Tag Archives: best life birding trips

Field Notes

Prothonotary Warblers change their appearance for migration

By Sally Siko

Autumn is here. Signs of change are everywhere if you know where to look. From flocking Canada Geese to molting plumage, if they hav’nt left already birds everywhere are preparing themselves for the migration journey ahead. Some changes aren’t so obvious, yet if you take the time to look closely you’ll be able to pick up on the seasonal cues even before cold weather arrives. Case in point, the beak color of a Prothonotary Warbler.
During the spring & summer this warbler has a bright black beak. In autumn and winter it is a tan color.The change happens quickly too!



I took the series of photos (shown above) of a Prothonotary with the black beak (featured in the first photos) in June.
The second group of photos (below) shows a Prothonotary with the tan beak in late August. Can you see the difference?



But how does a Prothonotary Warblers beak change color?Their beak is covered in keratin, the same substance from which our hair and fingernails are made from.Under the beak’s layer of keratin lies a bony structure. While the bone makes up the foundation, it’s covered with a layer of living tissue which, in turn, is coated with a thin layer of see-through keratin. These living cells can change color, and the color shows through the keratin.Seasonal color changes to the living tissue in their bills occur due to fluctuations in the birds hormone levels and diet throughout the year.


Now that the Prothonotary’s breeding season has ended, their hormones levels have changed again so their beaks have returned to a light tan color. These beauties have mostly departed for their wintering grounds in Central America and northern regions of South America. No worries though, you can find them them here in the Tarheel state when they return in April.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC, Field Notes

Wood Storks in Murrells Inlet SC

By Sally Siko

Of all the species of birds to be found at the Huntington Beach State Park in S.C., few capture the attention of visitors more than the Wood Stork.
In addition to their *ahem* unique appearance, these birds are incredibly interesting to watch hunting for a snack on the mudflats.



While observing this large flock in action, honestly it was tough to choose which bird to photograph at any given time.
With so much going on, I managed to photograph a nice series of pics of one trying to eat a Blue Crab which was pretty cool!The bird would hold the crab in its mouth and shake its head, crunching down on the crabs shell. One by one the crabs legs popped off until only the cephalothorax remained.Then the Stork swallowed the crab whole in one gulp without so much as a pinch of Old Bay seasoning or melted butter to wash it down with lol!



Wood Storks are best found in the eastern counties of the Carolinas from June through September. Our largest species of wader, they prefer to hunt for a meal in swamps, freshwater marshes and in shallow ponds.Wood Storks are very particular about the depth of water that they’ll hunt for a meal in.Preferring no more than a foot of water to rise up their legs, the flock actually waited until low tide before finally coming down from out of the trees to hunt in the rapidly draining marsh below.
Pretty neat, huh?

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

An Upland Sandpiper encounter in NC

By Sally Siko

Last month, I finally laid eyes on an Upland Sandpiper in Whitakers, NC.
There was a small flock of 4 feeding in the wide sod fields of the Vandemark Farms.
As I’d typical of my lifer sightings, the birds were very far off (about 70yds away) so my photos weren’t great (super cropped in post) but that’s ok!
I was just thrilled to see these large species of Sandpiper for the first time 🙂


These elegant Sandpipers have a long, thin neck and small head that imparts a “skinny” look that is different from all other shorebirds. They also have a distinct upright posture which can be useful for ID when viewing them in a mixed flock at a distance.
As grassland inhabits they prefer to hunt for insects and worms in farm pastures, grasslands at airports, extensive short grass lawns, and gigantic turf farms like the ones I found here.



Breeding in the prairie regions of the north central United States and central/southern Canada, Upland Sandpipers are a somewhat uncommonly seen migratory species here in North Carolina.
During April & May, they occur in inland portions across the state, and it is thus seldom spotted near the coast, whereas in late summer and fall it is seen mainly in the eastern counties of NC.
They’ll stick around here until mid September so get out there while you can to catch a look before they head to southern South America to spend the winter.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Green Herons in NC

By Sally Siko

When birding near shallow bodies of water in the eastern Carolina’s it’s hard not to stumble on a Green Heron or two fishing at the shoreline.
Since they are so common they’re often overlooked but if the sunlight hits them just right, these little birds are absolutely beautiful!
Looking closely at their wings you can even see how they got their name.


