Category Archives: Field Notes

Stories, interviews and blog posts from bird watchers here in North Carolina.

Birdwatching News, Out There with the Expert

North Carolina Rare Bird Alert: A Snowy Owl encounter in the Outer Banks

Each winter, a very special sort of tourist shows up in OBX of North Carolina, the Snowy Owl!


I’d seen reports two weeks ago that the bird was back in the Nags Head & Ocracoke areas so @isaacmcshanephoto and I hit the road to see if we could find this shy high Arctic visitor.
On our first trip we spent 4 days looking but came up empty.
I’ve had this bird on my target list for years but never seem to be in the right place at the right time to see it.
Once again I’d come up a day late and a dollar short on the Snowy Owl hunt.
Sigh…

Disappointed (but not unhappy because birding in the OBX during the winter is awesome owl or no owl haha!) Issac and I agreed that we’d try again to find it whenever it popped up again in NC.
I kinda figured that would be next year but as it turned out, we didn’t have to wait that long!
In fact, we were only home for about 24 hours when another alert was shared that the owl had been spotted near Pea Island again.
So, we repacked the bags (which had just been unpacked, lol!) and headed straight back out to Nags Head to try once more.
Day after day, we searched but with no luck.
Until the very last hour before heading home that is…

Finally, after a couple hundred miles of driving over two weeks, dozens of miles on foot hiking on sand, through snow, rain, wind and biting cold temperatures, our persistence paid off yesterday as our sweeping searching of the dune trail south off of Ramp 4 at Oregon Inlet yielded our first look at this elusive owl.


It was a real rush to be able to snap off a few photos of a bird I’ve been hoping to see for years. Although the encounter was brief, I’ll never forget twisting the barrel of my lens to zoom in on the birds white head poking up from behind a tuft of grass. That moment of realization that the search was over once the owls head was in focus was exhilarating.
It was also a tremendous relief to be able to exclaim out loud to Isaac, “I got it”!
Woohooo!



Special thanks to @apexbirdluver for the heads up 😉

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved 50MP beast, the @canonusa #5Ds

Guest birder posts, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A Brown Pelican Rescue in the OBX- Talking to Birds

By: Isaac McShane

TALKING TO BIRDS – ISAAC MCSHANE

Birds may not speak like people, but they undoubtedly communicate with us, if you listen. Earlier this week Sally and I were walking along the southernmost point of Hatteras in the Outer Banks searching for the elusive Snowy Owl when we found a Pelican who had a message for us. It was a message of distress. It was a cold and blustery day. We were outfitted with heavy coats, our insulated hoods protecting our faces from the harsh wind blasting sand on anything in its path. 

A Brown Pelican flew towards us, landed a few feet away and walked right up to me. I kneeled down with open arms and welcomed him into my embrace. Sally stepped back to photograph the experience with her long lens. I am a volunteer at Skywatch Bird Rescue where I capture injured birds and bring them to the rehab center. I have caught many Pelicans, so when this little guy waddled up to me it felt natural to pick him up. He was shivering. If a person is able to easily pick up a wild bird it is a red flag that something is wrong with the animal and needs to be rescued. The search for the Snowy Owl would have to wait.

I I swung my eight pound camera around my back, cradled the bird in my arm and walked two miles through the sand storm to my car which I had left at the very end of a long sandy trail. On the drive there I followed the deep sandy ruts in my little all wheel drive Ford Escape. I was channeling my experience of all those years Jeeping off-road “goat paths” back in the hills of Kentucky, and felt relief that I had not gotten stuck with my low ground clearance and street tires. On the way out of there I put the pedal to the metal, heat on full blast, and didn’t think twice about the excitement I felt while driving down that same sandy trail.

We wrapped the Pelican in a blanket and sat him on Sally’s lap. For those who don’t know Sally, she has been rescuing birds her whole life. She went into Momma Bird mode and coddled the animal, soothed it, and completely bonded with it. I had been wearing gloves throughout the whole time, and when we got into the car and cranked up the heat I took off my gloves, felt the pouch under his lower mandible, and realized it was freezing cold. He was suffering from frostbite and starvation. Within 10 minutes his shivering stopped and he began to relax on Sally’s lap.

