The best part about wintertime in North Carolina is the arrival of interesting waterfowl to our state. Two such gems are these handsome Redhead and Canvasback ducks. They are incredibly beautiful creatures and I’m always excited to see them whenever I travel to eastern NC. Though at first glance the two species may look similar to one another, there are ways that you can tell them apart, even at a great distance.
The Redhead drake featured in the first 2 photos has a blueish bill with a black tip, an orangey yellowish eye, and more rounded “traditional duck” head profile. The most distinctive ID point when viewed from far away is their gray back.
The Canvasback drake featured in the photos below have a black bill, ruby colored red eyes, and a unique triangular head profile. You can ID them easily from way across the water by their bright white backs.
From November through late March/early April, Redheads and Canvasbacks can be spotted paddling around in the shallow bays and marshes foraging for a an underwater snack of stems, seeds, and roots of aquatic plants: shoalgrass, pondweeds, and sedges at many of our coastal wildlife refuges. There is plenty of time left for you to go see them this winter so get out there if you can!
By the way, I’ve added 80 new birding tour dates to my schedule so if you’d like to join me out there to see these beautiful ducks for yourself check the link in bio for details & booking info!
Pleased to get a nice look at a Swamp Sparrow last month while birding in eastern NC. I’d been cruising the gravel roads at a refuge, slow rolling with my windows down listening for birds hiding in the woods which lined the roadside. It didn’t take long before I heard the familiar calls of Swamp Sparrows so I pulled over and walked over to the scrubby trees to get a better look. Happily one popped out from the tangled brush which gave me the perfect opportunity to grab a few pics.
Although Swamp Sparrows are a relatively common find during the winter in North Carolina, they are a bit shy and tend to forage in muddy/ marsh areas which can be difficult to access at times. Indeed as their name implies they can be found in swamps, bogs, wet fields and near ponds with brushy shorelines. Their diet consists of seeds, small berries, and aquatic invertebrates. They’ve got unusually long legs (for a sparrow) which allows them to hunt for insects in shallow water.
Swamp Sparrows breed in eastern Canada and throughout the north/ north eastern regions of the United States. Each autumn, they flock together moving south into the mid Atlantic and southeastern United States including right here in North Carolina to spend the winter in warmer locals. With a local range stretching from the mountains to the coast, they are generally found more frequently in the eastern half of the Tarheel State from now through late April or early May. This means there’s still plenty of time for you to see one this year 😉
Pleased to spot both Coopers and Sharp-shinned Hawks while birding in the Raleigh NC area last month!
Coopers Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Whenever I happen to photograph either species I’m faced with the conundrum of figuring out which bird is in my viewfinder. Because of the similarities in plumage between the two, there’s no single characteristic that can easily be used to distinguish between them. Instead I do my best to consider several features, including relative size, head shape, neck feathers and tail feathers.
One of the first things to note when trying to tell whether a particular bird is a Cooper’s hawk or a sharp-shinned hawk is the size. Cooper’s hawks are about 6 inches bigger than sharp-shinned hawks. A good rule of thumb is that Cooper’s hawks are similar in size to a crow, while sharp-shinned hawks are closer in size to a blue jay. Head size can also be a telling feature of these birds as well. The Cooper’s hawk has a more prominent head that is block-like and dome-shaped, while a sharp-shinned hawk has a smaller, more rounded head. Still, unless you have a banana handy (for scaling purposes lol) the overall size of the bird at hand is not a great way to tell the two birds apart.
Neck feathers are another useful ID feature, although it is not always easy to get a look at the nape of a bird’s neck while out in the field. If you can, though, check the coloring. A sharp-shinned hawk will have the same dark grayish-blue feathers on both its head and neck, while a Cooper’s hawk’s neck feathers are lighter in color than its head feathers.
Of all the differentiators, my best advice is to check out the bird’s tail. The tail of a Cooper’s hawk is typically rounded, while a sharp-shinned hawk has tail feathers with a straight or flat edge to it. Lastly though, when in doubt it’s great to ask our fellow big brain birders out there for their thoughts. There is always value at asking for another perspective on a bird ID. That’s when the opportunity to learn something new from someone else can add to our own enjoyment in the field going forward.
Autumn migration was amazing! This was my sentiment when I spotted a Blackpoll Warbler while birding back in October at Lake Lynn in Raleigh NC. I hadn’t seen this species in 2023 so I was absolutely elated to catch a glimpse of this sweet little bird while it searched for a snack in the brush.
