Tag Archives: best life birdwatching tours

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Birdwatching News

Canada Warblers in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina

By Sally Siko

One of my favorite species of birds to find in the Blue Ridge Mountains is the Canada Warbler. With that slate grey, black and bright yellow plumage pattern standing out in the tangled brush, it’s hard to ignore these tiny feathered dynamos as they flit from limb to branch.
Though they’re small (measuring about 14cm in length) Canada’s are relatively easy to find at higher elevations by listening to their loud calls which starts with a starts a chip, followed by a series of warbling notes that often ends on a higher pitch.



These handsome Warblers nest across the southern boreal region of Canada, from extreme southeastern Yukon to Nova Scotia, and south to the Great Lakes region, New England, and into the Appalachian mountains all the way down to Georgia. It’s neat to have a species like this calling the Tarheel state home during the summer.



When looking for Canada Warblers, investigate areas which provide their favored habitats of dark brushy cover in the understory layer of mixed deciduous forests along the higher elevations of the Parkway.
They are best found foraging in dense, dimly lit patches of rhododendron and mountain laurel.

Though they can be hard to spot at times, luckily Canada Warblers relatively common in the Blue Ridge so you should have multiple opportunities to see and photograph them if you take the time to search for these feathered gems.

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, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A Kentucky Warbler at Bynum Bridge, Pittsboro NC

By Sally Siko

With as many KY birds as I’ve been posting recently, how about this Kentucky Warbler that I found while birding here in NC with my freind Corie Latta @latta.ridge earlier this month?
Isn’t he gorgeous?!
We spotted this feathered gem while exploring the area around Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro.
The neat thing was that this particular bird was super accessible as it popped out of the underbrush frequently to sing offering us multiple opportunities to snag a good photo or two.
Big props to Corie for putting us on this bird!



This brightly colored warbler, (unlike so many other geographically named warblers lol), is actually well-named, as the center of its range lies squarely in the center of the state of Kentucky.
They are quintessential birds of the Eastern deciduous forest, breeding across nearly all of North Carolina from the mountains to the coast. Though they are considered a common bird west of the Appalachians, east of the Blue Ridge mountains there isn’t a particular region where Kentucky Warblers are found in great numbers so it’s always a treat to spot one here in the Triangle area.



Kentucky Warblers are usually best found in moist, rich forests, containing a thick underbrush zone near creeks and streams beneath a hardwood canopy.
Most breed in our floodplain habitats (particularly in brownwater ones) while avoiding blackwater regions such as the Lumber River area.
In our western mountains, where broad floodplains are scarce, Kentucky Warblers may be found nesting on slopes, but usually on lower ones or on others that are very rich and lush.
Look for these beauties from late April through early September here in the Tarheel state.

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

Birdwatching News

A bilateral gynandromorph Northern Cardinal at Bynum Bridge, Pittsboro NC

By Sally Siko

One of the best things about birding is that there’s always a potential to be surprised by something unexpected out in the field.
Case in point, a possible bilateral gynandromorph variation of a Northern Cardinal which I photographed last week at Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro NC.


If you look closely at the photos you can see that it’s colors are split right down the middle with bright red, male plumage on one side and buff-brown, female plumage on the other.



So, how does a Northern Cardinal end up being dual-plumaged?
It involves a cocktail of chromosomes, which work slightly differently than the X and Y sex chromosomes that mammals carry.
Female birds carry both sex chromosomes — which in birds are labeled W and Z — while males carry two Zs.
Gynandromorphy is thought to occur when female egg cells develop with two nuclei — so that one nucleus contains a single Z chromosome and the other contains a single W.
When that egg is fertilized by sperm carrying two male Z chromosomes, the egg develops with both ZZ (male) and ZW (female) chromosomes.
The bird then develops with half of its body containing male ZZ cells while the other half contains female ZW cells.
If this chromosomal mix-up occurs early on in the animal’s development, before many of their cells begin to divide, it can result in the sort of perfect bilateral split which may be the case seen in this bird.



In addition another thing that fascinated me was that I managed to capture a photo of the Cardinal with it’s male mate during a food exchange. Then the bird flew down into a shrub and settled onto a nest!
As it turns out, gynandromorphic birds will sometimes have at least one functioning ovary which means that they can lay eggs and reproduce.
Pretty neat huh?

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

Kentucky Birding Tours & Birdwatching Trips, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A Cerulean Warbler in Lexington, KY

By Sally Siko

As a birder & photographer, I’m always excited to see & photograph a new species whenever I get lucky enough to add a lifer to my list.
Weirdly enough, it seems that every time this happens my photos aren’t very good lol!



