All posts by Sally Siko

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

Birdwatching NC field trip- A Nelsons Sparrow sighting at Point Lookout State Park

I took a quick birding trip to Scotland Maryland this week at Point Lookout State Park and was pleasantly surprised to find this sweet Nelson’s Sparrow (and it’s mate?) hanging out with a flock of Swamp Sparrows.
They have the weirdest call ever!
Kind of sounds like a wire brush softly scraping on an aluminum can. I’m hoping to see them again this winter so that I can capture some video of them calling to share with you.



Nelson’s Sparrows are often seen along the mid Atlantic / southeastern & gulf coasts of the United States in the cooler months.
Strange thing was this bird came up as “rare” on eBird since the species is expected in the area during migration and in the winter. Not sure why this is the case but I’m always happy to check off an “R” designation bird on the list!

Arriving in late September, they spend the winter in North Carolina’s coastal counties inhabiting our salt marshes through late May.
They are distinctive looking little birds with grey cheeks, buff orange face, a faintly streaked buff orange breast, flanks and sides with a white abdomen.
That orange coloring definitely makes them stand out from the other sparrows which is nice when trying to ID individual birds in a mixed flock.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my 50 megapixel monster, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

A Black-throated Green warbler encounter at Lake Betz, Morrisville NC

Here’s a nice little bird I spotted at Lake Betz in Morrisville NC this past weekend, a Black-throated Green Warbler!
I’d been hoping to catch a good look at one of these beauties this autumn but hadn’t had luck in doing so until this one showed up.
Happily he responded well to my pishing and even landed on a branch in good lighting which rewarded me a few decent shot opportunities before he flew off into the trees.

Depending on where you live in NC, these birds are either transient migratory visitors or are locally common summertime residents. This is because Black-throated Green Warblers have a split breeding range here in the Tarheel state.
Generally, they are found from late March through October in the mountains and in our coastal plain regions while they only tend to show up in the piedmont area from mid-April to mid-May, and again in early September through October.

While they favor stands of spruce, pine, fir, cedar, or cypress stands for nesting activities, once they start migrating south, the Black-throated Greens can be seen in just about any kind of habitats including deciduous forests and in scrub brush areas next to open fields or water.
That being said, they won’t stick around NC much longer as most of them have already headed out to spend the winter in warmer locals. Get out this weekend to see them before they move on!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my mirrorless megapixel monster, the mighty @canonusa#R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Black-throated Blue Warbler migration at Jordan lake

There are certain birds out there that I’ve seen several times over the years but haven’t got a proper good look at.
Sure, this is fine for my life list but as a photographer, it’s unsatisfying.
Case in point, this Black-throated Blue Warbler.


Though I was grateful to spot a lovely pair at Ebenezer Point at the Jordan Lake SRA this past weekend, unfortunately I was thwarted again of a great shot by these little beauties proclivity for ducking behind the leaves. Thank goodness for @canonusa R5 Animal Eye Focus so that I could at least catch a few useable photos lol!
Though I spent almost an hour trying to capture an unobscured portrait of one, it was not to be.
Not that this is a problem though.
Now I’ve got a great reason to get back out there to find them again to try for that “perfect” frame filling shot.
Which is of course, fine by me 😉



Black-throated Blue Warblers are absolutely stunning little birds. The males are dressed in black, blue and white plumage while the females are a lovely shade of sage green, bluish grey and tan.
Weighing in at .37 ounces and measuring just 5.7 inches in length these guys are tough to photograph as they move quickly in the trees picking at the the underside of leaves in search of a meal.
That being said, unlike many other species of wood warblers, Black-throated Blue’s tend to hunt in the mid to lower canopy of trees which is a nice way to avoid “warbler neck” during autumn migration 😉

They’ll only stick around NC for a few more days before heading south for the winter but the Black-throated Blues will return in late April so if you’ve missed a look (or photo lol!) of them this year, no worries!
There is always next spring to continue the chase…

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my mirrorless megapixel monster, the mighty @canonusa #R5

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

Coopers Hawk vs. Sharp-shinned Hawk at Jordan Lake

So every now and then I goof up an ID….
Recently I was birding at Ebenezer Point at Jordan Lake SRA with a group of fellow bird lovers when we spotted a hawk being pursued by a crow.
I was pretty sure it was a Sharp shinned at the time and even pointed it out to the folks with me. ( Ooof! 🤦‍♀️)
Yet once I returned home and was able to get a better look at the bird in the photos, I realized that it was a Coopers Hawk, not a Sharp shinned!

My mistake was in looking at the bird as a whole and (incorrectly) determining that he was slimmer in appearance than he really was.
The field marks that point towards Cooper’s hawk are it’s rounded off tail & somewhat larger head (in relation to its body).
Plus, the most obvious fact that this bird was nearly as large as the crow which definitely points towards a Coopers Hawk vs. a Sharp shinned.


