Tag Archives: birding pea island

Birdwatching News

Rare Bird alert: Lark Sparrow sighting in North Carolina

The neatest thing about birding is that ya never quite know for sure what you’re going to see when you step outside.
Sure, we’ve got our goals and general expectations on hand but each time we head out there is an opportunity to to be surprised and delighted with an unexpected find.
Case in point, this Lark Sparrow that I spotted while leading a trip to the Pea Island NWR this past Sunday.



Up until that point, tbh the birding was less then stellar that day lol. There had been a remarkable lack of bird activity going on so when I first put this bird into focus on my lens it was pretty exciting!
The reason why is because the Lark Sparrow’s range stretches from primarily the Great Plains and west to the California coast. Year-round populations also occur in Texas and northern Mexico.
That being said a very, very small population of Lark Sparrows spend the summer right here in North Carolina too!
Usually those birds are found in isolated spots the Sandhill region of the central part of the state so it was incredibly cool to find one here in the OBX at the beginning of migration.



When Lark Sparrows do show up in the eastern counties of NC during the autumn months, they prefer to forage in areas of wide sandy-scrub patches. The dry dunes and field habitats here on Pea Island are just perfect for them.
Unfortunately these beauties won’t be here for much longer as most will head south for the winter in a week or two but if you missed them this year, the Lark Sparrows will return to the Tarheel state next April.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Snow geese at the Pea island NWR

One of my favorite moments during the Pea Island NWR birding trip was finding these Snow Geese on the shoreline of the South Pond.
After no sightings of these beauties throughout the morning, I’d just about given up hope that I’d find some which was kind of disappointing. Still, we all had seen some lovely birds that day so it wasn’t a major let down.
Later that day, I was enjoying the Northern Shovelers with my guests when in the distance, a large flock of birds caught my eye as they came in for a landing.
They appeared as tiny specks on the horizon but as soon as I put my 600mm lens on the flock, I instantly knew that finally the Greater Snow Geese had arrived!
I quickly gathered up the group and we drove a little further south to where I’d seen the birds touch down.



Wow! It was so worth it to drive a few minutes because when we pulled off of the road to get a better look, we found a couple hundred of the Geese foraging in the mudflats right next to the hyway.
It was absolutely thrilling to be so close to these gorgeous birds and better still, to see how happy the group was with this encounter!



The Greater Snow Goose is a wintertime visitor to the coastal regions of North Carolina and are often found in great numbers (by the thousands!) at the Pungo Unit, Lake Mattamuskeet and right here at the Pea Island NWR.
Interestingly, only one population of Greater 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.
Greater Snow Geese breed in the Canadian High Arctic, and on the western coast of Greenland. This makes the Greater Snow Goose one of the most northerly breeding geese in the world.


They will only be here in N.C. through late March before they make the trip north again so it’s likely that you’ll have to wait until January too see them again 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Spending time with The American Avocet at the Pea Island NWR

About an hour into the trip at the Pea Island NWR, the wind picked up as a cold front pushed in from the north.
I mean in an instant, it really got crazy out there! Gusts of 50mph wind plus a driving cold rain that just cut right through ya. More than once, the wind was blowing so hard, it felt like it could rip the 600mm lens from my fingers at any moment (shout out to @canonusa for building a kick ass camera that can exceed performance expectations in weather like that).


There were actually white caps churning on the surface of the normally glass-smooth North Pond. It was nuts!
Despite the foul weather we still saw tons of great stuff including these beauties, the American Avocet.



This medium sized shorebird is indeed a lovely sight dressed in its winter plumage of grey and white, yet it’s most striking field mark is their delicate bill which is long with a distinct upward curving tip. The Avocets use their bills to skim along the water’s surface, in search of insects and small crustaceans.


As seen in the photo above, these sociable birds will often move through the water in flocks, feeding & roosting together with other waders like Godwits, Herons and Ibis.



The American Avocet is a relatively common sight here on Pea Island from late July through April but becomes more difficult to find May through June.
Look for them in slow moving, shallow bodies of fresh/brackish water marshes and ponds in our coastal impoundments throughout the OBX.
Aren’t they beautiful?

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Northern Shovelers at the Pea Island NWR

For sure one of the most unique looking ducks we’ve got here in N.C. during the wintertime is the Northern Shoveler.


The group and I spotted several of these handsome birds during the trip to the Pea Island NWR last month and could not have been more pleased to see them!
We even had a chance to view this pair from under 10 feet away which allowed for some excellent photo opportunities as they happily swam right in front of us on the South Pond.



Northern Shovelers are uniquely adapted for a life spent foraging for a meal underwater. They feed by drawing water into its large spoon shaped bill and then pump it out through the sides with their tongue.
Their bill is lined with a long comb-like lamellae which filters out floating food particles such as tiny crustaceans, molluscs, insects, larvae as well as seeds and pieces of leaves and stems of aquatic plants.
In addition to the food particles they’ll also dine on water beetles, small minnows, and snails when available.



