One of the sweetest species of Warbler we’ve got flying around here in North Carolina is the Common Yellowthroat. I was lucky to spot this female hunting for a meal in a marsh recently at the Lake Mattamuskeet NWR. She was moving around so quickly that it was tough to get a photograph of her as she flew from reed to reed over the water. Such a neat little bird!
Common Yellowthroats are a year round resident of North Carolina. Though they are seen throughout the Tarheel state in the spring and summer, during the winter months you’re most likely to spot this species in our eastern coastal counties. No matter the season they may be found in briers, damp brushy places, weeds or grasses along country roads or agricultural areas. As seen in this series of photos from Lake Mattamuskeet, Common Yellowthroats are also found stalking insects in cattails, bulrushes, sedges, and willows by streamsides, ponds, swamps, both in freshwater, and salt-water marshes.
It was neat to spend time with this female. I haven’t much of an opportunity to do so in the past as I’ve found them to be much shyer than the males. Though they aren’t as boldly feathered as the males who sport that familiar black face mask, female Common Yellowthroats are quite a lovely sight with that pretty warm brown and yellow plumage reflecting in the sun.
Next month, Common Yellowthroats will start spreading west into the rest of North Carolina to establish their breeding territories. They are known to nest in all 100 counties from the mountains to the coast so they should be easy to find in the spring and summer no matter where you live. It’s not just us who get to enjoy them though! Stretching from far north western Canada all the way down into California and across the US into Florida, these birds have one of the widest breeding ranges in the Western Hemisphere for Warbler species. Makes a little more sense on how these uncommonly beautiful birds earned the “common” in their name.
On a winter birding trip to Lake Mattamuskeet in Swanquarter NC, I encountered a sweet Orange-crowned Warbler hunting for a meal in the marsh.
I’d forgotten that they hang out here in the Tarheel State during the winter and was delighted to see him. He made quite a fuss of digging insects out of the reeds. Every so often, he’d hover in mid air gleaning for his prey then savagely snap up his quarry with all the tenacity of a Bald Eagle downing a fish lol!
Orange-crowned Warblers are opportunistic hunters and foragers. Like a few other species of Warblers, in addition to insects, berries and other small fruits are also on its menu especially in the winter when six or eight legged meals become scarce. They are even known to raid Sapsucker tree wells for tree sap and will steal a sip of nectar from any flowers or hummingbird feeders that are available too!
Their ability to adapt their diets to include non typical Warbler fare serves them well as south eastern North Carolina is nearly at the top of their normal wintering range. Although we’ve still got a few insects flying around, the fact that the Orange-crowns will eat other types of food aids in their survival in the coldest weather. In addition, the birds who spend the winter here in North Carolina may have an advantage during the spring migration ahead. This is because they already have a several hundred mile head start for the return trip north to their breeding grounds in Canada (and the mountain west) on their counterparts spending the winter in the deep southern states and Mexico. Perhaps this means that the birds who arrive first are able to stake out the prime nesting territories first which is something interesting to think about.
These gorgeous birds will stick around eastern North Carolina until mid April and occasionally may be found until early May in smaller numbers throughout the rest of the state. Look for the Orange-crowned Warbler in wetland areas wherever there is dense brushy habitat available. Marshes and ponds lined with evergreens are excellent places to go see them too!
Recently I took a trip to the Lake Mattamuskeet NWR to scout out some locations for future birding trips. This is such a wonderful spot to visit in the wintertime! There’s a nice variety of birds to be found here and the landscape is warm and inviting even on the coldest of days.
One of prettiest birds I encountered at the East Pond along Wildlife Drive was this Blue-headed Vireo. It was neat to get a nice up close look at this feathered gem in the marsh near the dock. We watched one another for a minute or two before he flew off into the brush. Though it was a brief encounter, I was happy to grab at least a few photos while it lasted.
A year round resident of North Carolina, Blue-headed Vireos breed in the western part of the state during the spring & summer and then spend the winter months in our eastern coastal counties.
During nesting season, they’re relatively easily to find in the Appalachian Mountains at elevations consisting of mixed coniferous and hardwood forests. Take a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway and you’re likely to see (or hear) at least a couple when pulling off onto those scenic overlooks.
That being said, I’ve had the most luck spotting them during the wintertime in the mid to lower canopies of trees as well as foraging in low lying shrubs in open fields. A curious little bird, they seem to respond well to pishing and will fly in close if you give that a try. Aren’t they lovely?
Here is a video I made highlighting some of my favorite finds from my latest birding trip to the Pungo Unit at the Pocosin Lakes NWR and Lake Mattamuskeet NWR on the coastal plain of eastern North Carolina last week.
What a neat place to go bird watching, even in the middle of summer! 10/10 recommend a visit 🙂
Filmed on a Canon 5DS at the Pungo Unit at the Pocosin Lakes NWR – Pantego, NC & Lake Mattamuskeet NWR – Englehard, NC
View of a wide open field at the Pungo Unit at the Pocosin Lakes NWRPungo LakeLake Mattamuskeet
Yesterday I headed out to go birding on the Pungo Unit at the Pocosin Lakes NWR and Lake Mattamuskeet. Originally I’d intended to see if I could find another Painted Bunting but that was not to be. Yet as it goes with birding, often disappointing losses actually turn into interesting opportunities to see new birds that one never expected to find. Well, that’s exactly what happened 4 times yesterday!
GREATER YELLOWLEGS
Greater Yellowlegs at Pungo Lake
The first unexpected encounter was with a Greater Yellowlegs that I found looking for food in what may be (generously lol) described as a big puddle at the Pungo Unit. Although they are known to spend the winter here, these handsome birds normally aren’t found in NC during the summer.
A Greater Yellowlegs in breeding plumage at the Pocosin Lakes NWR , July 2020
As seen in this photograph, during the breeding season, the Greater Yellowlegs sports plumage patterns of dense, nearly black lines speckled on their pale grey breast and necks. It’s quite a change from what we normally see of them in the wintertime which is a muted brown buff color.
Check out the map below for the location of where I found this bird.
BOBOLINK
Male Bobolink at Lake Mattamuskeet (molting plumage)
The second unexpected bird I found was a male Bobolink at Lake Landing on Lake Mattamuskeet. This was the place I’d expected to find a Painted Bunting and I was so focused on listening for their familiar call that I nearly missed the Bobolink. I first heard him calling out from the talk rushes sticking up from the mud flats of the drained pond. Initially I thought it was a Red-winged Blackbird call so I ignored it. After hearing it call out over and over again, I focused my camera on it because the calls began to sound different than usual to me. It was pretty far away but as soon as I saw that pale patch of feathers on his nape, I knew that this was no blackbird! I tried my best to get some clear photos but the bird remained far away at the limits of my focal ranges, thus the photos I took aren’t the prettiest. Still, I’m very happy to have documented the moments I first saw a Bobolink in the summertime at Lake Mattamuskeet!
A male Bobolink flying at Lake Landing on Lake Mattamuskeet
The Bobolinks northern breeding range extends from Maine to Washington State which is why it seems unusual to see one on the middle of July. That being said, their spring and fall migration does bring them down here to NC. Perhaps this one arrived in March and is just getting a head start on the autumn journey ahead by sticking around here for the summer.
Check out the map below for the location of where I found this bird.
TUNDRA SWAN
A lone Tundra Swan at the Pungo Unit in July
The third surprise bird was this gorgeous Tundra Swan at the Pungo Unit. I found the bird swimming around in a flooded out field with a flock of Canada Geese. I have had the pleasure of witnessing the great flocks of Tundra Swans during their winter migration here at the Pungo Unit in the past. It’s pretty weird to think that just six months ago there may have been more than 300k Swans filling the waters and fields here but now, there’s just this one.
Tundra Swan at the Pungo Unit July 2020
I met up with another N.C. wildlife photographer, Robert Mullen while I was out on this day who photographs birds here several times a week all year round. He indicated that the belief of the wildlife officials is that this bird may have been injured over the winter and was unable to migrate this past spring. I felt bad for this elegant one, all alone in the refuge. But, if he can survive the next few months, he’ll have plenty of company to spend time with this winter as the rest of the flock makes the southward journey from the Arctic to the Pungo Unit.
Check out the map below for the location of where I found this bird.
MAGNOLIA WARBLER
Last but definitely not least, I got very lucky when I spotted a female Magnolia Warbler while driving on Canal D Rd. in the Pungo Unit. I was headed out to the soybean fields to look for bears in the late afternoon when a flash of small yellowish bird flew in front of my truck and into a tree next to the dirt road.
A single female Magnolia Warbler at the Pungo Unit in July
I pulled over, grabbed my camera and got out of the truck to see if I could find and ID the bird before it disappeared deeper into the woods. Let me tell you, this was a difficult little bird to photograph! The sun was very bright and the shadows very dark when peering into the viewfinder of my camera. I’d lower my lens to look up at the tree to try and spot the movements of this tiny bird, locate it, then bring the camera back up to my face to try and snap a photo. The problem was that Magnolia Warblers are fast movers! As soon as I’d get a clear shot (and good exposure) it would move behind a leaf. I must have taken 15 photos and still only came up with two, half blurry shots lol! At least they are good enough for ID purposes so I’m chalking that experience up as a win in my book 😉
Magnolia Warbler (female)
Their typical breeding range extends from the mountains of WV, western VA, central PA, NY, MN, MI and up into New England and Canada. Although it is uncommon, Magnolia Warblers also breed in the mountains of northwestern NC. That’s why I was surprised to see this sweet female in July. I’m hoping that she will find a mate (or at least some friends) when the rest of the Magnolia Warblers make their way down here in September during fall migration.
