Tag Archives: birding jordan lake

Field Notes

How far do great Egrets fly

A Great Egret at Jordan Lake in Apex, N.C.
This majestic symbol of the National Audubon Society is recognizable by a slow flight, often cruising with their necks retracted.
This one was gliding over Jordan Lake last week as I was out searching for Eagles.
🌿
A few years ago, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences partnered with public schools to capture 8 Great Egrets and attach GPS tags.
Some stayed in here North Carolina; others traveled quite a distance way.
Data showed one female traveled from Lake Mattamuskeet, in Hyde County, to New York City in a single night. She eventually settled in Massachusetts, where she bred and then headed south to Cuba.
Pretty amazing!

Photo by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5DS

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

Birds of a feather…

While birding at Jordan Lake on Wednesday, I found a Great Blue Heron and a Great Egret hunting together.
Since Herons and Egrets are normally territorial when it comes to searching for prey, I was surprised to see these two behaving like a bonded pair.
In fact, every step that the Egret took, the Great Blue followed.
🌿
Although rare, there has been a few documented cases of Great Blue Heron and Great Egret hybridization.
Most recently one has been noted at the fishing pier at Fort De Soto Park near St. Petersburg, Florida.
Known as as a Great Blue Heron x Great Egret hybrid (Ardea herodias x alba), this unusual bird is one of a kind!
🌿
Although I certainly cannot say that the two birds featured in these pics are attempting to breed with one another, their peaceful behavior was interesting to observe.
Moments like this are a great example of why I enjoy getting outside to photograph birds.
There’s always the potential to be surprised by an unexpected encounter, and the opportunity to learn something new is often just one click away 🙂
🌿
Swipe to the second photo to get a closer look at these handsome birds…
Photo by @sally_siko

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

Great egret Agression

While standing on the eagle observation deck at Jordan Lake yesterday, I observed two Great Egrets chasing one another over the water. These majestic birds can be quite aggressive! This is not unusual behavior as Great Egrets are very territorial when it comes to courtship, nesting and feeding.

Prey such as Frogs, snakes, crayfish, fish, mice, crickets, aquatic insects, grasshoppers, and many other insects constitute the typical diet of these competitive birds. However, it has been found that Great Egrets are highly aggressive in many situations even when food is not limited.

Guess these two don’t want to share, even when there is plenty of food to go around.. I’m not sure why they were fighting but it was truly an interesting moment to photograph!

Photo by @sally_siko Canon 5Ds

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

Where to photograph big birds in North Carolina

Standing up on a rock along the shore, I heard a loud croaking noise to my left.
Swinging my lens around, I turned towards the sound and there was this Great Egret gliding over the water.
What a sight!
I gotta say, if your searching for big birds to photograph, Jordan Lake in Apex N.C. is the place to go!
Photo by @sally_siko

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

An encounter with a Great Egret at Jordan lake

Had a nice trip to the Martha’s Chapel area of Jordan Lake this morning.
One of the highlights of the day was this encounter with a Great Egret who was fishing along the shoreline.
They are one of the largest of the wading birds found here in North Carolina.
Sometimes miss identified with Great White Heron, the comparatively thinner orange bill and dark legs of the Great Egret are useful distinguishing characteristics.
Photo by @sally_siko .

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

Great Blue Heron encounter at Jordan Dam in Apex, N.C.

Few birds are as majestic on the wing as a Great Blue Heron. These birds are quite a sight in the air as they glide on by.
Great Blue Herons have a large wingspan and can fly up to 30 mph in a glide. During flight, they often seen tucking their necks into an “S” shaped curve like this one seen here.
🌿
The water and land space found at Jordan Lake Park are both necessary for these interesting birds. They hunt for fish, amphibians, insects and other small animals in the lake, and build their nests in trees, bushes or on the ground along the shoreline.
To hunt, a heron will either stand completely still and wait patiently for its prey or it will wade into the water to drive its prey out.
Sometimes, they will even dive straight down into the lake from the sky to spear the fish swimming right below the surface of the water.
Photo by @sally_siko

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Blue Gray Gnatcatcher at Jordan lake

On my way down the path to my parked car at Jordan Lake in New Hill NC, I spotted a couple of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers flying erratically into the branch of an Oak tree.
Upon closer inspection with my zoom lens, there appeared a young one among the leaves who was receiving bug snacks from mom and dad.
He hardly made a peep and I might have missed him but for the fact that he fluffed out his feathers so quickly, that the brief movement caught my eye.
🌿
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are carnivores and they always seem to on the hunt for tasty bugs.
Their diet is based on insects, spiders (nice!) and small invertebrates, yet, despite its name, the Blue-gray gnatcatcher rarely eats gnats!
I think maybe they should be renamed to “Blue-gray Nopecatchers” lol!

Photo by @sally_siko
Canon 5DS