Category Archives: Out There with the Expert

Interviews and blog posts by expert birders, tour guides and bird centered retailers from throughout North Carolina and the southeastern United States.

Backyard Birding, Out There with the Expert

How to tell the difference between a Hairy Woodpecker and a Downy Woodpecker

By Sally Siko

Check out these little guys, a Hairy Woodpecker and a Downy Woodpecker 
I spotted both species while birding here in central North Carolina.
At first glance, Hairy Woodpeckers (pic 1) look nearly identical to a Downy (pic 2) yet are a few differences that can help you figure out what you’re looking at.

Hairy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker



The first big clue is size.
Hairy Woodpeckers are around 9 inches long and weigh 3x as much as the Downy making them noticeably larger in size when comparing the two.


The second clue is that the Hairy Woodpeckers bill is as long as it’s slightly elongated head vs. the Downy who’s got a comparatively shorter bill size paired with a rounder head.


The third clue is habitat.
 Although the range and habitat preferences of the Hairy Woodpecker generally overlap that of the Downy, the Hairy is a slightly shyer bird which spends more of it’s time in the deep woods vs. our backyards. That being said, they may be enticed to visit your feeders if you offer up suet during the winter months.



Measuring a diminutive 6 inches in size, Downy Woodpeckers (pic 2) are North America’s smallest species of Woodpecker.
These feisty little ones are found throughout most of North America with a range that stretches all the way from Alaska down to Florida.
 It lives in a variety of habitats from deep wilderness hardwood forests to suburban backyards and city parks.
 Here in the Tarheel State, Downys are also a familiar year round visitor to our bird feeders which is why they occasionally may be mistaken for their larger cousin, the Hairy Woodpecker.



Whichever of these sweet little black and white feathered gems may be, it’s always a treat for me to see them racing up and down the tree trunks in search of a meal.
Aren’t they gorgeous?

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

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

A Sedge Wren encounter in Durham NC

By Sally Siko

It’s been a good winter of birding so far.
Bird number 180 for the year appeared this morning in the form of a sweet looking Sedge Wren in Durham county NC.
My friend Corie and I spotted it next to a field flitting around in the tangled undergrowth of a sharp thorned bit of scrubby bush.
This little guy was (as is the case with many species of wrens) very, very vocal which made him easy to locate in the dense tangle.
Yet, actually getting a clean look at it (much less a photo lol) was difficult at best.

The problem was that the bird hardly sat still for more than three seconds. Making matters worse, in addition to all of the twigs and leaves between my lens and the bird, the light was very harsh with dark shadows, and blown highlights.
I really tested the limits of my @canonusa R5’s animal eye focus detection lol!
It took us around 45 minutes of waiting for the bird to pop out of the center of the bush, and even then there was always a twig or a leaf partially concealing the view.
In the end I was satisfied with the photos I was lucky to snap and grateful for the opportunity to even see this bird at all.
Success lol!



Sedge Wrens are a winter resident of North Carolina in our eastern counties.
Here in central NC, they are considered a rare sight so spotting one in the Durham area was a real treat.
They are best found in transitional areas where marshes blend into open fields and especially where there are patches of brush for them to hide and stalk prey.

Once called the Short-billed Marsh Wren, these birds are similar looking to the Carolina and Marsh Wrens we’ve got in NC.
Measuring about 4.5in long, Sedge wrens are streaked with black and brown plumage.
They’ve got white bellies and throats, with soft brown buff coloring on the sides and breasts.
Their tails have a black barring pattern on the topside.
What really stands out though is that bill which is noticeably shorter than that of its relatives.
What a cutie!
If you’d like to see this bird for yourself, I’ve attached a screenshot of the birds location.
I hope that you get to see it too 🙂

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

Out There with the Expert

Short-eared Owls in Guilford County NC

By Sally Siko

Yesterday Michael and I got up early and drove up to the Guilford County Farm in Elon NC to see if we could spot a Short-eared Owl.
I’d seen reports of one hanging out there and since I’d never spotted one before, I figured it was worth the trip to try and this lifer to my list.
Once we arrived, we decided to walk through the fields to see if we could lay eyes on one sitting in the field.



Happily, it didn’t take but 15 minutes to spot one of these beauties taking off from the grass.
Although the Shortie was pretty far away and the photos I took aren’t the greatest it was a thrill to finally lay eyes on this beautiful bird!
But then it got even better as a second then third owl appeared swooping overhead!
Then things got really interesting as a flock of crows flew in and set off after the Shorties.
Diving and slicing through the air, the owls deftly out maneuvered the crows at every angle, eventually frustrating their pursuers into giving up.
That encounter is a good reminder in that if you ever want to find an owl, look (and listen) for a pack of angry crows!


Luckily for birders and photographers alike, Shorties are one of a handful of species of owls which can be seen flying over our marshes, un-filled waterfowl impoundments and wet fields during daylight hours (especially morning and in the afternoon).
They are more numerously found in our coastal counties especially at the Alligator River NWR and at Phelps Lake but may also be spotted (usually in smaller numbers) inland in agricultural areas throughout the Piedmont region.



