-Sally Siko
Check out this young White-eyes Vireo.
I spotted him last weekend while birding at Cape Fear Shiners Park in Lillington NC.
For now this little guy has brown eyes but within a few months that will change and he’ll develop those namesake piercing bluish white peeps.
Young birds like this one are now fully independent from their parents, yet they’ll stick around in their home territory until it’s time to depart south during migration.White-eyed Vireos are usually found in wet areas such as along the shorelines of creeks, ponds, swamps and marshes which can make them somewhat difficult to actually see.
Listening for their sharp nasally calls emanating from the woods can help you locate one easily if you’re patient.
The dense scrub brush growing along banks of the creeks and swamps here at Shiners Park is a great example of their favored habitat.
Luckily this one hopped out into the open for a few minutes which offered a great opportunity to snag a couple pics.
These handsome birds call North Carolina home during the summer with a range that stretches from lower elevations of the Appalachian’s all the way to the coast. They’ll be here throughout mid October so you’ll still have plenty of time to see them before the year is through.
Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5