Carolina Beach Lake

 Carolina Beach Lake 

Photo of the lake, Dec 2019 (I actually do not have many photos of this park)

Carolina Beach Lake is a manmade lake located near the center of Carolina Beach NC. This lake or pond is surrounded by residential areas, commercial development and is less than 1.6km or 1 mile from the beach. The pond's likely purpose is for flood control and stormwater collection although it is also a popular park for the town. While the park is heavily manicured and seems barely worth a stop, it is one of the most productive birding spots in New Hanover County during the autumn and winter. According to eBird.org, Carolina Beach Lake has more than 140 reported species of birds and regularly hosts waterfowl, seabirds, shorebirds, and wading birds in large numbers. October to March is the best timeframe to visit this park, although you might see some things during the summer months. Like a lot of the locations featured on this blog, Carolina Beach Lake is easily accessible, and the walking trail is not very long at all (for reference Greenfield Lake's loop is nearly 6.7km or 4.2mi). 

Site Overview  

Carolina Beach Lake consist of a freshwater pond covering 11 acres according to this website about the town and has many amenities such as boat rentals, a paved multiuse path, and facilities. However, the park itself is a far cry from the woodlands, copses, tree-lined walkways or wetlands seen around Greenfield Lake or Airlie Gardens. Most of the site is mown, planted with a few palmettos, oleanders, and has beach homes, condos, apartments, and stores overlooking it. While this may be unfortunate for most nature lovers, the open landscape and water makes this a hotspot for seafaring species, shorebirds, waterfowl, and even grassland birds. Additionally the town, and several volunteer groups are working on planting wetlands along sections of the lake for wildlife habitat, aesthetics, and to combat flooding from tropical cyclones and rain events. Among these projects include the removal of invasive Phragmites Reed, and the installation of native freshwater and brackish plants and trees. If this project is successful, Carolina Beach Lake may become a more productive habitat for waterbirds and landbirds alike, and could evolve into a prime wetland habitat similar to Wade Park in Wilmington NC (which I will cover in a future article). 

Birding 

Muscovy Duck (taken at Greenfield Lake in 2010)

As stated before, Carolina Beach Lake is not a place you are going to see large groups of migrating woodland birds, or spend a spring or summer morning listening to a chorus of songbirds. This park is a good and easy place to learn the basics of identifying waterfowl and shorebirds. You can also pick up a few oddities or difficult to find birds during the autumn or winter months. The lake offers open views of the water and a small island and has sitting areas, a gazebo, and overlook. Aside from the seabirds and waterbirds, you may also come across songbirds and other types of birds that are not found in woodlands or forests. Because the lake is so close to the seacoast and a major estuary, almost anything could fly overhead including seafaring jaegers, gannets, or a variety of terns. Below are some of the birds you could find at Carolina Beach Lake. The eBird profile also has a good up to date list as well. Visit this park before or after going to Carolina Beach State Park, or the Fort Fisher Recreation Area/Federal Point. 

Waterfowl: Waterfowl are the most likely types of birds you will encounter at Carolina Beach Lake or just about any small or mid-sized retention pond in New Hanover County. Canada Geese and feral/domesticated species (including the Muscovy Duck and Grey-Leg Goose) are a given. Expect flocks of 20 to upwards of a 100 geese at the park during the winter. In addition to these birds, you will likely see mixed flocks of ducks during the autumn and winter with a combination of pond, bay, and sea ducks stopping by. Mallards, Shovelers, Pintails, Buffleheads, Redheads, Scoters, Scaup, Widgeons, Teals, Hooded Mergansers, and Redheads are some of ducks that could visit this pond (or others like it). Additionally Snow Geese, Tundra Swans, and other uncommon to rare visitors may stop by as well.  During the summer, don't expect much more than domesticated/escaped species, and Canada Geese although a few Mallards may stay as nonbreeders. 

