Tag Archives: nc birding trail

While tracking down a Fox Sparrow in the woods at Yates Mill Park a few weeks ago, I encountered a noisy Carolina Wren squeaking in a briar along the trail. This little bird and it’s mate were bouncing from limb to limb calling loudly to one another as they searched for food.
It took me a few minutes to be able to snap a decent photo since they moved so quickly in the dense tangle of thorns.

This is typical behavior as Carolina Wrens are more often heard than seen because of their preference for dense, brushy areas. They are frequently found in moist deciduous forests (such as what’s found at Yates Mill Park) as well as in suburban areas including parks and gardens, as well as in agricultural areas and forest edges.

The Carolina Wren is an active, energetic, inquisitive species which can act kind of aggressive at times towards perceived intruders, particularly near favorite feeding spots or nesting sites.
Often found in pairs, these birds hold their tails cocked over their backs and are just as likely to dig through leaf litter as they are to climb tree trunks while feeding.

Swipe through to see a few pics of these cool little birds as well as the one shot I ended up getting of that Fox Sparrow!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

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

An eastern Phoebe at Yates mill Park, Raleigh N.C.

March 9, 2020 admin

A few days ago, I arrived at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh at 8am sharp, just as the entrance gates were unlocked.
Now that the wetlands boardwalk repairs had been finished, I wanted to get out there as early as possible to see what birds I could find before more people arrived.

It was a little chilly along the trail to the bridge, but the golden sunlight reflecting off of the dew laden branches made it impossible to be unhappy with the weather conditions as I marveled at the sparkling world around me.

As soon as my feet hit the boardwalk, I heard the familiar call of a nearby Eastern Phoebe.
He seemed to be less than 25 feet away so I walked as silently as possible to try and avoid spooking the bird.
Within a few seconds, I located the bird perched in a low hanging branch of a small tree in the brushy area to the left of the boardwalk.
He looked so peaceful sitting there on that branch soaking up the morning sun.
Every now and again he’d chirp and call out feeeeeebeeeeeee, cocking his head listening to a distant reply from another bird further down into the swamp.

Eastern Phoebes are easy to ID at a distance by noting their distinctive tail movement behavior when perching. They’ll wag, pump, or bob their tails up and down, often spreading the tail slightly.
They can also raise their head feathers, giving them the appearance of having a small, wedge shaped crest the rear of the head as the one seen in this photo is doing 🙂
Such beautiful little birds!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

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

A field Sparrow at Yates Mill Park, Raleigh N.C.

March 7, 2020 admin

Made an early AM trip to Yates Mill Park to wrap up the Great Backyard Bird Count and found an adorable floofed out Field Sparrow relaxing in the morning sun.

These little guys are decked out in lovely muted tones of brown and grays, with rust-colored caps, white eye rings, and pinkish colored bills.
Their year-round territory spans the East Coast, from New England to Northern Florida, and all the west to Central Texas.
Field Sparrows are best found in open spaces with tall grasses, brushy undergrowth and in small trees.
During breeding season Field Sparrows flock to the northern most states in the U.S.
They are known to raise several broods throughout the season, and will construct a new nest each time. Each time they build a new nest, they’ll choose a spot higher off the ground than the previous one.

Once autumn arrives, the Field Sparrow will join up with flocks of other sparrow species.
Together they’ll travel to their winter territory, which covers an area that stretches from the deep south, up to the lower Midwest and southern New England.

Field Sparrows are a somewhat common sight to backyards here in North Carolina. Especially in the winter months.
They prefer hulled sunflower seeds and cracked corn so fill your feeders and keep an eye out for these little gems!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

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

Bird watching video : The Prairie Ridge Ecostation NC Birding Trail

March 4, 2020 admin

By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching N.C.

A few days ago I had the pleasure of visiting the Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh, N.C. What an amazing place to go birding!

Bird blind viewing station at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation

I counted 20 different species in about an hour and a half and even got to get up close to an Eastern Towhee. With such a rich habitat consisting of dense brushy undergrowth, small trees, wide open fields, and even a pond, this is what I would consider as being a premier bird watching destination in central North Carolina.

I made a video so that you can experience this amazing place (virtually) for yourself.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the day. It was particularly awesome to encounter the Towhee and the Red-shouldered Hawk!

If you’d like to visit, here is a map below. Take note that the Prairie Ridge Ecostation is closed on Mondays.

For detailed visitor information, check out the Prairie Ridge Ecostation website HERE.

To learn about all of the the awesome North Carolina Birding Trail sites, please visit https://www.ncbirdingtrail.org/

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

A Northern Flicker at Yates Mill Park, Raleigh N.C.

March 3, 2020 admin

Happy to have found a male Northern Flicker in the woods at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh a few days ago.
This handsome bird spent nearly 10 minutes in the same spot eating whatever insects he found in the leaf litter.

It was really interesting to watch him zone in and consume his unseen quarry and I even got a good look at that gorgeous red plumage in the back of his head.

Northern Flickers are a familiar sight in here in N.C. as well as throughout the hardwood forests throughout most of of the United States. They nest in the cavities created in dead or decaying trees and are often seen foraging for food along woodland edges, marshes, suburban parks, and gardens.

They also can be enticed to visit our backyard feeders if you’ve got suet, nuts, and black oil sunflower seeds to offer them.
Choose an upright feeder that will support these birds’ most comfortable feeding postures, and position the feeder near mature trees where they will naturally forage.
If you want to go the extra mile to attract these birds, leaving dead trees, snags, and stumps available for foraging woodpeckers will give them a good source of insects and grubs 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

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

Birdwatching at yates Mill Park: Canada Geese

February 16, 2020 admin

By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC

I set out to see if I could get some photos of a vagrant White-fronted Goose that has been reported at Mid Pines Rd. & Yates Mill Park in Raleigh this morning.
Unfortunately, he was not there but I did manage to capture some photos of some Canada Geese in flight.

