Tag Archives: north carolina birds

Spending time with a Loggerhead Shrike in Raleigh North Carolina

December 10, 2021 admin

By: Sally Siko- Admin BWNC

I got up early in the morning to get in a little birding last weekend and ended up spotting a Loggerhead Shrike near Lake Wheeler Rd. in Raleigh NC.

Yeah, I know that these photos aren’t “pretty” yet, the fact that this bird was sitting on a power line is indicative of where you’re most likely to spot one here in NC.
Given that these guys usually fly off as soon as we see them, I was surprised that I was able to get so close to this bird from my vantage point below his perch to get a good close up look at him.
Someday I’ll get that “beauty shot” but today I’ll take what I can get and happily add this species to my yearly list!

Loggerhead Shrikes are predatory songbirds. Their diet consists primarily of mice, voles, grasshoppers and other insects and like their cousin the Northern Shrike, they occasionally will eat other songbirds as well when the opportunity presents itself.
It gets crazier than that though!
Because they lack strong talons or claws, shrikes often impale food on branches, thorns or barbed wire fences to help them tear their prey into bite-sized pieces. For this grisly meat hanging characteristic, shrikes have earned the moniker of “butcher birds”.
*I prefer “murder floof” but I guess “butcher bird” sounds more intimidating idk, lol!

Their favored habitats include wide open, tall grassy fields, overgrown hedge rows and agricultural areas where their prey is found.
Usually they are spotted sitting on the fence lines (and power lines) overlooking the fields, constantly scanning the ground below for a snack.

Though Loggerhead Shrikes may be found throughout the central and eastern regions of Tarheel State year round, the highest amount of recorded sightings occur in the south central counties of NC (near the SC border) during the spring & summer months.
Because I don’t usually see them here in the Triangle in the winter, it really was a nice surprise to catch a glimpse of this tiny predator.

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

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

How to tell the difference between juveniles and female Ruby throated Hummingbirds

November 2, 2020 admin

I haven’t had much luck this year in photographing an adult male Ruby throated Hummingbird sporting those crimson namesake feathers. That being said, I’ve seen a large number juveniles this summer and have been lucky to be there in the right place and the right time to catch a few with my lens.

During the early days of autumn, with so many green and white tiny birds zipping around, it kinda looks like we’ve got a ton of female Ruby throated Hummingbirds flying around in central N.C.
Yet, if you look carefully at their face and throats, you’ll realize that although Juvenile male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds look similar to their mothers, there are some details that you’ll notice which can help you tell them apart.

Juvenile males like this sharp looking bird have the same gray feathers on their cheeks that their mothers have, but the gray color is subtle and less extensive in this area. It also shows more green coloring that will gradually darken to a deeper hue as they molt out into their mature plumage.

While females have very faint gray streaks on their white throat, juvenile male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have much bolder streaks and distinct spots that will gradually show the red iridescence characteristic of their fathers.
Young males may even show a couple of red spots on the feathers near the base of their throats. As the juvenile Ruby- throats mature, those spots will eventually become a full, boldly colorful gorget worthy of their famous name 🙂

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

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

A Northern Parula at Yates Mills Park

October 21, 2020 admin

While birding at Yates Mill Park, I heard a familiar sound coming from the trees.
“Zzzeee-ssup”…
I smiled and raised my camera and twisted the ring on my lens zooming in to search the branches for the bird responsible for the song.
Zzzeeee-ssup!
There it was, a male Northern Parula singing his little heart out in the mid canopy of a nearby tree.

It was cloudy and a little dark on this morning so I had to hurry to set my cameras exposure & ISO to brighten the scene in order to catch a few photos of this marvelous feathered gem before he disappeared into the leaves.
I pursed my lips and gave out a quick “pish, pishshsh” call to coax the little bird out from behind a leaf.
From there, I had just a few seconds to snap off some shots as he popped out onto an unobscured branch, looked me over, them called back at me.
Zzzeeee-ssup!
Swipe to the second photo to see him in full song, tongue out and all lol!

The Northern Parula is a somewhat common sight here in central North Carolina. These are the smallest species of eastern wood-warbler and although it is an energetic (and kind of noisy) bird, their habit of foraging in the high canopy of trees makes it a difficult Warbler to observe.
Look for them in deciduous forests, bogs, swampy areas and anywhere there is water nearby. They are best located by listening for that distinctive call overhead.
Northern Parulas will stick around the Triangle through mid October so there is still plenty of time to see them. Get out there and enjoy them while you can!

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

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

An eastern Kingbird at Harris lake park

May 12, 2020 admin

Was very happy to grab a quick portrait of an Eastern Kingbird a few days ago at Harris Lake Park in New Hill, N.C.

Such striking looking birds!

Kingbirds are a common summer resident here in North Carolina. They are found in open grassland or agricultural areas with scattered trees, plus woodlands, savannas, forest edges, and city parks, often near water as was the case with this handsome fellow.
The name “kingbird” comes, in part, from its fearless physical attacks of other birds that venture into its territory.
If you want to get a photo of one, you’ll have to be quick about it as Kingbirds hardly ever sit still. They’ll dart from their perch to capture insects or chase away avian intruders in the blink of an eye.

Photo by @sally_siko
Canon 5DS

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

Why do Vultures have a bare head

August 9, 2019 admin

They look this way for a reason…

Went exploring this morning at Jordan Lake dam in New Hill, NC and found this Black Vulture sitting in the grass overlooking the water. What a fascinating bird to see up close!
Most vultures have bare skin on their heads. One of the reasons why is this keeps the blood from their meals from matting into their feathers.
Another possibility is that this bare skin helps cool the bird down on hot days, depending on how far out they extend their neck’s.
By changing their posture to expose more or less of the bare skin on their heads and necks, vultures could cut their heat loss by half in cold conditions and increase their heat loss by almost a quarter in certain hot conditions, like those which are found around here in North Carolina during the summer. 🙂
Photo by @sally_siko .

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

welcome to bird watching nc

July 10, 2019 admin

Welcome to North Carolina’s home for birding in the Tarheel state! Click on the menu above to explore all of the cool resources found here on this website site such as news, touring information, North Carolina bird watching clubs, species ID and more.