As is the case with other members of the dabbling duck family, Northern Shovelers may be found foraging for meal along the shorelines of the shallow, still or slow moving waters of marshes, ponds, flooded out fields and in our coastal impoundments.
These guys will hang out in North Carolina until
mid April before departing to their northern breeding grounds so there is still time for you to get out there and see them if you can!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

A Sanderling encounter on Oregon Inlet at the Pea Island NWR

After visiting the North Pond at the Pea Island NWR with my guests, we headed north up Rt.12 to the Pea Island Life Saving Station to see what we could find along the shores of the Oregon Inlet.
Along with Pelicans, Gulls and Ruddy Turnstones, a couple Sanderlings flew in and began foraging in the sand.



A familiar shorebird to many here in North Carolina, Sanderlings are usually seen scurrying after waves as they roll back out to sea always in the hunt for tiny crustaceans and mollusks exposed by the retreating water.
These tiny birds are quite entertaining to watch! With legs that seem to move a ‘mile a minute, these pint sized dynamos make quick work in their efforts to find a meal on the beach.


What’s the secret to their speed?
As seen in the photo below, Sanderlings are the only sandpiper which lacks a hind toe!
Propelling their weight forward with every step into the sand, this unique foot adaptation allows them to be strong runners with less resistance.



Sanderlings are one of the most common species of Sandpiper in the world. Indeed, during the wintertime they may be found along every coastline in the United States including Alaska and Hawaii too.
Here in N.C. they are a year round resident but during the summer, they are slightly less common because the ones who spend the warmer months here on our beaches are non breeding birds.
Whatever the season, it’s always nice to see one 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

Birding at the Pea Island NWR: The Pied-billed Grebe

Here’s an interesting bird that I enjoyed seeing at the Pea Island NWR, the Pied billed Grebe.
These guys were everywhere! It was neat to watch these spunky little birds harass the Coots for a meal when they’d come up from a dive.



Pied billed Grebes are perfectly built for a life spent under water in pursuit of a meal.
Like many species of ducks, Grebes are able to waterproof their feathers by preening them with secretions from an oil gland located at the base of the tail. This means that they can dive consecutively without becoming waterlogged.
They’ve also got solid bones which adds to their weight enabling them to dive deeper and remain underwater longer.
Grebes have short, narrow wings somewhat reminiscent of that of a Penguin in appearance and and are able compress their feathers by pulling them in close to their bodies which aids their maneuverability when swimming.
They are a bit awkward looking on land and aren’t very good at just strolling through a marsh. This is because a Grebe’s legs are located father back on their body to help with propulsion underwater.

Although Pied billed Grebes seem to possess a lot of similarities with ducks they are a part of a larger family of diving birds called Podicipedidae. Their binomial name of Colymbus podiceps is derived from the Latin word Podilymbus, a contraction of podicipes which means “feet at the buttocks or arsefoot” and a Greek words kolymbos, meaning “diver”, and podiceps, meaning “rump-headed”.
This makes a lot of sense when you consider their leg placement on their body. Plus it’s amusing to think about a birds name basically meaning “ass footed-rump headed diver” lol!


Pied billed Grebes are a year round resident of North Carolina but are best found in the wintertime when they gather in large numbers in our eastern coastal counties.
Look for them in quiet freshwater marshes, near the shorelines of small to medium sized ponds, shallow lakes, or bays with reedy banks and swimming slow moving streams with a brushy shoreline containing cattails.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Gadwall Ducks at the Pea Island NWR

The Gadwall is an elegant species of duck that is often overlooked by casual birdwatchers due to their seemingly understated appearance.
When viewing one at a distance one might even describe them as dull but taking a closer look, you’ll notice that they are actually quite intricately patterned with a pleasing pallet of warm colors.


I spotted this drake swimming among the reeds during the second day of my recent visit to the Pea Island NWR while scouting locations for an upcoming tour.
Though the mid-day lighting was kinda harsh, I’m so happy to have had an opportunity to photograph one at a relatively close range.



I enjoyed watching this one foraging for a meal on the water. Like most species of dabbling duck, they’re fond of feeding on leaves and stems of submersed aquatic vegetation.
When the breeding season arrives, their protein requirements change a bit so during the spring & summer they also may be seen snacking on small crustaceans and other invertebrates.


