Tag Archives: huntington beach state park

Biridng Trips and Tours in SC

Painted Buntings at Huntington Beach State Park, SC

Seeing one of these colorful birds is such a treat!
Although I’ve encountered Painted Buntings many times over the years, it never gets old. I spent a few minutes photographing this handsome fellow while on a recent birding trip to SC. Though the birds are brightly hued they can be a little reclusive behavior-wise which makes them a challenge to find. The easiest way to locate one is to listen for their high pitched buzzzzed zeeeep calls from ground level to about 20 ft in the brush.


Painted Buntings can be found in open areas along the far edge of the coastlines of the Carolinas (and throughout the southern states) catching grasshoppers, weevils and other beetles, caterpillars, bugs, spiders, snails, wasps and flies.During non-breeding months of early spring and late summer, they prefer to eat seeds, thus if you happen to live on the beaches or barrier islands of the Carolinas, Painted Buntings may become regular visitors to your backyard feeders.


By the way, as colorful as these birds are, their favorite seed is plain as can be lol!If you’d like to entice a visit from one of these feathered gems, fill your feeders with white millet, a seed that is commonly snubbed by other birds yet abundant in the most basic of mixed seed blends.How cool is that?!

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

Biridng Trips and Tours in SC

Dowitchers in SC

One of the interesting birds I encountered at Huntington Beach SP last weekend was a flock of Short and Long billed Dowitchers.
Dowitchers are generally autumn and spring migratory visitors to the Carolinas however a few non-breeding adults may spend the entire year in our coastal counties.
Often spotted looking for a snack on mudflats, they are medium sized shorebirds with plump bodies sporting a pleasing pattern of golden brown spotted and barred plumage.



Right now it’s feeding time as they are fattening up, packing in the calories needed in preparation for their departure to their breeding grounds in Alaska and Canada.
Dowitchers use their long bills to probe into the mud in (reminiscent of a sewing pattern as seen trailing behind in the second photo)to find a meal. Their diet consists of marine worms, small invertebrates, crustaceans, horseshoe crab eggs and insects.
There’s a frenzy of activity going on as the birds squabble over catches but luckily here at Huntington, plenty of worms are available for all.


The majority of Long and Short-billed Dowitchers will soon head north once they’ve put on enough weight.
Look for Short bill’s in saltwater and brackish water habitats and Long billed in fresh and brackish water habitats for another few weeks.
Hopefully you’ll get to enjoy some time watching these elegant travelers too before summer begins!

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

Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC

A Sora encounter at Huntington Beach State Park- why we go birding

It’s not often that I’ll post about the same species twice in one month but I was thrilled to get another look at a Sora this past weekend while birding at Huntington Beach State Park in SC.
The ones that I spotted a few weeks ago were mostly hidden in between a dark mass of reeds so seeing a Sora out in the open was super cool!
It’s funny to me that I’ve spent years looking for Soras and had never seen one until last month and now I’ve seen 4 in just the past couple weeks.
A lifer win.



Birding is a fun yet challenging thing.
The point of creating a list is to keep track of the date, location and numbers of various species that we see when out in the field.
Yet, the reasons why we do this may go deeper than a simple tally.
Some of us need a target to shoot for, it’s a numbers thing -an extension of the concept of “gamify everything”.
It can be a competitive mindset which drives us to want to be the number one lister in our county, state or country holding the record for rallying the highest number of birds per year.
Others relish the experience of traveling to far away strange places to see birds that we can’t see close to home.
It can be a need to SEE ALL THE BIRDS.
For some, birding is an escape from the stress of living in a world full of screens, social media, spreadsheets, a difficult home life and a 24hr sensationalized news cycle.
And yes, of course there are a zillion other reasons why we go birding.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that there is no wrong reason to go, rather it’s crucial that we heed the call to just go.
Breathe fresh air.
Feel sunlight on our faces.
Get lost.
Take photos.
Take notes.
See cool shit.
Learn and think about new things.



I’m grateful to be able to share my bird nerd stuff with you guys and I LOVE seeing all of your stories and photos too! There are some incredibly talented photographers out there.
I know I’m never alone even if I’m the only person out there for 50 miles who’s seeing a Sora for the very first time.
Glad you’re here for the ride 😉

So why do you go birding?
Leave a reply below 😉

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

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Enjoying Anhinga’s at Huntington Beach State Park, SC

There’s a lot of bird activity going on now that spring has arrived. It seems that every time I step outside there’s something new to see.
During a visit to Huntington Beach State Park last weekend, I had a chance to watch a pair of Anhingas building their nest which was really neat!



The male flew in carrying a stick which he awkwardly presented to his mate who was sitting on the nest.
After a minute or so she accepted the stick and carefully tried pushing it into the nest in various spots while the male watched her intently.
A few times the male tried to “help” his mate decide where the stick should go but she appeared to get agitated by him, eventually deftly threading the stick into a spot of her choosing.
Once the stick was intact they both seemed to relax lol!
Yet, perhaps the Anhingas shouldn’t relax too much…
If you look closely at the photo below, you can see a pile of large alligators laying in the mud directly below their nest.
One can only hope that their future chicks will learn to fly before they ever touch the ground to avoid the gators waiting jaws.



Anhingas are best found in the coastal counties of the Carolinas. You can spot them hunting for a meal along brackish & freshwater rivers, lakes, ponds, and swamps.
Masters of underwater hunting expeditions, the Anhinga uses its sharp bill to spear its prey, flips it in the air, and then swallows it head-first!
They dine primarily on fish but also will snack on small crustaceans, reptiles and invertebrates.

Anhingas are generally spring and summertime residents of the Carolinas however quite a few do spend the winter in the Wilmington and Murrells Inlet areas.
Look for them throughout the rest of the eastern regions from March through September.

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

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

Great Egrets in North Carolina

Whenever I find myself birding in wetland areas, my constant companion is usually a Great Egret. They are quite beautiful when seen up close and very entertaining to watch stalking their prey.
I photographed these two elegant Egrets earlier this year at Greenfield Lake in Wilmington NC and at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, SC.



Great Egrets are found in similar habitats of other wading birds such as Herons and Bitterns, often seen along the shorelines of ponds, lakes, marshes, estuaries and brackish water inlets.
They are a bit smaller and more lithe then Great Blue Herons, yet these are still big birds with large wingspans of around 5.5 feet.
Expert hunters of frogs and fish, they’ll stand perfectly still in the shallow water along a shoreline until the moment they strike.
A lightning quick thrust of their sharp yellow bill is all that’s needed to land a meal and then their prey is swallowed whole.



Though they are a common sight across the southern United States, this was not always the case.
Did you know that these majestic birds were nearly hunted to extinction due to the demand of their beautiful white breeding plumes in the late 1900s?
A now familiar icon of the Audubon Society, public awareness of this species rapid decline was the flash point which sparked the fist bird conservation movements in the United States.
Today, Great Egrets are thriving and are happily found searching for food throughout the Carolinas.

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

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A White Ibis at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, SC

While birding on a recent trip to Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet SC I spotted a handsome White Ibis preening up in a tree.
It was cold and overcast outside but it was neat to be able to grab a few portraits of this beautiful white bird set against the pale grey sky.



When they’re not spotted in the trees along the waters edge, Ibis’s are most often seen wading in shallow water sweeping their head form side-to-side in search of food. Using their long, curved bills to probe into the mud, they are on a constant hunt for crabs, crayfish and other small crustaceans. Once a meal is caught, they’ll swallow their prey whole which is rather impressive given that much of their prey has a hard shell or pincers.



Ibis’s are a year round resident of the Carolinas and are a relatively common sight feeding along the shorelines of our coastal marshes and estuaries.
You can also spot Ibises foraging for food on suburban lawns and mudflats hunting for insects, frogs, snails, marine worms, snakes, and even small fish swimming in shallow water ponds or creeks.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved beast, the mighty mirrorless @canonusa #r5

Field Notes

Horned Grebes at Huntington Beach State Park

Photographing birds on the ocean is a fun but challenging pursuit. Especially on days with rough seas when the birds riding on the water at a distance are obscured by rolling waves.
That’s why I was thrilled to finally capture a good photo or two of this pair of Horned Grebes at a close range from my vantage point of shooting on the rock jetty at Huntington Beach State Park.
With those piercing red eyes and that lovely black and white plumage, Horned Grebes are truly striking looking birds when your lucky enough to catch a good look at one floating on the Atlantic.

These handsome birds are a relatively common sight swimming in the ocean just offshore of the Carolinas during the wintertime months.
That being said, they are also occasionally found a little further inland on bays and estuaries, as well as on our coastal fresh water lakes and brackish impoundments.

During the winter, their diet mostly consists of fish as well as crustaceans, mollusks and insects.
But, did you know that Horned Grebe’s regularly eats some of its own feathers?
So much so that its stomach usually contains a matted plug of them. Like the strainer covering the hole in your kitchen sink, this plug may function as a filter screen or may hold fish bones in the stomach a little longer until they can be digested. The parents even feed feathers to their chicks to get the plug started early.
Crazy huh?

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved beast, the mighty mirrorless @canonusa#R5

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A Ruddy Turnstone encounter at Huntington Beach State Park

Here’s a little bird that never fails to capture my attention when visiting the beach, the Ruddy Turnstone.


I spotted this one while on to Huntington Beach State Park in SC.
Normally they scoot away once I start heading in their direction but this one was quite friendly and even approached me as I walked along the jetty.
It was neat to take advantage of the amicable nature of this curious little Turnstone and be able to catch a couple portraits at a close range.



Ruddy Turnstones are mainly wintertime residents of the Carolina’s and are usually found searching for meal along the shorelines of brackish and saltwater marshes, ponds, oyster bed inlets and beaches.
Aptly named for their habit of flipping over stones, shells, and seaweed to find prey, their diet is made up of mostly insects, though some have been observed eating plant materials, bird eggs, and even carrion.
During migration and winter, their diet shifts to mainly marine invertebrates, such as small crustaceans and mollusks.
Aren’t they beautiful?

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved beast, the mighty mirrorless @canonusa #R5

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Hooded Mergansers at Huntington Beach State Park, SC

Of of the most striking looking ducks we’ve got swimming around the Carolinas is the Hooded Merganser. With that huge crown of feathers at the top of their heads, these handsome birds are truly kings of the water.
I spotted this small flock last month while birding at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, SC.
It was able to get relatively close to these guys from my vantage point on the boardwalk over the marsh which was pretty neat!



Hooded Mergansers are a species species of diving duck with a somewhat unusual diet in that they do not eat much plant material. Instead they prefer to snack on small fish, crawfish, and aquatic insects.In addition, they’ve got long serrated beaks which aid in the capture and consumption of their underwater prey.
The tidal marsh habitat where I photographed these birds served as the perfect hunting grounds for the Mergansers.



Though many of us associate Mergansers as being a wintertime visitor to NC, they are known to breed in our eastern counties making them a year round resident of the Carolina’s.
Like Wood Ducks, they are cavity-nesters but unlike Wood Ducks, Mergansers often lay their eggs in other females’ nests. This is behavior is similar to the practice of Brown-headed Cowbirds, except that the ducks only lay eggs in nests of their own species.
Pretty neat, huh?

Photos by me @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved beast, the mighty mirrorless @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Spending time with a Barred Owl at the Huntington Beach State Park Murrells Inlet, SC

By: Sally Siko- Admin BWNC

One of the best things about birding is that you never quite know with 100% certainty what you’re going to encounter in the woods.
Sure, we’ve got our expectations but every so often we are presented with the opportunity to be surprised and delighted by what we see.
I this case, I was so happy to spot this handsome Barred Owl hunting for a snack this past weekend while on a trip to the Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet SC.



It was thrilling to get a close up look at such an impressive bird. At one point, I was showing the owl to some other photographers when it took off and zoomed about a foot over our heads only to land briefly to catch an insect on the side of branch. Then it quickly flew to a nearby tree to consume its prize much to the delight of all.



Barred Owls are a year round resident of South and North Carolina and are widely found across both states.
They are primarily found wetland areas, such as around beaver ponds and in open swamps, bottomlands, and nearby marshes. I spotted this one in the woods across the road from the Nature Center at HBSP not far from the marsh boardwalk area.



I think my favorite part of this encounter was that I was able to get a nice close up look at the owls expressive eyes.
They are beautiful!


Speaking of their eyes, did you know that can not turn their eyes in any direction at all?
This is because owls don’t have eyeballs in the traditional sense.
Instead an owls eyes are shaped like fixed tubes, almost like binoculars.
In order to compensate for the lack of directional movement, they can turn their head 270 degrees.
We can rotate our heads only half that far. Incredible!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved beast of a DSLR the @canonusa #5Ds