Tag Archives: birdwatching trip north carolina

By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC

Back home after my trip to the Alligator River NWR & the OBX this past weekend and thinking about the importance of pre-bird tour groundwork.
Because nature is somewhat unpredictable, I’ve found it useful over the years to do a little location scouting a day or two before my tour dates.
This time allows me to check the conditions of the trails and routes plus be able to confirm that all of the seasonal bird species are where I’d expect them to be.
Most of the time it’s all good but in this case, yikes!
Thank goodness I headed out to the Alligator River NWR earlier in the week before my guests where scheduled to arrive because apparently the impoundment areas were bone dry.

Dry as a bone at the Alligator River NWR

Normally the fields are flooded in October to provide safe haven for migrating waterfowl over the winter but due to dry conditions, a shortage of workers, and a beaver dam stopping up the pumps, they were unable to start the pumps to flood the fields this year.
Thus, aside from a small flock of Tundra Swans, a half dozen Northern Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks and Bald Eagles, there were hardly any birds to be found along the first stop of my tour.
Not exactly the best conditions to start off a birding trip…

So, I contacted my guests before the tour day and explained the situation on the ground.
My new plan was to spend less time at the Alligator River NWR and add an extra stop at the end of our tour on to find a rare species of bird (a Snow Bunting) on Pea Island.
I don’t like to have to change things last minute but I always want to make sure that my guests are getting in the most birds (and the most fun!) out of the time we spend together so this felt like the right move.

As it turned out, Alligator River NWR was still worth the short visit as there were plenty of opportunities for my guests to spend time photographing the resident Black Bears which was pretty cool!

It was such a joy to see so many happy bird loving photographers getting their first ever shots of a bear.
Plus, I got to show the group a family of Bald Eagles hunting Swans in the fields.

All in all, not a bad way to start the day 🙂

Thankfully our next stop on Pea Island came through with thousands of ducks and swans to see swimming on the ponds in the refuge.

There were Redheads, American Wigeons, Ringnecks, Scaups, Pintails, Gadwalls, Black Ducks, Mergansers, Buffleheads and more including American Avocets, Clapper Rails, Godwits, warblers and sparrows!
Plus uncountable numbers of Tundra Swans, geese and American Coots to round out the day’s list which you can see in the photos below.

Oh and yes, I was able to deliver that Snow Bunting too (a new lifer-bird for every guest!) which was a total cherry on top.

All in all and despite an unexpected start, a wonderful day 🙂 I can’t wait to get back out there for the next tour later this month!

If you’d like to join me this winter on a birding trip, click on the dates shown in green on the calendar below for tour availability, locations and booking info.

PS. Shout out to my friend John Carter who completed his goal to go birding in all 100 of North Carolina’s counties!

He say’s that he is now officially retiring from birding (to focus on his Raleigh – Durham Real estate career) and that his last bird of the year was the Snow Bunting we found on this trip 🙂

CONGRATULATIONS JOHN! Hope you come out of bird retirement again someday. Never say never my friend 😉

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Birdwatching News

Rare Bird Alert North Carolina- Snow Bunting at Oregon Inlet OBX

November 29, 2021 admin

This past weekend, I led a birding trip to the OBX and was pleased to show my guests a rare wintertime visitor to NC, the Snow Bunting!
It was such a joy to see how happy this bird made the people on the tour, so many big smiles, what a great way to cap off the day.

Snow Bunting at Oregon Inlet on Pea Island in the OBX, North Carolina

Dedicated cold weather birds, Snow Buntings breed in the high Arctic. They nest in the crevices and deep cracks of rocks which provide protection from the Arctic winds.
Though their nests are thickly lined with grass, feathers and tufts of fur, due to the extreme cold temperatures the female is unable to leave the nest so her mate is wholly responsible for feeding her while she is incubating the eggs.

Often seen with flocks of Longspurs and sparrows, Snow Buntings feed on the ground, foraging for a variety of seeds and buds as well as insects and other small invertebrates, including small marine crustaceans when spending time in coastal areas.
This particular bird spent most of its time either on the rocks overlooking the water or on the ground eating grass seed under the bridge along Oregon Inlet.

