Tag Archives: north carolina birding trail the prairie ridge ecostation

One of the most uncommonly beautiful common birds we’ve got around here happens to be North Carolina’s state bird, the Northern Cardinal.
It’s admittedly easy to overlook these feathered gems because they’re found nearly everywhere but with those striking red and black feathers it’s hard to ignore one for long.

I spotted this one while on a recent birding trip to the Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh. With wide open fields and deciduous forest, the Prairie Ridge Ecostation provides the perfect habitat for these handsome birds. It’s not unusual to see 30 or more of them within a 20 minute walk, That place is basically a Cardinal factory haha!

Have you ever wondered how these creatures acquire and maintain their vibrant hues?
Northern Cardinals get their plumage color from pigments within their food which is called “carotenoids.” The bright red berries produced by the Dogwood tree is one of Cardinal’s favorite foods and these are rich in carotenoids.
These berries are metabolized in the birds digestive system then are sent through the cardinal’s bloodstream to the growing follicles of their feathers. Although carotenoids do not give feathers that are fully grown extra color, they do provide their new feathers with a shot of color with every molting cycle.
When a cardinal does not get enough food rich in these important carotenoids, the red hues of their feathers dull when they molt. However, once they are able to find the right food again, newer feathers will have the beautiful red hue shining through.
Aren’t they gorgeous?
🙂

Photos by @sally_siko on the mighty full frame beast, the @canonusa #5ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

A Downy Woodpecker at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation

March 6, 2021 admin

While birding at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh, North Carolina last week, I spotted this Downy Woodpecker snacking on a Praying Mantis’s egg case.
The tiny guy paid no attention to me and was intent on extracting every last bit of insect larvae out of it’s case.
It was neat to watch him at work at such close range!

Measuring in at about 5.7 inches in length, these little dynamos are the smallest species of Woodpecker found in the United States.
They are among our most widespread species of Woodpecker too with a range that extends from southern Alaska, across Canada as well as throughout most of the rest of the United States from California to south Florida.

Here in North Carolina, Downys are a familiar year round resident in all 100 of our counties. You’re just as likely to see them foraging for a meal in our hardwood forests and brush fields as you are to catch a look at one dining on suet on your backyard feeders.
Keep an eye out for them the next time you go out 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Birding at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation: The White- throated Sparrow

February 20, 2021 admin

One of my favorite songbirds to visit North Carolina during the wintertime is the White-throated Sparrow.
Each November, the fields are filled with their cheerful clear whistled songs as they call out to one another from the grass.

I spotted these two while on a birding trip at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh last week. Aren’t they sweet? I love the bold colors on their faces.

A ground nester, the White-throated Sparrow breeds in eastern Alaska, the northernmost states of the U.S. and throughout Canada.
Like most sparrows, their diet mostly consists of berries and insects during the summer. This protein rich diet provides nourishment for growing nestlings as well as building of energy reserves for the autumn migration ahead.

When winter arrives and the bugs are scarce, they mainly dine on seeds which is why they may end up being a familiar sight at our bird feeders.
You can attract them to your own yard by filling your bird feeder with black oil sunflower seeds, small dried fruits and millet.
They also favor habitats that include a brush pile where they can roost so consider providing them with this type of cover on your property.

The White-throated Sparrows are a relatively common sight here in North Carolina throughout the winter. That’s ok though because they certainly are pretty to look at!
Look for them in areas of thick, tangled undergrowth in open tall grass fields and in shrubby areas at the edge of the woods from November through early May.
🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

An Eastern Towhee encounter at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation, Raleigh

February 18, 2021 admin

With the cold sets in, the birds puff out lol!
Check out this female Eastern Towhee I spotted recently at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh.
With temperatures hovering in the 30s she was in full on floof mode doing all she could to stay warm on her perch.

By pulling off the beach ball look, birds that spend the winter in colder climates use their feathers in the same way we would use a sleeping bag to stay toasty.

As seen in these photos, when this Towhee needs to get warm, she’ll puff out her feathers, which creates pockets of air between the small feathers which are closest to her skin.
In short order, her own body heat will warm those air pockets to effectively create a cozy down comforter around her body.