Male Blackpoll Warblers can be tough to ID when not in their familiar black and white breeding plumage. As seen here dressed in autumn drab colors, they resemble the females and are often confused with Bay-breasted and Pine Warblers. My go-to ID point are the Blackpoll’s orange feet paired with black legs since both Bay’s and Pines have dark grey feet. This makes it a little easier to figure what I’m looking at when trying to squint out a good look through the leaves.
Blackpoll Warblers nest across northern Canada and into Alaska. They are considered a transient visitor to the Tarheel State, only passing through during the migratory periods of spring and fall. They’ll return to North Carolina in April so you’ll have another opportunity to catch a look then.
Had an excellent morning of birding at Lake Lynn in Raleigh NC this past October. I arrived around 8:30am to find a nice mixed flock of migrating Warblers flitting through the trees. It was so much fun to try and catch a few shots as the tiny birds fluttered around, gleaning unseen insects from the sunlit leaves. Admittedly it’s a real challenge to photograph these energetic birds. They move so quickly in and out of the harsh light and into the dim shadows that even coming home with a dozen use-able shots feels like a win.
One of the species I was most pleased to see was this Tennessee Warbler. Since I’d missed out on ticking one off my list earlier this spring, it was great to finally lay eyes on the bird for the year. Happily this Tennessee was quite cooperative allowing myself and about a half dozen other photographers some great opportunities for nice shots.
So cool!
With that tiny pointed beak and diminutive size, Tennessee’s sort of remind me of Blue-winged Warblers which makes sense since they are closely related. In fact they were once lumped under the same genus as Blue and Golden winged Warblers until 2010. In addition to similar appearance, they behave in a similar way as well. All three species tend to forage in similar habitats of the mid to high canopies of hardwood forests while making their way through NC. This means catching a look at eye level at one of these feathered gems a special treat indeed.
If you’d like to find one for yourself, October is the best time to get out there since the Tennessee Warbler is a transient species only found in North Carolina during the spring and autumn months. Look for them again next year from late Apr to mid-May.
North Carolina is home to several species of beautiful woodpeckers. Of all of them my very favorite is the Red-headed. I spotted this handsome fellow while Birding at the Weymouth Wood Sandhills preserve this past weekend near Pinehurst NC.
My friends and I enjoyed several minutes watching the bird fly from limb to limb burrowing into the wood for insects in between stops to grab a sunflower seed or two from a nearby feeder or hunting for a six legged snack in the pine needles below. It was really cool to catch a few decent pics of this handsome species. His bright crimson head was shining like a stoplight in the late morning sun. Just gorgeous!
Red headed Woodpeckers are a year round resident of North Carolina and are found across the state from the mountains to the coast. During the spring through early autumn, they’re best spotted in stands of longleaf pines or in open wetland areas containing tall, dead trees. The pine woods here at the WWSP is the perfect habitat to find them. Once winter arrives, the forest dwelling Red- heads move away from the pines and into the marshy/ swamp areas to spend the cooler months searching for a meal in stands of water logged dead trees.
The Red-headed Woodpecker may also be a regular visitor to your backyard feeder too. To attract them, offer a variety of fruit and nut based suets as well as black oil sunflower seeds at your feeding station. Though they are somewhat shyer than other species of woodpeckers (like Downys or Red-belly’s, if you’re consistent with keeping your feeders filled you’ll likely get to enjoy these lovely birds throughout the year.
Birders and bird loving photographers of all skill levels are invited to join me, Sally Siko as we explore the trails, woods, fields and shorelines of the United States in search of interesting birds. From North Carolina and beyond, there are plenty of great species to get out and enjoy throughout the year.
In addition to local trips here in the Triangle, new birding tour dates and locations in coastal Maine, coastal New Jersey, eastern North Carolina and eastern South Carolina have been added to my 2023 & 2024 calendar. Click on the dates marked in green in the box below for more information.
Book today as space is limited on these small group tours, Gift Cards are on sale too!
Behold the cutest little bird in North Carolina, the Semipalmated Plover! I spotted this tiny feathered gem while birding in eastern NC last week. The bird was moving in and out of a flock of resting Marbled Godwits, pecking and scratching in the mud in search of a snack. It was fun to try and get a couple photos of the Plover as it scrambled around between the larger birds. Eventually it popped out of the flock and into the open which allowed me a few seconds to snap off some shots.
But what does “Semipalmated” even mean? Well, it refers to the fact that they’ve got partially webbed feet. I know it’s tough to see their toes in this photo but this webbing allows the birds to move about quickly in the shallow channels and puddles of water on the mudflats. These tiny feathered dynamos are most often spotted in tidal marshes and beaches hunting for a meal in the mud and sand. Small birds with big appetites, they’re voracious eaters of insects and worms but will also gulp down small crustaceans and mollusks.