The Snow Buntings normal wintertime range extends from southern Canada down to Pennsylvania on the east coast, across the upper Midwest over to western Oregon.
They are also an infrequent visitor to the coastal areas of Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina.
Look for them hiding on the low dunes, short grass/ sand flats, and on rock jetty’s in the OBX from November through February.

@sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my mighty 50 megapixel monster, the @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Winter North Carolina birdwatching tours coming soon

October 20, 2021 admin

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

Indigo Bunting at Bynum Bridge

August 4, 2021 admin

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

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

Birding at Brumley Nature Preserve: A Yellow breasted Chat

July 31, 2021 admin

By: Sally Siko

While birding at the Brumley Nature Preserve in Durham NC, I heard a loud, familiar call coming from above me in the trees. Scanning my eyes through the leaves, a bright patch of yellow caught my eye as I hurriedly lifted my lens to get a better look.
There, high up in the branches was this handsome Yellow breasted Chat!
Since he never flew down any lower I was only able to catch a few somewhat decent photos of him from below (would have rather captured an eye-level shot) but gosh I was happy to see him.

Measuring up to 7.5 inches in length, Yellow breasted Chats are the largest species of wood-warbler in the United States.
Other than those bright colors and similar habitat preferences, they share little in common with other warbler species.
The most noticeable difference are their songs which are best described as a weird mix of chattering clucks, croaks, rattles, squawks, mews, gurgles and popping noises.
They even make a call which sounds to me like the first note of a Bobwhite whistle.

Another key difference is their bill which is proportionally much thicker than that of other warblers. It sort of reminds me of a Tanager bill.
Like Tanagers, Yellow breasted Chats are fond of eating bees, wasps and other insects as well as berries and other wild fruits when insects are scarce.

The key to finding Yellow breasted Chats is to listen for them. They are quite loud and are relatively easy to locate by their calls.
Look for them where the woods meet the fields, in clear cut open areas containing stands of scrubby low brush or young saplings, especially in places where there is a water source available.
They’ll spend the summer in NC, sticking around until late September so you’ve still got a few months to enjoy them before the season is done.

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 Horned Larks are back at Mid Pines Rd

July 23, 2021 admin

Here’s a bird I was delighted to see at Mid Pines Rd. in Raleigh, a Horned Lark!
Although my photos weren’t the best, it was really cool to get a good look at one of these interesting birds from a relatively close distance. Plus it was on the gravel road instead of hiding in the grass which made it even better lol!

Horned Larks are a year round resident of North Carolina with local population fluctuations occurring with the changing seasons. They are are especially common in the eastern part of the state during the winter months.
As is the case with the NC State Ag Campus here at Mid Pines Rd, these guys prefer short grass open habitats and also can be seen in other agricultural areas hunting for a meal in plowed farm fields or places where the crops haven’t sprung up yet in the sandy soil.

Although I haven’t seen very many over the years, these little birds are pretty easy to ID in the field with those two namesake feathered black tufts at the top of their heads. They’ve also got a sweet melodic tinkling song which carries a bit on the wind. This is incredibly helpful when trying to locate a single bird in the brown grass or dirt from several yards away as Horned Larks tend to blend in quite well with their surroundings (especially when viewing from the back side).

I’ll be leading another tour at Mid Pines Rd & Yates Mill Park again soon. I hope these neat little birds are still around so I can share them with my guests!

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

Northern Parula at Airlie Gardens

July 5, 2021 admin

By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC

One of the things I enjoy most about birding is the research done ahead of time that’s often needed when pursuing a new species.
The first place to start is to learn about the kinds of habitats the bird favors and pick someplace on the map where these places exist.
From there it’s time to turn my attention to the season at hand and match up the habitat requirements with the month and location.
Then it’s off to try and find out more about the birds diet, migratory movements, seasonal plumage changes and nesting habits.
Once those things are locked in, off I’ll go to see if I was right in understanding the data.
While I’ve come up empty on numerous occasions, just often enough (lol) I am able to find the bird I’ve been looking for.
While it’s thrilling to see and photograph something new, I am so in love with the learning process done ahead of time and in the field that adds an extra layer of fun to the experience.

