t’s been so hot this summer which has got me feeling nostalgic for wintertime and all of the birds that arrive to spend the cooler months here in NC. So, I’ve been going through my photo galleries from this past year and found this shot of a male Purple Finch. Isn’t he handsome?
Purple Finches are wintertime resident of North Carolina, yet unfortunately their numbers appear to be in decline. That being said, the past 2 winters have been proving to be interesting years for viewing several species of Finches. Quite a few North Carolina birders have noticed unusually large numbers of these gorgeous birds moving into their areas. These mass movements, called “irruptions,” are different from regular migrations and are likely causes by a poor crop of conifer seeds, an important food source for the finches, up north. Since their food supply had been cut back in the northern regions of the United States, large flocks of Purple Finches have been popping up all over the east coast during the winter months.
Normally Purple Finches are birds of the deep coniferous & wet hardwood forest but in the winter, they will venture out into suburban backyards and parks in search of an easy meal. If you’re interested in attracting these feathered gems to your own yard, fill your feeders with thistle & sunflower seeds. They seem to prefer feeding from a platform style feeder vs. a cylinder too. They will stick around the Tarheel state from November through early April so keep an eye out for them this winter!
Btw, if you’d like to buy this Purple Finch artwork that @isaacmcshanephoto & I made, please check out the Riverside Creations NC shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/RiversideCreationsNC to purchase one of these for your home too! If ya have any questions about where to order, feel free to DM me anytime.
When the summer heat rolls in, it’s nice to get out of the sunny fields and into the woods to cool off. We aren’t the only ones who appreciate the cool shade that the trees provide, Ovenbirds are masters of the shadows and remain active throughout the day even during the hottest hours.
Ovenbirds favor mixed deciduous and coniferous forest areas which are semi open under the canopy yet still contain scrubby thickets and moderate brush. Though they look like Thrushes, they’re actually a species of warbler and like others in that family they are voracious eaters of insects. However like Thrushes, (and unlike most other warblers) Ovenbirds are usually spotted hunting for a meal on the ground scratching up under the leaf litter in search of beetles, worms and grubs.
These beauties are a spring and summertime resident of North Carolina and are found across the state from the mountains to the coast from April to October. That being said, a few Ovenbirds have been found to spend the winter in Buxton Woods on Cape Hatteras Island in recent years. This is an interesting trend to watch as more people get out to go bird watching during the winter in the OBX. Pretty cool, huh?
Btw, if you’d like to buy this artwork, please check out the Riverside Creations NC shop at
If there is one bird that who’s photo takes me back to great wintertime birding memories from the OBX, it’s this Redhead Duck! I love the subtle but beautiful color palette of their cinnamon, black and grey plumage (especially paired with the blues and grays of a winter landscape) and the intense gaze of their orange eyes.
Redhead Ducks are a winter resident of North Carolina. Each November flocks of thousands of Redheads arrive in eastern NC to spend to coldest months in our (usually thawed) waters. They are best found in shallow bays and marshes foraging for a an underwater snack of stems, seeds, and roots of aquatic plants: shoalgrass, pondweeds, and sedges at many of our coastal wildlife refuges.
One of my favorite things about Redheads are their calls. While most people are familiar with the typical “quacking” of ducks, Redhead ducks can make some unusual noises! The female Redhead does makes a quack-like noise, but the male’s vocalization can sound like a cat’s meow or purr! If you’ve ever stood by a pond filled with Redhead drakes, it sounds kinda like being around a bunch of broken cats lol!
Look for them later this year around Thanksgiving. Usually they’ll stick around until late March or early April before they head out to their breeding grounds in the western United States and western Canada.
Check out the Papa Bear Hikes podcast episode “The Truth about Photography” featuring a conversation with my partner and lead birding guide here at Best Life Birding, Isaac McShane.
It’s all about what’s good about adventuring in the great outdoors and why combining birding with photography is pretty much the best thing ever! Plus a discussion about the Black Bears and Red Wolves at ARNWR and our Snowy Owl story in the OBX from this past winter is not to be missed
Scroll through the first photo in the Instagram post below to watch the video of Isaac McShane rescuing a Yellow breasted Chat from a storefront in Kentucky!
Lately I have been thinking about the controversy of using bird song recordings as an attractant. A friend of mine recently got chastised by a fellow birder for using an app that plays bird calls to “lure” them in. That got me thinking about how I would react to such a scolding. Using technology from Cornell University’s School Of Ornithology there is a phone app called Merlin that can play every imaginable bird song, in addition to identifying bird calls in real time, photo identification, and all the info necessary to learn about and observe our feathered friends.
