Tag Archives: backyard birding nc

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A northern Cardinal in Fuquay Varina N.C.

By: Sally Siko, Admin-Birdwatching NC

Found a male Northern Cardinal all poofed up in my yard yesterday morning.
With the recent bit of cooler weather that’s made it into the Raleigh area of central NC, I’ve noticed an uptick to the number of birds at my feeders.

Northern Cardinal


The Cardinals usually appear early in the morning or late in the afternoon just before sunset. Makes me wonder if they know how bright their plumage is so they only come out into the open at dawn or dusk to avoid predators.
Such handsome birds, worth getting up a little early to enjoy!
Photo by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

Photos and video captured with my mighty Canon 5DS. If you are interested in getting shots like these with this 50 MP beast of a camera, please check out the link below to Canon USA.

Birdwatching NC is sponsored by Canon USA and I am proud to be a Canon shooter. After 13 years of trusting my professional photography business to Canon’s line of products, I cannot recommend this company strongly enough. If you have have any questions about my gear, shoot me a message!

Birdwatching NC is also sponsored by Zenfolio. Zenfolio is a photography website gallery and hosting company. I’ve been using Zenfolio to show and sell my images for over a decade and actually recommend this company to other photographers over WordPress!

You can check out Zenfolio for free by clicking the link below.

With custom galleries, online storage, the ability to sell prints and digital downloads, a powerful blog with seamless SEO tools, Zenfolio provides everything a professional photographer would need to run their photography business online.

Lastly, in addition to running things around here at Birdwatching NC, plus operating a North Carolina outdoor wedding photography company, I also provide website SEO and building services for photographers who need a solution to showing and selling their work online through my company Websites for Photographers. In a nutshell, I design kickass websites on the Zenfolio platform built from the ground up with a sound foundation of SEO principles in place so that my clients get found by more customers on the web.

I also provide SEO services and site audits for existing Zenfolio users to fix search engine indexing problems fast.

If you are a wildlife or bird photographer who is in need of a solid website please check out my company Websites for Photographers by clicking the photo link below.

Custom website design and SEO for Zenfolio users https://websitesforphotographers.zenfolio.com/
Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Eastern Bluebirds in Fuquay Varina, N.C.

By: Sally Siko, Admin-Birdwatching NC

At home today and decided to take a few minutes to spend some time out in my backyard.
This spring a pair of Eastern Bluebirds are considering the move into one of the bird houses on my property.
They took turns peering inside and landing on the roof to survey the view.


At one point, the male landed right next to me which allowed for the capture of the first photo in this post 🙂

The breeding season for these birds begins in April and will go through July, although a couple of weeks on either side is possible.
After the nest is built within the birdhouse, the female lays between 3-6 pale blue eggs.
Incubation will last up to 16 days and the chicks will leave the nest within 15 to 20 days from hatching.
I’m hoping to see this life cycle play out in my yard this summer and will post updates as they occur.
Nice to have such interesting neighbors!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

Photos and video captured with my mighty Canon 5DS. If you are interested in getting shots like these with this 50 MP beast of a camera, please check out the link below to Canon USA.

Birdwatching NC is sponsored by Canon USA and I am proud to be a Canon shooter. After 13 years of trusting my professional photography business to Canon’s line of products, I cannot recommend this company strongly enough. If you have have any questions about my gear, shoot me a message!

Birdwatching NC is also sponsored by Zenfolio. Zenfolio is a photography website gallery and hosting company. I’ve been using Zenfolio to show and sell my images for over a decade and actually recommend this company to other photographers over WordPress!

You can check out Zenfolio for free by clicking the link below.

With custom galleries, online storage, the ability to sell prints and digital downloads, a powerful blog with seamless SEO tools, Zenfolio provides everything a professional photographer would need to run their photography business online.

Lastly, in addition to running things around here at Birdwatching NC, plus operating a North Carolina outdoor wedding photography company, I also provide website SEO and building services for photographers who need a solution to showing and selling their work online through my company Websites for Photographers. In a nutshell, I design kickass websites on the Zenfolio platform built from the ground up with a sound foundation of SEO principles in place so that my clients get found by more customers on the web.

