North Carolina county #1
Colonel Francis Beatty Park

Well, it is January 1st.  I was all set to start out with my home county this year, Union County.  However, after double checking, it turns out that all Union County parks are closed today, so I headed to Colonel Francis Beatty Park, which is only about 5 minutes away from me in Mecklenburg County.  Colonel Francis Beatty Park does not have a great reputation for birding, but I go there a lot due to its proximity and enjoy walking around it.  The lake has occasionally had some (non-Mallard) ducks on it, although it is frequented by a large number of joggers and dog-walkers.  The area behind the softball field is typically best.  It is a good spot for sparrows and warblers during migration.

Today was very gloomy, wet, and rainy, but I was hopeful it would clear up, or at least the weather would be good enough to get a solid morning of birding in.  Unfortunately, it actually got worse, and since my camera gear is not fully weatherproof, I had to leave early.  I got less than an hour of birding in, but still, it counts!  My first county is completed.

One down!

Since I was out for such a short time, there is not much to report.  I saw the usual suspects, and watched some Mallards play in the lake for a bit.

I wasn’t able to get a very nice photo of the park, since I didn’t want to play around with changing lenses in the rain.

A gloomy morning

Anyway, it’s a start, and I was glad to get out even for a short while.  Hopefully my next county will be more eventful.

ebird checklist

2 thoughts on “Mecklenburg County

  1. Steve Patterson

    Peter, this is a fantastic project, and I appreciate you taking the time to chronicle your activity for others to enjoy. I am a county birder and would love to talk with you about it if our paths cross.

  2. Peter Quadarella

    Hi Steve, that would be great. I am at most of the Carolina Bird Club meetings if you attend any of them. I’m still learning and love to talk with other birders.

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