I want to see birds. All the birds. It’s a rush discovering new species and I am obsessed. My girlfriend, Sally Siko (owner of Best Life Birding), and I have a goal to see 300 different kinds of birds this year. At one third of the way into the year, we are more than two thirds of the way to achieving success. I am resourceful. I take advantage of technology to use whatever tools are at my disposal to accomplish my intentions. Yes, I use playbacks to attract birds. No, I am not unaware of the debate that it is stressful to birds.
So how would I react to somebody scolding me out in the woods for using my phone to play the song of a Black-throated Blue Warbler? I don’t usually respond submissively to aggressive commands. It ruffles my feathers and puts me on the defensive. (I suppose the same thing could be said about confused birds following an electronic bird song.) However, I try my best to be polite whenever possible. Rather than tell the purist to bugger off while I go about my business, or walk away with my tail between my legs as if I’ve been caught being cruel to animals, I would like to see it as an opportunity for a discussion.
Anyone who is willing to use these playbacks ought to have sufficient information to discuss the pros and cons, less they accept the shame of being reprimanded when Karen gives them a good talking to. She is probably going to be hostile. You might have just ruined her day. She may not be in the mood for a cordial discussion. It’s a big world with plenty of birding hot-spots, (for now) so it may be best to bid her adieu and move on to greener pastures.
I am a volunteer at Skywatch Bird Rescue. I get calls to capture injured birds and have them transported to the local rehab center. As a bird lover, it is the greatest honor to contribute towards the preservation of these magnificent animals. To remove them from danger, hold them, relieve their distress, feel their energy, calm them, love them, and take care of them is one of the greatest joys in my life. I really love them so much! I have also learned a whole lot about birds along the way.
The last thing I would ever want to do is create turbulence in their already difficult and depleting natural world. I am still learning more about them everyday. If I had definitive information that playing these recorded songs was detrimental to their sustainability I would never do it again and spread the word. But I don’t think it is. However, to the purist who objects to this resource, I will have to respect their decision (and patience). See how that works? This is a dynamic and widely subjective concept. I think the key to properly using playbacks is as with much in life, moderation.
So I have told you a little about my credentials and philosophy. I have street cred, but when dealing with an agitated “traditional” bird watcher I think it would increase validity to be able to cite established authorities on birding. With a quick Google search I found a great article on the subject by David Sibley (author of Sibley Guides) published on Audubon.org. Anything I could argue for or against it has been better said by him, endorsed by Audubon, and is a great resource for understanding both sides of the argument. *This is a great article well worth the read, but for those who don’t have the time, here is an excerpt:
“Arguments in favor of playback:
These are speculative and/or subjective. We are bird-watchers, and watching birds almost always involves some form of disturbance. Birding disturbs birds, and there are times when playback might offer a less disruptive way of seeing a bird:
Playback reduces the need to physically enter the bird’s habitat, and therefore (presumably) reduces damage to the habitat and disturbance to the birds. For example, playing a recording from a roadside so that twenty people can see a bird might be better for the bird than having those twenty people walking or sitting for a long period in that habitat.
Playback targets a single species, without disturbing other species, which is presumably better than physically walking through a bird’s territory, or using broad-spectrum attractants like pishing, which affect all species.
It’s possible that in some circumstances playback may increase the social standing of a male bird among its peers (see Research below)
Playback allows people to enjoy birds more fully (in this way it is analogous to bird feeding). It attracts birds into view that would otherwise be difficult to see well.
Most of these arguments are speculative, only the first one listed is documented by research on one species, and the last three are aesthetic impacts on other birders:
Aggressive playback (with the real bird coming away as the “loser”) in at least one species can cause a male bird to lose status with rivals and its mate, leading the female to seek extra-pair copulations (see Research below)
Playback causes unnatural stress on the bird – the territorial male wastes energy chasing a phantom intruder
Playback lures birds into the open, exposing them to predators
Playback distracts birds from other more useful activities, such as foraging.
Birders dislike hearing an electronic recording, as it detracts from the “natural” experience of birding
Birders experience increased stress from confusion and false alarms when the song of a sought-after species turns out to be a recording.
Playback is “cheating”, and will create lazy birders who fail to develop good field skills.”
