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Guest birder posts

On the hunt for Dickcissles in central NC

By Corie Long Latta

Okay…. hold back the chuckles on this one! This goodlookin’ fella is called a Dickcissel. Yes.. You read that correctly. I know, I know, it’s a silly name, and I know that you just laughed out loud like a silly little 8 year old! Somehow it came about it’s name due to its call. Somewhere along the way, some body though it sounded like the bird was calling out, DICKCISSEL, and said… HEY, that’s what I’ll call this fine specimen of a bird, a DICKCISSEL! Sounds great, let’s roll with it! I mean…🤷‍♀️.

Certainly you’d think they could have come up with a better name, but here we are! It’s May 2023 and I’m out chasing a Dickcissel.🤣 Why you ask?? Well.. it’s a bird isn’t is? And by now, you know me! If there’s a bird out there that is rare to my area, well… out the door I go, with camera in tow, bird hunting! It’s the adult version of hide and seek that I can’t get enough of! And this particular species is a lifer for me. Meaning, I’ve never seen one before, so it was rather exciting to add it to my life list of bird species I’ve seen.

This particular dickcissel is out of his typical range. They are usually found in the central plains and not along coastal states. But a small flock seems to have found their way to Maple View Farms in Hillsborough. And birders are “flocking” to get a glimpse of them (see what I did there?🤦‍♀️). So this week, my news feed has been full of my birding entourage and their captures of the Dickcissels. 🤣 (If you’re one of my birding buddies that went out and captured it, please share your photos in the comments!)

Commonly found in pastures with tall grasses, foraging for seeds, the Dickcissel is a bird that can be quite the pest for farmers. During fall migration, they will gather in massive flocks that can easily reach into the hundreds of thousands. And during the winter, there have been some flocks that can reach into the millions. WOW!! However, during breeding season, they are quite solitary birds, spending their time with their mate. While the female does all the preparations, building and sitting on the nest and feeding the young until they fledge, the male has absolutely no part in it, other than aggressively protecting his territory. Well… now that I think about it, maybe that’s where the name came from… he’s not very helpful in child rearing and his counterpart got mad! LOL!!

Maple View Farms, Hillsborough

5/23/23

PS. Have you seen this bird too? Leave a comment below about your dick bird experience lol!

Biridng Trips and Tours in SC

A Black necked Stilt at the Bear Island WMA

While birding at the Bear Island Wildlife Management Area in South Carolina this past weekend, I was pleased to find a pair of Black-necked Stilts wading through a shallow pond.
While they were a good distance away (resulting in these super cropped photos lol) from my vantage point it was still pretty cool to lay eyes on these elegant birds.



Black-necked Stilts can be found in the coastal counties of the Carolinas looking for a meal in fresh to brackish, still waters. They seem to prefer hunting in man-made bodies of water such as flooded out impoundments, dredge ponds, roadside runoff ditches and sewage treatment ponds. A nice thing because this gives us better opportunities to access areas for viewing them.
Always on the lookout for a snack, these long legged waders forage by probing the mud with its bill and by gleaning for flashes of sunlight bouncing off of its aquatic prey such as crustaceans and other arthropods, mollusks, small fish and tadpoles.
When their main source of food is scarce they’ll even eat plant seeds.



Black-necked Stilts are known to breed in the Carolinas may be found from now through late September. Unlike many of our other shorebird species, they are quite intolerant to cold weather so as soon as autumns chill arrives, they head south.
Luckily we are just getting into spring so you’ve got plenty of time to go see these gorgeous birds for yourself.

Photos & video by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC

A Sora encounter at Huntington Beach State Park- why we go birding

It’s not often that I’ll post about the same species twice in one month but I was thrilled to get another look at a Sora this past weekend while birding at Huntington Beach State Park in SC.
The ones that I spotted a few weeks ago were mostly hidden in between a dark mass of reeds so seeing a Sora out in the open was super cool!
It’s funny to me that I’ve spent years looking for Soras and had never seen one until last month and now I’ve seen 4 in just the past couple weeks.
A lifer win.



Birding is a fun yet challenging thing.
The point of creating a list is to keep track of the date, location and numbers of various species that we see when out in the field.
Yet, the reasons why we do this may go deeper than a simple tally.
Some of us need a target to shoot for, it’s a numbers thing -an extension of the concept of “gamify everything”.
It can be a competitive mindset which drives us to want to be the number one lister in our county, state or country holding the record for rallying the highest number of birds per year.
Others relish the experience of traveling to far away strange places to see birds that we can’t see close to home.
It can be a need to SEE ALL THE BIRDS.
For some, birding is an escape from the stress of living in a world full of screens, social media, spreadsheets, a difficult home life and a 24hr sensationalized news cycle.
And yes, of course there are a zillion other reasons why we go birding.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that there is no wrong reason to go, rather it’s crucial that we heed the call to just go.
Breathe fresh air.
Feel sunlight on our faces.
Get lost.
Take photos.
Take notes.
See cool shit.
Learn and think about new things.



