Tag Archives: birding trip nc

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

An encounter with a Common Grackle at the Alligator River NWR

While on a recent visit to the Alligator River NWR in East Lake, NC I spotted a flock of Common Grackles roosting in the trees next to the cornfields.
It was dark and with rain clouds threatening overhead and a stiff wind blowing which is why this bird was taking cover in the canopy instead of feeding on the spilt grain below.



Normally these interesting birds take flight as soon as someone approaches so I counted myself lucky to get in a few shots of a Grackle preening at a relatively close range.
Grasping a feather in his beak, he’d comb through his glossy black plumage and then fluff out his feathers and give a shake every now and again. He repeated this process until he was sleek & clean then flew off deeper into the woods to join the rest of his flock calling from the trees.



Common Grackle’s are a year round resident of North Carolina and are found in varying number’s throughout all 100 of our counties.
They are particularly numerous in the eastern part of the state where they may be found eating on the ground in large flocks along roadsides, suburban lawns and in farm fields.
“Common” though they may be, I still think they are lovely!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my mighty megapixel monster the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Yellow-throated Warbler autumn migration at Jordan Lake SRA

Here’s another bird I’ve been seeing in higher numbers this year, the Yellow-throated Warbler.
These little gems seem to pop up everywhere I’ve gone birding in North Carolina since May and I couldn’t be happier about it 🙂


I spotted the bird in the first photo a few days ago at Ebenezer Point in Pittsboro NC and the second bird this past May at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh NC.

Perhaps the reason why “warbler neck” is a thing, Yellow-throated Warblers are best spotted in the mid to high canopy of the trees searching for insects and spiders as they pry into crevices along branches.
Unlike other warblers that move quickly and sporadically while hunting for food, Yellow-throated’s are slower moving and deliberate when hunting as they scour the branches, leaves, and ground for a snack.
This makes them a bit easier to observe and photograph which is always nice lol!

Arriving in late March Yellow-throated Warblers may be found throughout most of the state however they are somewhat more common in our eastern counties.
Look for Yellow-throated’s in varied habitats like dry pine stands and also in the tall trees growing along shorelines of ponds, lakes and streams. They are also fond of swampy areas too which makes for a pretty diverse range of opportunities in which to find them.
Unfortunately they will be leaving NC soon to head south for the winter so try and get out and see them this week or you’ll have to wait until spring to enjoy these delightful little birds again.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my twin mighty megapixel dragons the @canonusa#R5 & the #5Ds

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

Enjoying the Cape May Warblers at Jordan Lake SRA

It’s not often that I’ll post the same species of bird twice in a week but there were tons of Cape May Warblers putting on a show at Ebenezer Point at Jordan Lake in Pittsboro North Carolina recently.
It was great to see so many of them flitting through the trees, chasing each other while feasting any six or eight legged snack that dared cross their path in the canopy.



These lovely warblers were named for the county of Cape May, NJ where the species was first noted in scientific literature.
Sitting at the southern tip of New Jersey, bordering the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic, Cape May county is the premier destination for migrating birds along the east coast of the US.

Though Cape May Warblers stop in NJ when traveling between their breeding & wintering grounds, they are hardly alone as hundreds of different bird species are found in Cape May county every year during each migration cycles.
It seems like an odd name to give these beauties as it hardly describes any of the species unique characteristics.



Given the Cape May’s preference for nesting & feeding in conifer forests, perhaps a better name might be spruce warbler or maybe even tiger warbler since they sport those bold black stripes on it’s warm yellow breast.
Moniker choice aside, these feathered gems are standout birds in my eyes and I’m always grateful to catch a glimpse of Cape May every autumn.

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

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Winter North Carolina birdwatching tours coming soon

Can you feel it?
The cool breeze seeping in under the still warm sun and crisp blue skies.
The leaves starting to lose those vibrant greens in the west, fading ever so gently into muted tones soon to blaze red & gold into brown.
Yes.
Autumn is here in the Carolinas and following on its heels, the most wonderful time of year…
Weird duck season!!!



Today we’re all concentrating on the fall migrational movements of Warblers and other songbirds but in my opinion, winter will bring my favorite feathered gems to North Carolina.
Redheads, American Wigeons, Green winged Teal, Blue winged Teal, Snow Geese, Tundra Swans, Canvasbacks, Eiders, Pintails, Northern Shovelers and more waiting to delight us once the weather turns cold.