Though most breed in the north central and western part of the United States, Gadwalls are also a year round resident of the coastal counties in North Carolina and are known to nest on Bodie Island and Pea Island during the summer.
In addition, every autumn thousands of Gadwalls arrive from all over the country to spend the cooler months here in the Tarheel State. Due to the influx of migrants in the eastern counties, they are much easier to find during the wintertime than any other time of year.
This is why you’re most likely to spot them in here in North Carolina paddling around in wide open fresh and brackish marshes, ponds and lakes from September through early April.
Get out there and enjoy them!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Northern Shovlers at the Pea Island NWR

Here’s a species of dabbling duck that always makes me smile whenever I see them, the Northern Shoveler.
I’ve been lucky to have spotted a few at the Pea Island NWR In Rodanthe NC over the past couple of days.
This pair was hanging near the shore of the North Pond with a juvenile White Ibis.
Aren’t they cool looking?



Northern Shovelers are omnivores with a preference to dine on plants, duck weed, and algae; yet they’re also fond of eating aquatic insects, mollusks and even crustaceans.
Their distinctive spoon shaped bill is adapted for sifting through large amounts of muddy water to find a meal. Even their tongues are highly specialized with extensive covering of comb-like teeth called lamellae, which help filter it’s food items from the water.

When foraging, the Northern Shoveler tilts its head from side to side, water is drawn in at the tip of the bill, filtered through the lamellae to pick up any food particulate and then expelled at the base. They are voracious eaters and are frequently seen swimming with their heads underwater as they hunt for a meal in the mud.



The Northern Shoveler is a wintertime visitor to North Carolina. Look for them in freshwater & brackish ponds, shallow lakes and marshes paddling around with flocks of other dabblers such as Gadwalls, Mallards and Black Ducks.
They are particularly common in our eastern counties from September through April so there is still plenty of time for you to see them too!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

The White Ibis at the Pea Island NWR

Look out below…
This is an interesting bird that I saw last month at the Pea Island NWR, the White Ibis!


It was neat to see them flying overhead up until one decided to offload his last meal, lol!
*Check out the second photo in this post to see what I mean.
So very glad I wasn’t standing directly underneath them haha!



White Ibis’s are a year round resident of North Carolina and are most commonly found in our eastern coastal counties. During the breeding season they are known to nest on our barrier islands with other shorebirds near the lower Cape Fear river area.
When winter arrives, they also may be seen grazing in farm fields and foraging for a meal in freshwater & brackish suburban ponds, and waterfowl impoundments.



An opportunistic hunter of the shoreline, these handsome white birds enjoy a varied diet of crayfish, crabs, frogs, minnows, snakes and even insects. Look for them in the grass along the waters edge and wading through shallow, show moving waters.
And of course, make sure you look up occasionally to avoid getting splattered by their latest meal lol!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

A Lesser Scaup encounter at the Pea island NWR in the OBX

Here’s a lovely duck that doesn’t get enough love in my opinion, the Lesser Scaup. I spotted these beautiful creatures while birding at the Pea Island NWR last month.
Aren’t they sweet?

Male Lesser Scaups



The drakes (featured in the first few photos) have white flanks, black rumps and breasts, and lined gray backs.
They’ve got purplish-black, iridescent heads and bright yellow eyes. Their bills are light gray-blue. Males in non-breeding plumage have black heads and breasts, brown bodies, and black rumps.

Female Lesser Scaups


The hens (featured above) are brownish colored overall, also with beautiful yellow eyes, and white at the base of their bills.
It was lovely to watch them as they glided across the pond in search of a meal.

Scaups aren’t showy but gosh I enjoy seeing them each winter. There are actually two species of Scaup found in North Carolina, the Lessers & Greater. These two varieties look similar but there are a few differences to note when trying to make an accuarte ID.

Lesser:

Smaller overall size

Peak of feathers sticking up on it’s crown

Narrow-ish head with tall slender neck

Black tip on bill is noticeably smaller

Prefers to stick to freshwater bodies of water inland

Greater:

Larger size Rounded crown

Rounder head & puffy-ish cheeks

Black tip larger and more noticeable on bill

Is generally more abundant in saltwater bodies of water

The thing is, even if though I know what ID marks to look for, it’s still tough when viewing these guys at a distance. It’s easier when the two species are right up next to one another (because of the size difference) but beyond that it’s all about going over the details.

Every October, large flocks of Lesser Scaups make their way south into North Carolina. Though they may be found all across the state, their more commonly seen in our eastern coastal areas swimming on lakes, reservoirs, and fresh or brackish coastal bays and estuaries.

The diet of the Scaup is largely made up of seeds, insects, aquatic invertebrates, minnows, fish eggs and small crustaceans. During the winter, Mollusks and plant seeds become more important at other times of the year due to the scarcity of insects and fish roe.
If you’re able to sit and observe them for a few minutes, you’re likely to see them diving underwater for their meal.
Sometimes they seem to stay down there for a while which is pretty impressive.



I’m headed back to Pea Island for another birding trip soon. I can’t wait to see these sweet little ducks again and am hoping that I’ll be able to get some photos of the Scaups in better light.
By the way, the Lesser Scaups will hang out here in North Carolina until late April (western part of the state) or early May so there is plenty of time for you to go see a few for yourself too!

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