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

A Brown Thatcher at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh

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Another 3D bird photo taken with my Canon 5DS 🙂 So, my day job as an event photographer is pretty cool! I specialize in capturing outdoor weddings which means that I’ve got the opportunity to travel all over North Carolina to spend time with like-minded nature loving couples in gorgeous natural settings. A nice side bonus is that once I finish photographing each wedding, I’ve sometimes got the time to do a little birding at the venues. A win-win in my book! I spotted this Brown Thatcher recently while at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh after photographing a small ceremony in the Klein White Garden. He and his mate were hunting for bugs in the underbrush and I was lucky to catch a glimpse of him when he stepped out into the sunlight for a few seconds. Have you ever noticed that Thrashers have a Mockingbird – like vibe to them. They’ve got a similar shape and a certain fierce look about themselves. This is because they share spots in the Mimidae family, a talented group of mimickers. In fact, the Brown Thrasher boasts the widest repertoire of songs in the U.S. Photo by @sally_siko . . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #Birdbehavior #bird #birds #yatesmillpark #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #brownthrasher #birdsin3D #canon5DS #eastcoastbirding #3dphotos #nchiking #ncoutdoors #ncnature #silvercordeventphotography #silvercordphotodaily #ncwildlifephotographer #naturelovers #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds

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Instagram Birding

Watching Ospreys at jordan lake park, new hill n.C.

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Early in the morning and I’m out at Jordan Lake watching Ospreys hunting for fish. These raptors are impressive to observe in predator mode. They will soar above the water until they spy their prey, hover for a second or two and then dive straight down like an arrow into the water. Much of the time they appear to be successful, like this one which flew right over my head with a fish in his talons as I stood on top of the dam. 🌿 I’ve noticed that most other hawks and falcons appear to have their talons arranged in a static pattern: three in the front, and one angled towards the back. But ospreys, have a unique configuration that lets them slide their toes back and forth, so they can create a two-and-two configuration. This helps them more firmly grip a slippery fish as they fly through the air. It also seems like they frequently turn the fish to a position parallel to their flying direction, for aerodynamic purposes. Photo by @sally_siko . . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #Birdbehavior #bird #birds #yatesmillpark #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #purplemartins #birdsofeasternunitedstates #eastcoastbirds #eastcoastbirding #hiking #nchiking #ncoutdoors #ncnature #silvercordeventphotography #silvercordphotodaily #ncwildlifephotographer #naturelovers #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds

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Instagram Birding, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Barn swallows at Bass Lake Park, in Holly Springs N.C.

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A great place to go birdwatching in the Triangle is Bass Lake Park, in Holly Springs N.C. There’s plenty of wildlife here and tons of different bird species to be found in a small area. One of my favorites is the Barn Swallow which builds its cup shaped mud nests in the eves of the visitors center at the lake. I photographed this little one sitting on the railing overlooking the water. Barn Swallows are a common sight here in N.C. swooping over fields and water on the never ending hunt for insects. They will stick around here until late September or early October when they’ll form a flock and then migrate south for the winter. Canon 5DS Photo by @sally_siko . . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #barnswallows #bird #birds #basslakepark #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #barnswallow #birdsofeasternunitedstates #eastcoastbirds #eastcoastbirding #hiking #nchiking #ncoutdoors #ncnature #silvercordeventphotography #silvercordphotodaily #ncwildlifephotographer #naturelovers #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds

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A once in a lifetime experience, North Carolina bird conservation with Adam Betuel

Check out this months featured tour guide, Adam Betuel of Teal Birding’s story of how a summer studying Purple Martins in Manteo, N.C. kick started his ornithological career.
Here’s an excerpt from the blog post titled “Fledging on Roanoke Island“….
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“My work schedule had me at the roost at dawn and dusk but most of the rest of my days were free to explore. I became very familiar with Pea Island, Alligator River, and the local bird watching store. Life birds flooded in for this Midwestern boy ranging from Red-cockaded Woodpeckers to Brown-headed Nuthatches and Piping Plovers.
A day spent on the ocean with the famous Brian Patterson was a true highlight and I think internally it convinced me that I had reached full bird nerd status. I made great friends with local birders, the family that hosted me, and colleagues that allowed me to spend lazy evenings with them out in Columbia under their martin gourds. It was an experience of a lifetime. “
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In addition to serving as the Conservation director of the Atlanta Audubon Society, Adam Betuel is also the President of Teal Birding Tours.
If you’re searching for someone to deliver your own birding experience of a lifetime, contact Adam to find out more about his upcoming trips. (He’s got one coming up soon in Paraguay!!!)

When you get back home share your awesome photos with us!

Continue reading about Adam’s adventures in Manteo, North Carolina here….