Though Semipalmated Plovers breed in the Arctic tundra, they are a semi-common sight in coastal areas of North Carolina during the spring and autumn. A few even spend the winter here in our southeastern coastal counties so it’s well worth keeping an eye out for them in the months to come.
This past summer I had the opportunity to go birding up in Maine. The plan was to scout out the state in preparation of my upcoming birding tours in Maine. After 3 days on the trails, it turned out to be an incredible trip which yielded 53 different species of birds plus epic views and really good food.
Day 1 was spent scouting around the Acadia NP area. Michael and I started off the day with a beautiful hike along the coast at Great Head. The morning was very foggy but gosh it was gorgeous up there in the woods.
Everything was silent except for the sound of a distant fog horn, a very noisy Winter Wren and a pissed off (yet adorable!) Red Squirrel who chattered loudly as we walked past him. It took about 20 minutes or so of hiking a gentle uphill slope before the forest opened up to a wide open cliff view overlooking the Atlantic. We stood up on the rocks taking in the grand view before us, marveling at the icy green North Atlantic slapping at the cliff below. Several Herring and Black-backed Gulls were circling overhead, it was neat to watch them preen and squabble over food once they landed on the rocks.
There were a couple Black capped Chickadees flitting through the pines as well as a curious Black and white Warbler who followed me as I wandered around the bluff in search of good photos and great birds.
A few minutes later it started to sprinkle a little so we headed down the Acadia Park Loop rd to look for more cool stuff. We ended up at Moose Lake SP where we encountered a few different species of Warblers including Blackburnian, Pine, Common Yellowthroat and a Northern Parula. It was neat to see these tiny feathered gems so far north.
By now we’d walked a few miles and were building up an appetite so we decided to grab a couple lobster rolls for lunch at the Bar Harbor Lobster Pound. https://www.barharborlobsterpound.com The rolls were delicious!
Although they seemed a bit pricey ($72 for two rolls and a couple drinks!) it was still pretty fucking awesome to bite down into that buttery bread and sweet lobster. Washing it all down with an Old Soaker Root Beer really hit the spot so totally worth the price IMO.
By now it was mid day and actually a little warm outside so we took a quick drive to take in the sights and sounds of Bar Harbor. Gosh what a beautiful town! Tons of great restaurants, hotels and shopping plus it’s a hub for a few boat tour companies which dock on the area. *more on that later…
Once the sun was a bit lower in the sky, we drove up onto Cadillac Mountain in hopes of enjoying a good sunset and maybe a great view of the Northern Lights which had been forecasted to be extra bright that evening. Unfortunately, mother nature had a different plan in mind as the mountain peak quickly was enveloped by a bunch of clouds rolling through.
There was no way that we’d get to see the aurora borealis with these weather conditions but gosh it was absolutely gorgeous up there watching the sun sink into the hazy horizon below.
Cadillac Mountain turned out to be a pretty good birding spot as well with sightings of Wild Turkeys, a Herring Gull (yes there was an actual Herring Gull sitting on a rock wall in the parking lot at the top of the mountain lol!) Common Ravens, Blue Jays, American Crows, a Hermit Thrush, an American Robin, two Song Sparrows, several Dark-eyed Juncos, a couple White-throated Sparrows and a cheerful Common Yellowthroat. Truly a nice way to wrap up my first full day at Acadia!
Day 2 and we were hitting the road again, heading inland to check out the Moosehead Lake area. I’d found an interesting birding spot called the B&A Railroad North which I’d targeted as being a good spot to find Boreal Chickadees and White-winged Crossbills. (Lifers I’d yet to tic off my list). While we were driving along a gravel track through the woods, I got lucky and spotted several Ruffed Grouse as they crossed the road. It was thrilling to actually grab a couple photographs of these birds, as I’ve never managed to do so before.
Continuing on we ended up at an intersection of gravel paths so we walked a bit from here. It wasn’t long before I heard the calls of Boreal Chickadees emanating from the woods, so I started pishing in hopes of drawing a couple of out into the open. Happily, one did fly out and landed onto the outer edge of a pine bough which allowed me to grab a couple photos before it flew back into the deep woods. Success!
In addition to that Boreal Chickadee there were a bunch of other cool birds at that spot too such as a Hermit Thrush, an American Robin, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, a Nashville Warbler and as always, several cheerfully singing Common Yellowthroats. Although I didn’t get to tic off a White-winged Crossbill here at the Railroad site I was pleased with what I saw!