As it goes with others in the heron family, Green Herons can be found walking in shallow waters stalking fish and small crustaceans.
When their prey is spotted, they’ll freeze and then strike like a dart into the water piercing the prey with their bill.
Interestingly, Green Herons also employ another tactic to catch a meal as they’re the only species of heron known to “bait” their prey.
These clever birds will use twigs, feathers, or insects to lure a fish within reach. When the fish comes in closer to investigate the object, the bird will strike.

While most of the Green Herons will depart from North Carolina for warmer locals this autumn, a small population appears to spend the cooler months just a couple hours south in the coastal regions of SC so it’s worth keeping an eye out for them there during the winter.
Aren’t they lovely?!

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Bluebirds in central North Carolina

By Sally Siko

With so many flying around central NC, it’s admittedly easy to overlook an Eastern Bluebird when out on the hunt for something rare. That’s a shame though because these little feathered gems are just gorgeous!
Bluebirds are a staple of our suburban yards, fields and countryside and they are well worth stopping to admire for a few minutes if the opportunity presents itself.



A Bluebird perched on a fence line certainly stands out against the greys, greens and brown hues of their preferred habitats.
But, did you know that in some years their plumage appears brighter than others?
The reason for this is in their responses to weather. In fact, an Eastern Bluebird’s plumage patterns are correlated with the vibrancy of leaf pigments in autumn, and they share the same biological causes.


In the same way that an abundance of sun, rainfall, and frost-less nights bring on the most vibrant autumn leaf colors, these favorable conditions also lead to a plethora of insects and natural forest foods.
Bluebirds feast during harvest season to build the stores of energy that will carry them through the winter—and also to enrich their bodies with nutrients for building strong and healthy feathers.
So while leaves are not directly related to this late-season molt, they coincidentally are a great indicator of the amount of food available to birds from year to year.
Because bluebirds rely on insects as a main source of nourishment, years that have favorable conditions mean lots of available, nutrient-rich food. In short, more bugs can equal more colorful birds.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Spending time with a Yellow-throated warbler in North Carolina

By Sally Siko

When walking through the forests here in central North Carolina, you’ll often hear the familiar calls of a Yellow-throated Warbler echoing down from the tree tops.
If your lucky, you might get a chance to see one up close as sometimes these delightful little birds can be quite curious to our presence in the woods.



Yellow-throated Warblers are gorgeous creatures IMO! Breeding males are particularly striking with that bold black and white plumage set off against a bright yellow patch of feathers on their throats.
I spotted this one singing his heart out while leading a birding tour at Cape Fear Shiners Park in Lillington NC a couple weeks ago.
It was so cool to be able to share this bird with my guests and to see how happy everyone was with their own photos!

Known as “Southern” warbler, Yellow-throated’s breed in the eastern United States but only north to southern New York and (in smaller numbers) west into Iowa yet they are much more commonly found in the Deep South rather than in the mountain regions.
Here in North Carolina you can find the nesting in our coastal and Piedmont counties throughout the summer.



The best places to find these beauties is from mid March - mid October in moist woods and edges, whether in swamps, bottomlands, forests along a lakeshore, streamside groves, or in pinelands; forests with scattered tall pines containing Spanish moss.
Though they are a rare sight in the winter months, Yellow-throated Warblers may also be found mainly in North Carolina’s coastal counties in maritime forests, or in mature pine-hardwood stands, especially where the hardwoods are broadleaf evergreens once the weather turns cold.
Aren’t they lovely?

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Northern Parula summertime sighting in North Carolina

By Sally Siko

Here’s are a couple close up looks of one of my favorite birds, the Northern Parula.
These little ones seem to be everywhere this time of year here in North Carolina.
Aren’t they beautiful?