Though there have been sporadic reports of this species breeding in the Tarheel state, Short-eared Owls are generally wintertime residents of North Carolina. Look for these beauties from now through late March.
If you’d like to make a trip out to the Guilford County Farm to see these guys for yourself, I’ve included a screenshot of their location in this post.
Good luck and happy birding!

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

By the way, I’ve added more that 80 new birding tour dates to my Best Life Birding trip schedule.
Check out the calendar below and book your next birding adventure with me today!

Out There with the Expert

Redhead Duck vs. Canvasback Duck ID

By Sally Siko

The best part about wintertime in North Carolina is the arrival of interesting waterfowl to our state.
Two such gems are these handsome Redhead and Canvasback ducks.
They are incredibly beautiful creatures and I’m always excited to see them whenever I travel to eastern NC.

Though at first glance the two species may look similar to one another, there are ways that you can tell them apart, even at a great distance.



The Redhead drake featured in the first 2 photos has a blueish bill with a black tip, an orangey yellowish eye, and more rounded “traditional duck” head profile.
The most distinctive ID point when viewed from far away is their gray back.



The Canvasback drake featured in the photos below have a black bill, ruby colored red eyes, and a unique triangular head profile.
 You can ID them easily from way across the water by their bright white backs.



From November through late March/early April, Redheads and Canvasbacks can be spotted paddling around in the shallow bays and marshes foraging for a an underwater snack of stems, seeds, and roots of aquatic plants: shoalgrass, pondweeds, and sedges at many of our coastal wildlife refuges.
There is plenty of time left for you to go see them this winter so get out there if you can!

By the way, I’ve added 80 new birding tour dates to my schedule so if you’d like to join me out there to see these beautiful ducks for yourself check the link in bio for details & booking info!

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

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

An Eared Grebe encounter in the OBX of NC

By Sally Siko

Happy to get a lifer last month in the form of an Eared Grebe!
I’d somehow always missed out on spotting this rare visitor to North Carolina but was finally able to lay eyes on one floating on a small pond in Waves while birding in the OBX.
The range of this species typically stretches from central and western Canada down through the western United States and into Mexico so finding one here in North Carolina was super cool.



Here in NC, (on the rare occasion when we get a glimpse of one) they are usually dressed in their winter plumage – gray below and black above, with those cherry red eyes popping brightly against their black heads and clean white collars.
In summer, they’ll trade the white collar for a black neck, exchange their gray undersides for golden brown, and add wispy golden feathers across the sides of their heads that look kinda like furry ears. These seasonal wardrobe changes give them both of their common names: eared grebe, for the golden feather “ears,” and black-necked grebe, from the black neck.


Migrating eared grebes undergo a truly strange annual cycle of physical changes.
While they fatten in preparation for their fall migration (normally heading south or southeast to coastal California and Mexico or to the Gulf Coast), their digestive organs enlarge and their flight muscles shrink until they can no longer fly.
About three weeks before migration, the process reverses, with flight muscles enlarging and digestive organs shrinking in readiness for their night flights to wintering areas. This process of alternating “atrophy and hypertrophy” occurs three to six times a year in eared grebes.
In fact they’re are actually unable to fly for nine to ten months out of the year – the longest flightless period known for any bird that can fly at all.
Crazy huh?

I don’t know how long this bird will stick around the Tarheel state, but I’ve included a screenshot of the Grebes location in this post just in case you’d like to see it too.

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

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

Chasing Kinglets in central NC

By Sally Siko

Here’s another pair of hyperactive feathered ping-pong balls, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets!
I photographed these tiny dynamos earlier this week while birding near my home in central North Carolina.
It was so cool to watch the two species interacting. One thing was clear though, the birds weren’t particularly fond of each other as they’ed often get into spats over food.
Zipping high and low, the Rubys and Golden-crowns yelled and dove, each bird attempting to assert its dominance over the rival.
Eventually the Golden-crowned flock flew up into the longleaf Pine canopy above my head leaving the Ruby’s to continue forging below.



Weighing in at 5-6g, both Ruby and Golden crowned Kinglets are among the family of the smallest passerine birds in the world. Since their tiny size poses high energetic demands on thermoregulation, one would think that a Kinglet should face real challenges of maintaining energy balance during the winter.
In fact, how they maintain those hyperactive energy levels in the colder months, is still a mystery to researchers.
However, it has been found that Kinglets help reduce the extreme energy crunch imposed by fighting the effects of cold temperatures by huddling together at night or by sometimes sleeping in sheltered locations such as insulated squirrel or abandoned bird nests.
In addition, studies have shown that Kinglets possess a uniquely slow metabolic rate (for its size) and only require 10 calories a day to function which likely helps aid in the survival of this lovely species in even the chilliest of habitats.
 Remarkable!

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

Out There with the Expert

A Winter Wren in central NC

By Sally Siko

While birding near my home in central NC last month, I heard a familiar call emanating from the brush.
Thanks to a previously frustrating experience of trying to locate this species in the mountains of western NC this past spring, the song and calls of the Winter Wren have been permanently burned into my memory.
I’d spent nearly half a day attempting to get a good photograph of a Winter Wren earlier this year, a challenge which paid off in the end but not without headaches lol!
I swear this species can throw its voice like a ventriloquist, which makes trying to find one in a mass of tangled, dark undergrowth, nearly impossible.
Happily, yesterday this bird was far more cooperative than its mountain brethren and even flew out into the open onto a bare branch, which finally yielded a great opportunity to get some decent photos.



