Tag Archives: old bynum bridge

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Blackburnian Warblers at Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro NC

Autumn migration is an exciting time. It brings the opportunity to be surprised and delighted with unexpected finds when we step outside to go birding.
Case in point, this lovely Blackburnian Warbler. I encountered the one featured in the first 3 photos recently at the Old Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro NC while it was hunting for a meal in the trees.



As you can see, the Blackburnian Warbler goes through some pretty big changes appearance-wise during the fall. Their familiar bright orange, white and black breeding plumage (as seen in the last photo in this post which was taken in June) are replaced with a muted palette of warm grey, soft grey and charcoal tones.
Though the Blackburnian isn’t as showy this time of year, I think they are still a lovely sight.



Nesting exclusively in boreal forests, Blackburnian Warblers are a summertime resident in the higher elevation areas of western North Carolina. Elsewhere across the state they occur as migratory visitors just passing through.
The best way to see them is to head out to the Appalachians during late April and early May when the breeding season gets underway. At this time, the trees haven’t fully leafed out yet so they’re somewhat easier to find when singing at the treetops.

Back here in the Triangle, we’ve just got a few weeks left to spot these beauties before they head south to the mountain forests of the Andes mountains in South America.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty @canonusa
#5ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert

Scarlet Tanagers in North Carolina

Here’s a bird that I’ve struggled to get a good photograph of, the Scarlet Tanager.


The first few photos show a handsome male that I found along the Blue Ridge Parkway back in June.
While he did sit patiently as I took photos, unfortunately the closest view I had was from about 100ft away. Thank goodness for a zoom lens lol!

Finally though, this past weekend I got a great close up look at a female at the Old Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro NC.

Although she’s not as brightly hued as her crimson & onyx mate, female Scarlet Tanagers are quite lovely dressed in their autumn gold & charcoal plumage.

Scarlet Tanagers are a summertime resident of central and western NC. They are found in deciduous forests containing mature hardwoods.
Unlike their relative the Summer Tanager, Scarlets are secretive creatures preferring to nest and hunt for a meal in areas away from people.
If you’d like to try and attract these beauties to come out of the woods to visit your yard try planting raspberry, huckleberry, serviceberry, mulberry, strawberry, and chokeberry on your property.
These gorgeous birds will stick around for just a couple more weeks before migrating south for the winter.
Do keep in mind that Scarlets are also fond of eating jelly, cherries, oranges, suet and mealworms so offering these items in your feeders may be enough to entice them to visit you when they return to the area next April.
Aren’t they lovely?

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on
the mighty @canonusa
#5ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

A Common Yellowthroat warbler at Old Bynum Bridge

One of the sweetest little birds we’ve got flying around here in central NC is the Common Yellowthroat. This tiny species of warbler is certainly a cheerful sight whenever I encounter one singing in the field.
I spotted this male last week near the Old Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro while birding with Corie of @lattaridge
He was quite active, flying from branch to bush stopping only for a few seconds at a time to sing a quick tune.



Common Yellowthroats prefer brushy wet habitats located near marshes, ponds and streams. I’ve had the best luck finding them between 2-6ft off of the ground hiding in the undergrowth and hedges along the shoreline.
These spunky birds are one of the most prolific breeding species of warbler in the United States. Their common moniker suits them well as they occur all across the US and up into Canada.



Here in North Carolina, they may be found all year round (although they are more often seen in the summertime) in our coastal eastern counties.
In the Piedmont and mountain regions they are best sighted between March and October.
This means that you still have plenty of time to get outside and enjoy these feathered gems for yourself before the year is done.

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

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Indigo Bunting at Bynum Bridge

Though they are a common sight here in central NC, it’s tough to not stop and appreciate the beauty of a singing Indigo Bunting when out on a trail.
I mean look at those colors! With that array of sapphire, turquoise and amethyst plumage sparkling in the sun, it’s a pallet that any jeweler would admire.



I found this Indigo Bunting at Bynum Bridge while leading a trip there last week. Perched on his twig, he sang constantly only stopping to chase away any other males who entered his territory.
Interestingly, male Painted Buntings learn to sing their complex tunes from other males near their territory instead of from their parents. As a whole, these songs are repeated and may evolve into a certain kind of uniformity over the years which I’d loosely describe as a small localized accent or dialect shared by nearby males.
In fact, a male Painted Buntings can tell when an intruder Bunting is ‘not from around here just by his song.



