Category Archives: Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Alligator river NWR & Pea Island NWR North Carolina Birding Trip report- November 28th,2021

By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC

Tundra Swans at the Pea Island NWR

Back home after my trip to the Alligator River NWR & the OBX this past weekend and thinking about the importance of pre-bird tour groundwork.
Because nature is somewhat unpredictable, I’ve found it useful over the years to do a little location scouting a day or two before my tour dates.
This time allows me to check the conditions of the trails and routes plus be able to confirm that all of the seasonal bird species are where I’d expect them to be.
Most of the time it’s all good but in this case, yikes!
Thank goodness I headed out to the Alligator River NWR earlier in the week before my guests where scheduled to arrive because apparently the impoundment areas were bone dry.

Dry as a bone at the Alligator River NWR

Normally the fields are flooded in October to provide safe haven for migrating waterfowl over the winter but due to dry conditions, a shortage of workers, and a beaver dam stopping up the pumps, they were unable to start the pumps to flood the fields this year.
Thus, aside from a small flock of Tundra Swans, a half dozen Northern Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks and Bald Eagles, there were hardly any birds to be found along the first stop of my tour.
Not exactly the best conditions to start off a birding trip…

Red-tailed Hawk at Alligator River NWR

So, I contacted my guests before the tour day and explained the situation on the ground.
My new plan was to spend less time at the Alligator River NWR and add an extra stop at the end of our tour on to find a rare species of bird (a Snow Bunting) on Pea Island.
I don’t like to have to change things last minute but I always want to make sure that my guests are getting in the most birds (and the most fun!) out of the time we spend together so this felt like the right move.

Black Bear at the Alligator River NWR

As it turned out, Alligator River NWR was still worth the short visit as there were plenty of opportunities for my guests to spend time photographing the resident Black Bears which was pretty cool!


It was such a joy to see so many happy bird loving photographers getting their first ever shots of a bear.
Plus, I got to show the group a family of Bald Eagles hunting Swans in the fields.


All in all, not a bad way to start the day 🙂

Thankfully our next stop on Pea Island came through with thousands of ducks and swans to see swimming on the ponds in the refuge.

American Wigeon at Pea Island NWR


There were Redheads, American Wigeons, Ringnecks, Scaups, Pintails, Gadwalls, Black Ducks, Mergansers, Buffleheads and more including American Avocets, Clapper Rails, Godwits, warblers and sparrows!
Plus uncountable numbers of Tundra Swans, geese and American Coots to round out the day’s list which you can see in the photos below.

  • Lesser black backed Gull
  • Common Merganser
  • Savannah Sparrow
  • Hooded Merganser & Bufflehead
  • Clapper Rail
  • Black Duck
  • Red winged Blackbird
  • White Ibis
  • Redhead Ducks
  • White Pelicans
  • Pintails, Redheads & Gadwall
  • American Avocets & Godwits
  • Tundra Swans
  • American Coots
  • Pintail Duck
  • American wigeon
  • Assorted Waterfowl
  • Yellow- rumped Warbler
  • Ruddy Turnstone
  • Black bellied Plover

Oh and yes, I was able to deliver that Snow Bunting too (a new lifer-bird for every guest!) which was a total cherry on top.

Snow Bunting at Oregon Inlet

All in all and despite an unexpected start, a wonderful day 🙂 I can’t wait to get back out there for the next tour later this month!

All smiles on the OBX!

If you’d like to join me this winter on a birding trip, click on the dates shown in green on the calendar below for tour availability, locations and booking info.

PS. Shout out to my friend John Carter who completed his goal to go birding in all 100 of North Carolina’s counties!

He say’s that he is now officially retiring from birding (to focus on his Raleigh – Durham Real estate career) and that his last bird of the year was the Snow Bunting we found on this trip 🙂

CONGRATULATIONS JOHN! Hope you come out of bird retirement again someday. Never say never my friend 😉

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Birdwatching News

Rare Bird Alert North Carolina- Snow Bunting at Oregon Inlet OBX

This past weekend, I led a birding trip to the OBX and was pleased to show my guests a rare wintertime visitor to NC, the Snow Bunting!
It was such a joy to see how happy this bird made the people on the tour, so many big smiles, what a great way to cap off the day.

Snow Bunting at Oregon Inlet on Pea Island in the OBX, North Carolina



Dedicated cold weather birds, Snow Buntings breed in the high Arctic. They nest in the crevices and deep cracks of rocks which provide protection from the Arctic winds.
Though their nests are thickly lined with grass, feathers and tufts of fur, due to the extreme cold temperatures the female is unable to leave the nest so her mate is wholly responsible for feeding her while she is incubating the eggs.



Often seen with flocks of Longspurs and sparrows, Snow Buntings feed on the ground, foraging for a variety of seeds and buds as well as insects and other small invertebrates, including small marine crustaceans when spending time in coastal areas.
This particular bird spent most of its time either on the rocks overlooking the water or on the ground eating grass seed under the bridge along Oregon Inlet.



The Snow Buntings normal wintertime range extends from southern Canada down to Pennsylvania on the east coast, across the upper Midwest over to western Oregon.
They are also an infrequent visitor to the coastal areas of Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina.
Look for them hiding on the low dunes, short grass/ sand flats, and on rock jetty’s in the OBX from November through February.

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

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Birdwatching News

OBX Birding trips – 2021 & 2022 North Carolina winter Birdwatching Tour Schedule

Finally colder weather has arrived and with it, new birds are making their way to North Carolina to spend the winter.
I’m so excited because this means my favorite time of year is here, weird duck season lol!

These are some of my favorite birds from my trips to the OBX last year.
As you can see it’s mostly about waterfowl like Wigeons, Northern Shovelers, Redheads, Tundra Swans, Pintails, Eiders and Scaups but there’s also giant American White Pelicans, Coots, American Avocets and more to find too!
And oh yes, there are LOTS of them out there.
The barrier islands of the OBX in eastern NC offers superb habitat conditions for visiting migratory waterfowl with large, shallow freshwater ponds and brackish water marshes for the birds to feed in.
Every autumn, thousands of ducks, geese and swans arrive to settle in these areas which offers excellent viewing and photographic opportunities for birders and bird photographers alike to get up close to these gorgeous feathered gems.

This means that starting on November 28th, I’ll be making several trips to the coast to lead birding / photography tours in the OBX at Pea Island NWR and the Alligator River NWR from now through February 2022.
These trips are an opportunity for us to connect with like-minded bird loving photographers who enjoy the chase as much as we do.
On a personal level, I mean where else can I hang out with groups of people who actually want to hear more random bird facts along with chatter about F stops and shutter speeds?
Do you know how hard it is to find people like you IRL off of the net?
Talk about a “rarity”!
Lol!
At the end of the day, it’s just nice not to feel alone in this pursuit and incredibly rewarding to know that I can help others move forward on the journey with me.
Yeah it’s corny to say out loud but it’s how it is haha 😉
Anyway…if you’d like to join us out there check the calendar below for the Birdwatching NC tour schedule.
Book your date today before space is gone.

I’m looking forward to meeting you to go birding this winter!!!

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

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

Wild Mute Swans in Murrells Inlet SC

After a long day of birding in Murrells Inlet SC, I decided to take a quick trip north up Rt.17 to Myrtle Beach to pick up some dinner.
If you’re unfamiliar with the area, Rt. 17 is a heavily trafficked highway that passes by several strip malls and shopping centers which seem to be busy throughout the day and evening.



When I was about a mile or so from my destination, the GPS directed me to exit to the left to drive through an access rd which actually passed between a Lowes Home Improvement Store parking lot and Rt.17.
Though it was already dark outside, something caught my eye in a narrow water retention pond (read big roadside ditch full of water lol!) which was located between Rt.17 and the Lowes parking lot…
Mute Swans!

I quickly parked my car and grabbed my camera out of the bag and walked over to the “pond” to get a better look.
Cars zooming behind me with curious onlookers, just a few feet down the short slope were 5 Mute Swans swimming peacefully in the shallow water. They were feeding on something under the water and appeared to be completely at ease despite the fact that they were surrounded on all sides by traffic noise and lights.
Isn’t that remarkable?
Not wanting to disturb them into wandering into the road, I quickly snapped off a couple shots and then headed on my way to pick up my meal.

*Btw, this is what ISO 5000 looks like shooting on a long lens at 600mm in the dark using street lights for ambiance looks like.
My Canon R5 did a pretty good job I think 🙂


Mute Swans are native to Europe and were introduced to the United States in the 1800s as an ornamental species to grace the gardens of estates and parks.
As it goes with birds, many escaped and now growing populations of feral Mute Swans are found in New England and south along the mid Atlantic coast.
Now here’s the thing, I’ve seen many Mute Swans over the years at farms and zoos so these birds weren’t “lifers” for me in the strict sense.
Yet, this was the first time I’d ever observed this elegant beauty in the wild so I thought it was pretty cool just the same.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
#R5

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

A Swamp Sparrow encounter at Mid Pines Rd in Raleigh

Now that cold weather is right around the corner, it’s time to be on the lookout for our wintertime birds like this Swamp Sparrow.
These lovely little ones arrive in North Carolina in early October and although they mostly hang out in our eastern counties their found in varying numbers throughout the state.