Check out the map below for the location of where I found this bird.
Though I never found the Painted Bunting I’d planned for, I’m very happy with how the trip went yesterday. Like searching for gold, then coming up empty only to find diamonds instead, it’s days like this that renew my love for the adventure of birding.
Oh by the way, I did find some other birds yesterday at the Pungo Unit and Lake Mattamuskeet that aren’t rare but still are pretty cool too! Check out the photos below!
The majestic Great Egret is a beautiful sight to see in our North Carolina waterways. I found this one last weekend taking off from next to a small canal at Lake Landing at Lake Mattamuskeet in Englehard, N.C.
They are a bit smaller and more lithe then Great Blue Herons, yet these are still big birds with large wingspans. They are expert hunters of frogs and fish, standing very still 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.
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 much of the U.S.
A couple of weeks ago, I spotted a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron roosting in a tree overlooking a small creek behind Gibbs Store in downtown Engelhard, N.C. Due to his mottled brown plumage, he was kind of hard to see among all those branches. In fact, I only caught him out of the corner of my eye when he moved his head.
These short-legged, stocky birds are not as long in their appearance as are most other heron species. Usually they look as if their heads are tucked down into their shoulders. The adult Black- crowned Night Heron has a light grey body, a black back, and a crown of slate black feathers on its head. Its short, thick bill is black and its eyes change from yellow to red when reaching adulthood. Like its name implies, the Black-crowned Night Heron is most active at night, probably to avoid competition with other (larger) heron species. They use a variety of smart techniques to attract prey. One of the most interesting is a behavior called “bill vibrating” in which it rapidly opens and closes its bill in the water, which lures fish into striking range by mimicking an insect.
They are not known as picky eaters. Though they primarily prey on fish, they will gobble down almost any aquatic animal it can catch, as well as rodents, snakes, birds, eggs, plant material, and even discarded human food! What fascinating birds 🙂
While birding at Lake Mattamuskeet in coastal North Carolina, I found a flock of Tundra Swans feeding on the water. It’s an incredible experience to see so many of these large birds in one place!
If you’ve never seen a swan migration for yourself, I highly recommend that you visit this area to check it out. The Tundra Swans will be here throughout the winter until February so there is still time to go!
I observed this pair for a little while before they decided to join the rest of their flock on a different area on the lake. Watching them take off was quite a sight to see! Despite their enormous wing spans, Tundra Swans are not quite strong enough to take off by flapping it’s wings alone. It takes a lot of power to achieve the lift needed to get their 23 lb bodies into the air.
A running start on the surface of the water is required to gather enough momentum for them to take flight. Flapping their wings, they’ll extend their necks straight out and race across the water like a sprinter in a 100 meter dash. Their large webbed feet help propel them off the surface of the lake, leaving a path of water splashes behind them before they make the final push for lift off. Amazing.
Last weekend I took a day trip with my daughter in search of Tundra Swans at the Lake Mattamuskeet NWR in Swan Quarter N.C. We arrived at Lake Landing around 9AM and set off to a small drainage pond at the southern end of the lake.
We spent about 2 hours exploring the area and taking pictures. What an amazing experience it was to see these large birds up close! Tundra Swans migrate to the Lake Mattamuskeet area every year during the winter. They are found all over the place. From the lake itself, to the farm fields surrounding the NWR.
I have posted a video below of the highlights from the day. I also included footage of our quick lunch break at Martelle’s Feed House Restaurant and a brief trip into nearby downtown Englehard because I thought it would be neat to show what kinds of things there are to do in the local area besides birding.
Here is a map of the area…
I also wanted to share a link to a few places to stay if you are traveling to the areas. Just click on the photo below to check out the hotel options on Google.
Had an excellent time birding at Lake Mattamuskeet NWR and the surrounding area this past weekend! Saw over a 1000 migrating Tundra Swans and quite a few other species too.
These Swans are freak’n huge! Their wing span is 7’ and they stand nearly 4’ tall. Adult birds can weigh up to 23 lbs!
Fully mature swans are solid white while immature swans have more gray toned plumage, particularly their head and neck area. Like geese, swan mate for life and from what I’ve observed, they tend to stick close by their partners even in large flocks.
Tundra Swans breed in the Arctic Coastal Plains then migrate during the winter to the West and East coasts of the United States, including here in North Carolina. It’s pretty cool to think about what an amazing journey these birds made just to arrive here where I was standing.
Interestingly, the greatest number I saw yesterday were feeding in the wide open fields near the lake. As I drove around there were thousands of them flying back and forth between the lake and the farm lands.
From what I’ve read online, it’s not an ideal situation for the birds or the farmers. The swans natural wintering habitats are being disturbed by hunting, the destruction of aquatic plants and competition from invasive species such as Mute Swans. Hopefully we can find a way to stabilize their numbers because it would be a shame to lose these incredible birds here in N.C.
