Tag Archives: birding north carolina

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

Birds of a feather…

September 24, 2019 admin

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

Why do hummingbirds stretch?

September 20, 2019 admin

Have you ever watched a Ruby-throated Hummingbird stretch before?
Yes, they are elegant little gems but check out all of the photographs see what they look like in all of their awkward glory, lol!
From floof, to zoot, to sleek in just seconds, haha!

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird boasts an average 55 wing beats per second. That’s pretty fast right?!
However, during mating season, males will fly back and forth in front of the female with a wing beat rate of up to 200 per second during courtship displays.
These tiny birds even hold a Guinness record for its speed, which is probably why taking the time to stretch their incredible muscles is so important 😉

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.

August 23, 2019 admin

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

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

A Northern Parula Warbler spotted at harris Lake Park, New Hill N.C.

August 21, 2019 admin

While hiking at Harris Lake Park on Friday morning, I spied a female Northern Parula Warbler holding a fat green caterpillar in her beak.
This species is the smallest of eastern wood-warblers. They have a habit of foraging high in tree canopy which therefore makes it a difficult bird to observe from the ground.
I photographed this little beauty as she was gathering food to feed her nearby fledgling.
The Northern Parula arrives in N.C. early in April. They depart at the end of September.
Their breeding range extends across the eastern half of the U.S.
In the winter, the Northern Parula can be found from southern Mexico to as far north as the southern tip of Florida.
What a cool little bird to find in the Triangle 🙂
Photo by @sally_siko

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

A North Carolina Photo safari encounter of a Yellow Crowned Night Heron at willow pond

August 21, 2019 admin

Hi, Bill Jackson here, travel and nature photographer in the Raleigh-Durham area.

This photo comes to you from my three-day photo “safari” to the NC coast. During my stay I had the opportunity to walk the Soundside and Willow Pond Loop nature trails on Harker’s Island looking for birds and interesting landscape photo opportunities.

Unfortunately I was there at mid-day and the bird activity was less than I would have liked. I watched for activity at Willow Pond for maybe an hour, found most of the birds to be out of range, but as I was just about to move on, this beautiful Yellow Crowned Night Heron swooped in and stayed just long enough for me to grab some photos.

I learned enough about the area to visit again, but will choose the season and time of day better to improve my chances of seeing more amazing birds.

Be sure to check out my site for more bird, wildlife, and travel photos at www.BillJacksonImages.com. You can also find me on Facebook and Instagram.

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A Great-Crested FlyCatcher in Fuquay Varina, Nc

August 15, 2019 admin

An Oak huge tree died suddenly in my yard here in Fuquay-Varina N.C. a couple weeks ago.
Since then, there’s been a huge increase of birds fluttering in its boughs searching for bugs.
From Woodpeckers to Wrens, Gnatcatchers and Nuthatches, it’s been interesting to observe a variety of species moving in and out of the tree.

Today brought a family of Great Crested Flycatchers like this one which I photographed as he “posed” for a quick shot in the morning sun.

Photo by @sally_siko / @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5DS

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

Learning how to cowbird

August 13, 2019 admin

Since Cowbirds are known for laying their eggs in the nests of other birds, the question is how does a Cowbird learn how to be a Cowbird instead of a Warbler, Gnatcatcher, or Blackbird host?
Researchers at the University of Illinois observed that the Cowbirds mother actually remained in the host birds territory and could hear the cries of her offspring.
In response to hearing the begging cries of the baby cowbird, the females responded, not by feeding it, but by calling to it.
The researchers think that this behavior may help the cowbird fledglings to eventually find other adult cowbirds that are vocalizing, as they fly from feeding areas to roosting areas at dusk each day.
Nature is endlessly surprising!
Photo by Sally Adams Siko
Canon 5DS
Harris Lake Park, New Hill North Carolina

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

How cowbird chicks avoid imprinting on their hosts

August 12, 2019 admin

Cowbirds are well known to lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, leaving the young to be raised by other species.
So how do Cowbird chicks avoid imprinting on their host families of Gnatcatchers, Warblers or Blackbirds yet still learn how to be a Cowbird?

A study by the University of Illinois was launched to answer this question. Researchers tracked juvenile cowbirds that were being raised by Prothonotary warblers. They’ve discovered that, at around 30 days old, cowbird fledglings started to leave the warblers’ territory at dusk to roost alone.
They would then return the following morning to be fed by their foster parents. For reasons that aren’t yet clear, these nocturnal departures seem to prevent the young cowbirds from imprinting on their host parents.

Interesting info for sure! But how exactly do Cowbirds learn how to be Cowbirds and not pick up on the habits of their host families?

I’ll post more on that question tomorrow…
Photo by @sally_siko of Birdwatching NC
Canon 5DS

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Thank you for joining the flock

July 27, 2019 admin

I just wanted to say welcome to everyone who’s joined me here on Birdwatching N.C. this week.
Thanks for being a part of this little (but growing) flock.
It’s been really cool to connect with like minded people. By this I mean of course, to meet folks who know what the term “mid to high-canopy dweller” means, lol!
I love the fact that there are those out there who can explain the difference between a Cooper’s hawk and a red-shouldered Hawk based on the shape of the spotted feathers on the breast.

Better still, I’ve got a ton of respect those of you who are brave enough to ask me for help when you’re stumped with an ID and am thankful to each and every one of my fellow bird-nerds for their insights when I’ve asked for assistance myself.

You all are amazing 😉

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

welcome to bird watching nc

July 10, 2019 admin

Welcome to North Carolina’s home for birding in the Tarheel state! Click on the menu above to explore all of the cool resources found here on this website site such as news, touring information, North Carolina bird watching clubs, species ID and more.