As long as their able to remain in this ‘puff mode, Eastern Towhees and other species of birds will remain comfortable, even in the chilliest of Tarheel winter mornings.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds

Field Notes

An uncommon yet common beauty: A Northern Cardinal at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation

February 16, 2021 admin

By far, the most common bird I saw during my visit to the Prairie Ridge Ecostation last week were the Northern Cardinals.
It’s funny to me that so many people ignore them. With that vibrant red plumage and contrasting black mask, they’re are simply stunning creatures.

Our official state bird, the Northern Cardinal is a year round resident of North Carolina and are found in every county from the coast to the mountains foraging for a meal in areas of dense brushy undergrowth or in hedges.
Cardinals are of course a familiar backyard visitor too. They usually are seen on the ground below our feeders picking at the fallen seed.

Though they’re indeed numerous, I still enjoy photographing them whenever possible. That color is irresistible to me from a creative perspective.
Plus, whenever I see a Cardinal I’m reminded how important it is not to take a moment (or a bird) like this for granted.
After all, though they may be common around here, they are someone else’s Life Bird in other locations. Thus seeing one is extra special anyway one looks at it 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A Fox Sparrow at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation

February 14, 2021 admin

I stopped by the Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh N.C. earlier this week in preparation for a trip I’ve got scheduled here for the end of the month. I hadn’t visited here in a few weeks and wanted to see what kinds of birds were in the area now that winter has arrived in earnest.

Happily there were lots of colorful feathered gems flying around from Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Brown headed Nuthatches and Starlings, to Cardinals, Kinglets and Blue Jays. One of my favorites though were the Fox Sparrows.

The Fox Sparrow is a small bird that I don’t see very often during the winter which is a shame because they’re quite pretty!
With 18 different subspecies of Fox Sparrow, as a group their plumage varies widely in the Western Hemisphere.
Some are grayish brown in color, others are reddish toned while the remaining are a mix of the two hues with varying degrees of color intensity.
Here in North Carolina, the subspecies we encounter during the wintertime is the Red variety. They are aptly named with a broad rust red or dark brown streaking on their back and underparts, a bright russet reddish rump and tail, reddish brown wings and grey tones on the sides of their neck, which contrast nicely with their rusty brown ear coverts.
This warm reddish brown plumage suits their needs well as remain pretty well camouflaged in the leaves and brush when foraging for a meal.

With the first photograph in this post, I just got lucky as this bird was actually perched in a tree nearby offering me a clear view.
The second photograph shown below is more typical of how I usually find these little ones, hiding behind a tangle of grass and briers.

Look for them in wide open deep grass fields feeding on the ground. It can be tough to find them since they tend to be a bit shy so try pishing to draw them out of the thick stuff for a moment or two to get a proper look.
They will stick around N.C. until late March or early April so there is still plenty of time for you to see one in the coming months 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Palm Warbler sighting at the Prairie Ridge ecostation

December 22, 2020 admin

This past week, I had an opportunity to go birding with my friend Heather aka the @ncbirdnerd at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh, NC.

We saw a nice variety of species during our visit but my favorite was this sweet little Palm Warbler that greeted us as we set out on the trail. Lol, it was tough for us to each capture a good angle on the bird as it mainly stationed itself on the other side of the tangled bush.
Luckily, we both managed to grab a few photos when it stepped out onto a sunlit branch for a few seconds.

The nice thing about Palm Warblers is that they tend to forage for a meal closer to the ground more so than other Warbler species. This means that they are *usually a bit easier to find.
Always on the lookout for a six or eight legged snack, Palm Warblers may be spotted in open fields, dense brushy areas and at the edges of forests. The best ID indicator is to look for their flicking/ bobbing tails as they make their way among the branches and grass.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

An Eastern Bluebird at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation

March 27, 2020 admin

By: Sally Siko, Admin-Birdwatching NC

As I was walking back to my truck after a morning of birding at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh, I spotted this lovely Eastern Bluebird perched at the top of a small tree near the parking lot.
It had just begun to rain but this little blue gem was singing up a storm. Nearby, an unseen companion (or adversary) answered him note for note.

As you may have guessed, the Eastern Bluebird inhabits the eastern part of the United States. These gorgeous members of the thrush family are often seen at forest openings, perching on fence lined pastures, and swooping above open fields, as well as in our own backyards and golf courses.
The northern populations of Eastern Bluebirds migrate south every winter, many of which end up here in North Carolina. Our resident flocks here in the Triangle region stay put throughout the year, adding a bit of cheerful color in the cooler months.
Definitely one of my favorite N.C. “wintertime” birds 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

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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.