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Birdwatching News, North Carolina rare bird alert

Rare bird alert NC- A Sedge Wren in Durham

By Sally Siko

It’s been a good winter of birding so far.
Bird number 180 for the year appeared this morning in the form of a sweet looking Sedge Wren in Durham county NC.
My friend Corie and I spotted it next to a field flitting around in the tangled undergrowth of a sharp thorned bit of scrubby bush. 
This little guy was (as is the case with many species of wrens) very, very vocal which made him easy to locate in the dense tangle. 
Yet, actually getting a clean look at it (much less a decent photo lol) was difficult at best.



The problem was that the bird hardly sat still for more than three seconds. Making matters worse, in addition to all of the twigs and leaves between my lens and the bird, the light was very harsh with dark shadows, and blown highlights.
It took us around 45 minutes of waiting for the bird to pop out of the center of the bush, and even then there was always a twig or a leaf partially concealing the view.
In the end I was satisfied with the photos I was lucky to snap and grateful for the opportunity to even see this bird at all.
Success lol!


Sedge Wrens are a winter resident of North Carolina in our eastern counties.
Here in central NC, they are considered a rare sight so spotting one in the Durham area was a real treat.
They are best found in transitional areas where marshes blend into open fields and especially where there are patches of brush for them to hide and stalk prey.

Once called the Short-billed Marsh Wren, these birds are similar looking to the Carolina and Marsh Wrens we’ve got in NC.
Measuring about 4.5in long, Sedge wrens are streaked with black and brown plumage. 
They’ve got white bellies and throats, with soft brown buff coloring on the sides and breasts.
Their tails have a black barring pattern on the topside.
What really stands out though is that bill which is noticeably shorter than that of its relatives.
What a cutie!
If you’d like to see this bird for yourself, I’ve attached a Google Maps pin to the birds location.
I hope that you get to see it too 🙂 

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

Birdwatching News, North Carolina rare bird alert

North Carolina rare Bird Alert- A Cackling Goose at Mayo River State Park NC

By Sally Siko

Yesterday my friend Corie and I set out to check out a Cackling Goose that had reportedly been seen at the Mayo River SP in Mayodan, NC.
I had a feeling this bird would be a challenge to ID given their nearly identical appearance to the Canada Goose.
And I was right lol!



But what is a Cackling Goose anyway?
Well as you might have assumed by looking at it, these birds were once classified as Canada geese, but in 2004 the American Ornithological Society reclassified the four smallest subspecies of Canada geese as members of a new species known as the Cackling Goose.
Today, four subspecies of cackling geese are recognized by the AOS: the Bering, Aleutian, Richardson’s, and Taverner’s.
All four subspecies largely breed on the treeless tundra lands of Alaska and northern Canada. With the exception of the Richardson’s subspecies, the Cacklers are found almost exclusively in the Pacific Flyway areas.



To make matters more complicated, there are slight variations in the size and shape of the heads within the group of Cackler subspecies as well as subtle plumage variations too.
For what it’s worth, my instinct tells me that this is a Tavener’s Cackling Goose because this goose just looks so similar in proportion and plumage to that subspecies but that would be pretty unlikely given the spot where I found it.
Plus there’s a chance that this bird might just be (a very small sized) Canada Goose too lol.
I’m cool with being wrong with an ID but want to learn what to look for to get this species right going forward.

So bird friends, what do you think, is it a Cackling Goose or a Canada Goose?
Big props sent out if you can ID the subspecies too! Feel free to comment on this post.


I’ve included a Google Maps pin of the goose’s location for reference and in case you’d like to go see it for yourself.
Your opinion (and a detailed explanation) on this ID is much appreciated 🙂
Thank you.
Happy birding!

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

Birdwatching News, North Carolina rare bird alert

North Carolina Rare Bird Alert: A Clay-colored Sparrow at Dix Park in Raleigh

By Sally Siko

Had a window of free time this morning so I took a quick trip up to Dix Park in Raleigh to see if I could find a Clay colored Sparrow which had been reported there this past week. It took some walking but eventually I finally got a good look at this rare (for the region) species with a couple other birders (shoutout to Adam & Davon!). Woohoo!

Why is it a special thing to see this bird here in North Carolina? Well, normally the range of the Clay-colored Sparrow stretches from central Canada, down through the Midwest states of the central US into Texas and northern Mexico which means this little guy is well out of his range. It’s not a state record however, since increasing numbers of Clay-colored Sparrows have been showing up in North Carolina since the 1980s. When they do show up, usually they are found during the wintertime in our eastern counties so seeing one here in the central part of the state was pretty cool!

As was the case today, these little ones are most often found with groups of Field Sparrows and Song Sparrows, usually lurking in brush piles, hedgerows, weedy fields, and in the tangled margins of open fields. In fact it was easier to find this Clay-colored by looking for a flock of Field Sparrows making their way around the margins of the sunflower field which ended up being the key to locating the bird.

If you’d like to go see this bird for yourself, I’ve included a Google Maps pin drop link of its location next to the parking lot at Dix Park in Raleigh.

Happy birding!

Birdwatching News, North Carolina rare bird alert

NC Rare Bird Alert: A Ross’s Goose has returned to Raleigh

By Sally Siko

Nice to catch another look at a Ross’s Goose today in Raleigh NC!
I hadn’t seen this species in three years and weirdly enough, this bird showed up on the same property where I found one back in 2021.
When I arrived at its reported location near Yates Mill Park late this afternoon, I’d expected that it would be feeding in the fields near the small pond where it had first been reported swimming.
From what I can tell about ducks and swans found in agricultural areas (like this one) they tend to feed in the fields during the day, returning to the water at night to sleep.
Since I was getting a late start at seeing the bird, I was really hoping that it would still be on dry land instead of on the pond because close access to the water is restricted.
As luck would have it, I found the goose in a field behind a church happily feeding with a flock of Canada Geese.
So cool!

Ross’s Geese are an unusual sight in central NC as they typically migrate further to the east to spend the winter in our coastal waterfowl impoundment and marshes. Normally your best bet in seeing them is at Pea Island, Lake Mattamuskeet, or the Pungo Unit where they will hang out amidst flocks of Snow Geese.
Thus, seeing them in the Raleigh area is pretty special, earning them a rare status.
That being said, there have been growing numbers of sightings of Ross’s Geese further inland over the past 20 years so maybe this sighting is right on trend.

Since the Ross’s Goose and Snow Goose look so similar, it can make for a tough ID in the field.
The best way to tell them apart is that Ross’s Geese are smaller and lack the broad black edges of the bill (known as a “grinning patch”) that Snow Geese show.
They’ll stick around the Tarheel state until late February so if your winter birding plans lead you to our coast this winter, you should have a good opportunity to enjoy them for a few more months.

If you’d like to go see this goose here in the Raleigh area, I’ve included a link to the birds location (near Yates Mill Park/ Mid Pines Rd) below.

Park in the lot behind the Antioch Church and look for it in the fields south between the two ponds. Just be sure not to walk or drive past the No-Trespassing sign beyond the first pond.

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

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Birdwatching News

Rare bird alert- Snow Buntings have returned to North Carolina

Sally Siko

Here’s a few new photos of the toasted marshmallow (Snow Bunting) I found while birding in the OBX of North Carolina last week.


I’d enjoyed watching this beautiful bird as it hopped from rock to rock along the jetty. Every now and again the little bird would pop up its head to peak out for a quick look before disappearing deeper into the jetty pile in search of a snack.
I quickly learned that tracking the bunting through the boulders through my long lens was a bit like playing a photographic version of whack-a-mole.
Luckily the Bunting would eventually do me a solid by briefly perching on the top of a rock or flying a few feet away to alight nearby onto a sea-weathered green downed telephone pole.
Both scenarios offered great (but brief) opportunities to get a good photo of the bird out in the open as long as I was quick on the shutter.



This little cove near the bridge on Oregon Inlet has been a consistently good place to spot this rare (to NC) species each November so it was neat to be able to document its return in 2023.
It might seem odd to look for a bunting on a rock pile but these guys feel right at home hanging out in (seemingly) harsh habitats.
In fact Snow Buntings are the world’s most northerly occurring passerine (perching bird), with a breeding range that stretches into the Arctic during the summer.
Cold hardy birds, they nest deep in rock crevices and vacant lemming burrows for protection of the elements and in order to remain out of sight of predators in a treeless landscape.
This means that even during the winter months, with its short grass dune fields and windswept rocks, the jetty and beach area here at Oregon Inlet probably feels like home to the Buntings so it’s always worth checking back at this spot each November if you’re looking to add this species to your yearly list.

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

Birdwatching News, North Carolina rare bird alert

NC Rare bird alert: Lark Sparrow at Ft.Fisher

By Sally Siko

Happy to spot a Lark Sparrow at Ft.Fisher in NC last week!
My friend Corie and I made a quick trip to the coast to see if we could find this little guy and were rewarded with some great looks for the effort.
*ok yeah it is a 2 1/2 hour drive south for me but these days anything less than a 5 hour drive to see a bird is local drive in my book lol!



These guys are considered a rarity in NC so when I first put this bird into focus on my lens it was pretty exciting!
The reason why is because the Lark Sparrow’s range stretches from primarily the Great Plains and west to the California coast. Year-round populations also occur in Texas and northern Mexico too.
That being said a very, (very!) small population of Lark Sparrows breed right here in North Carolina.
Usually those birds are found during the breeding season in isolated spots within the Sandhills region (central part of the state) so it was incredibly cool to find one here at Fort Fisher during the winter.


When Lark Sparrows do show up in the eastern counties of NC during the colder months, they prefer to forage in areas of wide sandy-scrub patches. The dry dunes and field habitats here on Ft.Fisher are just perfect for them.
Unfortunately these beauties won’t be here for much longer as most will head south for the winter but if you missed them this year, the Lark Sparrows will return to the Tarheel state next April.

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

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

North Carolina Rare Bird alert- Dickcissle in Carrboro NC

By Sally Siko

Stoked to finally lay eyes on my first Dickcissle a couple of hours ago in Carrboro, NC!
Luckily this lifer wasn’t too difficult to spot as he was singing loudly in an open field of Blue Cornflowers across the highway from the Maple View Farm Ice Cream shop between the creamery and the farm pond.
It only took about 30 minutes to locate the bird once I was able to pick out his unique song of sharp sounds followed by a buzzy, almost hissed cisssssselll.
What a beauty!



The breeding range of the Dickcissle typically stretches across the great plains region of the United States. Strangely enough though, quite a few of them also breed east of the Appalachian mountains, including right here in North Carolina.
Though a certain number of Dickcissels call the East Coast home during the summer they are still considered a rare sighting here in the Tar Heel state from May through July.



The Dickcissel is the only living member of the “Spiza” genus, inside the family of Cardinals and were named for the male’s song.
As with other members of Cardinal family, during the breeding season, Dickcissels eat both insects and seeds. Insects include grasshoppers, caterpillars, termites, flies, wasps, beetles; they also eat spiders. During migration and in the winter months, they eat almost exclusively seeds including grasses, willows, and buckwheat as well as crops including rice and sorghum.

These handsome birds are best spotted singing from the tops of scrubby branches in open fields, grasslands and in agricultural areas throughout the midwestern states of the US from Texas to the Dakotas.
But as seen here, you never quite know where a pair of Dickcissles will show up so it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for them throughout the summer months.

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

PS. 10/10 recommend getting some ice cream at the nearby Maple View Farm Ice Cream ❤️

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Birdwatching News

NC Rare Bird Alert: An Iceland Gull on Pea Island

By Sally Siko

Last month I tried to find an Iceland Gull which had been been reported on Pea Island in the OBX of NC.
Unfortunately I never found the bird which didn’t come as much of a surprise since the Iceland had been spotted hanging out with a large flock of other gulls at Oregon Inlet.
Given that the flocks tend to move around quite a bit throughout any given day, my odds of success in finding the Iceland that morning were slim at best.


Redemption was found last weekend though while on another birding trip to the OBX.
While walking on the Salt Flats Wildlife Trail along the North Pond, the Iceland Gull that I’d searched for weeks ago flew directly in front of me, wheeling and banking in the air just a few feet above the ground and water!
I couldn’t believe that the bird was right there, no effort required other than walking a few feet in the rain down a weedy sand path.
How cool was that?!
Though part of me always seems to crave more of a challenge when it comes to finding rare birds, I’ll take a win whenever I can get it.