I’m grateful to be able to share my bird nerd stuff with you guys and I LOVE seeing all of your stories and photos too! There are some incredibly talented photographers out there.
I know I’m never alone even if I’m the only person out there for 50 miles who’s seeing a Sora for the very first time.
Glad you’re here for the ride 😉

So why do you go birding?
Leave a reply below 😉

Photos & video by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Red-cockcaded Woodpecker birding trip in North Carolina

I had an excellent time leading a birding tour this past weekend because I got to share an encounter with the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker with my guests.
It was so cool to watch these lovely little birds flying in and out of their nest cavity and hearing the excited squeaks from the chicks inside the nest!



These sweet little birds were once a common sight throughout the southeastern regions of the United States. Unfortunately due to loss of habitat, today they are considered an endangered species.Red-cockaded Woodpeckers require a narrow scope of forest conditions to breed. They prefer to nest in mature stands of long leaf pine trees with little or no understory. Unfortunately these old growth forests have faced rapid decline which has led to the decline of this species.



Luckily, the Weymouth Woods Preserve is a special place where the old pine trees are preserved and maintained lending to provide the perfect conditions for the Red-cockaded to breed. Here you can see them raising their families every spring and throughout the summer months. It’s truly a special place to enjoy these wonderful birds.Btw, I’ve still got a few spots open for guests to join me next weekend for my birding photography tours to Weymouth Woods. If you’d like to come along with me to find the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, check the link below for booking information!

https://birdwatchingnc.com/birdwatching-n-c-trips-birding-in-north-carolina/birding-at-the-weymouth-woods-sandhills-nature-preserve/

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding both captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Birdwatching News, Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

North Carolina Rare Bird alert- Dickcissle in Carrboro NC

By Sally Siko

Stoked to finally lay eyes on my first Dickcissle a couple of hours ago in Carrboro, NC!
Luckily this lifer wasn’t too difficult to spot as he was singing loudly in an open field of Blue Cornflowers across the highway from the Maple View Farm Ice Cream shop between the creamery and the farm pond.
It only took about 30 minutes to locate the bird once I was able to pick out his unique song of sharp sounds followed by a buzzy, almost hissed cisssssselll.
What a beauty!



The breeding range of the Dickcissle typically stretches across the great plains region of the United States. Strangely enough though, quite a few of them also breed east of the Appalachian mountains, including right here in North Carolina.
Though a certain number of Dickcissels call the East Coast home during the summer they are still considered a rare sighting here in the Tar Heel state from May through July.



The Dickcissel is the only living member of the “Spiza” genus, inside the family of Cardinals and were named for the male’s song.
As with other members of Cardinal family, during the breeding season, Dickcissels eat both insects and seeds. Insects include grasshoppers, caterpillars, termites, flies, wasps, beetles; they also eat spiders. During migration and in the winter months, they eat almost exclusively seeds including grasses, willows, and buckwheat as well as crops including rice and sorghum.

These handsome birds are best spotted singing from the tops of scrubby branches in open fields, grasslands and in agricultural areas throughout the midwestern states of the US from Texas to the Dakotas.
But as seen here, you never quite know where a pair of Dickcissles will show up so it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for them throughout the summer months.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding both captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

PS. 10/10 recommend getting some ice cream at the nearby Maple View Farm Ice Cream ❤️

Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC

Spending time with Lesser Yellowlegs at Huntington Beach State Park in SC

By Sally Siko

Yesterday I made a trip out to Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet SC.
The bird activity has upticked noticeably since my visit 2 weeks ago and I was pleased to see such a wide variety of species all in one spot.
In particular there were a ton of Lesser Yellowlegs hunting for a snack on the pond and mudflats.
It was really neat to watch these elegant birds making their way along the shore.



Yellowlegs are often seen foraging with other species of shorebirds on mudflats, in marshes, flooded fields, in shallow water pools and impoundments. Though they strongly prefer to hunt for a meal in fresh water, you can also find them feeding in brackish and salt water areas too, especially during migration.
Right now these guys are in full on gorging mode as they prepare to depart for their breeding grounds in Canada.
They’ll only be here for a few more weeks before returning in autumn to spend the winter in the Carolinas.



Speaking of other shorebirds, Lesser Yellowlegs may be difficult to ID as compared to a Greater Yellowlegs.If you’re lucky enough to spot both species side by side then making an ID is easier since Greater Yellowlegs are 1/3rd larger than Lessers.But what to do if there’s just one of the two species in front of you?Check the bill first.

Lesser Yellowlegs bills are proportionally, smaller in length relative to its head and straight in angle.The bill of the Greater is (very!) slightly upturned and is used to skim small animals & insects from the surface of the water as the bird swings it from side to side.This swing-skim behavior is seldom seen in the Lesser Yellowlegs, making the task of differentiating the two species a little easier when viewing them at a long distance or in poor lighting conditions.