Instagram Birding

a great photo of a wood duck at harris lake park in new hill, n.c.

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Few birds in North Carolina rival the stunning plumage of the Wood Duck. I’ve spent years trying to photograph one in good lighting and was stoked when I finally got the opportunity to do so at Harris Lake Park in New Hill, NC. Love the details that the Canon 5DS can capture, even from 50 feet away! 🌿 The Wood Duck occurs statewide in the breeding season, the only waterfowl with a native, "non-feral" population that breeds in all counties. Numbers seem to have been on the slow increase, owing to an increase in Wood Duck nest boxes erected for the birds and to an increase in beaver ponds, a primary habitat. The species nests in cavities in dead trees, nest boxes, and knotholes, at wooded or semi-wooded fresh water ponds, lakes, and larger streams. Photo by @sally_siko . . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #woodducksofinstagram #bird #birds #harrislakepark #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #woodduck #birdsofeasternunitedstates #eastcoastbirds #eastcoastbirding #hiking #nchiking #ncoutdoors #ncnature #silvercordeventphotography #silvercordphotodaily #ncwildlifephotographer #naturelovers #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds

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The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

3d bird photography- spotted sandpiper at yates mill park in raleigh

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One of the things I love about photographing birds is finding ways to deliver unique perspectives using new technology. My latest obsession is creating 3D photos of the pics I’m taking with my Canon 5DS. It’s a neat way to share my passion for the outdoors with others. This is a Spotted Sandpiper. I found him hunting for prey at the top of the waterfall at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh, NC. The Spotted Sandpiper is one of the most widespread shorebirds occurring during migration across the state, appearing along the shorelines of many or most ponds and lakes at one time or another. Unlike most others, they are not restricted to mudflats of large lakes in which to forage, but they can "make do" along the shores of small ponds, pools, lakes, river or creek sandbars, sewage ponds, and the like, even along tidal shores. That being said, I had no idea that they occurred so far inland until I found this one 🙂 Photo by @sally_siko . . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #Birdbehavior #bird #birds #yatesmillpark #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #spottedsandpiper #3d #3dpicture #birdsofeasternunitedstates #ncbirdingtrail #eastcoastbirding #hiking #nchiking #ncoutdoors #ncnature #silvercordeventphotography #silvercordphotodaily #ncwildlifephotographer #yatesmillpark #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds

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Instagram Birding

watching the crows at jordan lake

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A few hours after sunrise, I watched two American Crows having a chat by the water at Jordan Lake. Their calls were low, garbled and barely audible in the breeze. Crows are extremely intelligent birds. They are known for their problem-solving skills and advanced communication abilities. In fact, research has shown that they can even remember individual human faces. Knowing this made me wonder what they were saying about me as I took this photo, lol! Photo by @sally_siko . . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #Birdbehavior #bird #birds #jordanlake #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #americancrows #birdsofeasternunitedstates #eastcoastbirds #eastcoastbirding #hiking #nchiking #ncoutdoors #ncnature #silvercordeventphotography #silvercordphotodaily #ncwildlifephotographer #naturelovers #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds

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Instagram Birding

identifying a black and white warbler at bass lake park, holly springs n.c.

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Usually Warblers tend to be a little shy when I’m out hiking. This one was not worried one little bit by my presence in the woods. He followed silently for several hundred feet and allowed me to photograph him without so much as a chirp of concern 🙂 Black and White Warblers are surprisingly common here in North Carolina and are easily identifiable dressed with those bold black & white stripes. Black-and-white Warblers crawl along tree trunks and thick limbs as they probe methodically between bark fibers for grubs and insects. Unlike Brown Creepers, which tend to move up a tree as they feed, or nuthatches, which typically move downward, this warbler moves in every direction. Photo by @sally_siko . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #Birdbehavior #bird #birds #warbler #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #blackandwhitewarbler #birdsofeasternunitedstates #eastcoastbirds #eastcoastbirding #hiking #nchiking #ncoutdoors #ncnature #silvercordeventphotography #silvercordphotodaily #ncwildlifephotographer #naturelovers #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds

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Field Notes, Instagram Birding, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

welcome to bird watching nc

Welcome to North Carolina’s home for birding in the Tarheel state! Click on the menu above to explore all of the cool resources found here on this website site such as news, touring information, North Carolina bird watching clubs, species ID and more.

Bird watching in North Carolina
We are dedicated to sharing our experiences, photos, and knowledge gained from spending time out in the field with the birds of North Carolina. A great place to hang out and connect with your fellow birdnerds here in the Tarheel state.

Bird watching in North Carolina, we are the place for birders to get together and learn more about our feathered freinds..

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