Though they are considered a common bird around here, I still enjoy seeing them 🙂 Canada geese can are found in any area that hosts a wetlands habitat here in North Carolina. That being said, they spend as much time on land as they do in the water.

In the spring and summer months, the geese eat leaves, flowers, stems, roots, seeds and berries.
In the wintertime, they will consume water plants, spilled field grains and grass. This need to feed often leads them to grazing on lawns, in parks and on golf courses, sometimes much to the chagrin to the humans around them.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

Come birding with me! I’ve got a few tours scheduled for Yates Mill Park in 2020. Check out the link below for trip details and available dates.

https://birdwatchingnc.com/birdwatching-n-c-trips-birding-in-north-carolina/birding-at-yates-mill-park-trips/

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

Yates Mill Park Birdwatching : Ring necked ducks

February 8, 2020 admin

By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC

So happy to catch these shots of a pair of Ring necked Ducks a few days ago at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh.

I spied them near the shoreline through the trees as I was walking along the path near the visitors center. Unfortunately, as soon as the ducks spotted me, they took off paddling at full speed.
Not wanting to miss the shot, I took off at full speed down the trail to try and at least get a photo or two from the mill dock before the ducks swam out too far away.
Lol, I bet it was a sight to see. Me running like a lunatic, camera bouncing off of my side after a couple of ducks 😉
Happily I managed to grab a couple pics before they moved on.

Ring-necked Ducks are proficient divers which sometimes go to great depths to obtain food. They’ve got a compact build with legs that are positioned further toward the back of their body which enhances their diving ability.
This is in contrast to the more center-balanced leg placement of most puddle duck species which dive less, yet walk on land more frequently.
Oh and about their name…
Seriously what is up with this?
There is chestnut colored ring around the male’s neck (or so they say, haha!) which is barely discernible, even in the best of lighting conditions.
Surely we can do better. With those iridescentpurple heads and tri-colored bills, they’ve got some visually striking features in addition to their unusual leg placement.
So, does anyone out there have a better name idea for these handsome ducks?

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

Come birding with me! I’ve got a few tours scheduled for Yates Mill Park in 2020. Check out the link below for trip details and available dates.

https://birdwatchingnc.com/birdwatching-n-c-trips-birding-in-north-carolina/birding-at-yates-mill-park-trips/

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

Yates Mill Park Birding : Photographing a Brown Thrasher

February 6, 2020 admin

By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC

Yates Mill Park in Raleigh is one of my favorite spots to visit along the North Carolina Birding Trail. Boasting at least 3 different habitats within a half mile walk, it’s the kind of place where you can see waterfowl, shore birds, raptors, and song birds all within 30 mins.
The best part is that this is truly a 4 season park which hosts a high number of varied species of birds throughout the year.
Spring, summer, autumn or winter, there is no end to the surprising diversity of bird life.

Yesterday’s trip was no exception!
I set out to go birding in the morning and was rewarded with a trip list yielding 18 species in about an hour. Some of my highlights included a Bald Eagle, Buffleheads, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Fox Sparrows and even a pair of Ring-neck Ducks.
Not bad for a quick walk!

One of my favorite encounters was seeing this lovely Brown Thrasher. Normally these secretive birds hang out in the shadowy tangles and thickets, always on the hunt for vine bearing fruits. It can be surprisingly difficult to see them, much less capture a clean photograph, as they lurk amid tangles of vegetation.
Lol, I love how intensely these birds seem to glare in my direction. Such a striking bird 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

Come birding with me! I’ve got a few tours scheduled for Yates Mill Park in 2020. Check out the link below for trip details and available dates.

https://birdwatchingnc.com/birdwatching-n-c-trips-birding-in-north-carolina/birding-at-yates-mill-park-trips/

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

Birding at Yates Mill Park: Ruby crowned Kinglet

February 4, 2020 admin

By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC

My favorite photos from my visit to Yates Mill Park in Raleigh N.C. this morning are of this charming little Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
He was quite inquisitive about my presence in the woods and stopped moving just long enough for me to catch these few shots.

Kinglets aren’t quite as small as hummingbirds, but they’re smaller than most other birds you’ll find here in North Carolina.
Don’t let their diminutive size fool you!
This is a little bird with a great big appetite.
These energetic little ones have super high metabolisms which require them to eat every 15 minutes or they risk losing needed fat reserves in a hurry.

A wintertime resident in the Triangle, Ruby-crowned Kinglets will stick around until early spring. Then, they’ll depart for their breeding grounds in the northern United States and Canada.

Such a cool little bird to see on a rainy winter morning here on the N.C . Birding Trail 🙂 Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5DS

Come birding with me! I’ve got a few tours scheduled for Yates Mill Park in 2020. Check out the link below for trip details and available dates.

https://birdwatchingnc.com/birdwatching-n-c-trips-birding-in-north-carolina/birding-at-yates-mill-park-trips/

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

NORTH CAROLINA BIRDING TRAIL / YATES MILL PARK

November 20, 2019 admin

Just published a new video from my latest bird watching hike along the North Carolina Birding Trail at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh, N.C.

With three distinct habitats located in a small area, this park is a great stop if you’ve got a long list but are short on time. Check out the video and then view some of the photo highlights below.