Tag Archives: eastern bluebird

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Eastern Bluebirds in central NC

By Sally Siko

While searching for Short eared Owls last week in Guilford County, I spotted a flock of a couple hundred Eastern Bluebirds that had taken control of the fields across from the GCF.
Walking through the grass, the Bluebirds were everywhere. Fluttering up ahead of me with each step, soaring low overhead as they searched the area for breakfast.
That vibrant blue color of their plumage really popped out against the warm toned sunlit grass!



Though they are indeed a common sight here in NC, I was happy to pause looking for the owls to snap off a couple photos of the Bluebirds instead.
It was fun to try and set my exposures juuuust right in order to capture those colors. Though many were hunkered down low, happily a couple of the Bluebirds obliged by posing oh so sweetly in the tall grass.
A nice reminder that while birding with a camera in hand, sometimes it’s about capturing the beauty of the moment rather than the rarity of the bird so time well spent IMO 😉


Now that winter is here, families of Bluebirds will form loose flocks to hunt for a meal over open fields, in agricultural areas as well as in stands of long leaf pines with other songbirds such as sparrows, Nuthatches and Pine Warblers.
They are true omnivores with a diet consisting of a mix of seeds, insects and fruits. Being able to digest nutrients from a wide variety of food sources means that the Eastern Bluebird can thrive here in North Carolina even during the coldest months when insects are scarce.
Plus the extra help that bird lovers provide by putting out suet (another favorite Bluebird snack) in their feeders during the wintertime helps a whole lot too 🙂

Photos by Sally Siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Field Notes

Photographing Eastern Bluebirds in NC

By Sally Siko

When you’re out birding on a mission to find something new for the year, common species like the Eastern Bluebird are easy to overlook.
 It’s a shame because these birds are absolutely gorgeous.
I spotted this one while searching for a Purple Finch that had showed up on my property for a few seconds before flying into the woods.
I never did relocate that finch but this Bluebird caught my eye.
That blue plumage is as vibrantly hued during the winter as in the summer months!



Bluebirds are a year round resident of the Tarheel state and are a familiar sight to all living from the mountains to the coast.
They are best found perching on fence posts and power lines overlooking wide open areas such as agricultural fields, farm ponds and grassy clearings but with so many bird lovers putting up bluebird specific nesting boxes, they’re showing up in ever increasing numbers on the fence lines of suburban backyards too.

Now that winter is here, families of Bluebirds will form loose flocks to hunt for a meal in stands of long leaf pines with other songbirds such as sparrows, Nuthatches and Pine Warblers.
They are true omnivores with a diet consisting of a mix of seeds, insects and fruits. Being able to digest nutrients from a wide variety of food sources means that the Eastern Bluebird can thrive here in North Carolina even during the coldest months when insects are scarce.
 Plus the extra help that bird lovers provide by putting out suet (another favorite Bluebird snack) in their feeders during the wintertime helps a whole lot too 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Bluebirds in central North Carolina

By Sally Siko

With so many flying around central NC, it’s admittedly easy to overlook an Eastern Bluebird when out on the hunt for something rare. That’s a shame though because these little feathered gems are just gorgeous!
Bluebirds are a staple of our suburban yards, fields and countryside and they are well worth stopping to admire for a few minutes if the opportunity presents itself.



A Bluebird perched on a fence line certainly stands out against the greys, greens and brown hues of their preferred habitats.
But, did you know that in some years their plumage appears brighter than others?
The reason for this is in their responses to weather. In fact, an Eastern Bluebird’s plumage patterns are correlated with the vibrancy of leaf pigments in autumn, and they share the same biological causes.


