Category Archives: The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Blog posts by the Admin of Bird watching North Carolina

Instagram Birding

a carolina wren at the carroll howard johnson enviromental park in fuquay varina, n.c.

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Went on a walk through Carroll Howard Johnson Environmental Park yesterday morning in Fuquay-Varina N.C. and found a noisy Carolina Wren along the path. I’ve never seen one with the black and white feathers displayed on their rump before. Quite striking! A little bird with a big personality, Carolina Wrens are one of the loudest birds you’ll encounter in this state. They are very common and will build their nests in just about anything ranging from garden planters, car radiators and old shoes. Photo by @sally_siko . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #Birdbehavior #bird #birds #carrollhowardjohnsonenvironmentalpark #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #carolinawren #birdsofeasternunitedstates #eastcoastbirds #eastcoastbirding #hiking #nchiking #ncoutdoors #ncnature #silvercordeventphotography #silvercordphotodaily #fuquayvarina #ncwildlifephotographer #naturelovers #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds

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Instagram Birding

how to attract summer tanagers to your yard in north carolina

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The bright red of the male Summer Tanager makes them one of the easiest birds to spot in the forests here in N.C. That and their distinctive chirping which echoes through the trees on most of the hikes that I take around the Triangle. Summer Tanagers will visit feeders that offer a peanut butter and cornmeal mix, fruit or different types of suet. Bird-friendly landscaping should include oak trees, berry bushes, and a water source, and birders should avoid trapping or spraying for the bees and wasps these birds eat. Photo by @sally_siko . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #Birdbehavior #bird #birds #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #purplemartins #birdsofeasternunitedstates #eastcoastbirds #eastcoastbirding #hiking #nchiking #ncoutdoors #ncnature #silvercordeventphotography #silvercordphotodaily #ncwildlifephotographer #naturelovers #birdwatchingnc #birdsofnorthcarolina #northcarolinabirds

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Instagram Birding

A female summer tanager in fuquay varina

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A female Summer Tanager in Fuquay-Varina N.C 🙂 These beautiful little birds are just as lovely as their male counterparts which sport bright red plumage. Tanagers are found on the edges of woods, riparian woodlands, and brushy roadsides. These birds can be attracted to backyards containing red mulberry trees. They’re also fond of eating ripe bananas, jelly and other fruits in addition to insects. Photo by @sally_siko . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #Birdbehavior #bird #birds #carrolhowardjohnsonpark #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #summertanager #birdsofeasternunitedstates #eastcoastbirds #eastcoastbirding #hiking #nchiking #ncoutdoors #ncnature #silvercordeventphotography #silvercordphotodaily #ncwildlifephotographer #naturelovers

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Instagram Birding

north Carolina’s red bird, the northern cardinal

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Cardinals are gorgeous birds! There are no less then 7 states in the United States that count them as their state birds. North Carolina is one of them 🙂 Cardinals, also called “redbirds,” do not migrate and have traditionally been more common in warmer climes such as the U.S. southeast. However, in recent decades they have expanded their common range north through the United States and even into Canada. This population growth may be due to an increase in winter birdfeeders and to the bird's ability to adapt to parks and suburban human habitats. Photo by @sally_siko . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #Birdbehavior #bird #birds #redbird #backyardbirds #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #cardinal #birdsofeasternunitedstates #eastcoastbirds #eastcoastbirding #hiking #nchiking #ncoutdoors #ncnature #silvercordeventphotography #silvercordphotodaily #ncwildlifephotographer #naturelovers

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Instagram Birding

the brown pelican

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The coast of North Carolina is home to a ton of interesting species of birds. If you hang out on the beach for just a couple of minutes you’re probably going to spot one of these lovely creatures cruising just over the ocean like a pterodactyl, lol! 🌿 The brown pelican is a large water bird with an oversized bill, long neck, webbed feet and a large, gray-brown body. Immature birds are darker than adults, appearing chocolate-brown all over. As large as they might seem, with a length of around 48 inches and a wingspan of 84 inches, brown pelicans are actually the smallest of the eight pelican species on earth. 🌿 Brown pelicans live here year-round in our coastal marine habitats and sometimes pretty chill, allowing you to get in a good photo or two before they take off. 🙂 Photo by @sally_siko . . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #bird #birds #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #atlanticbirds #brownpelican #ncshorebirds #oceanbirds #eastcoastbirds #eastcoastbirding #hiking #ncbeaches #ncoutdoors #ncnature #silvercordeventphotography #silvercordphotodaily #pelican #seabirds #ncwildlifephotographer

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Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Birding at Carroll Howard Johnson environmental park – Fuquay Varina NC

Today I went birding at the Carroll Howard Johnson environmental park in Fuquay Varina. This local patch has been reaching hot spot birding status lately so I thought I’d make the trip to check it out for myself.

I arrived at about 7:15 am and set out on the trail. My goal was to reach the open field in the middle of the park. Upon reaching the clearing, I was greeted by the sounds of birds singing and the fluttering of wings. The first bird I observed was a cheerful Carolina Wren preening himself on a branch. After watching him for a few minutes, I headed down the trail into the woods. Here I found an Oven-bird and a black-and-white Warbler.

Continuing on the path I also found a summer Tanager sneaking through the leaves of the canopy above. What a handsome bird! I was pleased to also catch a glimpse of his mate too.

Once the fog lifted and the sun came out, the heat became a little bit too much so, I decided to head back up to the parking lot. As I was leaving, I caught a glimpse of a eastern-wood- Peewee high up in a tree overlooking the field.

Driving home, I decided that that would not be my last trip to this interesting little park. Going forward, I plan to post more pictures from future trips so stay tuned for more!

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Red Tail hawk on the run

Went out for a quick hike this morning at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh and found a Swallow chasing a Red Tail hawk.

The Swallow was relentless in his pursuit. Diving and twirling in the sky, taunting the hawk to try something, lol!

Finally the hawk made it to the tree line where he disappeared into the pines. It was pretty cool to see such a small bird defend his territory against a much larger foe.

Field Notes, Instagram Birding, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A speck of blue

One of the prettiest birds we’ve got here in N.C. is the Indigo Bunting.

With these lovely blue-hued feathers, about the only place he’s got a hope in camouflage is when he’s high atop a tree against a backdrop of sky, lol! This Indigo Bunting was photographed at Yates Mill Park near Raleigh, NC. I found him easily because he was singing his heart out 🙂

Weird fact: Indigo Buntings have no blue pigment; they are actually black, but the diffraction of light through the structure of the feathers makes them appear blue. These gorgeous birds are often found in rural roadside thickets, where woodlands meet open areas. That’s exactly the kind of spot at Yates Mill where I found this one 🙂

Indigo Bunting at Yates Mill Park.