Though the far southern range of the Iceland Gull extends off the coast of North Carolina during the winter months, they are an uncommon bird to find here in the Tarheel state.
These lovely birds are a medium-size gull, whose smaller size helps to differentiate themselves from the look-alike Herring Gulls they like to hang out with.
Iceland’s have very pale plumage and white wing tips and, like the glaucous gull, it is been given the nickname of ‘white-winged’ gull. They’ve also got a rounded head and smallish beak, giving them a sweet, almost dove-like expression.
Just gorgeous and well worth getting out into the rain to see on a windy January day!

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

Birdwatching News

North Carolina rare bird alert: A Nashville Warbler in Apex, NC

By Sally Siko

The pond at Apex Community Park in Apex, NC has had it’s share of rare bird visits over the years so somehow I wasn’t surprised to see that a Nashville Warbler showed up there earlier this week.
I finally had a chance to get out there yesterday to find this little beauty and was pleasantly surprised on how easily accessible he was to spot (in the bushes just left of the fishing dock, see Google Maps pin drop location at the bottom of this post).
It only took about 30 seconds of pishing to draw it out into the open offering me some opportunities to grab a few photos before the bird disappeared back into the brush.
So cool!



These lovely feathered gems are known to breed in two separate areas: the northwestern and northeastern United States, and across eastern Canada.
A small number have been found nesting as far south as into West Virginia, and likely into western Virginia counties as well.
Though the seasonal range of a Nashville Warbler extends across nearly the entire United States, they are usually only spotted in North Carolina during spring and autumn migration.
This is why seeing one here in the Triangle during mid-January is a special thing indeed!



In the far reaches of the northern part of their range, they are best spotted looking for a six or eight legged snack in cedar and spruce bogs.
Here in the eastern U.S., look for them in abandoned fields and mountain pastures with saplings and young trees.
In our western states, Nashville Warblers may be found flitting through thickets of manzanita and other shrubs near belts of pine and fir.
Pretty cool huh?

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

Birdwatching News

NC Rare Bird Alert: A (possible) Pacific-slope Flycatcher at Buckhorn Reservoir in Wilson, NC

By Sally Siko

After seeing several reports on the NC Rare Bird Alert for a Pacific-slope Flycatcher being seen within an hours drive of my home, I decided to go see if I could spot it.
As a bonus my daughter came along for the ride which was pretty awesome!

We arrived at the Buckhorn Reservoir in Wilson, NC yesterday around 4 PM.
Unfortunately the pinned map locations provided by the other eBirders weren’t accurate so finding this little bird proved to be a challenge!

The first location I tried (near the mudflats) was a no go.
The second spot (a marina parking lot) was a dud and I quickly realized that the bird I was looking for wasn’t going to turn up where the pin locations had said it would be.
I scanned the tree line around the lot and played a couple calls but had no luck.
At this point the sun was getting low in the sky and I decided that I probably wasn’t going to find the bird so I might as well enjoy the sunset sparkling over the water.

Walking down onto one of the long docks, I looked to the left shoreline and noticed that there was a large area of exposed mud which look like it might be drive-able.
So acting on a hunch, my daughter, and I got back into the car and drove out over the levee and onto the mud flats.
At this point, the only clue I had to the birds whereabouts were some eBird comment notes about the Flycatcher being near a red flag.
And lo and behold, flapping in the breeze attached to a low branch was a marking flag tied to a low branch on the muddy beach.
Then….something small and yellow colored fluttered out of the corner of my eye into a bush. I quickly searched for the bird in Merlin and played the single note call of a Pacific-slope Flycatcher.
To my amazement, out popped the Flycatcher who flew immediately up onto a nearby low hanging branch!
Success!!!

Well, I think it was successful.
My sighting still hasn’t been officially confirmed in eBird as the Pacific-slope and Cordilleran flycatchers are pretty difficult to tell apart from one another.
Even with photo verification the conformation might take a few days.
I’m calling this a win though because the bird responded so quickly to the single note call (a Cordilleran typically uses two note calls).
I’ll update this post if I’m proven wrong.
Either way, this was a fun bird to find.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty 50MP monster, the @canonusa #5Ds

Google Maps pin drop to the exact location to this bird shown below…