Though their name would suggest otherwise, Swamp Sparrows inhabit many types of different habitats including marshes, wetland thickets, bogs and damp fields. The main thing is that they tend to avoid dry forests so look for them in open areas near a water source with tall grass and dense scrub.



As it goes with most species of sparrows, these guys eat a ton of insects during the spring and summer. Unlike others though Swamp Sparrows have extra long legs which they use to wade into shallow water to hunt for aquatic insects.
Once autumn arrives and insects become scarce, they’ll switch to eating weed and grass seeds which makes them a little easier to find in accessible field areas vs. their wetland summer habitats.
In fact, during the winter Swamp Sparrows will congregate with flocks of Song Sparrows to venture to the edges of agricultural fields and suburban parks to find a snack.
They’ll stick around until early May so we’ve still got plenty of time to enjoy these feathered gems in the season ahead.

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

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Bald Eagles and Ospreys at Huntington Beach State Park

It’s always a treat to spend time with the Carolinas two largest raptor species, the Bald Eagle and an Osprey.
I spotted these impressive creatures while birding at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet SC last week.
Both birds favored perching on the top of the same dead tree along Jetty Drive offering me good views throughout the day.



Though these two shared the same roosting site, as seen in the last few photos of this post Bald Eagles and Ospreys are often seen competing with each other for food.
In fact, I even got to watch a Bald Eagle harassing an Osprey to drop its fish into the ocean.
Once the fish hit the water, the Bald Eagle swooped down to retrieve the Ospreys prize.



Bald Eagles are year round residents of North and South Carolina. They are found across both states from the mountains to the coast and are best spotted near large lakes and rivers. Thanks to conservation efforts, Bald Eagle numbers have been on the rise over the past 20 years so although they aren’t necessarily a common species of bird, your chances of seeing them in the Carolinas are pretty good!



If you’re looking to find an Osprey in the winter, your best bet is to head to the coast of South Carolina as this is the northern boundary of their wintering range.


During the rest of the year, Ospreys are found in both states hunting on rivers, freshwater lakes and ponds as well as in our coastal counties over marshes and along the Atlantic coastline.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
#R5

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

Little Blue Herons at Huntington Beach State Park

Check out these beautiful Little Blue Herons!
I spotted them last week while birding at the Huntington Beach State Park.
It was particularly nice to catch a good look at the adult bird because usually all I see out there are immature Little Blues.
Not that there’s anything wrong with enjoying time with the little ones lol, it’s just I’ve been wanting to get a photo of an adult all year and hadn’t had much of an opportunity to do so until then.



As seen in this photo below, the young birds are dressed in entirely white plumage (with a tiny tinge of grey showing on the tips of their primary’s) during their first year.


Immature Little Blue Herons are easily confused with other white colored wading shorebirds such as the Snowy Egret.
The best way to tell them apart is to check leg color (black/ Snowy Egret vs. greenish yellow Little Blue Heron).

If your unable to discern the color of the birds legs then body language & posture is a reliable way to tell the two species apart.
Snowy Egrets tend to be very active while foraging. They appear to walk erratically, raising their heads to stand fully upright often to scan the water surface, they are always on the move.
Little Blue Herons are methodical hunters. They walk deliberately with their heads pointed down towards the mud or water while moving at a slow pace, rarely standing upright for more than a second or two.


These elegant birds are permanent residents of North Carolina’s coastal counties. Although a small number of them spend the winter here, as a migratory species they occur more numerously in the spring and summer months.
Look for Little Blue Herons hunting at the edges of freshwater ponds, brackish marshes and on mudflats from March to October.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
#R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Instagram Birding

Spending time with Clapper Rails at Huntington Beach State Park

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Spending time with a Merlin at Point Lookout State Park

Check out this Merlin I found while hiking along the Railroad Trail at Point Lookout State Park last week!
While it’s always exciting to see a large raptor, I haven’t had many opportunities to spend time with these small members of the falcon family.



With pointed wings and faded helmet markings, Merlin’s sort of look like mini Peregrine Falcons when viewing them from a distance. I got lucky and was able to creep up slowly in the tall marsh reeds to photograph this one a relatively “close” distance.
Still, it took a 600mm lens zoomed all the way in to capture these photos as Merlin’s have extraordinarily good eyesight. They tend to be rather skittish so getting a proper look at one can be difficult to do before they fly off.


Although I photographed this one in Maryland, Merlin’s are migratory visitors to North Carolina and generally may be found in the state from September through early November and again from April to mid May.
They are especially prevalent in the OBX during this time of year in the Bodie Island and Pea Island NWR.
Like other falcons such as Kestrels and Peregrines, as seen in these photos they have a habit of perching on the tops of dead trees to survey the landscape below for prey.
Look for them at the edges of any open areas such as agricultural fields, meadows and even marshes hunting for a meal.

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

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