Tag Archives: bird watching

The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Snow Geese in eastern Virginia

By Sally Siko

Now that winter is well underway here in the eastern US, all kinds of waterfowl have flown in to spend the cooler months along our coast. One of my favorite annual visitors are the Snow Geese.
I spotted this flock while on a recent birding trip to Chincoteague, Virginia.



Approaching on foot until I was about 100ft away, I then dropped down onto the sand to crawl on my belly so that the geese wouldn’t be spooked off by my presence.
Though it took a bit of maneuvering, it was well worth the sand scratches to grab a few photos of the flock at a relatively close range as they rested in this shallow pond.

As you can see, Snow Geese are handsome birds sporting pure white plumage with black primary feathers on the tips of their wings.
But check out the photograph below and you’ll see a blue morph goose dressed in dark charcoal plumage with a white neck.

A difference so striking that the blue morphs used to be considered separate species
There’s even a Snow Goose with a white and grey body with it’s head tucked under it’s wing here in the flock which was really cool to see too!



Color variations aside, only one population of Snow Geese exists in the world. In addition, the species movements as a whole is almost entirely confined to the Atlantic flyway of North America.
This elegant species breeds in the Canadian High Arctic, and on the western coast of Greenland so it’s pretty neat to be able to spend time with them all the way down here in Virginia.


Aren’t they gorgeous?

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

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

Black Skimmer nesting site on Wrightsville Beach N.C.

Check out this set of photos from the nesting colony of Black Skimmers on Wrightsville Beach!


I captured these moments last month just after sunrise before the beach got crowded.
There were several pairs of Skimmers there taking care of their chicks and plenty of space to observe these beauties from a respectful distance.
With all the challenges faced by nesting seabirds, it’s such a joy to see new life thriving on the coast of North Carolina.

Black Skimmers typically nest as a large colony on the sand flats in between the dunes on our barrier islands.
One to five eggs are laid into a depression in the sand and are incubated by both parents for around 23 days.
The chicks break out of their eggs already covered in downy feathers and can even run around within a few hours of hatching.



During the first few days, one parent will stay with the chick but shortly thereafter the little one will be left alone on the beach while both parents go off to catch its next meal.
Despite their mobility, the little ones rely solely on their parents for food and usually scurry off to hide under some beach grass to await their parents return.
Aren’t they sweet?
🙂

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

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Spending time with Black Skimmers on Wrightsville Beach N.C.

Last month, I had the opportunity to visit a nesting colony of Black Skimmers on Wrightsville Beach NC.
It was so cool to be able to spend time with these interesting birds as they went about their business of raising their families on the beach.
I really like the look of the Skimmers.
With that bold black and white plumage, they are quite a handsome species indeed.



Nicknamed the ‘Toucan of the sea, the most striking feature of the Black Skimmer is it’s red-and-black bill.
As you can see here, they’ve got a lower mandible that juts out farther than does the upper.
When feeding, the Skimmer flies low over water with its beak open and lower mandible partially submerged.
When the lower part of the bill touches prey, such as a small fish, the bill’s upper mandible snaps down like a mousetrap, securing the bird’s meal.



Although you can find them soaring above the shorelines of most of our coastal beaches, Black Skimmers are most often spotted inland feeding in our inlets, estuaries and other slow moving bodies of water near the Atlantic.
Happily, Black Skimmers are a year round resident of North Carolina but they do appear to migrate locally to the southern coast of the Tarheel state during the cooler winter months.

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

Birdwatching News, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Best Life Birding Sally Siko on the Papa Bear Hikes Podcast

By: Sally Siko – Admin Birdwatching NC / Best Life Birding

Obligatory blog-post-selfie of your Best Life Birding admin. Hi ya!

