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Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Spending time with a Semi-palmated Plover in NC

By Sally Siko

Behold the cutest little bird in North Carolina, the Semipalmated Plover!
I spotted this tiny feathered gem while birding in eastern NC last week.
The bird was moving in and out of a flock of resting Marbled Godwits, pecking and scratching in the mud in search of a snack.
It was fun to try and get a couple photos of the Plover as it scrambled around between the larger birds.
Eventually it popped out of the flock and into the open which allowed me a few seconds to snap off some shots.



But what does “Semipalmated” even mean?
 Well, it refers to the fact that they’ve got partially webbed feet.
I know it’s tough to see their toes in this photo but this webbing allows the birds to move about quickly in the shallow channels and puddles of water on the mudflats.

These tiny feathered dynamos are most often spotted in tidal marshes and beaches hunting for a meal in the mud and sand. Small birds with big appetites, they’re voracious eaters of insects and worms but will also gulp down small crustaceans and mollusks.

Though Semipalmated Plovers breed in the Arctic tundra, they are a semi-common sight in coastal areas of North Carolina during the spring and autumn.
A few even spend the winter here in our southeastern coastal counties so it’s well worth keeping an eye out for them in the months to come.

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

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

Common Gallinules in the Carolinas

By: Sally Siko

One of the most unique looking birds we’ve got here in the Carolinas is the Common Gallinule.
I spotted this pair (and an immature one) at the Huntington Beach State Park last weekend.



These sharp looking relieves of the Coot are mostly found in our eastern coastal counties though they do stray further inland from time to time.
Generally, Gallinules are not easily spotted as populations are scarce in certain areas within it’s overall range, yet they may be locally common in others so it sort of depends on where you are in regards to chances of seeing one.



Common Gallinules breed in areas where they have access to small ponds and marshes to hunt for a meal and are easily identified by their charcoal black plumage and by that bright red and-yellow bill, and of course by those huge yellow feet.
Unlike their cousin the Purple Gallinule, Common’s spend a lot of time swimming vs. the Purple’s preference to search for a a meal on foot. This behavior difference is a helpful way to ID them when viewing one from a distance or in poor lighting conditions 🙂

These understated beauties are a year round resident of the Tarheel state but are much easier to find during the spring and summer.
Along with the Huntington Beach State Park in SC, you also have a good chance of finding Common Gallinules at the Lake Mattamuskeet NWR in Swansquarter, NC.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
#R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Summer Tanagers at the Pee Dee NWR

One can hardly hike more than a few minutes in the woods here in central NC without hearing the cheerful call of the Summer Tanager.
This was the case when I spotted this male singing in the trees at the Pee Dee NWR in Wadesboro NC last week. He was easy to find with that bold red plumage, especially when he landed on the bare branches of a dead tree near the shoreline of the lake.
Such a gorgeous bird!

Did you know that the Summer Tanager is the only entirely red colored bird found in the United States? Northern Cardinals and Scarlet Tanagers come close however both of those species also have black feathers on their bodies.
All three species get their bold red hues from carotenoid compounds which produce the red (and sometimes yellow) colors seen in the birds feathers. These are acquired through their diets (mainly through fruit), and are then processed in the body into pigments that are deposited in the growing feathers.

Summer Tanagers are generally spring and summertime residents of North Carolina.
They arrive in April and hang out until September before migrating south to Mexico, Central and South America. That being said, there are small but growing numbers of Summer Tanagers that stick around for the entire winter in the eastern part of the state provided that they have a reliable food source available to them via a feeder.
Pretty cool huh?
🙂

Oh btw, I’ve posted new birdwatching tours to the Pee Dee NWR (where I photographed this Summer Tanager) here on this website.
Wanna join me?
Check out the link below for booking details.

Birding Tours at the Pee Dee NWR

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

Field Notes

Birding at Bass Lake Park – The Common Yellowthroat

Few species of Warbler are more delightful to encounter on a spring walk than the Common Yellowthroat.
I spotted this one while birding at Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs NC.
With those inquisitive dark eyes peering out against a black face mask paired with a cheerful bright yellow plumage, it’s hard not to smile when watching one go about it’s day of hunting for insects in the brush.



As their name implies, Common Yellowthroats are indeed “common”. Not only do they nest in all 100 countries of North Carolina, they actually boast a breeding range that stretches across the entire United States and even over most of Canada! This makes them one of the most abundantly found species of Warbler on the continent.
Quite a feat for such a tiny bird!

One of my favorite characteristics of these beauties is their friendly demeanor. When not actively nesting, they’re quite curious about people and will fly in close to check you out if you try pishing at them. It’s neat to get a close up look at these lovely feathered gems when the opportunity presents itself.
Look for the Common Yellowthroat in open fields and along the shorelines of marshes, ponds and streams hiding out in thickets and dense brush.
Aren’t they sweet?



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

Birdwatching News

Bird Watching NEWS: Birding tours now offered in the Raleigh-Durham N.C. area

By: Sally Siko

Come birding with me! Birdwatching NC now offers birding tours in central North Carolina.
I’ve just posted the Birdwatching NC spring birding trips schedule to the website.
Your guide for these first few trips will be me (the admin of of this website) Sally Siko.

A Wood Duck at Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs, N.C.


For now, I’m sticking to local tours in the Triangle area of central NC so locations included will be Yates Mill Park, Bass Lake Park and Jordan Lake Park.
That being said, I’ll be adding additional tours on the coast with expanded itineraries soon. Here is the link to see the upcoming tours.

Go Birding With Me: Best Life Birding Trips, Guided Group Birding Tours & Bird Photography Workshops



The first trip of the year will be at Jordan Lake on January 26th. We will set out in search of wintertime birds including, Bald Eagles, Cormorants, Kinglets, Gulls, Woodpeckers, Herons, Red-shouldered Hawks, cold weather Warblers and more.
Space is limited, check link below for tour details!

https://birdwatchingnc.com/birdwatching-n-c-trips-birding-in-north-carolina/birding-at-jordan-lake-park-trips/
A juvenile Bald Eagle soaring above Jordan Lake in apex, N.C.




Cheers to new adventures in the field in 2020!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds