North Carolina: From the Swamp to the Gulf Stream - May 2026
Dates: May 16-23, 2026
Leader: Kevin Burke
E-bird
Total Species: 128 birds
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Overall Summary
I am a little biased when I say I love North Carolina. My family and I have been living here for the last twelve years. The immense diversity of landscapes, habitats, and wildlife that inhabit our great state is worth several trips. This trip focused on coastal habitats such as salt marshes, maritime forests, barrier islands, and offshore waters. We encountered numerous Southern specialties, such as Swainson’s Warbler and Brown-headed Nuthatch. The land birding was great, and the offshore pelagic trips yielded some amazing sights.
The tour started in Wilmington, North Carolina. We enjoyed a nice get-to-know-you dinner on the banks of the Cape Fear River. Wilmington is known for its vibrant Riverwalk, with shops and lots of local dining options. The following morning, we headed out to the coast early and enjoyed several coastal species, such as Dunlin and Clapper Rail. A quick stop at Carolina Beach State Park gave us a surprise Black-whiskered Vireo! This park is also known for its numerous carnivorous plants, including the Venus flytrap. Venus flytraps occur only within a seventy-five-mile radius of Wilmington and nowhere else in the world. We made our way up the coast, stopping to see some Southeastern specialties. We had our first encounter with a major target of the trip, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
The next few days were spent exploring the coastal habitats in and around Morehead City. We had numerous exciting encounters with Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Nuthatches, Prothonotary Warblers, and many more species. We drove along the sandy roads of the Croatan National Forest and located a pair of singing Bachman’s Sparrows. The pair sat and sang for a long time, allowing us to enjoy them at close range. This part of the coast boasts some of the largest salt marshes in the state. The locally famous Cedar Island Causeway was worth visiting twice. We ventured out after dinner one evening and were greeted by dozens of Seaside Sparrows, Glossy Ibises, and just a few mosquitoes. We had another target in mind: the Black Rail. We rolled down the causeway to a good stopping point and got out. A minute later, we heard a very close Black Rail! I couldn’t believe it. A bonus Chuck-will’s-widow rounded out the evening, and we headed back to the hotel as happy birders.
This trip is centered around two pelagic trips out of Hatteras Island, North Carolina. Seabirding is a company that runs seasonal pelagic trips to the Gulf Stream. We had two back-to-back days aboard the Stormy Petrel II to find as many goodies as possible. Day one brought calmer seas than usual. We motored out of Hatteras Harbor with high hopes of finding something rare. Black-capped Petrels are the stars of the show offshore. We had over thirty of them on the first day, with other highlights including Arctic Tern, Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, and Sargasso Shearwater. Day two was more exciting in several different ways. The sea was rougher, which made for a choppy ride out to see the birds. Traveling to the continental shelf took quite a while, but once we got there, it was magic. A Trindade Petrel was among the first birds we saw—MEGA! About ten minutes later, a White-tailed Tropicbird appeared out of nowhere behind the boat. It followed us for close to ten minutes. Other highlights from the day were Long-tailed Jaeger, Great Shearwater, and Red-necked Phalarope. Pelagic trips are always a roll of the dice. This year, luck was on our side.
The finale of the tour was driving up the Outer Banks to Norfolk, Virginia. We visited iconic birding areas, such as Pea Island and Jennette’s Pier. A pair of Ruddy Turnstones stole the show at Avon Pier. I thought they were going to eat out of our hands. Other highlights from the day included displaying Seaside Sparrows. This was a fun trip. The coastal habitats we visited were amazing, and the birds really showed off.
Day-by-Day Summary
May 16 - Get to know you dinner on the Wilmington Waterfront
May 17 - We birded around the Wilmington area. Black-whiskered Vireo, Clapper Rail, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers were the highlights. We travelled to Morehead City for the night
May 18 - We birded the Crystal Coast, or Morehead City area. Birding highlights were Northern Bobwhite, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Bachman’s Sparrow, and Swainson’s Warbler
May 19 - We travelled up the coast and took the ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke Island.
May 20 - We did the first of our all day pelagics aboard the Stormy Petrel II. Highlights from the day included False Killer Whales, Black-capped Petrels, and Sargasso Shearwaters.
May 21 - Our second full day pelagic. Highlights from today were White-tailed Tropicbird, Trindade Petrel, all three Jaegar species.
May 22 - We travelled up the coast to Norfolk, Virginia. We visited Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, Jennette’s Pier, and Avon Pier
May 23 - Travel day home
Wildlife Seen:
MAMMALS:
American Alligator
Bottlenose Dolphin
False Killer Whale