As we were driving I was contacting Skywatch Bird Rescue, which is four and a half hours away in Wilmington, as well as every other bird rescue center in the area. Our passenger was an immature bird and these younger fellas really struggle to survive their first few winters when the fish are scarce and the weather is harsh. Many don’t make it. All the local rescues were unable to take him…

CONTINUE READING HERE

About: Isaac McShane is a birder, travel writer and photographer based in North Carolina. To read more of Isaac’s latest adventures, see his galleries and order prints visit his website at https://isaacmcshane.com/

Follow Isaac on Instagram at @isaacmcshanephoto
Gear Review, Guest birder posts, Out There with the Expert

Sigma 600mm Contemporary vs. Sport Lens review for wildlife, nature and bird photographers

By: Isaac McShane

Sigma 600 Sport Versus Contemporary Lens

As a nature photographer, I have been using the “Sigma 600” for many years now. Specifically, I have been carrying the Sigma APO 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary as habitually as I carry my wallet, keys, and watch. I have carried it on my shoulder while kayaking hundreds of miles of wild and scenic rivers, kept it in my car whether at work or running errands, and in gale force winds on sand dunes. I love it. After many years, it began showing signs of age. The barrel became loose at the focus ring and it just didn’t perform like it used to.

I decided to contact the good folks at Lensrentals.com and rent a new Sigma 600 Contemporary as well as its big brother, the Sigma 600 Sport. (Sigma APO 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports). Currently the Sports retails for around $1,999, whereas the Contemporary is almost half the cost at $1,089. Always looking to get the edge, I had to know why the Sports is almost twice as expensive and if that extra cost is worth it. Fortunately, Lensrentals.com has a “Keeper Program”which allows you to rent their equipment and if you like it, you can buy it, at a discounted rate. 

The bottom line is that I have returned the Contemporary lens and will be calling the brute of the Sport my new baby. In the following paragraphs I will explain my experience with both, my personal opinions of why I have made this decision, the pros and cons of each lens, and a sprinkling of tech specs. This article is not intended to be a dry “tech review”, as that info is readily available to anyone who does a Google search for the comparison. I will only include specs to emphasize my reasoning. I read a lot of reviews before ordering them, but I want to relate to the reader in such a way that may help those in my similar situation.

I am a birder. I travel great distances to seek rare and elusive birds. As I write this, I am in the Nag’s Head Comfort Inn South Oceanfront nestled along the beach of the Outer Banks where I am tirelessly searching for a unicorn in the form of a Snowy Owl. I also consider myself a landscape photographer and a wildlife photographer. Last week I photoed a floofy family of Nutria feeding in a field in Ocracoke, a Possum swimming across a canal in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, a White Tailed Deer meandering across a frozen marsh illuminated by the reflection of a sunset at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, a A Bald Eagle catching catfish at Jordan Lake Dam, and rescued a frostbitten Pelican on the South Shore of Hatteras. (My next article will highlight that experience).

It is important to me to have an ultra-telephoto lens that focuses quickly, operates under a variety of lighting from dusk to dawn and everything in between, functions in harsh weather conditions from rain to ocean spray, sand blasting, extreme cold, extreme heat, and doesn’t break when my 70 pound Catahoula Leopard Hound takes a nap on it in the back seat, or a Pelican stands on it while walking 3 miles back to the car while carrying said bird and camera. Whether the Contemporary or Sport, Sigma makes an affordable and durable lens. 

I tested both lenses on a Canon 5Ds and the mirrorless Canon R5. While the 5Ds boasts an impressive 52 megapixels, the R5 features animal eye auto focus and when paired with the Sport, its auto focus is laser sharp and smooth as silk. I have to say that pairing the Sport with the R5 is my new favorite combination. You get what you pay for, and the Sport is more expensive for a reason. After many years of carrying the Contemporary, I found the Sport just has a greater range of functionality. It focuses faster, captures more detail and a greater range of color, with less lens distortion.

CONTINUE READING FULL REVIEW HERE…

About: Isaac McShane is a birder, travel writer and photographer based in North Carolina. To read more of Isaac’s latest adventures, see his galleries and order prints visit his website at https://isaacmcshane.com/

Follow Isaac on Instagram at @isaacmcshanephoto
Field Notes

The wintertime Bald Eagles are back at Jordan Lake North Carolina

Last week, I headed down to Jordan Lake in New Hill, NC to catch some Bald Eagle action. As usual, the birds did not disappoint!
Dropping out of the sky like darts, the Eagles put on an absolute clinic on how to catch the fish swimming in the icy river.
It was epic to watch them hit the water with a splash and come up with a wriggling fish. Their speed is breathtaking and for the older ones, their accuracy is astounding.

