Hello, this is a May 5 update of the Carolina Rare Bird Alert featuring birding news from North and South Carolina sponsored by the Carolina Bird Club. Highlights on this report include:

REEVE
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS
STILT SANDPIPER
WILSON'S PHALAROPE
AMERICAN AVOCET
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN
WARBLING VIREOS
MISSISSIPPI KITE

Coastal South Carolina has been a hotspot for migrating shorebirds recently. The best find was a REEVE at the Santee Coastal Reserve in northern Charleston County on April 29. Other interesting birds at the reserve on that date were 2 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS and over 60 STILT SANDPIPERS.

On April 30, twenty-seven species of shorebirds were found at South Island in Georgetown County including AMERICAN AVOCET, WILSON'S PLOVER, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, RED KNOT, and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER. A WILSON'S PHALAROPE was present at this same location on April 23.

An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was seen in Randolph County, NC at the Asheboro Zoo following a thunderstorm on April 17. The bird did not linger at the ponds at the zoo.

A MISSISSIPPI KITE was in Carteret County, NC near the community of Core Creek on May 5.

Up to three WARBLING VIREOS are in an ash grove in Cabarrus County, NC near Concord, NC. From I-85 north of Charlotte take the Concord Mills exit and head towards the mall. Across Concord Mills Blvd. from the mall look for a conspicuous Jared's Jeweler's store. Simply park at the store and walk behind it. The vireos are in the ash trees right there.

Thanks this week to Nathan Dias, John Fussell, Stan Alford, and Jimmy Dodson for their calls and reports.

Taylor Piephoff
Charlotte, NC
PiephoffT@aol.com

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