Sense of Place

Tag: North Carolina

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: August in the Piedmont

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    by

    Nicolette Cagle
    in ,

    BirdsIn August, early migrants—including Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, and Blackburnian Warblers—begin passing through North Carolina as they head toward the Neotropics for the winter. Most will look duller than they did in spring, having molted out of their vibrant breeding plumage and into drabber winter attire. Many insect-eating (“vermivorous”) warblers stop briefly in the Piedmont to refuel,…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: July in the Piedmont

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    by

    Nicolette Cagle
    in ,

    BirdsThis month, lucky birdwatchers may catch a glimpse of uncommon visitors such as Common Mergansers, Tricolored Herons, Little Blue Herons, and Snowy Egrets. Sandpipers also begin returning to the Piedmont. As summer deepens, the melodious songs of many birds fade, though Indigo Buntings can still be heard singing from high perches. Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: June in the Piedmont

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    Nicolette Cagle
    in ,

    BirdsThis month, watch for sunning birds. Common backyard species—like Northern Cardinals and American Robins—may perch with feathers fluffed and bills agape, soaking in the sun. This behavior may help with molting and may also reduce ticks, lice, and other parasite loads. Fledging season continues, too. Second broods of Eastern Bluebirds often fledge in June, and…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: March in the Piedmont

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    Nicolette Cagle
    in ,

    BirdsAs spring arrives in the Piedmont this month, we begin to see profound changes in the composition of our avifauna. Wood Ducks, Blue-winged Teal (local breeders), Double-crested Cormorants, and Ospreys become more abundant. Expect to start seeing vireos, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Purple Martins, and other swallows as well. Lucky observers may even spot a Snowy Egret,…

  • Pump Station Trail, Eno River (Durham, North Carolina)

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    Nicolette Cagle
    in

    This morning—before the sun had fully thawed the crisp air—we hiked along the Eno River on the Pump Station Trail in Durham, North Carolina. About thirty feet off the trail, beyond the crumbling remains of a towering stone dam, sits a small pond carved into Carolina mud by spillover from the old structure. In spring,…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: December in the Piedmont

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    Nicolette Cagle
    in ,

    BirdsBy December, fall migration has decidedly ended, and the brief celebration that follows the arrival of winter juncos, kinglets, and creepers has faded. Woods and brush can feel eerily quiet, punctuated by the sharp warning calls of Northern Cardinals and the quick flitting of sparrows. The most common sparrows that visit the Piedmont in winter—often…

  • Crowders Mountain State Park (Kings Mountain, North Carolina)

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    Nicolette Cagle
    in

    The forest floor was littered with fallen leaves—some big and brown like the finely lobed leaves of chestnut oaks, others bright red like the cheery leaves of red maples. We hiked up and up, past car-sized boulders encrusted with bright green lichens. As the slope steepened, the ridge-top forest thinned and tightened: Virginia pines grew…

  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS: November in the Piedmont

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    by

    Nicolette Cagle
    in ,

    BirdsBy November, fall migration has usually ended. Wood Thrushes have disappeared, replaced by the melodic Hermit Thrush, which will remain until spring. November also marks the return of juncos and several sparrow species, including Tree, Fox, White-throated, and White-crowned Sparrows. You can also expect to see a greater diversity of ducks, especially Common Goldeneyes and…

  • Flat River Impoundment (Durham, North Carolina)

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    Nicolette Cagle
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    This past weekend, I brought my family to a lepidopteran wonderland: the Flat River Waterfowl Impoundment in northern Durham County, North Carolina. Butterflies (order Lepidoptera) abound at this small wetland rimmed with goldenrod. The impoundment was originally created to help mitigate the loss of bird habitat after the Neuse River was dammed to form Falls…

  • Laurel Bluffs Trail along the Eno River (Durham, North Carolina)

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    Nicolette Cagle
    in ,

    OverviewLocated in north Durham, the Laurel Bluffs Trail offers a roughly 5-mile out-and-back hike along a beautiful stretch of the Eno River. The route begins from Eno River State Park’s Pump Station Trail and continues to Guess Road. For most of the way, the trail hugs the river closely, climbing up to ridge tops only…