I also provide SEO services and site audits for existing Zenfolio users to fix search engine indexing problems fast.

If you are a wildlife or bird photographer who is in need of a solid website please check out my company Websites for Photographers by clicking the photo link below.

Custom website design and SEO for Zenfolio users https://websitesforphotographers.zenfolio.com/
Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

A Northern Mocking bird at Yates Mill Park, Raleigh N.C.

By: Sally Siko

Northern mockingbirds are notoriously chatty!
Starting just before dawn, their vocal performances can stretch on into the night hours. They are renowned as skilled copycats, often mimicking other birds and can even replicate sounds such as those of ringing cell phones, human whistling and car alarms.
Male northern mockingbirds without mates are particularly noisy. An adult male mockingbird can emit up to 200 distinctive notes.
In addition, Mockingbirds do indeed have songs of their own included on their playlists. Their repertoire includes incorporating melodies of their own creation that are not directly taken from other avian species.



Although they are quite common here in Raleigh NC, I couldn’t resist grabbing a few portraits of this one at Yates Mill Park today.
This one was acting a bit peculiar as he was sitting quietly in a bush, not worrying one bit about me as I took a few photos of him from just a few steps away.
He didn’t seem stressed or sick, just quiet and relaxed. Usually these birds fly away when I approach them with my cameras in hand.
It was cool to get a good look at this handsome one up close 🙂 Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

Early morning Cardinal observation in North Carolina

By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC

I know they are a common bird here in central North Carolina but I cannot help but smile and grab my camera when ever I see a Northern Cardinal.


I especially love to photograph them in the wintertime on dark rainy days. Somehow I think they just look even better in seemingly “adverse” weather related photography conditions.
That crimson plumage just pops in this dim silver light 🙂 I’ve noticed that the Cardinals around here tend to come out of the woods along my property line just before sunrise and again at sunset to visit my feeders. During the rest of the day, they tend to stay in the forest.
The exception being on rainy days where they appear out in the open all day long.
Have any of you out there ever noticed this behavior?
Let me know in the comments below.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

Field Notes, Instagram Birding

Big flock of common Grackles in Fuquay Varina, N.C.

By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC

View this post on Instagram

Sound on 🙂 A ton of migrating Common Grackles here in Fuquay Varina NC this morning! Took this clip a moment ago. Common Grackles migrate from the far-northern U.S., Canada, and the Great Plains to winter in the central and southern U.S. including right here in N.C. Always a cool sight to hear & see so many in one large flock! Video by @sally_siko of @birdwatchingnc on an iPhone . . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #birdwatchers #bird #birds #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #shotoniphone #ncoutdoors #ncnature #canonwildlife #ncwildlifephotographer #northcarolinabirding #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds #audubonsociety #birdoftheday #naturesbestphotomagazine #earthfocus #commongrackle #grackles #autumnmigration #autumnmigration2019

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Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

A backyard favorite: the Carolina Chickadee

Carolina Chickadees are my constant companion in the woods.
Chirping their familiar calls, they always seem to make an appearance along every trail I’ve hiked here in North Carolina.
Often traveling with a Titmouse entourage, these energetic little birds have adapted well to a human’s presence and are commonly found dining at feeders in suburban backyards and parks.

Carolina Chickadees feed on insects, fruits, berries, seeds, and nuts.  During the summer, their diet consists mostly of insects, while in the winter they switch to eating mostly berries and seeds.
These small birds forage by moving quickly in and out of the foliage of trees, making quick flights as they search for insects and other food items.  They’ll even try to capture insects in mid-air, by hovering as they glean insects from the mid to upper canopy.

The Carolina Chickadee is a year round resident of North Carolina U.S.
They are similar looking to their northern cousin, the Black-capped Chickadee. The main visual difference in the species is that the Carolina species lacks white coloring in their wings and tends to have a shorter tail.
Another clue is the region in where your seeing them. The Carolina Chickadee may be found throughout most of the southeastern United States, while the Black-capped Chickadee is found further north.

