Tag Archives: bass lake park birding trip

Field Notes

Birding at Bass Lake Park – The Common Yellowthroat

Few species of Warbler are more delightful to encounter on a spring walk than the Common Yellowthroat.
I spotted this one while birding at Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs NC.
With those inquisitive dark eyes peering out against a black face mask paired with a cheerful bright yellow plumage, it’s hard not to smile when watching one go about it’s day of hunting for insects in the brush.



As their name implies, Common Yellowthroats are indeed “common”. Not only do they nest in all 100 countries of North Carolina, they actually boast a breeding range that stretches across the entire United States and even over most of Canada! This makes them one of the most abundantly found species of Warbler on the continent.
Quite a feat for such a tiny bird!

One of my favorite characteristics of these beauties is their friendly demeanor. When not actively nesting, they’re quite curious about people and will fly in close to check you out if you try pishing at them. It’s neat to get a close up look at these lovely feathered gems when the opportunity presents itself.
Look for the Common Yellowthroat in open fields and along the shorelines of marshes, ponds and streams hiding out in thickets and dense brush.
Aren’t they sweet?



Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the full frame beast of an SLR, the mighty @canonusa
#5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Northern Parulas at Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs NC

I had an excellent morning of birding while leading a guided bird watching trip to Bass Lake in Holly Springs NC.
We spotted 39 species of birds including this lovely Northern Parula Warbler as we explored the wooded shoreline of the lake.
It was wonderful to get outside while sharing good memories with people who love this stuff as much as I do!

Of all the birds we found, this male Parula was the most friendly. He was quite amicable to having his picture taken by my guests which was pretty neat!


Arriving in mid April, the Northern Parula is a summertime resident of North Carolina.
They are a fairly common in swamps, near lakes, ponds and other wetland areas but they also may be found in dry deciduous forests as well.
They’ve got a distinctive call which sounds somewhat like a zipper being pulled up lol!
Look for these tiny birds in the mid to upper canopies of the trees and listen for their call of
“Zzzzzeee-up” in the woods to find them.
They’ll stick around the Tarheel State until mid October and are well worth the time to stop and enjoy if you can take the time to get out and see them.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the full frame beast of an SLR, the mighty @canonusa
#5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Prothonotary Warblers are back at Bass Lake Park

My favorite little yellow guys are back, the Prothonotary Warblers!
I was so happy to show this sweet bird to my guests this past weekend at Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs NC.
It was super windy and a bit cold that morning so that’s why this Prothonotary’s feathers are a bit out of sorts. He looked a bit perturbed every time the wind blew as his feathers were ruffled with each gust.



With that bright gold plumage, this species is easily one of the most striking birds you’ll find in the woods.
Prothonotary Warblers are named for the bright yellow robes worn by papal clerks, known as prothonotaries, in the Roman Catholic church.
The males sport bright-yellow heads and breast, greenish-yellow back, and bluish wings. The underside of the tail is mostly white, extending onto the undertail coverts.
When spread, the bluish upperside of their tail feathers shows large white spots.
Females look very similar to the males but are dressed in overall slightly muted green tones showing in their lovely yellow plumage.
Even though this handsome male had a few feathers out of place, I think he still looked amazing!



The Prothonotary Warbler will stick around N.C. from now until August so we’ve got plenty of time left to enjoy them this year.
I’m actually headed back out to Bass Lake Park later today on another birding trip and am hoping to have another crack at photographing this gorgeous feathered gem.
Wish me luck! 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the full frame beast of an SLR, the mighty @canonusa
#5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Birdwatching News

New Weekend bird watching tour dates are now available in North Carolina for 2021

Come birding with me!
I’ve just updated the tour page on the website to include a bunch of new dates and birding locations here in North Carolina for 2021.

These trips are are geared towards birders and bird loving photographers of all skill levels and are usually a lot of fun.
Real time species ID is provided in the field with a trip goal of getting out there to see more birds in less time.
An eBird summery documenting all that we find along the way will be sent to you immediately following the tour so that you can add new birds to your own life list at your leisure too!

Check out the tour links below for more information on upcoming trips and I hope you enjoy the photos of some of my favorite birds from 2020.

Happy birding my friends and cheers to the new year ahead 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc

Bird watching tours in North Carolina
Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A belted Kingfisher at Bass lake Park

Got up early this morning and took a quick birding trip to Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs N.C. to see what I could and was rewarded with a nice view of this female Belted Kingfisher.
These birds have an uncanny ability to sense when I’m taking their photo and usually fly off with a rattling call of amusement only to land again just outside the limits of my focal range lol! Today, I got lucky 😉



A year round resident of North Carolina, Belted Kingfishers are also a familiar sight to many in the Western Hemisphere. Their breeding range stretches from Alaska, Canada and all the way down to into Florida. When winter arrives, Kingfishers in the far northern areas will migrate to the southern United States and northern South America.