I’ve made the decision to spend as much time as I can this winter traveling to our coastal counties this winter to photograph and share as many duck species as I can from November to February.
Although I’ve got a pretty good idea of what I can expect to find out there, there’s always the potential to be surprised and delighted by something new floating out there in the water (or something furry hiding in a cornfield, lol!).

Wanna join me?
After all, birding & bird photography is better with friends!
Birders / Photographers of all skill levels are welcome and I’ll be sharing plenty of tips along the way.
Check out the link below for my winter tour schedule to book your date.

https://birdwatchingnc.com/birdwatching-n-c-trips-birding-in-north-carolina/


If you have any questions about the details of my trips shoot me an email anytime.
See ya out there!
-Sally

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty @canonusa
#5ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Enjoying the Great crested Flycatchers at the Pee Dee NWR

When walking around the large pond at the Pee Dee NWR, you’re likely to hear the loud call of the Great crested Flycatcher echoing out over the water.
These birds are a cheerful sight as they glide from branch to limb on the submerged dead trees on a never ending search for a six or eight legged snack.



My guests and I enjoyed watching this pair of Flycatchers inspecting a hole in a tree for a few minutes. The birds would duck into the cavity briefly and pop back out happily chomping down a mouthful of insects.
Every so often, the male would sing and fluff up his crest before taking off to scout out new spots to hunt.
Truly a beautiful little bird!



Great crested’s are the only species of Flycatcher to nest in tree cavities in NC. They don’t excavate their own holes, rather they nest in the cavities drilled out by woodpeckers.
They will even nest in boxes or bluebird houses which are placed higher than 8 ft from the ground.

You can find Great crested Flycatchers in all 100 of North Carolina although they’re somewhat more common in the Piedmont and eastern coastal regions of the state.
Look (and listen!) for them in pine and oak forests as well as near ponds, swamps and marshes.
They’ll be here until September so you’ve still got plenty of time to enjoy them before they migrate south for the winter ahead.

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

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Black Skimmer nesting site on Wrightsville Beach N.C.

Check out this set of photos from the nesting colony of Black Skimmers on Wrightsville Beach!


I captured these moments last month just after sunrise before the beach got crowded.
There were several pairs of Skimmers there taking care of their chicks and plenty of space to observe these beauties from a respectful distance.
With all the challenges faced by nesting seabirds, it’s such a joy to see new life thriving on the coast of North Carolina.

Black Skimmers typically nest as a large colony on the sand flats in between the dunes on our barrier islands.
One to five eggs are laid into a depression in the sand and are incubated by both parents for around 23 days.
The chicks break out of their eggs already covered in downy feathers and can even run around within a few hours of hatching.



During the first few days, one parent will stay with the chick but shortly thereafter the little one will be left alone on the beach while both parents go off to catch its next meal.
Despite their mobility, the little ones rely solely on their parents for food and usually scurry off to hide under some beach grass to await their parents return.
Aren’t they sweet?
🙂

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

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Spending time with Black Skimmers on Wrightsville Beach N.C.

Last month, I had the opportunity to visit a nesting colony of Black Skimmers on Wrightsville Beach NC.
It was so cool to be able to spend time with these interesting birds as they went about their business of raising their families on the beach.
I really like the look of the Skimmers.
With that bold black and white plumage, they are quite a handsome species indeed.



Nicknamed the ‘Toucan of the sea, the most striking feature of the Black Skimmer is it’s red-and-black bill.
As you can see here, they’ve got a lower mandible that juts out farther than does the upper.
When feeding, the Skimmer flies low over water with its beak open and lower mandible partially submerged.
When the lower part of the bill touches prey, such as a small fish, the bill’s upper mandible snaps down like a mousetrap, securing the bird’s meal.



Although you can find them soaring above the shorelines of most of our coastal beaches, Black Skimmers are most often spotted inland feeding in our inlets, estuaries and other slow moving bodies of water near the Atlantic.
Happily, Black Skimmers are a year round resident of North Carolina but they do appear to migrate locally to the southern coast of the Tarheel state during the cooler winter months.

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

Birdwatching News, Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A Little Blue Heron encounter in Raleigh, NC

Earlier this month, a pair of Roseate Spoonbills caused quite a stir in the Triangle birding community by showing up at Lake Lynn in Raleigh. While these two were definitely a cool sight, they weren’t the only interesting bird to show up at Lake Lynn that day, check out this immature Little Blue Heron!



The young Heron was hanging out with the Spoonbills as they hunted for a meal together on the mud flats in the north end of Lake Lynn.
The larger birds seemed to tolerate the young one as the Little Blue followed the pair of Spoonbills like a puppy, following their every step through the shallow water.
Then, for whatever reason the Spoonbills decided to chase the Little Blue away.



The Heron tried to hide on a fallen willow branch but the Spoonbills pursued him relentlessly causing the Little Blue Heron to eventually make his escape by flying up into the higher boughs of a cypress tree.
Not long afterwards, Great Blue Heron flew in and watched the Little Blue intently.
Perhaps the larger Heron was eying the little one as potential meal lol!
After an hour or so of sitting in the tree top, the Little Blue Heron ended the interspecies standoff by launching himself from the tree into the air flying south across the water, disappearing around the bend of the shoreline.
Not long afterwards, the Spoobills headed out in the same direction…

Although they aren’t a particularly common sight at any location in North Carolina, coastal populations of Little Blue Herons are a year round resident of the Tarheel state and they’re also found here in the Triangle from June to August.
They are usually spotted hunting for fish, invertebrates, frogs, small reptiles and insects in shallow freshwater marshes, ponds and on mudflats.
Though it might seem that this elegant white bird is miss named, Little Blue Herons are indeed covered all over with a steel-purplish-blue colored plumage once they reach adulthood.
What a beauty!

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

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Birding at the Art Park: The Northern Cardinal

When bird watching in NC, one of the most instantly recognizable species is the male Northern Cardinal.
A familiar sight both in our yards and in the woods, these vibrantly colored birds are found in all 100 counties across the Tarheel State.
I spotted this handsome fellow at the NC Museum of Art Park yesterday morning hiding on a shady bough.



As the end of the nesting season draws near, the Cardinals will start to molt out their feathers which will be replaced by bright new plumage. Some of them even lose all the feathers on their head all at once! This one appears to have started the process as he’s looking a little rough around the edges.



The Cardinal’s signature crimson red colored feathers are a product of the birds diet of plants, fruits and seeds rich in carotenoids.
Although there are plenty of options for them to snack on in the wild, you can grow plants right in your own backyard to help your local Cardinals keep their bright color.
These guys love fruit like raspberries, blackberries and strawberries as these fruits are packed with the carotenoids the birds need. That being said, if you really want to impress your flock of Cardinals, plant a a Dogwood as those red berries produced by this flowering tree are by far and away their favorite backyard treat.

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

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Indigo Bunting at Bynum Bridge

Though they are a common sight here in central NC, it’s tough to not stop and appreciate the beauty of a singing Indigo Bunting when out on a trail.
I mean look at those colors! With that array of sapphire, turquoise and amethyst plumage sparkling in the sun, it’s a pallet that any jeweler would admire.



I found this Indigo Bunting at Bynum Bridge while leading a trip there last week. Perched on his twig, he sang constantly only stopping to chase away any other males who entered his territory.
Interestingly, male Painted Buntings learn to sing their complex tunes from other males near their territory instead of from their parents. As a whole, these songs are repeated and may evolve into a certain kind of uniformity over the years which I’d loosely describe as a small localized accent or dialect shared by nearby males.
In fact, a male Painted Buntings can tell when an intruder Bunting is ‘not from around here just by his song.



Painted Buntings are a summertime resident of North Carolina. Arriving in April to breed, they nest throughout most of the state and may be found in varying numbers in all 100 counties during the warmer months.
Look (and listen!) for these gorgeous feathered gems in tall grassy fields, agricultural lands and in open clear cut areas containing grass and scrub brush.
Btw, if you live in a rural area, Indigo Buntings can also be enticed to visit your yard (especially in the autumn) if you offer nyjer and millet seed in your feeders.
They’ll stick around the Tarheel state until October so we’ve still got plenty of time to enjoy these beauties before the year is done.

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