Tag Archives: birding yates mill park
Yellow-throated Warblers at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh
One of my favorite spring arrivals is the Yellow-throated Warbler. With that bold yellow, black and white plumage, they’re absolutely captivating to photograph.
I found this beauty at Yates Mill Park this past weekend. Happily he was hopping and flying at a lower level of the tree canopy so that I could get a good view.
Normally they tend to hang out much higher in the trees so it was neat to get a close up look at him 🙂
This species of wood warbler are one of a few which nests exclusively in the eastern part of the United States with a range that stretches from Missouri in Pennsylvania all the way down to Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico.
Their open cup-nests are constructed almost entirely by the female from bark strips, grasses, and weed stems, and lined with plant down and feathers. The nest is usually placed in the canopy of a pine, cypress or sycamore tree on the end of a a horizontal branch well out from the trunk at heights ranging from 15 to 60 feet above the ground.
Happily these gorgeous birds will spend the summer raising their families here in the Tarheel state. They will stick around until late September (or early October in our eastern counties) so there is still plenty of time for us to enjoy them this year!
Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the full frame beast of an SLR, the mighty @canonusa
#5Ds
An American redstart sighting at Yates Mill Park
Finally managed to get a halfway decent few photos of an American Redstart at Yates Mill Park this morning in Raleigh, NC.
These sharp looking birds are a real challenge for me to photograph! They tend to stick to the mid & upper canopies of trees and prefer to keep to the shade.
If I’m lucky, I’ll get the wings in focus but their head is hidden. Then the head pops out and before I can press the shutter, their gone, lol!
The American Redstart is a summertime resident of North Carolina. They are usually found near marshes, ponds and swamps hiding in the hardwood trees along the shore.
Photo by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds
A Carolina Wren at Yates Mill Park, Raleigh North Carolina
While tracking down a Fox Sparrow in the woods at Yates Mill Park a few weeks ago, I encountered a noisy Carolina Wren squeaking in a briar along the trail. This little bird and it’s mate were bouncing from limb to limb calling loudly to one another as they searched for food.
It took me a few minutes to be able to snap a decent photo since they moved so quickly in the dense tangle of thorns.
This is typical behavior as Carolina Wrens are more often heard than seen because of their preference for dense, brushy areas. They are frequently found in moist deciduous forests (such as what’s found at Yates Mill Park) as well as in suburban areas including parks and gardens, as well as in agricultural areas and forest edges.
The Carolina Wren is an active, energetic, inquisitive species which can act kind of aggressive at times towards perceived intruders, particularly near favorite feeding spots or nesting sites.
Often found in pairs, these birds hold their tails cocked over their backs and are just as likely to dig through leaf litter as they are to climb tree trunks while feeding.
Swipe through to see a few pics of these cool little birds as well as the one shot I ended up getting of that Fox Sparrow!
Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds
Yates Mill Park birding: Downy woodpecker encounter
By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC
While walking though the woods at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh N.C. last week, I happened to catch a glimpse of a female Downy Woodpecker foraging for food in the leaf litter.
I was surprised to see her rummaging about on the ground as I usually spot these energetic little birds winding their ways up and down tree trunks or hanging (upside down of course, lol!) from limbs.
She pecked away at the base of a tree searching for food for about 5 minutes before making her way up the trunk in the usual fashion.
North America’s smallest Woodpecker primarily feed on insects found in the trees. They are known to consume several pest species such as tent caterpillars, fall webworms, bark beetles, and even the invasive emerald ash borer.
Their diet also consists of plant material such as berries, acorns, and grains.
If you’d like to get a good look at a Downy Woodpecker for yourself, fill your feeder with black oil sunflower seeds and offer a suet cage.
Enjoy the show!
Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds
Come birding with me! I’ve got a few tours scheduled for Yates Mill Park in 2020. Check out the link below for trip details and available dates.
A Downy Woodpecker at Yates Mill Park, Raleigh NC
Oh wow am I stoked! I finally captured a photo of a Downy Woodpecker right-side up while on my CBC a few weeks ago at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh, N.C.