They are super entertaining to watch hunt for fish. Hovering above the water, their dark brown eyes are able to see colors and shapes distinctly through the glare of sunlight sparkling on the waves and are even capable of seeing in binocular vision.
Once they zero in on a fish, they tuck their wings tightly to their sides and dive straight down into the water like a feathered missile to stab their prey.
Once the fish is secured in their bill, they’ll fly off to finish the job. Because fish are often large and wriggling (and thus difficult to eat), Kingfishers kill their prey by beating them on the ground (or their perch) to shatter the bones.
Then, they work the fish into their mouths, head first, so that they won’t get cut up by the bones or scales as they swallow it whole.
Crazy!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty full frame 50 megapixel beast of an SLR, the @canonusa
#5ds

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A female Northern Parula warbler encounter at Bass lake Park

Last week, I took a short walk around Bass Lake in Holly Springs. I’ve noticed lately that local parks in the Triangle region are becoming crowded early, often before 9am so arriving early is key if one has birding on their mind.



Luckily, I was rewarded with a great look at a female Northern Parula shortly after my feet hit the trail.
She was quite curious about my presence and actually flew close to me at times as I stood still and watched her preen and forage for insects.

Northern Parulas can be found hunting tent caterpillars, gypsy moth caterpillars, spiders, and other insects in the mid to high canopies of trees. Moving quietly through the leaves, they seem to be a bit more methodical in their foraging habits vs. the hyper ping pong ball behavior of other Warblers.



With their lovely plumage of greys, yellows and blue, the Northern Parula may be hard to see in the brush and leaves, but they are easy to hear. Just listen for a clear “zeeeeeeeeeZip”, with an abrupt end note and look up!
You may be lucky enough to see them as they hang upside down on the leaves above or as they walk up the tree trunks in the never ending search for a six or eight legged meal.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
@canonusa #5ds

Birdwatching News, Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

A yellow-rumped warbler encounter at Bass Lake Park, Holly Springs North Carolina

The Yellow-rumped Warbler is one of my favorite wintertime birds to see here in the Raleigh area of North Carolina.


They are a common sight around the lakes, ponds and bogs, flying from branch to limb searching for berries.
Yellow-rumps are one of a handful of bird species that can digest the berries of the Wax Myrtle. This is why they are often spotted in these quintessential North Carolina trees.
A small flock of hungry Yellow-rumps can strip the tree of it’s fruit within a matter of days.


They are not a flashy winter bird, often under appreciated by casual viewers.
Their winter plumage shows shades of gray from whitish to darker streaking on the flanks and breast. The lone splash of color is found on two yellow patches on the sides of the upper breast and a patch of yellow on the rump.
By mid-April the muted hues will change to a beautiful plumage of blue-gray, black and white colors. The yellows will deepen and contrast sharply against the gray and black feathers. Add a yellow patch right on top of the head and the transformation is complete from a understated winter feeder, to a stunning, spring breeder!



And then…. they leave, lol!
The destinations are their breeding ground in the western forests of the higher elevations of the Appalachians, on up into New England, and even Canada.
Then we will have to wait until October to see them again here in central N.C.
Enjoy them while you can!
🙂 Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Birdwatching News

Spring birding trips and tours in central North Carolina

https://birdwatchingnc.com/birdwatching-n-c-trips-birding-in-north-carolina

Come birding with me in central North Carolina!
My spring group tour schedule is now posted and I’m taking reservations for bird watching trips March through May.
Reserve your spot early as space is limited.

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

Bass lake Park Winter Birding : American gold finches

By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC

A few days ago, I took a short trip to Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs N.C.
I was pleased to run across a small flock of American Goldfinches there feeding in the brush along the shoreline.
They are still dressed in their full winter plumage, however you can now see a bit of that familiar yellow peeking through in their feathers.



Thistles are a favorite Goldfinch food source and nesting material, yet Sunflower seeds are another top meal choice too.
You’ve have probably noticed this too if you offer these popular seeds in your feeder.
Aside from our feeder fare, Goldfinches also eat seeds from grasses, weeds, teasel, mullein, and ragweed, along with birch and alder buds, maple sap, and berries.
Often seen hanging upside down while feeding, their uncommon agility allows them to extract seeds from any position. Their short, pointed, bills are well-suited to crack open hulls and other tough packaging.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

Come birding with me! I’ve got a few tours scheduled for Bass Lake Park in 2020. Check out the link below for trip details and available dates.

Birding Tours at Suggs Farm & Bass Lake Park