Though they are tiny (only about 4.5in long!) their relatively easy to find by listening for their high pitched buzzy zeee-zip calls in the mid to high canopies of the trees.
They also respond well to pishing and will sometimes swoop in down low so that they can get a better look at who’s making all that swoooshing noise.
These lovely feathered gems nest over nearly all of the eastern United States and Canada, and not surprisingly it nests in all parts of North Carolina.
Parulas are most commonly spotted in swamps and bottomlands, especially where growths of Spanish moss are found hanging from the trees (their favorite nesting material).
As for the rest of the state, Parulas favor other moist forests and woodlands, such as cove forests; occasionally it does nest in drier forests too.



Leaving in mid October, most Northern Parulas will spend the winter south of the United States. That being said there are a handful of them which will stick around the Tarheel state through early winter so you still have plenty of time to get out there and enjoy them this year!

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

White eyed Vireo nesting information for NC

By: Sally Siko

I always enjoy spending time with fledgling birds like this White-eyed Vireo when exploring the outdoors here in central NC.
It was so neat to spend a few minutes watching the little guy being fed by it’s parents. I first located the young one by hearing it’s chirps echoing in the trees as it was calling out for a meal.
After spotting him perched on a low branch, I sat very still on the ground on the ground to await the return of it’s parent.
Happily that did not take very long and I was rewarded with the opportunity to grab a few photos of the encounter!



A White eyed Vireos nest is a marvel of the delicacy of bird brained engineering.
They collect soft strips of bark and grass which is woven into a sturdy hanging basket, fastened to a branch with spiderwebs. It’s actually quite deep relative to the size of its occupants and the mother bird can disappear into the triangular shaped cup simply by ducking her head down.



Incubation of the eggs takes around 15 days and the young will typically stay in the nest for 11 days before fledging. The work is not over for the parents though since the little ones will still be taken care of up to 20 days after fledging before becoming independent.
Interestingly, fledgeling male White-eyed Vireos learn their father’s song very early in life, and may begin mimicking his call as early as one month after leaving the nest.
Young White-eyed Vireos like this little one may even develop some elements of their songs by sampling the song tracks of their avian neighbors.
Pretty cool, huh?

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A field Sparrow encounter in the Sandhills Gameland preserve North Carolina

By: Sally Siko

Though they aren’t the most colorful bird around, I’m always delighted to encounter Field Sparrows when birding throughout the year in North Carolina.
I spotted this little one snacking on some grass seeds near the Sandhills Campground in Hoffman NC.



Unlike other species of sparrows which can be tough to identify, Field Sparrows are relatively easy to ID by that white eye ring, orange feet, orange legs and orange beak. They’ve also got a light tannish-orange patch of color behind their eyes and a clear un-spotted grey belly.



Field Sparrows are best found in overgrown fields, clearcuts, maritime thickets, and woodland borders, always where there is a thick grass and scattered shrubs and saplings.
Their proclivity to spend most of their time in open areas and curious disposition makes them an effortless bird to photograph as I was able to get within just a few feet of this bird without it’s concern.

These lovely feathered gems spend the entire year throughout the state of North Carolina but are generally more commonly found in the spring and summer months.
Aren’t they lovely?

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert

Orchard Orioles in central NC

By: Sally Siko

One of the joys of summertime birding is to find a family of Orchard Orioles hunting for insects and berries in the field.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing several this year while leading tours. It’s always a thrill to show off these beauties to my guests!



Measuring around 6.5 inches long the Orchard Oriole is the smallest species of oriole in North America. Although they look somewhat similar to their brightly colored cousin the Baltimore Oriole, male Orchard Orioles are more chestnut-reddish toned than the familiar bright orange of the Baltimore.
The female Orchards are equally stunning dressed in their yellow and tan plumage.



Look for Orchards foraging low to the ground along the tree lines near and in open tall grass fields containing scrub brush.
They one of the earliest-departing species after nesting as their departure for winter migration takes place in late July and August here in central North Carolina.
You’ve still got a couple of months left to see them so get out there while you can!

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds