Field Trip Report: Outer Banks 2020
Photos: Curtis Badger and Doug Pfeiffer
Meredith Bell, VSO Field Trips Co-Chair
Despite a little rain on Saturday and some strong winds, the January 31-February 2, 2020, annual VSO field trip to the Outer Banks was fantastic! With the combined eyes and ears of 90 participants, we tallied 148 species. Our trip leaders Lee Adams, Bill Akers, Jerry Via, Mike Schultz and yours truly worked hard to ensure that everyone got to see as many species as possible.
With four of the species, you might have thought we were in Florida! Common Gallinule and Wood Stork were seen by several people in a ditch off the road about a mile from the hotel. A few scored Sandhill Cranes in Pungo and an Anhinga at Lake Mattamuskeet.
And those weren’t the only specialties. We had Ash-throated Flycatcher and Cattle Egret at ARNWR. Then Sunday morning participants had excellent, extended looks at a Red Wolf as we followed its movements south along Miltail Road at ARNWR. Such a rare opportunity to see this endangered, elusive animal.
AND we scored all 8 woodpecker species, as two participants saw 2 Red-cockaded Woodpeckers at Palmetto-Peartree Preserve. We also had 8 sparrow species and 5 wren species throughout the weekend.
The wind at Jennettes’s Pier was brutal, yet worth the discomfort to see Common Eider, all 3 species of Scoter, Red-throated Loon, Common Loon, Red-breasted Merganser, Horned Grebe and Northern Gannet. Other species observed by a few people from the hotel included Dovekie and Long-tailed Duck.
At Bodie Island Lighthouse Saturday afternoon, we enjoyed diverse species of waterfowl in the impoundments, along with a Virginia Rail.
Make plans to join us next year. We always have a memorable time, no matter what the weather brings!
Complete list of 148 species for the weekend can be found here.