Now that spring has sprung in the Carolinas, it’s an exciting time to be a bird watcher! Migration is getting underway and with it brings tons of beautiful birds into our state. They’ll be a lot to see over the next few weeks and you can bet I’ll be out there birding and trying my best to grab some cool photos along the way.
Want to join me? I’ve got 9 birding tours available for booking in destinations in North Carolina & South Carolina between now and June 30th. Space is limited for these trips so reserve your spot today! Looking forward to going birding with ya and cheers to a wonderful season ahead 🙂
Details and trip calendar links are found below!!!
Last week, I returned to the OBX of North Carolina to lead a birding trip. As always, I arrived a couple of days early to scout out the area to make sure all of the expected species were where they were supposed to be.
After spending the day on Pea Island, I headed up to Jennettes Pier to see if I could catch a glimpse of some sea birds hunting for a meal on the Atlantic. There was plenty to see including Black Scoters, Common Loons, Gulls and Grebes but most of them were flying far offshore. Only the Brown Pelicans were swooping in at close range.
By 4:45, daylight fading fast I was about to leave when this lovely Common Eider hen flew in and landed alongside the pier. Although I certainly wish I could have photographed this beautiful bird from a lower vantage point, the last few minutes of golden hour light was simply too good to pass up for catching these portraits.
Measuring 25-27 inches in length with a wingspan stretching 41 inches, Common Eiders are the largest species of duck in the northern hemisphere. Their size non withstanding, Eiders are agile swimmers. They spend a great deal of their time at sea diving beneath the waves in search of mussels, clams, scallops, sea urchins, starfish, and crabs resting on the ocean floor or clinging to rocks and jetty’s. Because their prey is often located in shallow water, they are more easily found then other sea duck species when birding on the shoreline.
Common Eiders are a wintertime visitor to the coastal areas of NC. Interestingly, 95% of sightings of this species in the Tarheel State comprise of adult females and immature males while the bulk of adult males appear to spend the winter in New England and Newfoundland.
Look for Eiders in coves, near inlets and especially around bridges, piers and rock jetties. Basically anywhere along the oceans edge where mussels and crabs are present. These beautiful ducks will stick around NC until early April so we’ve still got plenty of time to enjoy them. Aren’t they wonderful? 🙂
Every once in a while, I start seeing certain species of birds more often than others. In this case I’ve noticed Yellow-throated Vireos seem to be flying around NC in greater numbers than in the past 5 years. I spotted this one snacking on a caterpillar at the Brumley North Nature Preserve this past weekend.
While I don’t know the exact reason for the influx (it could just be luck-right place/right time scenario) I’m certainly happy to to have the opportunity to photograph them again without much effort.
Yellow-throated Vireos favor a different habitat preference to their more often seen relative, the White-eyed Vireo. They tend to shun pine barrens are best found foraging in the high canopy’s of the treetops in old growth deciduous forests and occasionally near wooded streams. Interestingly, the Yellow-throated and White-throated Vireos share similar calls so finding one isn’t too difficult if you know what to listen for depending on if your in the woods vs. the field.
These cheerful little guys will stick around NC for just about a week or so before heading to their wintering grounds in Central and South America, south Florida and on through to the coast of Texas. Get out and enjoy them while you can!
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.
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
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.
Another colorful bird to be on the lookout for at the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve during the summer is the Prothonotary Warbler. With that vibrant golden plumage, they’re cheerful sight indeed whenever your lucky enough to spot one hunting for a six or eight legged meal in the trees.
Prothonotarys are best found in moist habitats like swamps, bogs and marshes. They can also be seen in the brush and hardwood trees alongside streams, ponds and lakes. I found this beauty near the beaver dam & creek while birding at the WWSP last weekend. There were plenty of insects flying around the water so it’s a good spot to sit and wait for the birds to show up. (don’t forget the bug spray if you visit though lol)
These lovely feathered gems show up in North Carolina during spring migration in mid April. The males arrive first to establish their breeding territory’s and begin scoping out prime nesting sites. As cavity nesters (one of only two species of Warbler that do this) Prothonotarys raise their young in unused Woodpecker nests or in other holes in trees. The male bird will start the process by building several starter nests in different locations to expand his territory and provide optional choices for his future mate.
When the females come along a few weeks later, the male will show the her his array of nests then allows her to choose the one that suits her needs best. Once the male wins a mate, the female will take over the rest of the nest construction, adding materials such as rootlets, plant down, and other soft grasses and plants to the nest cup.
While I was only able to photograph this single Prothonotary that morning, I did hear a second one calling out from the brush nearby. It would be great if they are mated pair and had a nest nearby. I’m hoping to make another trip out to the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve within a few weeks. Hopefully there will be some young Prothonotarys to see there hunting over the creek with their parents!
This looks awesome! A day trip in the western part of North Carolina from the folks at Ventures Birding. Check out the info on this upcoming field trip below…
