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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Prothonotary Warblers at the Weymouth woods sandhills Preserve

Another colorful bird to be on the lookout for at the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve during the summer is the Prothonotary Warbler.
With that vibrant golden plumage, they’re cheerful sight indeed whenever your lucky enough to spot one hunting for a six or eight legged meal in the trees.



Prothonotarys are best found in moist habitats like swamps, bogs and marshes. They can also be seen in the brush and hardwood trees alongside streams, ponds and lakes.
I found this beauty near the beaver dam & creek while birding at the WWSP last weekend.
There were plenty of insects flying around the water so it’s a good spot to sit and wait for the birds to show up. (don’t forget the bug spray if you visit though lol)

These lovely feathered gems show up in North Carolina during spring migration in mid April. The males arrive first to establish their breeding territory’s and begin scoping out prime nesting sites.
As cavity nesters (one of only two species of Warbler that do this) Prothonotarys raise their young in unused Woodpecker nests or in other holes in trees.
The male bird will start the process by building several starter nests in different locations to expand his territory and provide optional choices for his future mate.

When the females come along a few weeks later, the male will show the her his array of nests then allows her to choose the one that suits her needs best.
Once the male wins a mate, the female will take over the rest of the nest construction, adding materials such as rootlets, plant down, and other soft grasses and plants to the nest cup.


While I was only able to photograph this single Prothonotary that morning, I did hear a second one calling out from the brush nearby. It would be great if they are mated pair and had a nest nearby.
I’m hoping to make another trip out to the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve within a few weeks. Hopefully there will be some young Prothonotarys to see there hunting over the creek with their parents!

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

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

Red cockaded Woodpecker video from Weymouth woods Preserve

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Braved the rain and took a trip early yesterday morning to see if I could find some Red cockaded Woodpeckers at the Weymouth Woods Preserve in Pinehurst N.C. Big thanks to Gary at More then a Memory Photography @mtamemory for giving me a heads up that they were in the area! I was thrilled to find a nest in the woods and to be able to see these awesome little birds flying in and out of their tree as they fed their chicks. Interestingly, Red-cockaded woodpeckers are cooperative breeders, meaning multiple birds take care of the young. Females lay their eggs in the roost cavities of their male mates. The male and several helper birds, which are usually relatives of the breeding pair, incubate the eggs. The whole family sticks together while the young are raised. I also learned from Deborah Roy @deborahroyphotography that the USFWS paints some of the long leaf pines in the area with sap to encourage these endangered species to nest in this forest. At first, I thought that the tree featured in this video was the result of a natural excavation, but upon closer inspection, I noticed that this nest was indeed one of the number of trees that were painted with sap. Thanks for the insight Deborah! Always enjoy learning something new from my audience 🙂 Photos & video by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc Canon 5Ds . . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #birdwatchers #bird #birds #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #ncoutdoors #ncnature #canonwildlife #ncwildlifephotographer #northcarolinabirding #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds #audubonsociety #birdoftheday #redcockadedwoodpecker #endangeredspecies #woodpecker #usfwsnationalwildliferefugesystem #birdersofyoutube #lovebirdsluvsbirds

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Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

The Quest: Red-cockaded Woodpecker

By: Mary Erickson of Birds of a Feather Walk Together

January is my birthday month, and I made a very specific gift request to my Dear One: that he help me find a new life bird–the Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
Road trip!

“The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a habitat specialist of the Southeast’s once-vast longleaf pine stands. Its habitat—old pines with very little understory—was shaped by the region’s frequent lightning fires. The birds dig cavities in living pines softened by heartwood rot. They live in family groups that work together to dig cavities and raise young. The species declined drastically as its original habitat was cut down, and the species was listed as Endangered in 1970. “

The Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve is a 90 minute drive south of us, in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
However we got a rather late start for a birding adventure, and arrived at the Preserve at 11 a.m., where we learned that the Red-cockaded Woodpecker is here in the morning, then leaves FOR THE ENTIRE DAY, and returns in the evening and immediately goes to bed. So we made a plan:

•   Explore the trail near the visitor center
•   Go into town for lunch
•   Go somewhere else to bird for an hour or two
•   Return at 3 p.m. to see target bird

Trails in the Sandhills are exceptionally comfortable for hiking!

The day was overcast, and the trees are tall, so we spent a LOT of time with this view. And it’s NOON, which is not the “birdiest” time of day.

Nevertheless:

Siri, I’m hungry.Well, we can’t have that. Here’s what I found.

We can now highly recommend The Leadmine in Southern Pines. And yes, that’s a New York Sour, because it’s my birthday and I’m not driving.

After lunch we headed to the Boyd section of the Preserve, and did a 1-mile loop around The Oldest Living Long-Leaf Pine tree on the planet.

There were woodpeckers, but not our target bird.

We also saw evidence of a recent controlled burn, which takes the place of the historical lightning fires which maintain the desired habitat.

Then back to the main center at 3:00 p.m., where we began walking back and forth along a stretch of trail looking for the woodpecker to return to its nest site. The trees with existing cavities are helpfully marked–but they are spread out and numerous.

So many nesting holes!!!

And then, at 4:40 p.m. I hear the husky squeak squeak squeak, see a woodpecker, check it out with the bins, grab the camera for a photo, my Dear One who is away at a different stand of trees, and 20 seconds later the bird pops into his hole and has gone to bed.

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker!!!

Three minutes later, my best friend arrives, way too late to see a bird that was only there for 20 seconds. He never saw it. But was so happy that I did, for my birthday.

And that, my friends, is love.

Author Bio: Mary Erickson is an accomplished North Carolina birder, blogger and photographer. You can view her stunning photography and read all about her adventures in birding the Tarheel State at Birds of a Feather Walk Together

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

Birding at weymouth Woods Preserve, Southern Pines N.C.

A few weeks ago, I went birding at Weymouth Woods in Southern Pines, N.C. What an interesting environment to explore!


After about a 1/4 down the trail, I spotted 3 male Eastern Towhees singing in the brush and finally saw a Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
Here’s a pic of one of the Towhees and my eBird list.
Looking forward to making a return trip in November!