Painted Buntings are a summertime resident of North Carolina. Arriving in April to breed, they nest throughout most of the state and may be found in varying numbers in all 100 counties during the warmer months.
Look (and listen!) for these gorgeous feathered gems in tall grassy fields, agricultural lands and in open clear cut areas containing grass and scrub brush.
Btw, if you live in a rural area, Indigo Buntings can also be enticed to visit your yard (especially in the autumn) if you offer nyjer and millet seed in your feeders.
They’ll stick around the Tarheel state until October so we’ve still got plenty of time to enjoy these beauties before the year is done.

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

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A White eyed Vireo at Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro NC

This past weekend, my son and I took a quick bird scouting trip to the Old Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro, NC.
With the sun shining and the green leaves popping out on the trees, it felt like the first official week of spring has arrived now that the drab tones of winter are giving way to the vibrant colors of a warmer season.



One of the nicest birds we found down by the river was this White eyed Vireo. It was quite easy to find this bird as he kept calling out loudly from the brush down at the waters edge. These Vireos are also easy to ID with those one of a kind, light blue eyes. I’m not sure why they’re called “white eyed” although it could be the color of the sky reflecting in their eyes that gives them that slight azure hue.



White eyed Vireos are the only members of the Vireo family that prefer to forage and nest in the understory of forests and brushy areas. In fact, you’re most likely to see them at eye level looking for a meal.
They are usually found in wet areas such as along the shorelines of creeks, ponds, swamps and marshes. The dense scrub brush growing along banks of the Haw River is a great example of their favored habitat.

These handsome birds call North Carolina home during the summer with a range that stretches from lower elevations of the Appalachian’s all the way to the coast.
They’ll be here throughout mid October so you’ll have plenty of time to see them in the year ahead.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the king of baaaadasssss camera’s @canonusa
#5Ds

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

A black throated green warbler encounter at the Old Bynum bridge

Here’s a little bird I was excited to see last month, a Black-throated Green Warbler!
I spotted him with a group of fellow birders at the Old Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro, N.C. Although I’ve seen this species a few times before, these are the first photos I’ve ever captured of these cheerful feathered gems in the open. Nice to finally get this opportunity!



It was neat to watch this one hunt for insects in the morning sun. They are fast & efficient hunters, wasting no time as they dart in and out of the shadows while foraging for a meal in the trees. Black-throated Green Warblers are foliage gleaners, meaning they hop and fly around in trees and shrubs and pick off small insects from the leaves. You will most often see these birds at the edges of heavily forested areas where it’s easy for them to find prey.

Small flocks of Black-throated Green Warblers made their way through central North Carolina last month heading south to their wintering grounds in the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America.


When April arrives, they will once again be found during spring migration. Look for them in the mid to high canopies of tree tops and listen for their calls of “zee-zee-zee-zoooo-zee” to hone in on their exact location.
Aren’t they lovely?
🙂

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

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Old Bynum bridge Birding: A cape May warbler encounter in Pittsboro NC

If you’re looking for a place to find a nice variety of migrating warblers in the Triangle tomorrow morning, the Old Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro N.C. is the place to be!
I was pleased to see 7 different species this morning including this gorgeous Cape May Warbler foraging in the tree tops.



A brief visitor to the Tarheel stare in spring & autumn, these little guys breed in boreal coniferous forests throughout Canada, from Alberta to Quebec and in the northern United States from Minnesota to Maine.
Although they will dine on most kinds of insects, Cape May Warblers favorite food is the Spruce Budworm. In fact, this warbler’s population fluctuations may directly correlated to the boom and bust of the spruce budworms. The Cape May’s are actually pretty important to the coniferous forest ecosystem since the Spruce Budworm insects cause periodic widespread defoliation of spruces and firs. By eating the Budworms, they actually are preserving the very trees that they need for breeding and shelter.



Cape May Warblers spend the summer months in southern Canada and pass through North Carolina during September & early October on the way to their wintering grounds in the Caribbean.
Look for them in the mid to high canopies of trees in areas near water where there is still likely an abundance of insects to be found.
They will only stick around here for a short time so get out there and find them soon or you’ll have to wait until April to see ‘em 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame 50MP DSLR, the @canonusa
#5Ds

PS. I also got to meet some fellow birders / photographers (that I follow on Insta and even some who follow me here on FB) in person for the first time.
It’s neat to experience the magic of autumn migration with my kind of people 😉
Shout out to @apexbirdluver @krchauvaux