Tag Archives: Guilford county farm

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, North Carolina rare bird alert

NC Rare Bird Alert: A Short-eared Owl encounter at the Guilford County Farm in Elon North Carolina

By Sally Siko

Yesterday Michael and I got up early and drove up to the Guilford County Farm in Elon NC to see if we could spot a Short-eared Owl.
I’d seen reports of one hanging out there and since I’d never spotted this species before, I figured it was worth the trip to try and this lifer to my list.
Once we arrived, we decided to walk through the fields to see if we could lay eyes on one sitting in the field.



Happily, it didn’t take but 15 minutes to spot one of these beauties taking off from the grass.
Although the Shortie was pretty far away and the photos I took aren’t the greatest it was a thrill to finally lay eyes on this beautiful bird!
But then it got even better as a second then third owl appeared swooping overhead!
Then things got really interesting as a flock of crows flew in and set off after the Shorties.
Diving and slicing through the air, the owls deftly out maneuvered the crows at every angle, eventually frustrating their pursuers into giving up.
That encounter is a good reminder in that if you ever want to find an owl, look (and listen) for a pack of angry crows!



Luckily for birders and photographers alike, Shorties are one of a handful of species of owls which can be seen flying over our marshes, un-filled waterfowl impoundments and wet fields during daylight hours (especially morning and in the afternoon).
They are more numerously found in our coastal counties especially at the Alligator River NWR and at Phelps Lake but may also be spotted (usually in smaller numbers) inland in agricultural areas throughout the Piedmont region.

Though there have been sporadic reports of this species breeding in the Tarheel state, Short-eared Owls are generally wintertime residents of North Carolina. Look for these beauties from now through late March.
If you’d like to make a trip out to the Guilford County Farm to see these guys for yourself, I’ve included a Google Maps pin drop of their exact location in the fields between County Farm Rd and Howerton Rd. in this post.
Good luck and happy birding!

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

Birdwatching News

White-crowned Sparrows are moving through North Carolina

Every year flocks of White crowned Sparrows move through central North Carolina during migration.
Though they do spend the winter here in the Tarheel State, their populations are spread out and are generally an uncommon sight.
Because I don’t get to enjoy these birds very often, I was so pleased to grab a few photos of this handsome male while birding with friends in Guilford County, NC.

With those bold stripes on their heads, White crowned Sparrows are unmistakable to ID in the field as their aptly named moniker suggests.
Measuring over 6in in length, they are larger than other sparrow species too!

You’re most likely to find them hopping across the ground and through low foliage in brushy habitats. You may see them “double-scratching,” a move they share with towhees involving a quick hop backwards to turn over leaves followed by a forward hop and pounce which is IMO adorable lol!
As was the case with the White crowned pictured here, they are also fond of hunting for a meal in dense hedges popping out of the foliage for a second or two to scope out it’s surroundings.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved 50MP beast, the @canonusa#5Ds

Birdwatching News

Rare Bird alert North Carolina- Say’s Phoebe in Gibsonville, N.C.

By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC

After missing out last weekend, I finally got this morning to see the Say’s Phoebe that’s been hanging out at the Guilford County Farm in Gibsonville, NC.
Rarely seen on the east coast of the US, the Say’s Phoebe’s normal range extends from Alaska, throughout the western United States and down into Mexico.
The fact that this bird somehow ended up in central North Carolina is pretty cool!

This bird looks similar to the Eastern Phoebe except that it has a grey breast and a salmon colored belly. It even behaves in a similar way with tail flicking which I thought was pretty cute 🙂
Although I hadn’t seen one until today, I know that Phoebes prefer to hunt for insects at the edges of open grassy areas so when I set out to search for it I had a pretty good idea of where it would likely be.
It took about two hours of searching when the bird finally showed up in the corner of a field near one of the farm sheds.
Success!

Coincidentally, there was another large group of birders on the farm that day. While we didn’t interact with each other, I assumed they were searching for this bird too.
I quickly grabbed a few photos of the Say’s and then jogged up the fence line to see if there was anyone still hanging out from that group who’d like to see this bird.
Unfortunately, all of the birders had left the farm except for one guy (Hi Keith!) so he was the only one who got to view the Say’s with me.
Oh well, I tried. Lol, even when I’m not leading a tour I can’t stop myself from sharing my happy bird-nerd moments with others!

This particular bird has been hanging out at the farm for around 3 weeks so it’s likely that it’ll still be there for a few more days. It seems to prefer that field along northeastern corner of the bob wire fence line.

By the way, the Guilford County Farm park is public property and there is a public parking lot on-site so no worries about hiking around the grounds.
If you’d like to find it too I’ve included a Google map showing the exact spot where I found it below.

Happy birding!

-Sally