| General Comments |
One of the more remarkable shorebird records for the state was the discovery of a Pacific Golden-Plover, around the Salt Pond at Cape Hatteras Point (Dare), on 29 Jul 2019* [Chat 83:113 link] [Chat 84:79 link]. It remained through 7 Aug 2019 and was observed and photographed by numerous people, with some photos on the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery. There are very few records in the eastern US for this species, which breeds in North America only in western Alaska and winters mainly on Pacific islands and south to Australia. Interestingly, this same bird (presumably) showed up at Cape Hatteras Point again from 6 Jul to 12 August 2020* [Chat 84:125 link], [Chat 85:141 link]. And, perhaps not surprisingly, it again returned to Cape Hatteras Point in 2021, first seen on 8 Jul and remained to 30 Jul [Chat 85:158 link]. One photographed several dozen miles farther to the north at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center (Dare) on 5-9 Aug 2021 [Chat 86:31 link] was likely this same Cape Point individual. And, the same Cape Hatteras Point bird returned again in 2022, first noted on 6 Jul 2022 [Chat 86:98)! link] Not to be outdone, presumably the same bird again showed up at the Cape Point campground in 2023, this time only from 16-31 Jul* [Chat 88:54 link]. Quite a shock was a report, with photos, of one at Alligator River NWR (Dare) in midwinter, from 11-14 Jan 2024 [Chat 88:33 link]; this report has not yet been reviewed by the NC BRC. Likely this same individual was photographed there on 10 Mar 2024 [Chat 88:64 link]. Lastly, presumably the same fall-migrating individual that has spent time in late summer at Cape Hatteras Point in recent years was seen again in 2024, from 7-27 Jul (but not in the later summer). This species nests in western Alaska and westward to Siberia, and winters on various islands in the central and southern Pacific Ocean; thus, it is seldom seen in the United States other than along the Pacific Coast. |
