18. Eastside area. Bounded on west by NC 751 (from Archdale Drive/MLK to Chatham Co. line), south by Chatham Co. line, east by count circle. Include east side of 751.
Best spots to cover (from long-time counter Bob Chase):
Some more tips from Chuck Byrd:
There is a pond/wetlands behind Park Veterinary Hospital (I think that’s the name) on NC 54. This is just to the east of the creek coming from Woodcroft. Park in the vet’s lot and walk down the power right of way (toward I 40) to the wetlands, about 150 yards. That’s where I saw Rusty Blackbirds a couple of years ago. There can also be some ducks on that water. I think Bob and I got wood ducks there several counts ago. I saw a ruby-throated hummingbird on a spring count, but wrong season.
Southpoint’s parking lot will probably have some gulls.
Herndon Road from Southpoint has a lot of new developments on it. A couple on the east side of the road have rather large bodies of water. I got Ruddy Ducks on one of them a couple of years ago.
Herndon Road T’s into Scott King Road. Turn right (toward Fayetteville Road). This is right at the edge of the circle. Scott King has some birdy spots on the right (north) side of the road. I did almost run over a black vulture feeding on a deer carcass on Scott King a few years ago, but he has moved on. You can go to where Scott King hits Fayetteville Road, again on the edge of the circle, and take Fayetteville north back by Southpoint. This will take you by even more new housing developments in all their boredom. However, the American Tobacco Trail cuts just behind some of those developments – I forget which ones – and that gives a good chance to walk through pretty good woods on a trail. It is usually very good for warblers on the spring count.
I’d check out all water. A couple of years ago I got spotted sandpipers on the miniscule pond across Herndon Road from the Duke Medical Center clinic. I also got them on one of the two miniscule ponds in Everwood (see above).
Revised 23 December 2011 cwcook@duke.edu