Check out the July 2nd episode of the Papa Bear Hikes Podcast @papabearhikes01 where Martin and I discuss ways to enjoy the outdoors from a photographer / birders perspective.
Find the episode on

iTunes

Spotify

Amazon Music

or wherever you get your podcasts or click on the link below to listen.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1467697/8798980

In the meantime I want to take this time to share the accounts of some of my favorite folks on Instagram.
Some of them are birders, others are wildlife photographers, tour guides, friends and outdoor enthusiasts, all are good people who love getting out there to capture incredible moments in the outdoors to share with you.

@nilaytphotography
@ncbirdnerd
@wildandexposd_podcast
@deborahroyphotography
@joesubolefsky
@eddeburgessphotography
@gregpiperarts
@srboga
@apexbirdlover
@planet_chad_photography
@28204dan
@2x25mpg
@christian_miller_photo
@biggdread
@mpkopack
@i_guess_i_like_birds_now
@debeluv1960
@talktotheplume
@jeffgresko
@alaskaphotoadventures
@ronhayes_wwi
@rubenbirder
@siberianart
@goodrum.photography
@jhorvathphoto
@birdiepalooza
@ncbirdwatch
@nc_wildlyfe
@kolanderphotos
@thewitt68
@kb_biscuitphoto
@divasecunda

Give them a follow.
You’ll be glad you did 🙂

Happy birding!
Sally Siko
😎

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

Papa Bear Hikes July 2nd, 2021 interview with Sally Siko of Birdwatching NC
Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A White eyed Vireo at Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro NC

This past weekend, my son and I took a quick bird scouting trip to the Old Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro, NC.
With the sun shining and the green leaves popping out on the trees, it felt like the first official week of spring has arrived now that the drab tones of winter are giving way to the vibrant colors of a warmer season.



One of the nicest birds we found down by the river was this White eyed Vireo. It was quite easy to find this bird as he kept calling out loudly from the brush down at the waters edge. These Vireos are also easy to ID with those one of a kind, light blue eyes. I’m not sure why they’re called “white eyed” although it could be the color of the sky reflecting in their eyes that gives them that slight azure hue.



White eyed Vireos are the only members of the Vireo family that prefer to forage and nest in the understory of forests and brushy areas. In fact, you’re most likely to see them at eye level looking for a meal.
They are usually found in wet areas such as along the shorelines of creeks, ponds, swamps and marshes. The dense scrub brush growing along banks of the Haw River is a great example of their favored habitat.

These handsome birds call North Carolina home during the summer with a range that stretches from lower elevations of the Appalachian’s all the way to the coast.
They’ll be here throughout mid October so you’ll have plenty of time to see them in the year ahead.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the king of baaaadasssss camera’s @canonusa
#5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

An encounter with a Brown headed Nuthatch at the prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh NC

Here’s a cheerful sight on an early spring morning, the Brown headed Nuthatch!
I encountered this little fella a couple of weeks ago at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh,NC.
It was really neat to just sit and watch him fly back and forth in to eat, pecking and scraping the suet log for a snack.
Nuthatches usually feed in a downward facing position. This time I was able to get a nice close up look at one right side up for a change!

Though the Brown headed Nuthatch is found throughout the entire state of North Carolina,
their most commonly seen in the piedmont and coastal plain regions. Their preference of habitats include mature and open longleaf pine stands found in the dry Sandhills areas, however, they also can be spotted in open areas of loblolly and shortleaf pine stands found near ponds.

As you might expect given the Brown headed Nuthatches proclivity to foraging pine forests, they eat their fare share of pine seeds. Being omnivores, they also consume a large number of insects, larvae and spiders too.
In fact these clever creatures are one of a few species of birds in the world to use tools to access the insects hidden beneath the bark of trees.
Using a short (but strong) stick, they’ll pry away the bark from the trunk to find a six or eight legged meal hiding inside.
Pretty neat huh?

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds

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

Great Horned Owl nest in raleigh, NC

While birding with a small group of friends a few weeks ago, we were lucky to spend time watching these Great Horned Owls in Raleigh, NC. Owls are sensitive to the presence of people in their nesting territory so I was using my 600mm lens so I was far enough away as not to disturb the birds.