Bald Eagles use a couple of fishing techniques to fill their bellies during the winter.
Here on the Haw River, their favorite method is to perch in a tree and watch for a fish swimming in the water below, and then swoop down to capture it.
Just before they hit the water, the adult Eagles will pull their legs up into the classic C shape extending their talons in front of them to align their strike zone with the target fish below.
The immature birds are still learning this method so their legs tend to drag behind them resulting in missed strikes. With practice they’ll achieve the nearly 95% success rate that the adults enjoy.

After catching a fish the eagle will either fly back to a perching tree to eat it, or if the fish is small enough, swallow the meal whole while the bird is in flight. Occasionally, they’ll employ a second “fishing” technique by harassing one another in flight in order to get the successful hunter to lose his fish in midair.
Diving and nipping at at each other the aggressor will slam into the other bird in midair in an attempt snatch the fish from the other birds talons or in effort to get the other to drop the fish for easy pickings later.
It’s quite entertaining to watch and very interesting to note the difference between the hunting techniques of the experienced hunters vs. the newbies still learning the game.

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

Birdwatching News, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A tall tale about a Long-tailed Duck at Ft.Fisher, NC

By: Sally Siko


Recently, I headed down to southeastern NC to go birding with @isaacmcshanephoto
As the day drew to a close we saw an eBird NC rare bird report that a Long -tailed Duck had been reported in the Ft.Fisher area.
Thinking it would be epic to take some photos of the sunset while ticking this bird off our yearly lists, we arrived at the jetty just as the sky was set ablaze with color.



Walking on the rocks I spotted the familiar backlit profile of a duck in the distance floating on the basin alongside the jetty.
Peering through my 600mm lens I exclaimed, “omg Isaac, that duck has a long tail!” We picked up our pace as best we could with measured steps on the slippery algae stones. A fall here meant broken cameras or worse.
We’d stop every 40ft to hastily grab a couple photos just in case the duck got spooked.
With darkness closing in, we were in a race to get close before the light was gone.



Finally we arrived at a spot about 30ft away behind the duck who was calmly floating in the same spot.
We couldn’t believe the duck allowed us to get so close!


I whispered to Isaac that we should crouch low and walk down on the right side of the jetty to try and get on the other side of the duck to try and capture some good photos in better light.
Stealthy as jungle cats, we crept around and popped out in front of it about 20ft away.

The first thing I noticed once I finally got a good look at the duck in decent light was that unfortunately it was a Pintail, not the Long-tail Duck we’d been hoping for.


Still, Pintails are beautiful so I quickly snapped off a couple gorgeous photos of the bird while marveling at it’s lovely plumage glinting in the fading golden hour light.
Then we both noticed at the same moment that this duck wasn’t moving.
Wtf, is going on here?
Busting out laughing we realized we’d been duped big time!

Check out the photo below to see why.


Moral of this story is that even the most seasoned “professional” photographers & birders often fail (often spectacularly!) our way to the top.

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

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Wilsons Snipe in North Carolina

By: Sally Siko

Snipe hunt success!
Here’s a bird I’ve been trying to get a clear look at for a long time but with no luck.
That’s why I was so happy to finally get an opportunity to photograph these Wilson’s Snipe at the Pungo Unit in eastern NC last week.
There were several of them dotting the shoreline of a small pond and although it took about 30 minutes to finally see them out in the open, (they mostly stuck to the high grass at the waters edge) it was well worth sticking around long enough to grab a couple photos.



Measuring around 10in in length, the Wilson’s Snipe is a sneaky little bird who’s brown, black, streaked buff plumage helps them blend right into their surroundings. It’s camouflage is so good that they can disappear right before your eyes in short grass, even when standing a couple feet away.
To make matters more difficult, the Wilson’s prefer to forage for their meals in thick areas of grass. Always on the lookout for insects, small invertebrates and earthworms, they’ll plunge that long bill into the mud and use sensory pits at its distal end to locate their prey.
Luckily, they’ll venture out onto the mudflats and open shallow water areas a few feet offshore every once in a while so that we can enjoy these beauties without getting a headache from staring at the same patch of grass while scanning for movement for an hour lol!



A wintertime resident, though they are more commonly spotted in the eastern part of our state, the Wilson’s Snipe is found throughout North Carolina from the mountains to the coast.
Look for them from September through late March/early April at the densely grasses shoreline edges of fresh & slightly brackish water bogs, swamps, ponds and marshy areas.

