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This was the second trip I was asked to undertake on behalf of GlaxoSmithKline. The week was fairly intensive work-wise but a day and a half
at the end of it was spent birding, as well as a few evenings.
Weather
Initially the weather was very cool for the location and time of year (the second coldest on record.) Towards the end of the week however, it
got extremely hot – too hot for birds and good birding!
Places Visited
Research Triangle Park
The scenic mixed woodland of RTP and the area around The Doubletrees hotel made an excellent working environment and was pretty good
for birds too.
Lake Jordan
The northern part of the lake ('Old Hope Valley Farm Road') was visited on 22nd and 23rd, primarily in the hope of seeing Whip-poor-Will. The
south-eastern corner near the power station - where I was later asked to move away from by a machine-gun wielding security guard! - was visited
early morning of the 26th in the hope of seeing Chuck-will's widow. A few other areas were also visited but by far the best was the Beaver Creek
impoundment (south of Olive Chapel Church on the N.C.751).
Falls Lake
The brick-house road area on the northern side of the lake was visited as well as a couple of other spots; not as good as Lake Jordan
Mason Farm Biological Reserve
This reserve in Chapel Hill should produce good birding. It was hard going when I visited in the heat of a very hot afternoon on the 25th. A
permit is required; see this page in the Triangle Birders Guide
for details.
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