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Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Don’t overlook the eastern Bluebird

By: Sally Siko -Admin BWNC

When you’re out birding on a mission to find something new, common species like the Eastern Bluebird are easy to overlook.
It’s a shame because these birds are absolutely gorgeous.
That blue plumage is as vibrantly hued during the winter as in the summer months!


Although I was there with the intent of photographing another bird, this lovely creature was impossible to ignore as it flew from stump to branch over the swamp.

Bluebirds are a year round resident of the Tarheel state and are a familiar sight to all living from the mountains to the coast.
They are best found perching on fence posts and power lines overlooking wide open areas such as agricultural fields, farm ponds and grassy clearings but with so many bird lovers putting up bluebird specific nesting boxes, they’re showing up in ever increasing numbers on the fence lines of suburban backyards too.



Now that winter is here, families of Bluebirds will form loose flocks to hunt for a meal in stands of long leaf pines with other songbirds such as sparrows, Nuthatches and Pine Warblers.
They are true omnivores with a diet consisting of a mix of seeds, insects and fruits. Being able to digest nutrients from a wide variety of food sources means that the Eastern Bluebird can thrive here in North Carolina even during the coldest months when insects are scarce.
Plus the extra help that bird lovers provide by putting out suet (another favorite Bluebird snack) in their feeders during the wintertime helps a whole lot too 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5 & my beloved beast of a DSLR the #5Ds

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

A Palm Warbler encounter at Lake Betz in Morrisville NC

Check out this handsome little Palm Warbler!
Isn’t he cute?
I caught a glimpse of him snacking on a Caterpillar while birding at Lake Betz in Morrisville NC this week.


He was perfectly content to go about his business while I took a few photos of him foraging. Then he basically stopped and became the bird equivalent of Zoolander and posed for couple shots too lol!
A good moment indeed.

Despite being named for a tropical tree, Palm Warblers actually spends most of their foraging time walking and hopping on the ground, or in low brushy undergrowth bobbing its tail and plucking at insects.
Weirder still, Palm Warblers nest in the boreal forests and bogs of Canada and although they do spend the winter in Florida, they don’t actually hang out in the Palm trees.
Truly an odd name for a bird IMO.



Palm Warblers are a wintertime resident of North Carolina. They arrive in September and depart for their northern breeding grounds in early May. I was pleased to capture a photo of one in bright plumage since most of the ones I’ve seen have been dressed in the winter drab tones.

Although they will be migrating north in a couple of weeks, you can still find Palm Warblers here in the Tarheel state.
Look for them in short grassy fields or in semi open areas near water containing low dense, brush.

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

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Hooded Mergansers in North Carolina

A wintertime visitor to North Carolina, the Hooded Merganser is a lovely sight to see gliding across the water.
These beautiful ducks are found in many of our inland lakes, ponds, marshes and reservoirs from November to about mid-April.
I’ve seen quite a few this year in locations ranging from the Pocasin Lakes NWR to Lake Betz in Morrisville NC.
They’re so beautiful and although they are relatively common, I always take the time to stop and appreciate them whenever I’m out birding in the field.



Hooded Mergansers are a species species of diving duck with a somewhat unusual diet in that they do not eat much plant material. Instead they prefer to snack on small fish, crawfish, and aquatic insects.

Check out this great Hooded Merganser video by my friend Mark at AviBirds! For more excellent bird videos, make sure you visit and subscribe to his channel HERE


In addition, they’ve got long serrated beaks which aid in the capture and consumption of their underwater prey.



I love the way we can easily pick out Hooded Mergansers in a mixed flock. The drake has a striking black head with a bright white crest, white breast, black back, and warm chestnut plumage on it’s side. The hens and immature birds are grayish brown color except for a beautiful reddish-brown crest.
These are indeed are elegant birds and are a always a treat to encounter when the weather turns cold.

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