From there we continued heading north to our destination of The Birches Lodge at Moosehead Lake. https://www.birches.com
We’d booked a Moose Cruise for later that day but since we arrived a little early, we decided to grab a quick lunch at the resort’s restaurant. Omg the food was delicious! ( roasted & chunky carved Turkey on that sandwich, yum!) As great as the food was, the service was even better.
One thing I have to share now is how awesome the people of Maine are. Everyone was super nice and welcoming. It didn’t matter where we traveled throughout the state, the people were just awesome. Our waitress at The Birches was very friendly and made us feel right at home as we ate lunch in the north woods. As a bonus, I even got to meet the owners wife Tania Willard. She was so excited once I told her that I was a birding guide! We talked for a few minutes about all of the great birds in the area and it warmed my heart to encounter another business owner who loves the outdoors and birds as much as I do. Tania told me to be on the lookout for Belted Kingfishers and White-winged Crossbills (a lifer for me) during the Moose Cruise. As luck would have it, we spotted both species while out on the water! Yay!
The Moose Cruise was a lot of fun. At first everything was quiet, the water was smooth as glass and the world around us was an impossible shade of green. My gosh what a peaceful place!
Then as the boat made its way up the river the birds started making an appearance. It started with seeing a beautiful Common Loon sitting on its nest (wow!) and got even better from there lol!
There were Canada Geese, a Wood Duck, Mallards, Hooded Mergansers, Wild Turkeys, Double-crested Cormorants, Turkey Vultures, an Osprey 2 Belted Kingfishers, a Blue-headed Vireo, a couple Winter Wrens, 7 White-winged Crossbills (yay!) and a Pine Warbler to round out the boat trip. We even lucked out and spotted a mother moose and her calf crashing through the brush along the shoreline. Freak’n awesome!
Day 3 had arrived and with it, a powerful offshore storm. The winds were high and the surf was churning like a washing machine. This was a problem because I’d reserved a boat to take out onto the ocean in order to photograph the Puffins who nest on the small rocky islands which line the coast. Unfortunately the rough seas prevented any boats to depart so unfortunately, I was unable to get out there onto the water. It’s okay though! I’ve been in contact with a bunch of great Puffin boat captains and will be heading back to Maine in July 2024 to try again to share these birds with my guests.
Not wanting to waste a single moment feeling unhappy about missing out on a boat trip, we decided to explore more of the trails of Acadia National Park at Schoodic Point. This area is even better IMO for birding since it’s far less crowded here than along the Loop Road on the western side of the park.
There was a gentle light mist of rain falling as we hiked in the Blueberry Hill area and along the Anvil Trail. All was quiet save for the sound of the surf hitting the rocks and the occasional calls of the gulls flying overhead. The air smelled so good along the coast with the gentle scents of pine, saltwater and beach roses wafting on the cool breeze. When we ventured deeper into the woods, we were quickly enveloped in a world of emerald green ferns, spongy soft moss and ancient pine trees. Walking these trails felt like stepping back in time.
At first there wasn’t much activity going on (wildlife wise) but as we walked the shorelines and forests of Schoodic Point, the birds started to become a little more active despite the foul weather. Here we saw a raft of Common Eiders, Canada Geese, a Black-throated green Warbler, an Ovenbird, several Golden-crowned Kinglets, a Gray Catbird, a few Dark-eyed Juncos, a couple Song Sparrows and a pair of Yellow-rumped Warblers. Not too bad considering that the weather was a bit dodgy. We ended the morning by getting a bonus sighting of a juvenile porcupine making its way across the road.
I’ve never seen one before in my life, so it was very cool to finally lay eyes on a real live Porcupine! He was super cute and we were absolutely thrilled to see one of these remarkable creatures up close.
The day ended with a stellar dinner at the Union River Lobster Pot. https://www.lobsterpot.com Oh my goodness that was a great meal! 1 1/4 lobster served with clams, a big red potato and one of the sweetest ears of corn I’ve tasted. So much buttery goodness I can’t even describe how good it was without drooling a little lol!
I’ll tell ya, it was a difficult decision to make in order to point my car south to head home. Don’t get me wrong I do love North Carolina, but Maine is an incredible place. The people are lovely. There’s zero traffic. The food is superb. The views, unbelievably beautiful. And the birds, omg there are so many up here that we don’t get to see often (or ever!) in the south. I left dreaming (and yeah now seriously considering) about buying some land so that I can offer birding tours on a frequent basis in Maine. At least it will be great to spend the summer working in Maine where it’s cooler during the hottest months in NC. Lol we will see!
Photo by Michael Wildrick
Anyway, to sum it all up, Maine is freaking awesome and I cannot wait to get back there again soon. I’ve got space available for reservations in 2024 so if you’d like to join me, feel free to hit up the link below for details 🙂
