in spots and made a few roads and bridges places to proceed with extra care.

 Some cranes are still here and need food badly.

It was 82 F on Saturday and this snow came on Sunday.

     After traversing what we felt was enough of the roads, we stopped at two lakes near the freeway (ponds made from soil taken when the freeway were built) as they had good bird selection a few days ago. They were again good places to view.  Lots of ducks again today and although we did not add any new birds we did see two semi palmated sandpipers on the shore of one of the small lakes.
     We did have a light dinner at "Whiskey Creek" Restaurant before we went to see the Prairie Chickens. Ruth had ribs (rather dry) and I had a chicken done over a bed of spinach dip, with a SW salsa mixture on top with a baked potato. No dessert!
     We ended the day by heading out to view, one more time, the Greater Prairie Chicken as they do their dance at sunset as well as sunrise. We were fortunate to arrive at the same place as before and they were there. We took more pictures but certainly being able to view these rare birds was all we needed. It is a gift. While we were there a Harrier was harrassing the birds but they were able to fly away for awhile until he finally left.
     All in all it was a great week and we accomplished what we set out to do, namely see the masses of cranes and view the Greater Prairie Chicken in their natural habitat by ourselves. Platte River is a necessary stop for the Cranes each year.  (People pay good money to visit a guided blind to see the Prairie Chicken).

Meadowlark at sunset.

Many  historic trails that cross here.

Full moon tonight preceding that eclipse.  It was rising as we finished with the
Prairie Chicken viewing.
   So we head back tomorrow and with a stop over in Coralville IA. I may add a few notes of that day. Thanks for reading and drop a line so I can hear from you .(It will come automatically if you write a note here on the blog) . Happy birding…Jim and Ruth

Snowing in Grand Island Nebraska

Sunday April 13, 2014 Eighty two degrees yesterday and twenty nine today

     As the morning temperatures plummeted to freezing during the early morning, it became apparant that no traveling outdoors should be included in the travels today. Besides for us it was Palm Sundsy and that meant a time for worship . We did that at the Trinity United Methodist church right here in Grand Island. It was a traditional service in the Methodist tradition, complete with a chancel choir and a handbell choir. The handbells played two numbers with ten members on three octaves. This church in the middle of Grand Island was established in 1888 an the new church built some 50 years ago, although the members I asked didn't know the date. One key item we heard was that this church will be establishng a JFON center for the surroundng area as there is a great need.  Many immigrants are working in the meat packing industry here and in the public schools 75 perent of the students  are minorities.
     Then it was time for breakfast and we returend to "Tommies" , a popular 24 hour breakfast spot near the motel. This time it was very crowded although the wait time was about the same as when it wasn't crowded a few days ago.
     We returned to the motel for about an hour waiting for the Fonner Park Race track to open.The first race was at post at 1:00 Pm. We arrived at the track (a few blocks away) just as the first race was starting, so there was time to make our selections for the third race and beyond if necessary. By this time it was snowing quite hard and even though the pavement on the roads was still warm, it looked quite bad.
     We made selections for the third race, while we  watched the second race start (See pictures) on a very muddy track with the wind at 35 mph. No one payed much attetion to the few geese on the infield until at the first turn after the race started,  one of the geese was on the track and got clobbered as the horses  made the turn. The man next to me threw his rolled up program on the floor in disgust as his horse must have hit the goose and the horse slowed to a walk. In the middle of the same race a rider was thrown off his horse.  Even though that race finished that was the LAST race of the day, for about 10 minutes later they announced…"Due to the conditions of the weather and track, there will not be another race today". We had placed our bets and so our $4.00 was returned and we can anounce that we did not lose any money on our bets today! They even gave your money back for your partially used program.
    When we returned to the truck the ice pellets were stinging the face so I picked Ruth up at the door after a painful walk to the truck in the parking lot.
     For a light meal we chose a sports Bar on the northwest side called "Whiteys" that had a good sandwich and burger menu as well as salads and soups. I settled for chicken noodle soup and a mushroon and chicken sandwich sans Swiss cheese.(not on my recent diet list.)  There were a dozen TV screens so many activities were being watched.
     What a day!
     Needless to say , we spent the rest of the day in the comfort of the room watching both the Detroit Red Wings (won 3-0) and the Masters Tournament fom Augusta. (Bubba Watson won that.)
Tomorrow we had planned to revist some sites, but if it is still this cold and nasty we will wait it out, Tuesday is supposed to be better so heading back to Michigan it mght be better weather.
One more post tomorrow at least so we will see you then.--Jim

 Just to remind you that the Sandhill Cranes have left for Canada and Alaska.
Our trip was timed perfectly as we did see many of them.

 One of the period homes in the neighboring county. Love the wraparound porch.

 On the way to church we  stopped to admire this freight train. (It was mandatory)

 The handlers wore parkas and the jockeys shivered as the walk
 to the post began. The favorite "Beefy and I No it" won this
 'Maidens, Three Year Old and Upward' race.

 This Park is 87 years old and running strong. Note the north wind.

 Talk about a MUDDY track!  The scrapers worked on it after each race.

The snow last all day and accumulated some. The sleet was biting.
 It  was 82 F yesterday.