Photo by @sally_siko
Canon 5Ds

Birdwatching News, Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

The bounty of Fall webworms for songbirds in North Carolina

Autumn has arrived here in N.C.
With the shedding of leaves revealing a thinning of the mid/upper canopy, you may have noticed an uptick in large web masses appearing in the trees.
These mass webbings at the end of tree branches are the work of Fall webworms.
Tons of tiny, hairy caterpillars inhabit these webs have been somewhat camouflaged for a few months until the days arrive when the leaves fall away.

The Fall webworm feeds and builds their silken masses on nearly 90 species of deciduous trees like, hickory (like this one), walnut, birch, pecan, cherry, and crabapple.
Not the kind of species one wants appearing in their yard or local patch.
These masses may be removed by simplypulling down webs that are within reach with a stick or pole. Once on the ground, exposing the torn webbing provides a caterpillar feast for birds and other animals looking for an easy autumn meal.



This particular Fall webworm mass hangs at on the outer limb of a Hickory tree in my yard. At a height of almost 30 feet, it’s just out of range for my limb removing pole.
Thus, it remains.

Happily, the local birds have discovered its presence and have been snacking on it’s tenants for about 2 weeks.
The Titmice and Carolina Wrens have torn a hole in it so now they’re able to pick through the webbing from the inside.
I photographed this Tufted-Titmouse peeking out from inside the web yesterday morning while I sipped coffee.

A Tufted-Titmouse peeks out from inside the Fall Webworm nest



It’s not the prettiest #birdphoto but I think it’s interesting to learn about how the changing of the season impacts the habitat, life cycle and behaviors of the various species of life found in my yard.
Plus, that sweet little Titmouse face peering out from the web is kinda cute.
🙂 Photo by @sally_siko
Canon 5Ds

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

Dark- eyed Juncos have returned to central North Carolina

The Dark-eyed Juncos have arrived in central N.C. !
It’s funny because I was just lamenting this morning on the fact that I haven’t seen any yet despite the recent cold front that has moved through.
Then this afternoon, a pair of them showed up on my property tagging along with a flock of Song Sparrows.
In my world, the first Junco sighting means that winter will soon be here.
So happy to see them again 🙂


If you’re unfamiliar with these lovely birds, Dark-eyed Juncos are pretty easy to identify. Males are mostly dark slate gray colored on their back, wings, and head, with a clean white belly. Females will usually have a mix of brown tones blending with the gray.


They are a common sight at backyard feeders across North Carolina in the cooler months. They are easy enough to attract with a good seed mix.
Some of their favorite foods include Black Oil Sunflower Seeds, Hulled Sunflower Seeds, Safflower, Nyjer, Cracked Corn, Peanut Hearts, Millet, Oats, and Milo.


Dark-eyed Juncos will spend their winters here until returning to our northern states in the spring for breeding season. There are even small populations of permanent resident Juncos in the mountains of western N.C!
I say, if you are lucky enough to have Juncos all year round, how do you know that wintertime is coming?!

Photos by @sally_siko
Canon 5Ds

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

Why do hummingbirds stretch?

Have you ever watched a Ruby-throated Hummingbird stretch before?
Yes, they are elegant little gems but check out all of the photographs see what they look like in all of their awkward glory, lol!
From floof, to zoot, to sleek in just seconds, haha!

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird boasts an average 55 wing beats per second. That’s pretty fast right?!
However, during mating season, males will fly back and forth in front of the female with a wing beat rate of up to 200 per second during courtship displays.
These tiny birds even hold a Guinness record for its speed, which is probably why taking the time to stretch their incredible muscles is so important 😉

Photo by @sally_siko .

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A common-rarity: the Northern Cardinal of N.C.

the Northern Cardinal is familiar sight at feeders for most of us east of the Rockies. Our state bird handsome bird is a cheerful sight on a rainy afternoon.
Did you know that the Northern Cardinal has even been spotted farther west in places like Southern California, Arizona and Hawaii?
Just a reminder that there are many species of birds that we might consider “common” in our own yards. Yet, they are a rarity and a very precious find in the eyes of others.
🌿
What “common” species do you still enjoy seeing frequently?
Are there any “common” species out of your home area that you wish you could see more often?
Mine are Stellers Jay’s and Magpies.
Only had the opportunity to photograph them once when visiting Colorado a few years ago.
🙂
Photo by @sally_siko .