Measuring about 3.5” long from beak to tail, Winter Wrens are North Carolina’s smallest species of wren.
These tiny feisty dynamos are secretive little birds of dense woods. They often creep about among fallen logs and dense tangles, behaving more like a chipmunk than a bird, mostly remaining out of sight but (thankfully!) giving an occasional “kimp, kimp” call note every now and again.
Always on the lookout for a meal, they primarily eat insects, millipedes, spiders, and other organisms that fall under the general “bug” category. When insects are scarce they’ll also occasionally eat berries or seeds.


Usually, Winter Wrens live close to the ground, but during the spring males will ascend to high perches in the conifers to give voice to a beautiful song of long-running musical trills.
Look (and listen!) for them during the summer along the spine of the Appalachian mountains during the spring and summer, and now throughout the rest of the state during the winter months.

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

Instagram Birding, Out There with the Expert

Love for the Canada Goose

By Sally Siko

Ask me what I would do in defense of the Canada Goose lol!

*Scroll through to the video contained the post below for my answer via the crew at Letterkenny lol!

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

Coopers Hawk vs, Sharp Shinned Hawk ID

By Sally Siko

Pleased to spot both Coopers and Sharp-shinned Hawks while birding in the Raleigh NC area last month!

Coopers Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk



Whenever I happen to photograph either species I’m faced with the conundrum of figuring out which bird is in my viewfinder.
Because of the similarities in plumage between the two, there’s no single characteristic that can easily be used to distinguish between them.
Instead I do my best to consider several features, including relative size, head shape, neck feathers and tail feathers. 

One of the first things to note when trying to tell whether a particular bird is a Cooper’s hawk or a sharp-shinned hawk is the size. Cooper’s hawks are about 6 inches bigger than sharp-shinned hawks.
A good rule of thumb is that Cooper’s hawks are similar in size to a crow, while sharp-shinned hawks are closer in size to a blue jay.
Head size can also be a telling feature of these birds as well.
The Cooper’s hawk has a more prominent head that is block-like and dome-shaped, while a sharp-shinned hawk has a smaller, more rounded head.
Still, unless you have a banana handy (for scaling purposes lol) the overall size of the bird at hand is not a great way to tell the two birds apart.

Neck feathers are another useful ID feature, although it is not always easy to get a look at the nape of a bird’s neck while out in the field.
If you can, though, check the coloring.
A sharp-shinned hawk will have the same dark grayish-blue feathers on both its head and neck, while a Cooper’s hawk’s neck feathers are lighter in color than its head feathers.

Of all the differentiators, my best advice is to check out the bird’s tail. The tail of a Cooper’s hawk is typically rounded, while a sharp-shinned hawk has tail feathers with a straight or flat edge to it.
Lastly though, when in doubt it’s great to ask our fellow big brain birders out there for their thoughts.
There is always value at asking for another perspective on a bird ID.
That’s when the opportunity to learn something new from someone else can add to our own enjoyment in the field going forward.

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

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

A Tropical Kingbird encounter in eastern NC

By Sally Siko

Along with the winter migrants arriving last month, something unexpected popped up on the NC Rare Bird Alert, a Tropical Kingbird!
I’d been birding in early November near Nags Head when I saw that the Kingbird was reported at the Mackay Island Refuge (along the state line of VA & NC).
It was just a couple hours drive north so since I was in the area (well sort of lol) I hit the road in search of the bird.



Kingbirds are one of my favorite birds to find since 99% of them seem to prefer hanging out either on power lines, wire fences or on a bare branch at the tippy top of the tallest trees.
That makes them pretty easy to spot compared to other birds so I was hopeful that I’d be able to see it without too much trouble.
As luck would have it, this Tropical Kingbird was exactly where I’d expected him to be, perched on a power line overlooking a grassy field.
Better still, the bird was not shy and allowed me plenty of opportunities to grab a few pics.
I’d never seen this species before (and usually my lifer pics suck lol) so I was stoked to actually get some good photos to confirm the ID of this rare bird.


So what makes this bird rare?
Well the Tropical Kingbird is normally found from south Texas and Arizona, down through Mexico and into Central and South America.
This particular bird was a bit off track as North Carolina is well out of its typical range.
Still, the habitat offered here at the Mackays Refuge must have felt familiar to the Kingbird as they are fond of hunting for insects in areas of open ground near ponds and marshes.
I even watched the bird dive low, skimming just above the water to get a drink or wet its feathers.
Pretty cool stuff!

If you’d like to go find this feathered gem for yourself, the Mackays Island Refuge gate should be open from 10-4pm Monday through Friday.
I’ve included a map of the exact location of the Kingbird (near the visitor center) at the end of this post.
It’s possible that the Kingbird might hang out here all winter so it might be worth a look if your in the area. Hope that you get to see it too!

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