That’s him, a Southern Screamer. Native to the southeast countries of South America, how did we end up listening to him one night?
Well, we had finished spring commissioning our Lexor camper van and decided to take it out for an overnight to test the systems. Looking for someplace new to us in NC, we found Sylvan Heights Bird Park listed on the Harvest Hosts site.
About half an hour east of I-95, the park is just outside the village of Scotland Neck.
Here’s a recap of our short trip.
1146 54,569 70° Filled up the gas tank at Costco
1215 54,586 76° Creedmore, NC
Checked out an NC Wildlife boat ramp as a spot for launching the sailing kayak and maybe boondocking since it is close to I-85. Four ramps and lots of parking made for easy water access, but the parking lot is on a slope that is too steep for comfort or running our fridge. There are four level handicap parking spots built into the base of the hill.
We made lunch here and enjoyed the view of Falls Lake. In reading the signage, the area is only to be used “while involved with boating activities,” so that rules out boondocking.
Pulled into the level, overflow parking lot where Harvest Hosts members can park for the night.
Our plan was to relax and visit the birds first thing in the morning while it was cool and quiet. I went and checked in with the friendly lady at the gift shop and shared our plan. She suggested we reconsider, as there were three school busses scheduled to arrive when the park opens!
I walked back to the van and Beth quickly agreed to seeing the birds ASAP.
Entrance fees were refreshingly reasonable at only $12 for seniors.
This American Flamingo was one of a flock that greeted us as we first entered the park.
The park is larger than we expected with exhibits divided by continents. Some of the areas you enter through double doors where, once inside, there are no barriers between you and the birds.
In other areas, the birds are separated for their protection, or yours. Here’s a full body photo of that Southern Screamer. I wouldn’t want to get to close to that beak or the large feet and claws.
We had most of the park to ourselves, with only a few other patrons there in the late afternoon. Next time we’ll come earlier. Ninety minutes wasn’t enough time to see all the 2000+ birds. Another reason to come earlier is, “The Landing Zone” where you can feed flamingos and pose with parakeets, closes at 4 PM.
Lots more bird photos are at the bottom of this post.
Overnighting for Harvest Hosts members was very nice. We had the overflow parking lot to ourselves. Picnic tables, a pollinator garden, and a well maintained graveyard, border the lot.
I went for a walk down the dirt perimeter road that goes past the fence visible, in this photo, behind the garden. Reaching a fork in the road I suprised a pretty red fox. We looked at each other for a second and then he took off towards the fields.
Beth has been experimenting with taking photos of the night sky on her iPhone. She was excited about the parking lot because we are surrounded by trees at home. Unfortunately, there are bright LED street lamps illuminating the lot, but the field next door did allow for some shots. You might be able to find the Big Dipper in her photo.
We aren’t great a determining bird calls, but we do think we heard the Southern Screamer before we fell asleep!
Sunrise the next morning was noisy, in a good way, with birds from all over the world greeting the dawn.
We definitely recommend visiting here for a fun outing. The owners are friendly, the park was clean, and the birds were active and appeared to be well taken care off.
After returning home, we told a neighbor about the trip and he shared what he recalled about Scotland Neck. Back before the bird park opened, there was a Blackbird Invasion that made international headlines. Here are a couple of links to the story.
One response to “Sleeping with a Southern Screamer”
Nice set of pictures.