As it goes with any challenge worth pursuing, sometimes the quickest way to get something right consistently is to be wrong from time to time and learn from our mistakes along the way.
Happy birding my friends!

-Sally

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my mighty megapixel monster the @canonusa#R5

Birdwatching News

North Carolina Rare Bird Alert: Cattle Egret in Raleigh

One of the nice things about birding is that there’s always the potential to be surprised and delighted by unexpected finds in the field.
In this case, a Cattle Egret has shown up in the Raleigh NC area and seems to have made itself right at home with a herd of cows on Mid Pines Rd.



At first, the cow didn’t seem to mind its feathered companion but when the bovine stood up, the Egret hopped off and then proceeded to chase the hapless cow around the pasture.
For its part, the cow was unamused by the birds antics lol! It lowered its head and snorted at the Egret every time it approached leaving the bird to forage in grass for itself.



Cattle Egrets are a summertime resident of the Tarheel State but are a rare sight during the winter and even more so here in central North Carolina.
They breed in colonies on our barrier islands and inland in our southeastern counties on lakes and river that are in close proximity to agricultural fields.
As their name suggests they may be found feeding in the pastures looking for insects kicked up by herds of cattle.
Look for them in North Carolina’s southeastern coastal counties from mid March- early November or take a drive on Mid Pines Rd in Raleigh this weekend 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my magnificent megapixel monster, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birdwatching News, Field Notes

The Yellow-rumped Warblers have returned to North Carolina

A sight that cooler temperatures are on the way, the Yellow-rumped Warblers have returned to North Carolina.
While most of our warblers are leaving to spend the winter in warmer locals, Yellow-rumps are here to stay to brighten our days in the season to come.



Known affectionately as “Butter butts” they are dressed in their winter drab plumage of grey with points of yellow on their sides and rump.
Their main diet consists of insects and spiders but when winter arrives (making 6 or 8 legged meals scarce) they have the ability to change their diet to eating berries.
In fact, they are the only type of warbler that can digest the waxes found in bayberries and wax myrtles.
This dietary adaptation allows them to survive in locations further north than most other warbler species during the winter which may give them an advantage of a head start when migrating to their breeding grounds in the spring.



Yellow-rumped Warblers are particularly common in our coastal counties as well as in the central part of NC. They are also found in the foothills of the Appalachians in smaller numbers as well.
They usually stick around the Tarheel state until around mid May so you’ve got plenty of time to enjoy these beauties in the months ahead.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty @canonusa
#5ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

An encounter with a Common Grackle at the Alligator River NWR

While on a recent visit to the Alligator River NWR in East Lake, NC I spotted a flock of Common Grackles roosting in the trees next to the cornfields.
It was dark and with rain clouds threatening overhead and a stiff wind blowing which is why this bird was taking cover in the canopy instead of feeding on the spilt grain below.



Normally these interesting birds take flight as soon as someone approaches so I counted myself lucky to get in a few shots of a Grackle preening at a relatively close range.
Grasping a feather in his beak, he’d comb through his glossy black plumage and then fluff out his feathers and give a shake every now and again. He repeated this process until he was sleek & clean then flew off deeper into the woods to join the rest of his flock calling from the trees.



Common Grackle’s are a year round resident of North Carolina and are found in varying number’s throughout all 100 of our counties.
They are particularly numerous in the eastern part of the state where they may be found eating on the ground in large flocks along roadsides, suburban lawns and in farm fields.
“Common” though they may be, I still think they are lovely!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my mighty megapixel monster the @canonusa #R5

Birdwatching News

Rare Bird Alert South Carolina- Limpkins in Conway

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Instagram Birding

A Red Wolf and a Northern Harrier encounter at the Alligator River NWR

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Roseate Spoonbills at Huntington Beach State Park

One of the most unique looking birds we’ve got flying around the Carolinas is the Roseate Spoonbill.
With that long flat bill it’s easy to see how these beauties earned their name.
I spotted this one a few weeks ago while birding at the Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, SC.



Having a “built-in” spoon on its beak can be a big help at mealtime. Spoonbills take advantage of this adaptation with a special feeding style known as “head-swinging.”
They’ll plunge their bill nearly vertically under water and swing it side to side in wide arcs. In this way, they snag a host of small animals from the lake bottom.
Their diet is made up of small fish, crustaceans (especially shrimp and crayfish), insects, molluscs (such as slugs and snails), and other small aquatic animals.



Roseate Spoonbills are an occasional, transient visitor to NC during the late summer along our southeastern coast. If you’d like to have a better opportunity to see them, your best bet is to take a short trip down to coastal South Carolina where they are found throughout summer and autumn. Some smaller flocks even spend the winter there so it might be worth looking for them in December too.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty @canonusa #R5