In the same way that an abundance of sun, rainfall, and frost-less nights bring on the most vibrant autumn leaf colors, these favorable conditions also lead to a plethora of insects and natural forest foods.
Bluebirds feast during harvest season to build the stores of energy that will carry them through the winter—and also to enrich their bodies with nutrients for building strong and healthy feathers.
So while leaves are not directly related to this late-season molt, they coincidentally are a great indicator of the amount of food available to birds from year to year.
Because bluebirds rely on insects as a main source of nourishment, years that have favorable conditions mean lots of available, nutrient-rich food. In short, more bugs can equal more colorful birds.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Don’t overlook the eastern Bluebird

By: Sally Siko -Admin BWNC

When you’re out birding on a mission to find something new, common species like the Eastern Bluebird are easy to overlook.
It’s a shame because these birds are absolutely gorgeous.
That blue plumage is as vibrantly hued during the winter as in the summer months!


Although I was there with the intent of photographing another bird, this lovely creature was impossible to ignore as it flew from stump to branch over the swamp.

Bluebirds are a year round resident of the Tarheel state and are a familiar sight to all living from the mountains to the coast.
They are best found perching on fence posts and power lines overlooking wide open areas such as agricultural fields, farm ponds and grassy clearings but with so many bird lovers putting up bluebird specific nesting boxes, they’re showing up in ever increasing numbers on the fence lines of suburban backyards too.



Now that winter is here, families of Bluebirds will form loose flocks to hunt for a meal in stands of long leaf pines with other songbirds such as sparrows, Nuthatches and Pine Warblers.
They are true omnivores with a diet consisting of a mix of seeds, insects and fruits. Being able to digest nutrients from a wide variety of food sources means that the Eastern Bluebird can thrive here in North Carolina even during the coldest months when insects are scarce.
Plus the extra help that bird lovers provide by putting out suet (another favorite Bluebird snack) in their feeders during the wintertime helps a whole lot too 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5 & my beloved beast of a DSLR the #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Eastern Bluebirds at suggs Farm in Holly Springs NC

A sure sign of the changing of the season, the Eastern Bluebirds have begun the hunt for nesting spots here in North Carolina.
If you haven’t put out your Bluebird box yet, now is the time to do so!

The Eastern Bluebird is a familiar sight to many all across the Tarheel state throughout the year. They are just as likely to be found looking for a meal at the woodlands edge, open field’s and pastures as in our own suburban backyards.
I spotted this one perched near its nest box on a fence at Suggs Farm in Holly Springs NC last week. The group and I enjoyed watching him for several minutes as he flew back and forth between the fence line and it’s box.


As tree cavity dwellers, eastern bluebirds will nest high up in old woodpecker holes and in dead trees abutting open meadows, but of course these birds are well adapted to using the nest boxes that we put up every year.
To entice these beauties to make a home in your yard, install a southeast facing box to shield the entrance hole away from the prevailing wind and weather. The nicest boxes are made of cedar or recycled plastic, will have brass hinges, predator guards, and elevated mesh floor to protect the chicks from blowflies.  
It’s best to place the box in an open area five to six feet off the ground.  
If you can, mount the nest box on a pole or 4×4 post with baffles to protect against predators too!

By the way, spring migration is coming!
Wanna join me out there?
Bird loving photographers of all skill levels are invited to take part in all the trips I’ve got scheduled for 2021 in North Carolina.
Make sure you check out my upcoming birding tours list here on the BWNC website and reserve your spot today!


Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Eastern Bluebirds in Fuquay Varina, N.C.

By: Sally Siko, Admin-Birdwatching NC

At home today and decided to take a few minutes to spend some time out in my backyard.
This spring a pair of Eastern Bluebirds are considering the move into one of the bird houses on my property.
They took turns peering inside and landing on the roof to survey the view.


At one point, the male landed right next to me which allowed for the capture of the first photo in this post 🙂

The breeding season for these birds begins in April and will go through July, although a couple of weeks on either side is possible.
After the nest is built within the birdhouse, the female lays between 3-6 pale blue eggs.
Incubation will last up to 16 days and the chicks will leave the nest within 15 to 20 days from hatching.
I’m hoping to see this life cycle play out in my yard this summer and will post updates as they occur.
Nice to have such interesting neighbors!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

Photos and video captured with my mighty Canon 5DS. If you are interested in getting shots like these with this 50 MP beast of a camera, please check out the link below to Canon USA.

