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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

A Yellowthroated Warbler at Harris Lake Park in New Hill, NC

Last weekend I hosted a birding tour at Harris Lake Park in New Hill NC. I’d visited there a few days beforehand and had spotted a Yellow-throated Warbler hopping around high up in the trees.
Unfortunately that one was just far enough away enough that I couldn’t get any decent photos.
I was hoping that I’d have the opportunity to show him to my guests on the second trip and lo and behold we got lucky to see this handsome little guy up close.
Yellow-throated Warblers are striking looking birds with that bold yellow throat paired with black and white plumage. Definitely easy to ID once you know what to look for 😉
This one was all floofed out while preening on a branch in the sunshine before flying down to a brush pile to search for breakfast.

Yellow-throated Warblers are usually found in North Carolina from late March through September however some do spend the wintertime here which is pretty neat.
During the breeding season, Yellow-throated Warblers may be seen in wet forested areas like swamps, marshes and foraging in the brush along the shorelines of ponds, streams and lakes. The habitat of Harris Lake Park is just perfect for them!

When winter arrives, most migrate to the Florida, the Caribbean islands and along the Gulf Coast in Mexico to Costa Rica.
That being said, a few of them just make a short trip to the southeastern most part of NC to spend the cooler months.
From September through February, a few Yellow-throated Warblers are best spotted in our far southern coastal forests looking for a meal in mature pine-hardwood stands.

Luckily many have already returned to the Tarheel state this spring to kick off the breeding season so we’ve got plenty of time to enjoy them throughout the summer 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the full frame beast of an SLR, the mighty @canonusa
#5Ds

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

The masked bandit: A common yellowthroat Warbler at Harris lake Park

While birding at Harris Lake Park in New Hill N.C. last week, I spotted this handsome male Common Yellowthroat warbler.
Like visiting with an old friend, I’ve been keeping an eye on this bird all summer and it’s wonderful to see him at a reliable spot.

These brightly colored warblers are one of very few that will nest in open marshes with a range that stretches from from California to the Carolinas.
They can be found foraging for insects such as dragonflies, caterpillars, spiders and beetles near bodies of water who’s shoreline is ringed with scrubby trees, dense bushes and tall grass.

As you can see by these photos, some of the vegetation here in central North Carolina is already turning brown as the autumn season approaches.
The Common Yellowthroat is a year round resident in the coastal regions of N.C. They generally stick around the Triangle area through late November but occasionally will spend the winters here as well. Mountain populations of these birds will hang around until October before their depart for warmer climates in the south eastern states.
There’s still plenty of time to go see one this summer so get out there and enjoy them!

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

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Birding at Harris Lake Park: The Common Yellowthroat warbler

Had a delightful encounter with a male Common Yellowthroat this morning while birding at Harris Lake Park in New Hill North Carolina. I’d been watching a couple of Orchard Orioles high up in the pine trees when this handsome little guy flew onto a branch right above my head.

He hopped around a bit stopping to sing every few minutes to an unseen counterpoint somewhere in the brush surrounding me.
Then he stopped and stared at something on a branch nearby. I thought he might have a go at trying to eat what he found but perhaps this particular meal might have led to him biting off more than he could chew, lol!
He eyed it for a bit before taking off in search of a more suitable meal.
Check out the next photo to see what he was considering for breakfast 😉



Common Yellowthroats typically feed on small insects and spiders, probing in dead vegetation and in bark crevices for hidden 6 & 8 legged meals. Their short wings make them weak fliers, so as was the case with this gorgeous bird, they’ll typically hop from perch to perch while foraging, and they fly distances in quick bursts, a streak of yellow skimming low over thickets or marshes.
Such great looking birds, they never fail to capture my attention no matter how many times I’ve seen them!



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

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Yellow rumped warbler at harris Lake Park

While walking along a trail, I caught a floofed out Yellow-rumped Warbler preening in a quiet moment at Harris Lake Park in New Hill, NC.
The males have molted into their summer plumage and are looking sharp!


Soon they’ll be flocking together to head up into New England and Canada for their breeding season. They’ll be gone until late September so time is running short if you want to see them this spring.


The ones that are still here in the Triangle region can be found near bodies of water hunting for insects in the upper canopies of trees and at the edge of marshes foraging in the brush.
Such a nice looking bird!

Photo by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

Bird watching Videos, Field Notes, Instagram Birding, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Video of a Common yellowthroat warbler at Harris Lake Park

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Had to grab a quick video clip of my first Common Yellowthroat Warbler of 2020! Such a sweet bird. They are very curious about people and will emerge from the brush if you make pshhhhhhing noises at them 🙂 I’m really looking forward to having more opportunities this summer to photograph these beautiful feathered gems with the amazing Canon 5Ds! Video by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc Canon 5Ds . . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #birdwatchers #bird #birds #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #ncoutdoors #ncnature #canonwildlife #ncwildlifephotographer #northcarolinabirding #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds #audubonsociety #birdoftheday #audubonnc #canonvideo #canonvideography #harrislake #warblers #commonyellowthroat

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All photos and video were 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!