Hope that helps!
Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

American Bittern on Pea Island

By Sally Siko

One of the more challenging species of birds to spot here in NC is the American Bittern.


As seen in the 3rd photo in this post, they are masters of camouflage with brown striped and buffed plumage well suited for a life spent hunting for a meal in the tall grass along a ponds edge. Can you see it?

*Check out the 4th pic to see the cropped version for a closer look!



I was lucky enough to see two Bitterns while birding in eastern NC. One of which was stalking prey in the water which offered me the rare opportunity to photograph it out in the open.The Bittern moved slowly, each foot deftly placed carefully into the water barely making a ripple in the surface.After a few minutes he struck his bill into the water grabbing some sort of unseen snack which it quickly gulped down in an instant.It was an amazing experience to be able to share this bird with a group of photographers who’d never seen one before!



American Bitterns are known to breed in small numbers throughout coastal areas of North Carolina but are more commonly found from September through early May, particularly during migrational periods.They are primarily found in our freshwater marshes and wet fields containing cattail reeds and tall sedge grasses.Though they are indeed difficult to see when hiding in the tall grass, the good thing is that individual birds tend to return to the exact same spots of shoreline year after year.So, if you happen to locate one but it’s hiding in dense cover, it’s quite possible to come back the next day or even the next year to have another try at seeing the Bittern out in the open.

Photo by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty megapixel monster, the @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Red-headed Woodpeckers in North Carolina

By Sally Siko

One of the most striking looking birds we’ve got here in North Carolina is the Red headed Woodpecker. They’ve got a bold black and white plumage combination paired with a cherry red head which sets them apart from any other species found in the state.



I happened to catch some good looks at several pairs of Red head’s while birding at the Pee Dee NWR and Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve in south central NC.
It was neat to watch them catching insects in midair then flying back to a hole in a dead tree to feed their young (or possibly to cache their catch)

Red headed Woodpeckers are a year round resident of North Carolina and are found across the state from the mountains to the coast. During the summertime months they’re best spotted in stands of longleaf pines or in open wetland areas containing tall, dead trees. The pond here at the Pee Dee NWR is the perfect habitat to find them.When winter arrives, the forest dwelling Red- heads move away from the pines and into the marshy/ swamp areas to join the summer families.

Photo by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert

Warbler season is upon us- American Redstart in NC

By Sally Siko

Green leaves are sprouting out on all of the trees, it’s really starting to look like springtime here in central NC.The treetop canopies are becoming dense now bringing the arrival of hatching insects which are closely followed by flocks of migrating Warblers such as these beautiful American Redstarts.



With that bold black and bright orange plumage and their loud calls echoing through the woods, male Redstarts are impossible birds to ignore when hiking along a trail.*Not that I’ve ever thought of ignoring them lol!These birds are freak’n gorgeous and although they’re relatively easy to find, I’ve spent many hours trying to catch a proper photograph of one for years but with no luck.Happily I finally came close with these shots which I took while birding in Bynum NC.One of the nice things about this species of warbler is that when flocks of them move into the area, they’re relatively easy to find and photograph.This is because Redstarts tend to hunt for food in the mid to lower understory of open deciduous woodlands, forest edges, near roadside trees, in open areas like orchards, shrubby edges of streams and ponds, brushy edges of sunny pastures, and suburban parks.Or to put it another way, unlike many other species of warblers you won’t break your neck or hurt your eyes by searching for them high up in the trees of a dark forest lol!

The American Redstart is a somewhat unusual bird in that they’re both a breeding resident and transient migratory visitor to North Carolina with populations fluctuating wildly in different regions throughout the year.They are known to nest in both the mountains in the western part of the state and along a narrow north/NE to south/SW strip in several of the counties in central NC which is kinda odd.Generally though your best bet in finding them is from now through mid May and then again from September through early October during migration periods.Get out there and enjoy them!

Photos & video by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty megapixel monster, the @canonusa #5Ds

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Warbling Vireo in North Carolina

Last week I set out to find a Warbling Vireo which had been reported in the Bicentennial Greenway area near Greensboro NC.
When I arrived at the location I was pleased to find a pair of them flitting among the trees!
Unfortunately the trees in question which they preferred were willow trees. That’s a problem because the leaves of willows are dense and stringy which makes getting a photo of a bird in them almost impossible lol!
Luckily though I managed to capture this one single photo of this Warbling Vireo when he landed on a branch which offered a better view.
Woohoo!



These guys are fast. Moving quickly though the canopy, Warbling Vireos are constantly on the hunt for caterpillars, aphids, beetles, grasshoppers, ants, flies, and dragonflies. They’ll also eat some spiders and snails plus will snack on berries when insects are scarce.


Although they are known to nest in our state, Warbling Vireos are generally a scarcely found transient spring and summer visitor to NC.
They are best located by listening for their squeak calls of “viiit vit” and cheerful warbling songs in hardwood forested areas near creeks, swamps, ponds, streams and lakes.
Look for them in late April through mid May and again from mid September through early October.

Photo by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding both captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5