I’d never seen an owlet before and was absolutely thrilled to see his little white fluffy head poking up from under his sleeping mother.
Nearby, we found the father Owl snoozing in a nearby pine tree.
Aren’t they lovely?



With a breeding season that starts in December, Great Horned Owls are one of the earliest species of birds to lay eggs here in North Carolina. Interestingly, they don’t build their own nests, rather they will take over the vacant nests of crows, hawks, Ospreys and other raptors as needed.
Incubation takes around 33 days and by 7 weeks of age, the Owlets are capable of taking their first short flights out of the nest.


Finding a Great Horned Owl can be challenging but the best way to spot one is to look for them in dry habitats like long leaf pine forests at dusk or very early in the morning.
When searching for these impressive raptors, it pays to look down at the ground too!
This is because Owls regurgitate the indigestible hair and bones of their prey: called owl pellets. You can often find a number of these pellets below their preferred perching trees.



Although they are a year round resident of NC, as a nocturnal bird, they tend to be more vocal at night during the wintertime months and can be best located by sound from November through February. Look for their distinctive, large football-shaped silhouettes on the top of bare tree top snags or telephone poles at the edges of fields.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Birdwatching News

New Weekend bird watching tour dates are now available in North Carolina for 2021

Come birding with me!
I’ve just updated the tour page on the website to include a bunch of new dates and birding locations here in North Carolina for 2021.

These trips are are geared towards birders and bird loving photographers of all skill levels and are usually a lot of fun.
Real time species ID is provided in the field with a trip goal of getting out there to see more birds in less time.
An eBird summery documenting all that we find along the way will be sent to you immediately following the tour so that you can add new birds to your own life list at your leisure too!

Check out the tour links below for more information on upcoming trips and I hope you enjoy the photos of some of my favorite birds from 2020.

Happy birding my friends and cheers to the new year ahead 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc

Bird watching tours in North Carolina
Field Notes, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

An Indigo Bunting encounter at the NCMA

It’s hard not to stop and stare whenever an Indigo Bunting is encountered.
Those bright blue feathers are a real show stopper!
I spotted this male at the North Carolina Museum of Art a couple of weeks ago in Raleigh, NC. He stood out like a sapphire beacon in the green canopy of trees.



These beautiful birds will be here in central N.C. for a few more weeks before they head out for their autumn migration.
And what a journey they’ve got ahead of them!
Navigating by night, guided by the stars, Indigo Buntings will often travel up to 1,200 miles to reach their wintering grounds in south Florida and northern South America.
They’ll stick around N.C. until mid October so there is still time for you to see them.
You can help them fuel up for their long trip by offering Nyjer, Millet and Sunflower seeds in your backyard feeder.
Make sure that you keep your feeders clean and full during this important time and enjoy these gorgeous little birds while you can!

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

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Fledgling Blue Grosbeaks at the Mid Pines rd. dogleg in raleigh, N.C.

Got up early this morning and headed out to go birding at the Mid Pines Rd. dog leg in Raleigh N.C. before it got too hot outside.
It seemed like a good plan but that sun was relentless beating down on those open fields.
Happily, the trip yielded a find of a family of Blue Grosbeaks that made every second of standing in that heat totally worth it in my book!

I was able to photograph the adult male and his mate as well as their two male youngsters.
They were surprisingly tame and allowed me to view them at a relatively close range as they foraged in the shady brush.

Blue Grosbeaks call central North Carolina home from mid-spring to early fall.
Courtship and mating occurs in the spring and early summer.
Their nests are usually built in small trees, shrubs or tangles of vines, briars or other types of brushy vegetation.
Four eggs are laid which will hatch in about 11 to 12 days. Both parents take care of the nestlings from sun up to sun down.
The chicks fledge as little as 10 days and I’m estimating (based on their plumage color, length and coverage ) that the ones I’ve photographed here are around 17-20 days old.
Aren’t they lovely?
🙂

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