Haha, every other picture I’ve ever got with one of America’s smallest Woodpeckers shows one hanging upside down or partially hidden by the tree trunk or branches!
Am so pleased to get a lovely shot after all this time 🙂
Ya know, there is a certain advantage to being so small. Downy Woodpeckers are able to hunt for food where larger woodpeckers can’t, including on the thin branches in the upper canopy’s of trees. They are acrobatic little climbers, (as proved by every photo I’ve ever taken of them ) they can even cling upside-down like a Nuthatch or Brown Creeper.
Being opportunistic little birds, they’ll follow the Pileated Woodpeckers through the forest, taking advantage of the larger bird’s excavations and will devour any insects the Pileated might overlook.
During the cooler months, Downy Woodpeckers can be found traveling with mixed-species flocks of chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches, thereby maximizing opportunities for an easy meal.
Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds
A Sparrow begging for food from a cardinal at yates Mill Park
While birding at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh, N.C. a few weeks ago, I photographed a skirmish between a female Northern Cardinal and a juvenile Song Sparrow.
It was an odd situation in that the Sparrow was not acting aggressively towards the Cardinal.
Rather, it appeared to be begging for food!
The Sparrow would creep up right next to the Cardinal and squat low fluttering it’s wings with its mouth open in a submissive stance.
Very strange behavior!
For her part, the female Cardinal was having none of it. She chirped at the smaller bird loudly and tried to bite it. Eventually she chased him away before setting back into the typical Cardinal floof-ball resting stance.
I’ve seen a ton of weird behavior in the years I’ve
spent watching birds but have never seen different species acting like
this (apart from parasitic behavior by Cowbirds).
Crazy!
Have any of you ever witnessed this kind of interaction between two totally different species before?
Photo by @sally_siko
Canon 5Ds
NORTH CAROLINA BIRDING TRAIL / YATES MILL PARK
Just published a new video from my latest bird watching hike along the North Carolina Birding Trail at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh, N.C.
With three distinct habitats located in a small area, this park is a great stop if you’ve got a long list but are short on time. Check out the video and then view some of the photo highlights below.
Located just five miles south of downtown Raleigh North Carolina,
Yates Mill is one the best bird watching destinations in the Triangle.
The thing that I love about this place is that
it offers a wide range of varied bird habitats
within the boundaries of a relatively small park.
The trails best viewing opportunities include
a 20 acre lake, swampy- bushy areas, forest lands,
and a wide open farm field.
All of those spots are within a quick 15-20 minute walk from the parking lot.
Birding at yates Mill County Park
One of my favorites, the Gray Catbird!
I spotted a few of them while birding at Yates Mill County Park in Raleigh, N.C. recently. These secretive birds are often heard, but not seen when walking along the trail. Normally they stick to hanging out in the shadows of dense brushy undergrowth which makes getting a proper view of one a bit difficult at times.
Was stoked to get a clean photo of this beauty before he disappeared back into the shade!
In
addition to Catbirds, I also documented 16 other species (including a
lifer of white-eyed Vireo) in the span of about 90 minutes walking
around the Park.
Here’s my eBird list of what I saw… Yates Mill County Park
Oct 1, 2019
8:00 AM
Stationary
90 Minutes
All birds reported? Yes
Comments: Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 1.9.5 Build 17
1 Great Egret
2 Turkey Vulture
1 Red-shouldered Hawk
1 Eastern Wood-Pewee
1 White-eyed Vireo
2 Blue Jay
46 American Crow
5 Carolina Chickadee
4 Tufted Titmouse
4 Gray Catbird
2 Brown Thrasher
3 American Goldfinch
2 Song Sparrow
7 Common Yellowthroat
4 American Redstart
3 Northern Cardinal
2 Indigo Bunting
Number of Taxa: 17
Not a bad morning! 😃
Btw, are you new to using eBird or want to learn how this listing system is used?
Here’s a helpful post to get you started!
https://www.audubon.org/news/how-use-ebird
Happy birding!
Photo by @sally_siko
Canon 5Ds