Brown Pelicans (taken in 2008)

Seabirds: Carolina Beach Lake is also a good place to catch a glimpse of seabirds that you would otherwise need a boat or very good binoculars to catch. During the autumn and winter, the lake has hosted visiting Jaegers, Northern Gannets, and other stuff. Also this pond has the potential to attract  rare visitors like auks (Guillemots etc) or other things that were not reported but could get blown in at anything. Other "seabirds" include both Brown and White Pelicans, Black Skimmers, numerous seagulls and terns (including rarities like Lesser Black Backed Gulls). Like the waterfowl, look for seabirds resting on the island or the water itself, so don't take every seagull for granted.  

Wading Birds: Nearly any open pond will be a popular stop for wading birds with any of our heron, ibis species, or the Wood Stork stopping these places whenever there is food to be had. Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons and White Ibis are mainstays. This could also be a spot where a Wood Stork, Reddish Egret, Spoonbill, or Glossy Ibis could turn up. Again the autumn and winter are the best times to visit. During the summer, you could still come across Green Herons and Cattle Egrets in addition to any of the resident species. If the wetland restoration restores enough marshland, there could be enough habitat for bitterns to visit. 

Other Waterbirds: Not all birds floating on the water are ducks. Most ponds and lakes in our area host a number of bids that are passed off as ducks or geese. Cormorants are likely going to be the most numerous bird at Carolina Beach Lake during the winter months, although you will also find Pied Billed Grebes, Coots, and in more vegetated areas, the Common Moorhen (commonly called the Gallinule in the Carolinas). Coots often form flocks or "rafts" that may number into the hundreds and look like miniature black ducks with small white bills. Moorhens are similar except for their red bills and purplish bodies. Both birds are more closely related to rails, a group of chicken-like marsh dwellers that are notoriously hard to find, but make loud cackling calls. Coots are quite tame and often take handouts. The Grebes mostly remain in open water and dive for fish. Another type of waterbird you might see at Carolina Beach Lake is the Common Loon which is a large spear-billed bird that dives underwater and like the grebe, is awkward on land and seldom flies (compared to the Cormorants which often fly long distances). 

Shorebirds: Shorebirds such as sandpipers, and plovers are present in large numbers at Carolina Beach Lake from late summer through winter, and again in the spring. While most people think of shorebirds "sandpipers" as being beach birds, many species will visit inland ponds, or even grasslands. At the lake, you will readily find common staples such as Sanderlings, Least Sandpiper, Godwits, Yellowlegs, Dowichers as well as rarer finds like Oystercatchers. Because this is freshwater, Avocets, and Stilts may also be encountered. In the park's grassy areas, Killdeers can be found in any month of the year and love the mown lawns and sandy areas. 

Other Birds: Outside of waterbirds and seabirds, Carolina Beach Lake does not have a lot of other birds to find although migration can bring in some songbirds. Based on my past visits (now years ago), I found Boat Tailed Grackles, Common Starlings House Finches, House Sparrows, Rock Doves, and during the winter, Yellow Rumped or Palm Warblers to be about all that the park had to offer. The invasive patch of phragmites did host Redwing (Red Winged Blackbird) habitat, and might have been large enough for a Common Yellowthroat. According to eBird, the Lake Park hosts a mix of urban and countryside species. Hopefully the wetland restoration will add more habitat for birds during migration.

Palm Warbler (taken at Fort Fisher Historic Site Oct 2019)

During the summer there are Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks, Orchard Orioles, Chipping Sparrows, Barn, and Rough Wing Swallow (maybe Tree as well), along with the year-round Mourning Doves, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, and Eastern Bluebirds (i think there are birdhouses even) 

In the winter, there is more variety with various sparrows (Chipping, Field, Song, Savannah, Vesper etc), finches, and the Yellow Rumped Warbler, along with anything else that blows in. 

Notable Species: The Collared or Barbary Dove is probably the most notable resident as these pied-colored birds are only found in a few localities in our area (especially in coastal towns or villages). The Common Ground Dove is another species that could be found in this area. Ground Doves are only about 14-15cm (5.5-6") long, and look like quail.