600 – 700 a.m. - First light I went to Sandling swim beach to scope the lake. There were some gulls on the beach but no rarities. At Rollingview boat beach I was able to pick out my only Caspian Tern for the day. Forest birds were beginning to sing in full chorus and were tallied easily. I made a quick stop at shelter four boat beach and found an impressive four species of shorebirds: Killdeer, Solitary and Spotted Sandpiper and my first sighting at Falls Lake of Greater Yellowlegs (1st). I had to wait for it to call to confirm its identification. A calling Red-headed Woodpecker emerged from a nearby tree cavity as I left.
700 – 930 am – the time of day to tally most of the days birds, and the place is Woodcpecker Ridge. I quickly had all four vireo species and most of the woodpeckers. Deep inside I found a silent Swainson’s Thrush (2nd) and a lingering Ruby-crowned Kinglet. On my way to the point I walked right under an abandoned and recently built eagle nest, which to my surprise had a 4th year immature perched in incubation posture! The nest was no bigger than a hawks nest and the one adult and immature had not been seen there recently. Out at the point there were singing Yellow and Palm Warbler (3rd’s) several swallows including one confirmed Bank Swallow (2nd). On the way out I saw my first butterfly of the day, a Carolina Satyr.
930 – 1000 a.m. – en route to Butner area Waterfowl Impoundments I stopped at Ledge Creek and saw Red-shouldered Hawk, and then a Northern Harrier (1st) cruising through the swamps.
At Cheek Road bridge to add Cliff Swallow to the days list, and saw four Great Egret (2nd).
1000 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Brickhouse Road Waterfowl Impoundment: all I can say is wow! Birds were still calling like crazy with several American Redstart, Blue Grosbeak and more. On the western drier side I found five sparrow species including another wildathon first: Savannah Sparrow! (1st). On the Flat River I saw an amazing late bird, a female Hooded Merganser (1st). On the way to the west swampy side I crossed a flock of 40 Bobolink (2nd) singing gregariously. An eastern Cottontail Rabbit crossed the road, and a lone Woodchuck stood watch atop a field. In the swamps Prothonotary Warblers were vocal and very visible. Odonates began to become active with sightings of Stripe-winged Baskettail (2nd) and Swift Setwing (2nd). I almost rode my bike over a Yellow-bellied Turtle laying eggs in the middle of the trail and saw several Black Racers in the rip rap. Another first bird was a singing House Wren (1st) at the parking area. I enjoyed lunch with 85 species of birds already, good position to break last years record 107!
100 – 200 p.m. – Flat River Waterfowl Impoundments. Usually things slow down in the afternoon, but it was not so today! Driving down Lake Michie Road I had a new wildathon record ode: Twin-spotted Spiketail (1st) and a Painted Skimmer (2nd). Then I went to bike through this drier impoundment and immediately got buzzed by a MERLIN (1st). This small falcon is becoming more numerous and one was seen during the Falls Lake Spring Bird Count. Adding birds to my list didn’t stop, one lone wetland had Mallard, American Black Duck (3rd) and Wood Duck. Another small beaver pond had a Pied-billed Grebe (2nd) happily eating all the stranded fish. A flock of Rusty Blackbirds (1st) were noisily moving through the area. This is where I tallied most of my butterflies including Monarch (2nd) and a very late and very worn Mourning Cloak (1st).
200 – 400 p.m. – driving back through Butner I finally found an American Robin and Chimney Swift. At the Sandling Beach Water Treatment Pond the only damsels present were Familiar Bluet (2nd) and Fragile Forktail. At the shelter 7 field complex a flock of Purple Martins flew overhead and a Zebra Swallowtail flew by, but my focus then changed to the ground. I have a series of coverboards placed on the ground for herps. First flip had a Southern Ringneck Snake (1st). Next set had a Mole Kingsnake (1st), more Ringnecks, a Black Racer, a Brown Snake (1st) which musked on me, and then an amphibian first: Eastern Narrowmouth Toad (1st). 10 minutes and four new species! At the north end of Beaverdam I have another coverboard transect, and that produced another new amphibian: Marbled Salamander (1st). Assumed present at Falls Lake, two weeks ago I found one under the Sandling cover boards for the first documented record of the species. I also got great pictures!
400 – 700 p.m. – time to fill in any gaps. I studied my list so far to see what I was missing and what would be worth chasing. The cool temps and wind kept most butterflies and odonates from flying, so I kept on herps and birds. First stop was B.W. Wells and I missed seeing a Fence Lizard, but had both skinks. On the boundary there is a small pool with Eastern Newts which never fails. Drove past Camp Kanata to tally Eastern Meadowlark, then went through Wake Forest to find House Finch and House Sparrow. I visited a stream in Shinleaf Recreation Area to scoop up a Northern Two-lined Salamander, then went searching for Black Rat Snakes at Holly Point Waste Water Treatment. No Rat Snakes, but did see Painted Turtle and an early Luna Moth (1st). Underneath the Highway 98 bride at Highway 50 I stopped to say hello to the nesting Rock Pigeons. At the parks maintenance area boat ramp I saw one of the biggest Northern Water Snakes I’ve seen, but could not get him out for a picture with my snake hook. A quick stop at Highway 50 Recreation Area found a family of Southern Flying Squirrels (2nd) in a Bluebird nest box. Another quick stop at Beaverdam swim beach found two Meadow Voles, a new location for that species which I found a few weeks prior.
