Tag Archives: bird watching tours nc

Photographing Buffleheads in eastern NC

December 18, 2022 admin

By Sally Siko

Here’s a duck which I’ve yet to get a good clean photograph of, the Bufflehead.
While I see tons of them every winter, I just can’t seem to get close enough to one to grab a great shot.
It’s so frustrating because these are beautiful ducks, especially when they’re swimming on the blue water under bright skies. The sun just lights up the iridescence on the males head which reflects a dazzling array of color.
So beautiful!

I took this series of (zoomed in on a 600mm lens & cropped 80%!)shots this past weekend while birding in the OBX and while they are pretty good, I still want better lol!
Happily I’ll be back in eastern NC next week to lead another tour so maybe I’ll get another chance at getting the perfect photo then.
We will see….

A wintertime resident of North Carolina, Buffleheads are best spotted swimming on our coastal lakes, ponds, estuaries, and impoundments. You can even see them swimming in the ocean just offshore on calm days.
The males are easy to ID with that striking combination of black and white body plumage paired with a black (but multi colored iridescent) face and white patch of feathers which extends from his eyes to the back of his head.
The hens (the ones shown in the series of in-flight photos) are quite lovely too with their soft grey and black plumage with white spots on their cheeks.

One of our smallest species of diving ducks, Buffleheads will hunt for a meal in both fresh and salt bodies of water.
In freshwater habitats, they eat primarily insects, and in saltwater, they feed predominantly on crustaceans and mollusks. Aquatic plants and fish eggs can often become locally important food items, as well when available.
They are strong swimmers and able to stay under water for more than a minute, then often popping up a long way from where they disappeared.
This makes them a little more challenging to photograph but it’s still fun to try haha 😉
The Buffleheads will remain in NC until early March so you’ve still got plenty of time to enjoy them this season.
Wooohoo!

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

New Birding trips are here just in time for migration

May 4, 2022 admin

Now that spring has sprung in the Carolinas, it’s an exciting time to be a bird watcher!
Migration is getting underway and with it brings tons of beautiful birds into our state.
They’ll be a lot to see over the next few weeks and you can bet I’ll be out there birding and trying my best to grab some cool photos along the way.

Want to join me?
I’ve got 9 birding tours available for booking in destinations in North Carolina & South Carolina between now and June 30th.
Space is limited for these trips so reserve your spot today!
Looking forward to going birding with ya and cheers to a wonderful season ahead 🙂

Details and trip calendar links are found below!!!

Go Birding With Me: Best Life Birding Trips, Guided Group Birding Tours & Bird Photography Workshops

-Sally Siko
Best Life Birding

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Early spring encounter with Red cockaded woodpeckers in NC

March 20, 2022 admin

March tends to be a slow month for birding activity yet there are still interesting birds to be found if you’re willing to go find them!
Case in point, these Red cockaded Woodpeckers.
I was pleased to find several of them last week during a quick visit to the Sandhills region of NC.
These energetic little spitfires were quite entertaining to watch as a small flock of Red cockadeds chased and fussed at one another in high boughs of the pines.

These sweet little birds were once a common sight in the southeastern regions of the United States. Due to loss of habitat, today they are considered an endangered species.
The reason why is because Red-cockaded Woodpeckers require a narrow scope of forest conditions to breed. They prefer to nest in mature stands of long leaf pine trees with little or no understory. Unfortunately these old growth forests have faced rapid decline which in turn has led to the decline of this species as well.

Luckily, the Sandhills region of North Carolina is a special place where several stands of old pine trees are preserved and maintained lending to provide the perfect conditions for the Red-cockaded to nest. Here you can see them raising their families every spring and throughout the summer months. It’s truly a special place to enjoy these wonderful birds.

Would you like to see these beauties too?
I’ve still got a few spots open for guests to join me this May on my birding photography tours in the Sandhills. If you’d like to come along, check the link below and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have about signing up!

FIND THE RED COCKADED WOODPECKER TOUR- BIRDING AT THE WEYMOUTH WOODS PRESERVE

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved 50MP beast, the @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

An American Bittern encounter at Pea Island

March 16, 2022 admin

One of the more challenging species of birds to spot here in NC is the American Bittern.

As seen in the 2nd photo in this post they are masters of camouflage with brown striped and buffed plumage well suited for a life spent hunting for a meal in the tall grass along a ponds edge.
Can you see it?
*Check out the below to see the cropped version of the 2nd pic for a closer look!

I was lucky enough to see two Bitterns while birding with friends a couple of weeks ago in eastern NC. One of which was stalking prey in the water which offered me the rare opportunity to photograph it out in the open.
The Bittern moved slowly, each foot deftly placed carefully into the water barely making a ripple in the surface.
After a few minutes he struck his bill into the water grabbing some sort of unseen snack which it quickly gulped down in an instant.
It was an amazing experience to be able to share this bird with a group of photographers who’d never seen one before!

