By Sally Siko
Tag Archives: birdwatching news
Rare Bird Alert North Carolina: Roseate Spoonbills spotted in Raleigh at Lake Lynn
By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC
Yesterday I received a rare bird notification from @eBird that a pair of Roseate Spoonbills had been spotted at Lake Lynn in Raleigh NC so I decided to go see if I could get a look at them with my friend Corie @calatta
We met up an hour later in the southern parking lot and walked to the north end of the lake where we were happy to find these beautiful birds hunting for a snack in the shallows with a Little Blue Heron
Nice to get a win so easily!
Roseate Spoonbills are normally found in southern Florida and along the coast of Texas during the summer which is why it was so unusual to find these two at Lake Lynn.
That being said, sightings of Spoonbills here in North Carolina have been on the increase in recent years though most of those have occurred in our southern coastal regions.
These lovely birds are best spotted in marshy areas foraging for a meal in the water or mudflats.
Sweeping their namesake spoon-shaped bill side to side in the shallow water, the Spoonbills mouth is partially open as their bill probes into the mud. When they stir up a fish or invertebrate, they’ll clamp that bill shut to capture their prey.
Their diet mainly consists of minnows, but they’ll also eat shrimp, crayfish, crabs, aquatic insects, mollusks, and slugs. Spoonbills will also snack on plants including the roots and stems of sedges.
I have no idea how long these two will stick around the Triangle for so if you can get out within the next day or two you might be able to find them as well.
For reference, I’ve included a Google Map pin drop showing the exact location of these birds at the north end of Lake Lynn (as of yesterday & today) to the end of this post.
Hope you are able to see them too!
Happy birding!
-Sally
Photos & Video by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the full frame beast of an SLR, the mighty @canonusa
#5Ds
By the way, check out the video of the Roseate Spoonbills in the Instagram version of this post below!
Jordan Lake bald Eagle Nest update #2
By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC
Nest update!
I made a trip up to the Bald Eagle nest site that I’m monitoring for the ARMY Corps of Engineers at Jordan Lake on Wednesday to check out how things were going.
This time I only spotted what I believe is the male bird chilling out on his bare branch above the nest.
It’s quite possible that the female was sitting inside the nest but from my vantage point it’s tough to tell, especially if the structure has a deep well.
You’d be surprised just how well a nesting Bald Eagle can conceal itself from someone viewing it from the ground level simply by flattening it’s body down into the sticks, lol!
Nothing to dramatic to report but gosh it’s so awesome to see this awesome bird out in the wild.
Fingers crossed that I can confirm that the eggs have been laid next week.
🦅
*Nest location will not be disclosed. Please don’t ask where these shots were taken, GPS data has been scrubbed.
This is to protect the birds as Bald Eagles are particularly sensitive to human interaction during nesting season. They are easily spooked off of their nest by people which can lead to nest failure (cold eggs and starving chicks) so it’s vital that they remain undisturbed during this time.
In case you’re wondering how I captured these seemingly “up close” photos, these shots were taken from 700+ feet away with a zoom lens & then the final images were cropped at 90%. Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds
NC Birding News Rare Bird Alert: Greater White- fronted Goose at Yates Mill Park Raleigh, N.C.
By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC
This morning was actually one of the best birding days I’ve had in a while! I got up early and drive out to the Mid Pines Road area because I’d heard of reports that said that there was a White fronted Goose hanging out in the fields of NCSU farms.
It was super cloudy and kind of dark when I arrived at 7:45. I drove up and down Mid Pines Rd anyway scanning the vast landscape for signs of the Goose. I had no luck! This bird was nowhere to be found.
By now, it was around 8am so I thought I’d try looking for the Goose at nearby Yates Mill Park. On my way out to Yates Mill, I got lucky and spotted a Peregrine Falcon sitting in a tree just north east of the Mid-Pines dog-leg. Wow! That was freak’n awesome!!! You can read about that encounter HERE.
As I pulled into the parking lot of Yates Mill, I could see a huge flock of Canada Geese sitting on the water through the trees. Now, I was getting excited! I’d had a hunch that the White fronted Goose would be likely to be found in the company of other geese. Now, it was time to see if this idea paid off.
Making my way to the boardwalk, I could hear the geese honking and splashing. As soon as the flock was in sight, I took out my camera and started searching for the White- fronted Goose (WFG) on the water. This was not easy! There were so many Canada Geese, Mallards, and Ruddy Ducks here that picking out the WFG in this loosely mixed flock was proving to be difficult.