I don’t know if it’s the excitement of seeing something for the first time that throws me off my photo game or just bad luck with lighting and angle but this happens to me a lot.
Case in point, my first photos of a Cerulean Warbler that I found while on a birding trip in eastern KY.
While I was very, very happy to finally lay eyes on this gorgeous bird, it stayed high up in the canopy of the trees, backlit under bright sunshine or perching in the shadows of the leaves. Not great conditions for getting quality portraits but certainly good enough for an ID and the making of wonderful memories 🙂



The aptly named Cerulean Warbler is indeed a handsome bird with adult males sporting that light (cerulean) blue, white and black plumage.
Females are equally as lovely adorned with a greenish blue upper body plumage with a yellowish green underside.
From a distance or in poor lighting conditions I’ve found it’s possible to mistake a male Cerulean with a Black and White Warbler until the bird comes out into the sunlight.

With populations of this species in decline (due to habitat loss) it can be somewhat challenging to find these shy warblers.
Your best best to spot one is to search the mid to high canopies of the trees during the summer breeding season on the east coast. Ceruleans prefer to hang out in mature deciduous forests throughout the eastern United States, but are particularly abundant in oak-dominated forests that contain canopy gaps and a complex canopy structure.
Look for them in Kentucky from late April through early August.

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

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Birdwatching News

A Scissor tailed Flycatcher at Ft.Fisher NC

By Sally Siko

Happy to have caught a few good shots of a rarity in North Carolina, a Scissor-tailed flycatcher!
I was lucky to spot it last month along the ATV / off road beach access trail at Ft. Fisher.



I’d spent a few minutes walking along the adjacent Basin Trail when the path veered left towards the beach.
Knowing that flycatcher’s typically like to perch on places which give them maximum visibility in open areas (fences, power lines ect.), I decided to head towards the beach and out of the marine scrub forest.
As it turned out, this was the right move because I spotted the flycatcher just a few yards ahead on the right, sitting on a post in the dunes next to the trail.



Affectionately nicknamed the Texas bird-of-paradise, these long-tailed birds are members of the kingbird family.
Measuring nearly 14in long, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers are relatively large birds. Not surprisingly though, half of their total body length is that deeply forked black and white tail that is nearly a nearly unmistakable ID point when referencing them in the field.

The reason why this bird is a special sighting in the Tarheel State is because their range typically extends from eastern Colorado and Nebraska down south to Texas and Western Louisiana. Isolated breeding patches of these feathered gems have been found in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.
Why it’s shown up in southeastern NC is anyone guess!
I hope that I’ll encounter this beautiful species again next spring during my High Island TX birding tour (learn more about this trip here!) because I’d love to share the experience of seeing one for the first time with my east coast guests 🙂

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

Field Notes, Kentucky Birding Tours & Birdwatching Trips, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A Worm eating Warbler at Indian Creek in eastern Kentucky

By Sally Siko

Here’s another shy species of warbler which I was stoked to see in the woods while birding at Indian Creek in the Red River Gorge area of eastern Kentucky, a Worm eating Warbler!
Yeah I know he’s not as brightly colored as other species, but I think they’re elegant birds which are interesting to watch while they hunt for a meal.
This little guy moved fast along a brushy steep slope, working the cover nearly as quickly as a Ruby crowned Kinglet does when looking for a six legged snack.
It was pretty challenging to photograph this bird since it was hanging out in a dark patch of the woods. Still it was fascinating to see one of these little beauties up close, plus being able to add him to my yearly eBird list was a definite win.
In the end, patience paid off and I did get off a couple decent shots when it flew up a little higher out in the open to perch on a sparsely leafed sapling in better light.
Success!



As it so often goes with other species of birds, the Worm eating Warbler IMO is misnamed lol! They do not pull earthworms from the soil as American Robins do, rather this insectivore gleans its diet (insects and their larvae as well as spiders) from foliage.
A hungry Worm eating Warbler uses tactics such as probing curled live or dead leaves for hidden prey while hanging (sometimes upside down) from a twig or small branch, probing crevices, fluttering from limb to limb in order to grab flying prey while picking off slow-moving insects from open leaves and young twigs.


Worm eating Warblers breed in the Appalachian mountains and despite their shy disposition are relatively easy to find from late April through early October.
Their seasonal range extends from southern New York, west into southern Michigan and east Texas, all along the mid Atlantic states of the US and down into Central America.
Look for them in large tracts of deciduous and mixed forest, particularly in those with moderate to very steep slopes and patches of dense understory shrubs.

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

A Bobolink encounter in Pittsboro NC

By: Sally Siko

Each spring, flocks of migrating Bobolinks return to central NC to stop off for a few days to rest & recharge on their journey to their breeding grounds in the northern US and Canada.
The best spot to see them in the Triangle is in the fields along Mid Pines Rd in Raleigh.
That being said, these flocks are usually spotted far out in the fields making them a little tough to see without a scope, a long lens or bins.
That’s why I was so excited to get a close up encounter with one near Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro about 3 weeks ago!
It was so cool to actually be able to get a proper look at one of these beauties as it hopped around the brush on it’s never ending search for insects hidden in the leaves.



Bobolinks are about the size of a house sparrow, approximately 6.3–7.1 in long from the tip of the beak to the end of the tail.
Perched on a grass stem or displaying in flight over a field, breeding male Bobolinks are striking! No other North American bird has a white back and black underparts (some have described this look as wearing a tuxedo backwards lol!). Added to this is the male’s rich, straw-colored patch on the head and his bubbling, virtuosic song. Once summer ends, he’ll molt into a buff and brown plumage.



As mentioned above, Bobolinks are mostly a migratory visitor to the Tarheel state showing up for just a few days in the spring and autumn.
Yet, in recent decades this species has been observed nesting in the grassy meadows of western NC in increasing numbers which is pretty neat!
Elsewhere throughout the state, look for them in dry grass lands from late April-early May and in wetter fields/marshes again in late August through early October.

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

Love is in the air- Northern Cardinals at Bynum Bridge NC

By: Sally Siko

It’s springtime and love is in the air.
At least so it goes with this pair of Northern Cardinals I spotted while birding last week near Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro NC.
It was so sweet to see the male fly in and land on a branch next to his mate to present her with a juicy green caterpillar.
A tender moment of bird wooing to be sure but is actually part of of an array of elaborate courtship rituals that the couple engages in year after year to strengthen their bond.

Our official state bird, the Northern Cardinal is a year round resident of North Carolina and are found in every county from the coast to the mountains foraging for a meal in areas of dense brushy undergrowth or in hedges.Cardinals are of course a familiar backyard visitor too. They usually are seen on the ground below our feeders picking at the fallen seed.

Though they’re indeed numerous, I still enjoy photographing them whenever possible. That color is irresistible to me from a creative perspective.
Plus, whenever I see a Cardinal I’m reminded how important it is not to take a moment (or a bird) like this for granted.
After all, Cardinals may be common around here, yet they are someone else’s Life Bird in other locations. Thus seeing one is extra special anyway one looks at it 🙂


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

Good to see the American Redstarts are back in NC

By: Sally Siko

Green leaves are sprouting out on all of the trees, it’s really starting to look like springtime here in central NC.
The treetop canopies are becoming dense now bringing the arrival of hatching insects which are closely followed by flocks of migrating Warblers such as these beautiful American Redstarts.



With that bold black and bright orange plumage and their loud calls echoing through the woods, male Redstarts are impossible birds to ignore when hiking along a trail.
*Not that I’ve ever thought of ignoring them lol!
These birds are freak’n gorgeous and although they’re relatively easy to find, I’ve spent many hours trying to catch a proper photograph of one for years but with no luck.
Happily I finally came close with these shots which I took while birding in Bynum NC last week.

One of the nice things about this species of warbler is that when flocks of them move into the area, they’re relatively easy to find and photograph.
This is because Redstarts tend to hunt for food in the mid to lower understory of open deciduous woodlands, forest edges, near roadside trees, in open areas like orchards, shrubby edges of streams and ponds, brushy edges of sunny pastures, and suburban parks.
Or to put it another way, unlike many other species of warblers you won’t break your neck or hurt your eyes by searching for them high up in the trees of a dark forest lol!



The American Redstart is a somewhat unusual bird in that they’re both a breeding resident and transient migratory visitor to North Carolina with populations fluctuating wildly in different regions throughout the year.
They are known to nest in both the mountains in the western part of the state and along a narrow north/NE to south/SW strip in several of the counties in central NC which is kinda odd.
Generally though your best bet in finding them is from late April through mid May (aka. like right now!) and then again from September through early October during migration periods.
Get out there and enjoy them!

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

The Ruby throated Hummingbirds are back in the Triangle of NC

By: Sally Siko

Now that spring is here, flowers are beginning to bloom and thus our gardens are filled with the delightful thrum of the wingbeats of Ruby throated Hummingbirds searching for a sweet snack.
I was happy to see this tiny green feathered gem while birding last week in Holly Springs NC. Though it was tough to photograph this fleet little bird in action, I enjoyed the challenge of trying to capture a beautiful frame from a respectful distance.



As is the case with most species of hummingbirds, Ruby-throated’s dine primarily on nectar and small insects. They’ll occasionally supplement their diet with tree sap if nectar is not readily available nearby, an important dietary adjustment which is particularly helpful for the few that call south eastern NC home during the winter months.
A familiar backyard bird to many here in the Carolinas, Ruby’s are best found feeding on clusters of red or orange flowers such as coral honeysuckle, jewelweed, bee balm, red buckeye, trumpet creeper, and red morning glory.
Most of the time they’re spotted with wings buzzing while hovering at a flower but they’ll stop and land to drink nectar from a conveniently located perch at backyard feeders too.



Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are considered medium to long-distance migratory birds. They breed in the eastern United States and southern Canada, then fly south for winter to Central America and south of Mexico.
That being said, a small but growing population of Ruby’s are choosing to spend the cooler months in the Wilmington NC area.
But, that is a long time off as we have only just begun a new year of enjoying these tiny feathered dynamos.
Cheers to the season ahead!

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