American Bitterns are known to breed in small numbers throughout coastal areas of North Carolina but are more commonly found from September through early May, particularly during migrational periods.
They are primarily found in our freshwater marshes and wet fields containing cattail reeds and tall sedge grasses.
Though they are indeed difficult to see when hiding in the tall grass, the good thing is that individual birds tend to return to the exact same spots of shoreline year after year.
So, if you happen to locate one but it’s hiding in dense cover, it’s quite possible to come back the next day or even the next year to have another try at seeing the Bittern out in the open.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the the (alive and still kicking!) @canonusa #5Dmkii

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Find a Painted Bunting with me! Birdwatching NC birding trips

March 8, 2022 admin

Yes it’s March but this recent stretch of warm weather has me dreaming of spring migration and all the colorful birds that will soon be heading up to North Carolina.
Perhaps the most stunning example of which is the Painted Bunting!
There is no way to mistake this gorgeous bird for any other species with that incredible palette of indigo, red, yellow and green plumage sparkling in the sun or lighting up with a fire of their own in the canopy shadows.

Truly Painted Buntings are a “bucket list” species for photographers and birders alike.
I know I can’t wait to get back out to the coast of North Carolina this spring to see them again myself!
Wanna join me?
I’ve got 3 tours scheduled for May & June of 2022.
Space is limited on these small group trips so make sure you book early to reserve your spot.
For booking details check out my tour link below!

SEARCH FOR THE PAINTED BUNTING AT FT.FISHER BIRDING TOUR

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved 50MP beast, the @canonusa #5Ds

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

Spending time with a Common Eider on Jennettes Pier in Nags Head NC

January 3, 2022 admin

By: Sally Siko

Last week, I returned to the OBX of North Carolina to lead a birding trip.
As always, I arrived a couple of days early to scout out the area to make sure all of the expected species were where they were supposed to be.

After spending the day on Pea Island, I headed up to Jennettes Pier to see if I could catch a glimpse of some sea birds hunting for a meal on the Atlantic.
There was plenty to see including Black Scoters, Common Loons, Gulls and Grebes but most of them were flying far offshore. Only the Brown Pelicans were swooping in at close range.

By 4:45, daylight fading fast I was about to leave when this lovely Common Eider hen flew in and landed alongside the pier.
Although I certainly wish I could have photographed this beautiful bird from a lower vantage point, the last few minutes of golden hour light was simply too good to pass up for catching these portraits.

Measuring 25-27 inches in length with a wingspan stretching 41 inches, Common Eiders are the largest species of duck in the northern hemisphere.
Their size non withstanding, Eiders are agile swimmers. They spend a great deal of their time at sea diving beneath the waves in search of mussels, clams, scallops, sea urchins, starfish, and crabs resting on the ocean floor or clinging to rocks and jetty’s.
Because their prey is often located in shallow water, they are more easily found then other sea duck species when birding on the shoreline.

Common Eiders are a wintertime visitor to the coastal areas of NC.
Interestingly, 95% of sightings of this species in the Tarheel State comprise of adult females and immature males while the bulk of adult males appear to spend the winter in New England and Newfoundland.

Look for Eiders in coves, near inlets and especially around bridges, piers and rock jetties. Basically anywhere along the oceans edge where mussels and crabs are present.
These beautiful ducks will stick around NC until early April so we’ve still got plenty of time to enjoy them.
Aren’t they wonderful?
🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

A Hermit Thrush encounter at Cape Fear Shiners Park in Lillington NC

December 22, 2021 admin

By: Sally Siko- Admin BWNC

A couple days ago, I went out into the rain to go birding at the Cape Fear Shiners park in Lillington, NC.
This is a relatively new birding hot spot designated by eBird and I was eager to explore the woods, fields and marsh to see what I could find.
One of the first birds spotted was this Hermit Thrush perched on a branch just off the trail.

I was thrilled to be able to snap off a few photos of this feathered gem from a relatively close vantage point.
The cloudy diffused lighting, misting rain and those lovely golden leaves provided (IMO) a superb backdrop for these portraits.
Just gorgeous!

As a few of you know, winter is my favorite season to go birding in NC and species like the Hermit Thrush are the reason why.
These pretty thrushes breed in the conifer forests in the mountains of the western part of the state but only show up in central & eastern North Carolina in October-early April.

They are best found in open coniferous and mixed deciduous forests, near berry and fern thickets and along pasture edges. Their habitats preferences are led by their diet which includes insects, spiders, snails, and earthworms, plus considerable amounts of berries during the fall and winter.
Look for Hermit Thrushes foraging for insects on the ground and munching on berries in the shrubs and low canopies of trees in central NC from now until early April.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved beast of a DSLR the @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

The Tundra Swans have returned to the Pea Island NWR in North Carolina

December 16, 2021 admin

By: Sally Siko- Admin BWNC

One of the most entertaining species of bird to watch in NC is the Tundra Swan. Each November, huge flocks of them arrive in our eastern coastal counties to spend the winter on waterfowl impoundments and agricultural fields. That being said, just because they travel together doesn’t mean that they all get along.