700 – 830 p.m. – back to Brickhouse Road Impoundment for some late birds and calling frogs. My bird list had passed 100 species, but I didn’t want to stop to count and kept moving. I bike ride through the Beaverdam Impoundment at dusk, produced a flyover Green Heron (2nd) and several calling Barred Owls. Northern Cricket Frogs were dominating the soundscape and no other frogs were calling. At dusk I had both Eastern Red and Big Brown Bats feeding overhead. I biked through the swampy Brickhouse Impoundment with my headlight and hoped for more frogs, but alas there were none. I did see the eyeshine of some Raccoons in the swamp, and then biked further and scared two up trees! There was still a light wind and the temperature plummeted. Despite effort looking I found ZERO fireflies and very few moths.
Eating my third meal of PB&J I counted up my bird list and found I had tied my record of 107 from last year. As I was slowly cruising Lake Michie Dam Road looking for nocturnal mammals, I heard familiar call, and immature Great Horned Owl screech for 108 bird species!
The rest of the night was a bust, I ran all my flashlight batteries down and missed Bobcat and Coyote at Flat River Impoundments. I hiked the Beaverdam Golden Mouse box trail in the dark hoping to see that nocturnal mouse, but they must have been staying warm in their nests. Somewhere around 1 a.m. three bird counts in a row caught up to me and I stopped to rest my eyes. They rested well and I awoke at 330 a.m. with a soar neck. I spent the last of my 24 hours trying for Screech Owls and other mammals, but the day was done.
I had hoped to break all previous records for each species group, but the weather was of no help for insects. I was very happy to add NEW WILDATHON records and a few seasonal records fore each species group.
21.5 hours, 170 driving miles, 17 hiking miles, 16 biking miles, 3 liters of water or Gatorade and four meals of PB&J sandwiches.
WILDATHON 2005 RESULTS
MAMMALS: 10 (2004: 6, 2003: 11, 2002: 10, 2001: 8)
White-tailed Deer
Raccoon
Woodchuck
American Beaver
Eastern Cottontail
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Southern Flying Squirrel
Meadow Vole
Eastern Red Bat
Big Brown Bat
REPTILES: 9 (2004: 2, 2003: 9, 2002: 11, 2001: 11)
Five-lined Skink
Ground Skink
Black Racer
Northern Water Snake
Painted Turtle
Yellowbelly Slider
Southern Ring-necked Snake (1st Wildathon record)
Brown Snake (1st Wildathon record)
Mole Kingsnake (1st Wildathon record)
AMPHIBIANS: 10 (2004: 11, 2003: 8, 2002: 13, 2001: 8)
Fowlers Toad
Eastern Narrowmouth Toad (1st Wildathon record)
Spring Peeper (2nd Wildathon record)
Northern Cricket Frog
Green Frog
Southern Leopard Frog
Green Treefrog
Eastern Newt
Northern Two-lined Salamander
Marbled Salamander (1st Wildathon record)
BUTTERFLIES: 15 (2004: 1, 2003: 29, 2002: 23, 2001: 23)
Zebra Swallowtail
Black Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Clouded Sulphur
Cloudless Sulphur
Sleepy Orange
Pearl Crescent
American Lady
Monarch
Carolina Satyr
Eastern Tailed-blue
Southern Cloudywing
Horace’s Duskywing
Mourning Cloak (1st Wildathon record)
Zabulon Skipper
ODONATES: 19 (2004: 1, 2003: 21, 2002: 25, 2001: 9)
Common Green Darner
Swamp Darner
Stripe-winged Baskettail (2nd)
Selys Sundragon (2nd)
Uhler’s Sundragon
Lancet Clubtail
Ashy Clubtail
Swift Setwing (2nd)
Stream Cruiser
Twin-spotted Spiketail (1st )
Eastern Pondhawk
Spangled Skimmer
Slaty Skimmer (2nd)
Painted Skimmer (2nd)
Common Whitetail
Blue Corporal
Blue Dasher
Familiar Bluet
Fragile Forktail
FIREFLIES: 0 (2004: 2, 2003: 2, 2002: 5, 2001: 6)
BIRDS: 108! (2004: 107, 2003: 96, 2002: 106, 2001: 84)
Pied-billed Grebe (2nd)
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret (2nd)
Green Heron (2nd)
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
American Black Duck (3rd)
Hooded Merganser (1st Spring record!)
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Harrier (1st)
MERLIN (1st spring record!)
Wild Turkey
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
GREATER YELLOWLEGS (1ST)
Ring-billed Gull
Caspian Tern
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Barred Owl
Great Horned Owl
Whip-poor-will
Chuck-wills-widow
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
No. Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow (3RD)
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
House Wren (1ST)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Swainson’s Thrush (2nd)
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler (3rd)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler (3rd)
Black & White Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow (1ST)
Bobolink (2nd)
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird (1st)
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
FISH: 4
Common Carp
Sunfish/Bream/Brim
Large-mouthed Bass
Hickory Shad
MOTHS: 3 (2004: 5)
Eight Spotted Forester
Eastern Tent Caterpillar
Luna Moth
WILDFLOWERS: 13 (2004: 12)
Bluets
May Apple
Verbena sp.
Dandelion
Blackberry
Common Wintercress
White Clover
Evening Primrose
Crossvine
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Oxeye Daisy
Chickoree
Bulbous Buttercup