Birdwatching NC is sponsored by Canon USA and I am proud to be a Canon shooter. After 13 years of trusting my professional photography business to Canon’s line of products, I cannot recommend this company strongly enough. If you have have any questions about my gear, shoot me a message!

Birdwatching NC is also sponsored by Zenfolio. Zenfolio is a photography website gallery and hosting company. I’ve been using Zenfolio to show and sell my images for over a decade and actually recommend this company to other photographers over WordPress!

You can check out Zenfolio for free by clicking the link below.

With custom galleries, online storage, the ability to sell prints and digital downloads, a powerful blog with seamless SEO tools, Zenfolio provides everything a professional photographer would need to run their photography business online.

Lastly, in addition to running things around here at Birdwatching NC, plus operating a North Carolina outdoor wedding photography company, I also provide website SEO and building services for photographers who need a solution to showing and selling their work online through my company Websites for Photographers. In a nutshell, I design kickass websites on the Zenfolio platform built from the ground up with a sound foundation of SEO principles in place so that my clients get found by more customers on the web.

I also provide SEO services and site audits for existing Zenfolio users to fix search engine indexing problems fast.

If you are a wildlife or bird photographer who is in need of a solid website please check out my company Websites for Photographers by clicking the photo link below.

Custom website design and SEO for Zenfolio users https://websitesforphotographers.zenfolio.com/
Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

An Eastern Bluebird at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation

By: Sally Siko, Admin-Birdwatching NC

As I was walking back to my truck after a morning of birding at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh, I spotted this lovely Eastern Bluebird perched at the top of a small tree near the parking lot.
It had just begun to rain but this little blue gem was singing up a storm. Nearby, an unseen companion (or adversary) answered him note for note.

Eastern Bluebird



As you may have guessed, the Eastern Bluebird inhabits the eastern part of the United States. These gorgeous members of the thrush family are often seen at forest openings, perching on fence lined pastures, and swooping above open fields, as well as in our own backyards and golf courses.
The northern populations of Eastern Bluebirds migrate south every winter, many of which end up here in North Carolina. Our resident flocks here in the Triangle region stay put throughout the year, adding a bit of cheerful color in the cooler months.
Definitely one of my favorite N.C. “wintertime” birds 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

Photos and video captured with my mighty Canon 5DS. If you are interested in getting shots like these with this 50 MP beast of a camera, please check out the link below to Canon USA.

Birdwatching NC is sponsored by Canon USA and I am proud to be a Canon shooter. After 13 years of trusting my professional photography business to Canon’s line of products, I cannot recommend this company strongly enough. If you have have any questions about my gear, shoot me a message!

Birdwatching NC is also sponsored by Zenfolio. Zenfolio is a photography website gallery and hosting company. I’ve been using Zenfolio to show and sell my images for over a decade and actually recommend this company to other photographers over WordPress!

You can check out Zenfolio for free by clicking the link below.

With custom galleries, online storage, the ability to sell prints and digital downloads, a powerful blog with seamless SEO tools, Zenfolio provides everything a professional photographer would need to run their photography business online.

Lastly, in addition to running things around here at Birdwatching NC, plus operating a North Carolina outdoor wedding photography company, I also provide website SEO and building services for photographers who need a solution to showing and selling their work online through my company Websites for Photographers. In a nutshell, I design kickass websites on the Zenfolio platform built from the ground up with a sound foundation of SEO principles in place so that my clients get found by more customers on the web.

I also provide SEO services and site audits for existing Zenfolio users to fix search engine indexing problems fast.

If you are a wildlife or bird photographer who is in need of a solid website please check out my company Websites for Photographers by clicking the photo link below.

Custom website design and SEO for Zenfolio users https://websitesforphotographers.zenfolio.com/