This was the case when I photographed a small group of swans on the North Pond at the Pea Island NWR. There were three swimming together when a fourth swan flew in. Upon landing, the first three birds immediately set in to attack the fourth bird but he was not deterred by their efforts in the least. Instead he fought back, biting and slapping his wings against his attackers before settling in to join the flock.
Bird drama at its finest lol!

Tundra Swans nest in northern Alaska and in Canada’s Northwest Territories, Nunavut, northeastern Manitoba, northern Ontario, and northwestern Quebec.
Interestingly, Tundra Swans break off into 2 distinct groups of eastern and western migrating populations when traveling between breeding and wintering grounds.
Swans that nest east of Point Hope in northern Alaska winter on the Atlantic coast, while birds breeding from Point Hope south & west winter along the Pacific.
It seems odd for the birds in the Coleville River region of AK make such a long trip east which spans the United States when a flight due south/west to California is quite a bit closer.
Whatever the reason, I’m glad they are here!

These impressive birds will stick around eastern North Carolina until February before heading north so we’ve still got plenty of time to enjoy them over the next few months.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

A Black bellied Plover encounter at Oregon Inlet, NC

December 6, 2021 admin

Here’s a familiar sight found on North Carolina’s beaches, the Black bellied Plover.
I spotted this one looking for a snack in the sand along the shoreline of a small cove near Oregon Inlet in the OBX.
It was quite amicable to my presence and walked up to me a couple times which allowed for some good close up photo opportunities.

The bird featured here is likely a juvenile or non breeding adult due to the streaky pattern on it’s breast and overall spotty appearance.
Adult male Black bellied Plovers display jet black plumage on their face, running down the front of their necks and down across their breast and belly. The adult females look similar to the males but showing less contrast in their appearance.

Black bellied Plovers are a wintertime visitor to coastal areas of the Tarheel State. That being said, a small population of non-breeding birds will spend the summer months here too. They are best found on our beaches but also in tidal mudflat areas and on short grass lawns searching for a meal.
They’ll stick around until April before heading north to their nesting grounds in the tundras of Alaska and Canada so we’ve got plenty of time to enjoy these sweet birds for the season ahead.

@sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my mighty 50 megapixel monster, the @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Alligator river NWR & Pea Island NWR North Carolina Birding Trip report- November 28th,2021

December 1, 2021 admin

By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC

Back home after my trip to the Alligator River NWR & the OBX this past weekend and thinking about the importance of pre-bird tour groundwork.
Because nature is somewhat unpredictable, I’ve found it useful over the years to do a little location scouting a day or two before my tour dates.
This time allows me to check the conditions of the trails and routes plus be able to confirm that all of the seasonal bird species are where I’d expect them to be.
Most of the time it’s all good but in this case, yikes!
Thank goodness I headed out to the Alligator River NWR earlier in the week before my guests where scheduled to arrive because apparently the impoundment areas were bone dry.

Dry as a bone at the Alligator River NWR

Normally the fields are flooded in October to provide safe haven for migrating waterfowl over the winter but due to dry conditions, a shortage of workers, and a beaver dam stopping up the pumps, they were unable to start the pumps to flood the fields this year.
Thus, aside from a small flock of Tundra Swans, a half dozen Northern Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks and Bald Eagles, there were hardly any birds to be found along the first stop of my tour.
Not exactly the best conditions to start off a birding trip…

So, I contacted my guests before the tour day and explained the situation on the ground.
My new plan was to spend less time at the Alligator River NWR and add an extra stop at the end of our tour on to find a rare species of bird (a Snow Bunting) on Pea Island.
I don’t like to have to change things last minute but I always want to make sure that my guests are getting in the most birds (and the most fun!) out of the time we spend together so this felt like the right move.

As it turned out, Alligator River NWR was still worth the short visit as there were plenty of opportunities for my guests to spend time photographing the resident Black Bears which was pretty cool!

It was such a joy to see so many happy bird loving photographers getting their first ever shots of a bear.
Plus, I got to show the group a family of Bald Eagles hunting Swans in the fields.

All in all, not a bad way to start the day 🙂

Thankfully our next stop on Pea Island came through with thousands of ducks and swans to see swimming on the ponds in the refuge.

There were Redheads, American Wigeons, Ringnecks, Scaups, Pintails, Gadwalls, Black Ducks, Mergansers, Buffleheads and more including American Avocets, Clapper Rails, Godwits, warblers and sparrows!
Plus uncountable numbers of Tundra Swans, geese and American Coots to round out the day’s list which you can see in the photos below.

Oh and yes, I was able to deliver that Snow Bunting too (a new lifer-bird for every guest!) which was a total cherry on top.

All in all and despite an unexpected start, a wonderful day 🙂 I can’t wait to get back out there for the next tour later this month!

If you’d like to join me this winter on a birding trip, click on the dates shown in green on the calendar below for tour availability, locations and booking info.

PS. Shout out to my friend John Carter who completed his goal to go birding in all 100 of North Carolina’s counties!

He say’s that he is now officially retiring from birding (to focus on his Raleigh – Durham Real estate career) and that his last bird of the year was the Snow Bunting we found on this trip 🙂