Then, there it was!
I was so happy that I finally spotted it! the White fronted Goose was much smaller than the Canada Geese . Yet, he/she seemed to fit right int with the rest of the flock.
Who is watching who? Lol!
I spent about an hour watching the WFG and taking photos. I think this is remarkable sighting because this Arctic tundra-nesting species normally spends it’s winters in the western half of the United States. So cool to think that this little Goose had somehow ended up here in central North Carolina…and I’m standing here looking right at it.
As I made my way back to my truck, I smiled at the wonder of finding a Peregrine Falcon and a Greater White fronted Goose in the same day. One bird was found by research, & instincts, the other by pure luck. I think that both kinds of encounters are a joy to experience in equal measure.
Happy Birding!
-Sally
Here is a map of Yates Mill Park. The Greater White fronted Goose was seen in the northern part of the pond.
Rare N.C. Bird News: Sandhill Cranes spotted at Pungo Lake
By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching N.C.
Spotted a small group of Sandhill Cranes preening among a flock of Tundra Swans yesterday morning at Pungo Lake in the Pocosin Lakes NWR.
I’ve never seen one in the wild before so it was thrilling to finally have a chance to photograph them. So awesome to get another lifer!
Scientists believe that ten million years ago, birds similar to these were found to be structurally the same as modern Sandhill Cranes. Today, these beautiful birds are found throughout in North America. Their range extends from Mexico, through the United States and as far north as Siberia.
Despite the widespread occurrence of the species in the Western Hemisphere, they are not commonly found here in North Carolina.
It was wonderful to add one more “rare” bird species to my eBird list as the year draws to a close 🙂
Sandhill Cranes are omnivorous and will dine on items such as lizards, small rodents, frogs and insects, as well as vegetables, such as bulbs, roots, grains and seeds.
The ones I photographed here seemed to split up their time between preening and foraging for food in the mudflats along the shoreline.
This small flock of birds may have hit the jackpot by choosing to spend a few weeks this winter here at Pungo Lake.
In addition to hosting a variety of small lizards and rodents on site, the lake is surrounded on all sides by wide open fields of cut corn stalks, with plenty places available for the Cranes to feed on spilt grain on acres of vast agricultural fields.
I hope they stick around for a little while longer so that my fellow N.C. birders have the opportunity to see them before they head out!
Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds
Here is a map showing where the Sandhill Cranes were sighted in a small flooded out field on the western side of the lake…
Great Blue Heron Fish strike at Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs, NC
It is time for the Christmas Bird Count: 2019 CBC gets underway tomorrow
By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC
Christmas Bird Count (CBC) season here! Here are a a few thoughts from the eBird website.
“This is a great time to join others to cooperate in an effort across the World to take a snapshot of bird occurrence around the holidays. For 3 weeks each year ( December 14th through January 5th) birders head out to conduct the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. “
Haven’t signed up yet? What are you waiting for! You can join the effort here https://www.audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count
“These counts are a cooperative effort to get the most accurate count of birds in a single 15-mile diameter circle based on the reporting of multiple parties of observers within each group. The goal is to arrive at an accurate count total which can be compared to totals for the past 118 years. This data can be used to help understand fluctuations in local and national bird populations.”
If your a eBird user, and plan on logging your circle sightings through the app, here are some helpful resources from eBird to help make sure your birds are counted within your circle properly.
If you’re not an eBird user you can sign up at the link below… https://ebird.org/home
eBirding on the CBC
While doing your CBC, eBird Mobile makes it easy to keep your tallies through the day. Here are our tips for making your CBC eBirding as helpful as possible.
- Only submit lists that include birds observed by your CBC group: do not group lists from other birding parties together
- Keep multiple lists throughout the day: ideally one for each stop, or perhaps one for each road.
- Include only one-way distance in your traveling counts: both CBC and eBird measure distance as one-way distance
Here are some more useful links for eBird best practices and CBC resources:
Happy birding!
-Sally
Thanksgiving Weekend at Pungo Lake
By: Dan Gettis
Pungo Unit – Pocosin Lakes NWR
Dates visited: 11/29-11/30
Hello All,
The Holiday season has finally arrived and if you’re like me, you’re excited to use some of the extended weekends around this time of year for birds! Well, Thanksgiving weekend has just passed and other than Thanksgiving day, my calendar was clear. I decided to head out to eastern North Carolina for 2 days. This would be my 3rd 2-day trip out to that part of the state this month, but the 1st time back in 3 weeks.