Case in point, this gorgeous Northern Parula I recently spotted at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington NC.
This feathered gem’s favorite nesting material is Spanish Moss growing on trees in places near water. Here in the far southeastern region of NC, we’ve got plenty of that (plus tons of tasty insects for them to eat) so it’s reasonable to expect to find one or two in this area on any given day during the breeding season. In fact, my group and I saw a few of them during our trip which was just wonderful!

Another thing I noticed about the Parulas (for the first time actually) is how perfectly suited their yellow, white and grey plumage is for blending in with the sun dappled and shadow foliage of the Magnolia trees on a sunny summer day.
Freak’n gorgeous!
The first shot above shows what the scene looked like from a wide view.
The second and third photos below give you a closer look at this handsome little bird.

Who knew such boldly colored plumage could serve as the perfect camo pattern?
I sure didn’t so it felt like I learned something new about a bird I see every year.
The glimmers of understanding are why I keep getting after this birding life.

By the way, I’ll be heading back to the coast again on July 12th 2021 to lead another trip to share these stunning birds with my guests.
I can’t wait!

Want to join me?

Click on the Ft. Fisher bird watching trip link below to reserve your spot on the tour!

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

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, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Birding at Lake Mattamuskeet: A Common Yellowthroat

March 26, 2021 admin

One of the sweetest species of Warbler we’ve got flying around here in North Carolina is the Common Yellowthroat.
I was lucky to spot this female hunting for a meal in a marsh recently at the Lake Mattamuskeet NWR.
She was moving around so quickly that it was tough to get a photograph of her as she flew from reed to reed over the water.
Such a neat little bird!

Common Yellowthroats are a year round resident of North Carolina. Though they are seen throughout the Tarheel state in the spring and summer, during the winter months you’re most likely to spot this species in our eastern coastal counties.
No matter the season they may be found in briers, damp brushy places, weeds or grasses along country roads or agricultural areas.
As seen in this series of photos from Lake Mattamuskeet, Common Yellowthroats are also found stalking insects in cattails, bulrushes, sedges, and willows by streamsides, ponds, swamps, both in freshwater, and salt-water marshes.

It was neat to spend time with this female. I haven’t much of an opportunity to do so in the past as I’ve found them to be much shyer than the males. Though they aren’t as boldly feathered as the males who sport that familiar black face mask, female Common Yellowthroats are quite a lovely sight with that pretty warm brown and yellow plumage reflecting in the sun.

Next month, Common Yellowthroats will start spreading west into the rest of North Carolina to establish their breeding territories.
They are known to nest in all 100 counties from the mountains to the coast so they should be easy to find in the spring and summer no matter where you live.
It’s not just us who get to enjoy them though!
Stretching from far north western Canada all
the way down into California and across the US into Florida, these birds have one of the widest breeding ranges in the Western Hemisphere for Warbler species.
Makes a little more sense on how these uncommonly beautiful birds earned the “common” in their name.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Yellow rumped Warbler-Winter birding Tour at Yates Mill Park

December 30, 2020 admin

I had a wonderful time yesterday morning leading a birding trip at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh N.C.
We found 30 species of birds including the unexpected sighting of a Northern Harrier. (photos coming soon!)
It was absolutely awesome to connect with my fellow bird lovers who adore these feathered gems as much as I do 🙂

One of the highlights of the day was an encounter with this handsome Yellow-rumped Warbler. He put on quite a show, flying in very close to land on a sapling about 4-5 feet away from our vantage point.

At times he would gulp down a dried berry or two and pick at the leaves for a six legged meal, others he simply sat there in the warm sun calmly watching us.

Yellow-rumped Warblers are one of my favorite wintertime birds. They are curious little creatures who are likely to come say hello to ya if you softly pish at them.

Soon the leaves will have fallen from the trees and the landscape will become a study of varying shades of grey and brown.
This means these little birds will have to blend in perfectly with their habitats so during the cooler months, they’re dressed in “drab” winter plumage of soft greys, charcoal, white and yellow.
Their muted color palette aids in camouflaging the birds from predators in the woods and brush. Nevertheless, if you swipe to the last photo in this post, you’ll see why the nickname of “butter butt” fits them nicely all year round lol!
😉

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds