Tag Archives: backyard birdwatching north carolina

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

Wintertime birdwatching House Finches in North Carolina

I photographed this pair of House Finches few days ago in my own yard as they searched for a snack. The first two photos are of the female, the second two are of the male.


It’s easy to tell the differences between the two by their plumage.
Male House Finches have purplish red feathers on their faces, heads and necks while females are a colored in subdued buff tones with brown streaking on their breast’s and sides.

A familiar sight at backyard feeders here in North Carolina, the House Finch is one of the most well-established invasive species in the eastern United States. Originally native to only the western U.S. and Mexico, it has spread rapidly through the east since a small number of illegally caged birds were released by a pet store in New York in 1940.
House Finches prefer to dine on seeds, buds and fruit throughout the year. At our feeders, they prefer thistle, sunflower and safflower seeds.
Such a pretty sight on a winters day!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

Field Notes

Backyard Chipping sparrow

It’s been a grey rainy day in central N.C.
Not the best weather for getting outdoors to go birding, but fine enough for the Chipping Sparrows to raid my feeders.
This little one made several trips to my yard throughout the morning looking food.
They are a common sight here in the Raleigh area, especially during the winter months when they come out of the woods and into our yards in search of an easy meal.



These delightful little sparrows are found in a wide variety of open woodland habitats in both their winter and breeding ranges.
This is somewhat of an unusual trait as most sparrows which are found mainly in grassy fields.


Chipping Sparrows also have earned a reputation of being somewhat tame, as they’ve moved into the suburbs and city’s, they have become acclimated to the company of their human neighbors.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

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Yates Mill Park Yellow-rumped Warbler

I found aYellow -rumped Warblera few weeks ago perched in a tree at Yates Mill Park during the CBC 2019 in Raleigh, N.C. It was drizzling outside but this pretty little bird did not seem to mind. It obliged me the time to take several pics before flying off to join the rest of the flock.



Between November through March, Yellow-rumped Warblers are one of the most common species of warblers found in North Carolina. Unlike other warblers, they can withstand the cold weather and can be found in our state throughout the winter months.
But how can this be? Insect are scarce around here in the wintertime. The answer is their unique digestive system.
Unlike most of their species, Yellow-rumped Warblers are able to digest a wide range of fruits in addition to insects. Bayberry and wax myrtle are favorites along with juniper and dogwood berries.
They also are a familiar sight at backyard feeders, visiting to devour sunflower seeds and suet.
Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

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

Tufted Titmouse in Fuquay varina, N.C.

I spotted this Tufted Titmouse hanging out on a sunny branch yesterday afternoon in Fuquay Varina. Of course, there is a Chickadee close by as these sweet little birds rarely seem to go anywhere without their masked relatives.

A familiar sight at backyard feeders here in North Carolina, Tufted Titmice feed on insects and seeds. They search for food on trees and can be seen on trunks and limbs looking for insects in the crevices of the bark. They also forage on the ground.
Throughout the year, their preferred foraging locations can change. In summer months they can be found foraging in the high canopy’s of tall trees, while in winter they can be spotted on trunks and in bushes more often.

During the wintertime, Tufted Titmice often travel in mixed flocks with Chickadees, Sparrows, Nuthatches, and Juncos. This behavior gives them the advantages of safety in numbers and the added bonus of having another species locate the food for them.
That being said, even during the summer, I can’t remember the last time I saw a Titmouse that wasn’t traveling with at least a couple of Chickadees in its entourage.

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

Dealing with Bully Hummingbirds

The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are still out in force at the sugar feeder bar in my yard.
This young one has been at it all day chasing away others like an angry bee.
These little birds are fearless, haha!

The old way to deal with aggressive hummingbirds was to separate single feeders from each other.
The problem is that by placing individual feeders in separate areas, you may be encouraging more bullies to claim their local territories.


Today, the solution to real hummingbird harmony is to add more hummingbird feeders to your collection and place them in clusters around your property.


By creating more feeding zones made up of two or more feeders, (ideally some of which should be out of sight of the others), a single dominant hummingbird cannot defend a particular feeder.


Now all can feed without too much stress. Maybe they’ll sit still enough for a portrait more often, lol!

Photo 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 .