I was very excited to return in hopes that the Tundra Swans and Snow Geese would be gaining numbers. When I last visited, there were a couple hundred Tundra Swans and a few Snow Geese sprinkled in. They were just starting to flood the impoundments as well.
While the numbers did increase, much to my surprise it wasn’t as big of a difference as I expected. After speaking to a few people there, the refuge management said they are waiting for a certain weed to sprout before they completely fill the impoundments. Apparently this is something the geese and swans love (Widgeon Grass or Pond Weed possibly?). They admitted that it was a “few weeks” behind schedule, as last year at this same time the impoundments were already filled and there were more swans/geese.
11/29
I arrived at North Lake Road (just north of Pungo Lake) Friday morning 11/29 about 45 minutes prior to sunrise. It was supposed to be a nice, clear morning. Well the sun finally came out about 10:30 lol. Within a few minutes, I started seeing the Tundra Swans flying away from Pungo Lake for the day. A number of different groups flew by in about 30 minutes. Anywhere between 2-50 birds at a time. While walking along that road I saw a number of Cardinals, Song Sparrows, White Throated Sparrows and Eastern Phoebe. I decided to head over to the south/east side of the Lake to the Hyde Park area. While there, I spotted a flooded field and noticed about 5-10 Killdeer along with 5-10 Yellowlegs (not sure if Greater or Lesser). I love watching them so I spent about an hour watching and photographing before moving on.
I wanted to head back to North Lake Road area, but on the way I stopped by the Duck Pen Wildlife Trail. It is a ½ mile out-and-back trail with a small blind at the end on the southern part of Pungo Lake. The blind wasn’t a good spot this morning, as the Swans were clear across the other side of the lake, but you could still see tons of them.
While walking the trail, I ran across a nice Great Blue Heron hunting in the canal. I got to observe it for about 15 minutes before it finally flew off.
Heading back to North Lake road, near the impoundment, I notice a large Red Shouldered Hawk. The picture doesn’t do it justice but this was by far the largest Red Shouldered Hawk I’ve ever seen.
Still heading back to North Lake Road, I see a Northern Harrier hunting in an open field.
I arrive back at North Lake Road around 2:00PM. For any wildlife lovers, other than birds there are quite a few black bears in the area as well. As I got out of the truck I see one of the many black bears crossing the road that I’m about to walk down. My excitement increases 😊
I walk about ¾ mile and decided to setup there for the rest of the day.
I see 3 more Northern Harriers hunting in the field in front of me.
A number of Red Bellied Woodpeckers.
I could hear a Pileated Woodpecker but never spotted it.
A cooper’s Hawk briefly flew over.
Right at sunrise, I decided to head back towards the impoundment on the south side of Pungo Lake. At that point, all the Swans and some Geese were starting to fly back in to the lake for the night. It was a beautiful sunset and I was able to get a few silhouetted pics of the swans against the fiery sky.
11/30
I head back to North Lake Road at sunrise and spend the following 10hrs there. Again, all the swans/geese were flying away from the lake for the day. I saw a lot of Red Bellied Woodpeckers. There were 2 Northern Harriers flying around for a couple of hours. And an adult Bald Eagle that likes that area decided to show up as well.
The weather didn’t cooperate as much as I had hoped, but overall it was a great trip and I will be making a return trip out there sometime in December and/or January as well. This is my 1st year birding and I have seen glimpses of how amazing the swans and geese can be, so I cannot wait to see them in full force.
Find Dan Gettis on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/danielsviewphotography/ &
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/28204dan/
rare bird news in North Carolina : White Ibis sighting at Harris Lake park
I”m pleased to announce that eBird accepted my submission for a first White Ibis sighting at Harris Lake Park in New Hill N.C. from this past Friday.
This being a “rare bird” sighting, I made sure to provide photos for verification when I submitted the checklist so that the researchers at Cornell could properly document this event.
This new record was super exciting! I had just stepped onto the dock at the lake when a flock of Ibis’s took off right in front of me. I barely had enough time to bring my camera up to snap off a couple of photos before they were gone. So glad to capture this unexpected rare bird sighting. Another great example of how much fun birding can be. One just never knows what surprise is waiting on the wing.
-Sally Siko, Admin