By Sally Siko
Tag Archives: lake lynn bird watching
Spending time at Lake Lynn photographing Blackpoll Warblers
By Sally Siko
Autumn migration was amazing! This was my sentiment when I spotted a Blackpoll Warbler while birding back in October at Lake Lynn in Raleigh NC. I hadn’t seen this species in 2023 so I was absolutely elated to catch a glimpse of this sweet little bird while it searched for a snack in the brush.
Male Blackpoll Warblers can be tough to ID when not in their familiar black and white breeding plumage.
As seen here dressed in autumn drab colors, they resemble the females and are often confused with Bay-breasted and Pine Warblers.
My go-to ID point are the Blackpoll’s orange feet paired with black legs since both Bay’s and Pines have dark grey feet. This makes it a little easier to figure what I’m looking at when trying to squint out a good look through the leaves.
Blackpoll Warblers nest across northern Canada and into Alaska. They are considered a transient visitor to the Tarheel State, only passing through during the migratory periods of spring and fall.
They’ll return to North Carolina in April so you’ll have another opportunity to catch a look then.
Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5
Photographing Tennessee Warblers at Lake Lynn in Raleigh NC
By Sally Siko
Had an excellent morning of birding at Lake Lynn in Raleigh NC this past October.
I arrived around 8:30am to find a nice mixed flock of migrating Warblers flitting through the trees.
It was so much fun to try and catch a few shots as the tiny birds fluttered around, gleaning unseen insects from the sunlit leaves.
Admittedly it’s a real challenge to photograph these energetic birds. They move so quickly in and out of the harsh light and into the dim shadows that even coming home with a dozen use-able shots feels like a win.
One of the species I was most pleased to see was this Tennessee Warbler.
Since I’d missed out on ticking one off my list earlier this spring, it was great to finally lay eyes on the bird for the year.
Happily this Tennessee was quite cooperative allowing myself and about a half dozen other photographers some great opportunities for nice shots.
So cool!
With that tiny pointed beak and diminutive size, Tennessee’s sort of remind me of Blue-winged Warblers which makes sense since they are closely related. In fact they were once lumped under the same genus as Blue and Golden winged Warblers until 2010.
In addition to similar appearance, they behave in a similar way as well.
All three species tend to forage in similar habitats of the mid to high canopies of hardwood forests while making their way through NC.
This means catching a look at eye level at one of these feathered gems a special treat indeed.
If you’d like to find one for yourself, October is the best time to get out there since the Tennessee Warbler is a transient species only found in North Carolina during the spring and autumn months.
Look for them again next year from late Apr to mid-May.
Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5
Cape May Warbler migration
By Sally Siko
Happy to spend a couple nice moments last month in Raleigh NC photographing migrating Cape May Warblers.
I love their cheerful bright yellow plumage and spunky personalities.
Though they tend to move quickly through the leaves I enjoy the challenge of trying to grab a few shots.
These lovely warblers were named for the county of Cape May, NJ where the species was first noted in scientific literature.
Sitting at the southern tip of New Jersey, bordering the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic, Cape May county is the premier destination for migrating birds along the east coast of the US.
It’s one of my favorite places to lead birding tours too!
There’s so much to see there warbler-wise that I think it’s pretty cool that there’s actually a species named for such a special place.
Though Cape May Warblers stop in NJ when traveling between their breeding & wintering grounds, they are hardly alone as hundreds of different bird species are found in Cape May county every year during each migration cycles.
It seems like an odd name to give these beauties as it hardly describes any of the species unique characteristics.
Given the Cape May’s preference for nesting & feeding in conifer forests, perhaps a better name might be spruce warbler or maybe even tiger warbler since they sport those bold black stripes on it’s warm yellow breast.
Moniker choice aside, these feathered gems are standout birds in my eyes and I’m always grateful to catch a glimpse of Cape May every autumn.
They’ll stick around NC for another couple weeks so if you’d like to catch a glimpse of one for yourself, get out there this week before they move on down south for the winter.
Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5
Northern Parulas autum migration at Lake Lynn
By Sally Siko
Had a nice morning birding in Raleigh last month!
With autumn migration in full swing it’s nice to catch a good look at all of the pretty little warblers moving through the area.
One of my favorites is this Northern Parula. I was stoked to finally photograph one in a maple tree, ablaze with fall color.
These little birds are absolutely beautiful if you’re lucky enough to get a close up look at one. It isn’t easy though as Parulas tend to forage in the treetops during the summer months. That being said, now that autumn has arrived their behavior has changed as they begin to hunt for their meals a little lower towards the ground.
Measuring just 11.4 cm, Northern Parulas are one of North America’s smallest species of Warbler and due to their energetic habits they can be tough to see or photograph. Happily though, they do respond well to pishing and will sometimes swoop in close to you to get a better look at who’s making all that swoooshing noise.