Photos by me @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved beast, the mighty mirrorless @canonusa #R5

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

American Oystercatchers at Ft.Fisher NC

By: Sally SIko

Last week I made a trip down to the Rocks at Ft.Fisher in southeastern NC to do some birding and soak up the early morning sun.
It’s wonderful to be out here in the winter when the temperatures are mild and the biting insects are gone.
There’s plenty of birds to see too like this American Oystercatcher I found sitting on the long jetty.

I approached the bird carefully as the seaweed covered rocks were still quite slippery from the receding tide. One misstep meant a painful fall into the razor sharp oyster beds lining the sides of the rocks and a broken camera or worse.
Luckily, the Oystercatcher stayed out long enough for me to get close enough to grab a few photos and a short clip before it took off towards the shore.
Beautiful!

American Oystercatchers are a year round resident of southeastern NC with several hundred of them choosing to spend the winter in the Ft.Fisher area each winter.
Each spring, they lay their eggs in shallow depressions in the sand among large nesting colonies of Terns, Skimmers and Plovers.
Unlike it’s nesting neighbors who hunt for fish above the water and dig for shellfish and marine worms on the sandy shoreline, Oystercatchers prefer to look for it’s namesake snack in exposed sand bars and mudflats during low tides. They’ll also forage on rocks, such as those found at jetties and around bridge pilings.
Aren’t they beautiful?

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved beast, the mighty mirrorless @canonusa#R5

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Hooded Mergansers at Huntington Beach State Park, SC

Of of the most striking looking ducks we’ve got swimming around the Carolinas is the Hooded Merganser. With that huge crown of feathers at the top of their heads, these handsome birds are truly kings of the water.
I spotted this small flock last month while birding at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, SC.
It was able to get relatively close to these guys from my vantage point on the boardwalk over the marsh which was pretty neat!



Hooded Mergansers are a species species of diving duck with a somewhat unusual diet in that they do not eat much plant material. Instead they prefer to snack on small fish, crawfish, and aquatic insects.In addition, they’ve got long serrated beaks which aid in the capture and consumption of their underwater prey.
The tidal marsh habitat where I photographed these birds served as the perfect hunting grounds for the Mergansers.



Though many of us associate Mergansers as being a wintertime visitor to NC, they are known to breed in our eastern counties making them a year round resident of the Carolina’s.
Like Wood Ducks, they are cavity-nesters but unlike Wood Ducks, Mergansers often lay their eggs in other females’ nests. This is behavior is similar to the practice of Brown-headed Cowbirds, except that the ducks only lay eggs in nests of their own species.
Pretty neat, huh?

Photos by me @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved beast, the mighty mirrorless @canonusa #R5

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A Great Egret encounter at Greenfield Lake in Wilmington, NC

By: Sally Siko

Here’s a bird that is often overlooked here in North Carolina, the Great Egret.
Though they are indeed a common sight along the shores of waterways, it’s a shame to ignore these stately birds with their lovely white plumage & piercing gaze.
I spotted this one last week while birding last week on a rainy morning with @isaacmcshanephoto at Greenfield Lake in Wilmington.



Usually I try to zoom in with my photos to give you guys a close up look at the birds (as shown in the last photo of this post of one I saw at the Huntington Beach State Park) but I just loved the hauntingly beautiful portrait opportunity that this scene presented me with. The fog, cold rain, and a Spanish moss draped cypress tree offered combined with this handsome Egret sitting there overlooking his domain just made me stop and appreciate just how beautiful this moment was.



Great Egrets are a year round resident of NC and as I mentioned, they are commonly found along the edges of lakes, rivers, ponds and marshes in both fresh & brackish water areas.
They’re expert hunters, always on the lookout for a meal in the mud or swimming at their feet.
They’ll slowly stalk the shoreline, barely making a ripple as the walk. When the Egret spies it’s prey, they’ll freeze motionless except for their heads which they will wobble ever so slightly from side to side.
Though no clear reason has been shown as to why they shake their heads, researchers believe that the motion may attract prey or serve to confuse since it would be difficult for a fish or frog to figure out exactly where the Egrets head is when looking up at it from beneath the water.
Pretty cool, huh?
🙂

Photos by me @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved beast, the mighty mirrorless @canonusa #R5

Guest birder posts, Instagram Birding

Birding in the OBX is better with friends

READ ISAAC MCSHANES FULL ARTICLE AT THE LINK BELOW

THE NO PANTS BIRDING TEAM BEGINS