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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

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

Rare bird alert NC- A pair of Scissor tailed Flycatchers have been spotted in Charlotte

By Sally Siko

Last month, I took a quick trip to try and find my first Scissor tailed Flycatcher at Ft. Fisher NC.
That lone fly catcher was a vagrant in the area and I certainly didn’t expect to lay eyes on another one until next year when I head out to Texas for my spring migration bird watching tour on High Island.

Scissor tailed Flycatchers in Charlotte, NC June 2nd, 2022



But as luck would have it, a pair of Scissor tailed Flycatchers have shown up in the Charlotte North Carolina area!
So on June 2nd, I met up with my friend Corie Latta to see if we could capture some better photos of this beautiful species.
This time I think I nailed it and am very pleased with how the photos turned out 🙂



The Scissor tailed Flycatcher’s normal range extends south from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, in areas of western Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana, all the way down into Mexico and Central America.
This species is a rare sight indeed east of the Mississippi and certainly not a common bird to spot in North Carolina!
That being said, there seems to be an increase in sightings of the aptly nicknamed ‘Texas Bird of Paradise here in the Tarheel state which I find absolutely fascinating.

Scissor tailed Flycatchers North Carolina



The flycatchers appeared to be a bonded male & female pair which makes me wonder if they’ve got a nest in the area.
I’d learned that they prefer to nest in trees or tall shrubs, usually on horizontal limbs about 7 to 30ft above the ground so I did spend some time checking the trees in the area to see if I could locate a nest but to no avail.
I plan to revisit the spot in a couple weeks so perhaps I might get lucky and confirm a nest site then.
We’ll see I guess 🙂

Btw, if you’d like to see these birds for yourself, I’ve included a Google Maps pin drop of their exact location below.
Be respectful of the property owners though as the land the birds are on is actually an Amazon distribution center!
Best advice is to stay on the side of the road where the drainage pond is.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birdwatching News

A Western Tanager showed up in Raleigh NC

By: Sally Siko

Happy to finally get a 3 weeks ago in the form of a friendly Western Tanager which has been showing up in a residential area of Raleigh North Carolina over the past couple of weeks.
I’d dipped on seeing another one in Rocky Mount last month (after a 10hr feeder stakeout) so when I set out to meet up with my friend Corie Latta @latta.ridge to find this bird at yet another feeder, we tried to rein in our expectations given our last experience chasing this rarity.



A birder herself, homeowner Patty M. graciously allowed us to enter her property so that we could try and get a good look at this beautiful bird. She was super nice and was just as excited to see this bird at her feeders as we were!
Patty offered a place to sit on her patio so that we could be comfortable while waiting for the Tanager to show up at the jelly feeder which was hanging in a tree in her backyard.
Happily it didn’t take long until the Tanager made its appearance! We happily grabbed a few quick photos of the curious bird and shared celebratory fist bumps of approval once it flew off.
So cool!



Patty explained that this Western Tanager actually started showing up in her backyard last spring! It left for a year and had returned to her property a few weeks ago.
I found this fascinating because the range of Western Tanagers typically extends from Alaska down into California and all over the western United States, west of the Rocky Mountains.
The fact that this lone Tanager decided to make a hard right turn to the east to return to NC for a second time on it’s spring migration journey north is very interesting.
Clearly the bird made a choice to ignore it’s instinctual pull to the west by flying to NC instead.
The Tanager must have remembered all of that delicious jelly which Patty offers in her feeders and thus decided to follow it’s appetite rather than it’s instincts lol!
Whatever the reason for it’s appearance, we were very very happy to finally lay eyes on this gorgeous bird.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds