Tag Archives: birding tour north carolina

By Sally Siko

Happy to spot a Lark Sparrow at Ft.Fisher in NC yesterday morning!
My friend Corie and I made a quick trip to the coast to see if we could find this little guy and were rewarded with some great looks for the effort.
*ok yeah it is a 2 1/2 hour drive south for me but these days anything less than a 5 hour drive to see a bird is local drive in my book lol!

These guys are considered a rarity in NC 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 too. That being said a very, (very!) small population of Lark Sparrows breed right here in North Carolina. Usually those birds are found during the breeding season in isolated spots within the Sandhill region (central part of the state) so it was incredibly cool to find one here at Fort Fisher during the winter.

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

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

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

American Oystercatchers on Wrightsville Beach NC

June 23, 2023 admin

It was so cool to spend a little time with an American Oystercatcher yesterday at Wrightsville Beach, NC.
These are gorgeous birds, always interesting to watch as they roam the beach in search of a snack.
They’re voracious eaters of mollusks, crustaceans, worms and other marine invertebrates which inhabit the intertidal areas of the Carolina coastline.

American Oystercatchers are a year round resident of southeastern NC.Each spring, they lay their eggs in shallow depressions in the sand among large nesting colonies of Terns, Skimmers and Plovers.

Unlike other shorebirds who hunt for fish above the water and dig for shellfish and marine worms on the sandy shoreline, Oystercatchers prefer to look for it’s namesake snack in exposed sand bars and mudflats during low tides. They’ll also forage on rocks, such as those found at jetties and around bridge pilings. Aren’t they beautiful?

Photo by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding both captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Blackpoll Warbler sighting at Lake Betz

July 3, 2021 admin

While birding a few weeks ago at Lake Betz in Morrisville NC, I got a lucky break by spotting this Blackpoll Warbler hiding in the brush next to the swamp.
He’d been sighted in the area earlier by my friend @nilaytphotography (thanks for the heads up!) but I didn’t think I’d have a chance to see this tiny bird given how dense the bushes were.
Normally my view of Blackpolls is looking up at them from far below a tree. In fact, these are my first two photos ever of this species that aren’t butt shots haha!

Blackpoll Warblers take an incredible migratory journeys each spring. They travel from Venezuela in South America all the way up north and as far west as Nome, Alaska to breed.
Happily they do stop in North Carolina for a short while to rest along the way.
Like most Warbler species they are voracious eaters of insects and are often seen gleaning for a six legged meal in the tree tops.
They are best spotted in the mid to upper canopies of hardwoods in open forest habitats and can be found by listening for their high pitched calls in the woods.

If you’ve missed them this spring, you’ll have another opportunity to see Blackpolls again this year from late September through October here in the Tarheel State.

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

January 7, 2020 admin

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/