Parulas breed across the eastern United States and north up into eastern Canada.
They favor habitats in swamps and wooded wetlands where Spanish Moss is present as this is their preferred nesting material.
Though they can be tough to actually see in the dense leafy canopy’s of the treetops you can certainly find them by listening for their distinctive buzzy trill call from above.
The Northern Parulas will only stick around NC for about a week or two so you’ve still got a little time to enjoy them before they head south for the winter.
Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5
Magnolia Warblers at Lake Lynn in Raleigh NC
By Sally Siko
Here’s a bird I was pleased to find while birding at Lake Lynn in Raleigh, North Carolina earlier this month, the Magnolia Warbler.
It took some patience to photograph this bird as it hunted for a meal in the dark canopy of the forest. I was thrilled when the bird spied a green caterpillar and plucked it off of the leaf in reasonably good light.
I’ve been trying to get a proper photograph of the species for years with no success, and although these photos are heavily cropped, I’ll take this as a win today lol!
The breeding range of the Magnolia Warbler extends across the southern half of Canada and into the northern half of the United States east of the Mississippi. They are also known to nest in small numbers in the Appalachian mountains of Western, North Carolina, and Virginia.
That being said, typically they’re most commonly found in NC during migrational periods in the central and western regions of the state.
With autumn migration in full swing, now is the perfect time to get out there and find these birds.
These guys are truly stunning birds and easier to ID than most other warblers flying around this time of year.
Look for that bright yellow belly streaked with black lines, two white wing bars and that white eye ring.
Although they nest in stands of conifers, during the autumn, they are best found in the canopy or mid-story of hardwood forests and edges.
The Magnolia Warbler will be here through early October before departing for destinations in Mexico, central America, and the West Indies to spend the winter.
Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5
A Northern Waterthrush at Lake Lynn, Raleigh
-Sally Siko
With autumn migration upon us, some interesting birds are making their way through North Carolina.
One species, I was particularly happy to find this month was a pair of Northern Water Thrushes at Lake Lynn in Raleigh.
After hearing their distinctive chip calls, I was able to locate the pair, moving through the low brush of the mudflats and shallow creek waters at the north end of the lake.
Though the late morning lighting was a bit harsh it was great to finally grab a couple photos of these elegant birds.
Despite their name, Northern Water Thrushes are actually a species of new world warbler.
They’ve also got a surprising diet which
includes the usual insects and spiders yet they also eat snails, small clams, crabs, minnows, and even salamanders too!
Another unique characteristic of the species is that they prefer to nest on the ground.
These scrappy warblers build their nests in the dark hiding spots created in the tangles of roots from fallen or standing trees. They’ll also nest in clumps of dense vegetation near water or in cavities of stream banks.
Over the next few weeks, your best shot at finding one is near slow moving bodies of water in hardwood forested areas, such as wooded pools, slow-moving streams, and in swampy areas.
They also hang out in the margins of dammed up beaver ponds, and along the shores of lakes and ponds such as was the case here at Lake Lynn.
Look for them moving through the Carolinas from now through mid October.
Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5
Rare Bird Alert North Carolina: Roseate Spoonbills spotted in Raleigh at Lake Lynn
By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC
Yesterday I received a rare bird notification from @eBird that a pair of Roseate Spoonbills had been spotted at Lake Lynn in Raleigh NC so I decided to go see if I could get a look at them with my friend Corie @calatta
We met up an hour later in the southern parking lot and walked to the north end of the lake where we were happy to find these beautiful birds hunting for a snack in the shallows with a Little Blue Heron
Nice to get a win so easily!
Roseate Spoonbills are normally found in southern Florida and along the coast of Texas during the summer which is why it was so unusual to find these two at Lake Lynn.
That being said, sightings of Spoonbills here in North Carolina have been on the increase in recent years though most of those have occurred in our southern coastal regions.
These lovely birds are best spotted in marshy areas foraging for a meal in the water or mudflats.
Sweeping their namesake spoon-shaped bill side to side in the shallow water, the Spoonbills mouth is partially open as their bill probes into the mud. When they stir up a fish or invertebrate, they’ll clamp that bill shut to capture their prey.
Their diet mainly consists of minnows, but they’ll also eat shrimp, crayfish, crabs, aquatic insects, mollusks, and slugs. Spoonbills will also snack on plants including the roots and stems of sedges.
I have no idea how long these two will stick around the Triangle for so if you can get out within the next day or two you might be able to find them as well.
For reference, I’ve included a Google Map pin drop showing the exact location of these birds at the north end of Lake Lynn (as of yesterday & today) to the end of this post.
Hope you are able to see them too!
Happy birding!
-Sally
Photos & Video by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the full frame beast of an SLR, the mighty @canonusa
#5Ds
By the way, check out the video of the Roseate Spoonbills in the Instagram version of this post below!