Saturday, May 08, 2010

Hanging out in the Sandhills, NC

Howdee all,

Have you ever had an alarm clock that you can seem to reset or turn off..

We have an alarm clock ..for the past three days it has been going off at 5:30 and it cant be turned off…it goes off for at least ten minutes…and then stops..

Turn your volume up and listen to our Alarm clock..

 

Yep…we have been waking up at the crack of Whip-poor-will..

The birds sits on my sisters rooftop close to our bedroom window and sings its heart out…Guess it thinks we should be up..

So, I wake up and stay up..and go outside and listen to the birds..parked in carthage_001

   We usually arrive in NC in April..this year we have arrived a month later..

Things are different now..

Its warmer, the birds I normally see are not around, my feeders are pretty much empty…Where are my Indigo buntings? Where are the Rose-breasted grosbeaks? I did see one Blue Grosbeak but it didn't come to the feeder..

The Eastern Bluebirds already have chicks…Last year, when we left they had just checked out the nest boxes.

We did see an American Redstart and a Summer tanager amongst other birds..but..somehow..its different..slower…parked in carthage_003

    So I find other things to look at…My sickstas beautiful flowers…

parked in carthage_006

  We visited one of our favorite local birding spots..

Weymouth woods…

Home of the Red-cockaded woodpecker, Brown-headed nuthatch and Bachman's sparrow..

We always see them when we visit..

Yesterday the local bird bander was there..she said that it has been slow..she is also wondering what's happening..Some of the birds have arrived later than usual..Some in less numbers..

Female Black throated Blue Warbler

weymouth woods_014

Soooo..when the birding is slower than usual..there are always other beautiful things to see..

Glowing spider webs..weymouth woods_001

Flies hanging out on leavesweymouth woods_025 Dragonflies

weymouth woods_032 Sunlit water…

weymouth woods_039Sunlit leaves..weymouth woods_035 Are these going to be blueberries?

weymouth woods_052Spider with egg caseweymouth woods_048 Green metalic Beetles..weymouth woods_068

We did see and hear birds.

Prairie, Black and white, Prothonatary,Pine,Black-throated Blue Wablers, Northern Parula, Red-cockaded woodpecker, Bachmans and chipping sparrows. Brown headed nuthatch..Eastern Wood Pewee, Carolina Wren, Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee

Great-crested Flycatcher with nesting material weymouth woods_069

And ..the entertaining…Pileated woodpecker

weymouth woods_073

weymouth woods_084

weymouth woods_088  So…here we are in the Sandhills of North Carolina..

Parked at Sickstas and Ghetto Boys resort for a month...Lovely gardens,fish pond, swimming pool..two pups..

Life is Good

    weymouth woods_107

12 comments:

  1. That's some alarm clock! I haven't heard a Whip-poor-will in quite some time.

    I am wondering where the Hummingbirds are here in Maine. I saw 2 at the end of April and nothing since. Other reports have a few here and there, but not in great quantities like there usually are this time of year.

    Love the photos Dawn!

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  2. LOL! I do miss the Whipporwills here in the northeast but that would drive me a little batty! My Pug was barking like crazy. He didn't like it either!

    Speaking of not many birds ... we don't have any Hummingbirds. I've seen one and that's it. My father is all upset because he feeds them and they are usually back by the 1st of May. They still haven't seen even 1. The Orioles came back but aren't eating from the oranges. Also odd.

    Your sisters garden looks very inviting. A nice place to spend an afternoon sipping lemonade and gossiping : )

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  3. That's weird that John just said the same thing about the Hummers.

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  4. Dawn you are so blessed to have family who can take you in for a month. None of our family have homes and space for us and the nest. Your sister's home looks like a really nice place to stay at, with all of her and her husbands gardening. Have fun!

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  5. I enjoyed your alarm clock.

    The spider web is fantastic!

    Yes, things are changing, for whatever reason. I guess we should just enjoy the newness. We can't do anything much about it.

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  6. Lovely post, Dawn. Birds always make great alarm clocks. LOL!

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  7. MaineBirder
    Yeah..I have heard others talk about lack of birds..I wonder whats happening...

    A New England Life
    the whip-poor-will can easily get on your nerves..a few mornings was nice..and I certainly wouldn't mind if it was further from my window..Sad about the hummingbirds..hope they are just a bit later rather than not show at all.

    diane-j-m
    yeah ..it sure is nice to have family and friends with long driveways! This one is particularly long a and beautifully landscaped.


    bobbie
    thanks Bobbie..I know things are changing but darn, I dont know if i can get used to it..

    Janet Creamer
    Yeah..they do make great alarm clocks..just wish I could make it go off an hour later! :)

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  8. Love the cottage style garden-and those Pileated photos-awesome! Happy Mothers day to all the moms in your family.

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  9. what an amazing photos, and I enjoyed everyone of them.

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  10. Relax and enjoy (if you can with the whip-poor-will singing!)

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  11. Leedra
    Thanks muchly for you kind comment..and you are right..the early morning light is wonderful.

    Larry
    Thanks Larry..I am sure my sicksta will be happy to hear a compliment on her garden..its real purdy here.

    Bird Girl
    hee hee..the Fly-catcher with the fluff cracked me up. such a big piece of fluff.
    Fayettville is not to far from here..tell your sister to go to Weymouth woods..in Southern Pines..
    Also Pee Dee NWR not to far..

    Dave
    Thanks Dave for the nice compliment

    Kathiesbirds
    Thanks Kathie..once and while the Whip gives me a break and doesnt sound it alarm..:)

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ok what do you really think?????