Tag Archives: pea island birding trip

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Spending time with The American Avocet at the Pea Island NWR

About an hour into the trip at the Pea Island NWR, the wind picked up as a cold front pushed in from the north.
I mean in an instant, it really got crazy out there! Gusts of 50mph wind plus a driving cold rain that just cut right through ya. More than once, the wind was blowing so hard, it felt like it could rip the 600mm lens from my fingers at any moment (shout out to @canonusa for building a kick ass camera that can exceed performance expectations in weather like that).


There were actually white caps churning on the surface of the normally glass-smooth North Pond. It was nuts!
Despite the foul weather we still saw tons of great stuff including these beauties, the American Avocet.



This medium sized shorebird is indeed a lovely sight dressed in its winter plumage of grey and white, yet it’s most striking field mark is their delicate bill which is long with a distinct upward curving tip. The Avocets use their bills to skim along the water’s surface, in search of insects and small crustaceans.


As seen in the photo above, these sociable birds will often move through the water in flocks, feeding & roosting together with other waders like Godwits, Herons and Ibis.



The American Avocet is a relatively common sight here on Pea Island from late July through April but becomes more difficult to find May through June.
Look for them in slow moving, shallow bodies of fresh/brackish water marshes and ponds in our coastal impoundments throughout the OBX.
Aren’t they beautiful?

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

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Northern Shovelers at the Pea Island NWR

For sure one of the most unique looking ducks we’ve got here in N.C. during the wintertime is the Northern Shoveler.


The group and I spotted several of these handsome birds during the trip to the Pea Island NWR last month and could not have been more pleased to see them!
We even had a chance to view this pair from under 10 feet away which allowed for some excellent photo opportunities as they happily swam right in front of us on the South Pond.



Northern Shovelers are uniquely adapted for a life spent foraging for a meal underwater. They feed by drawing water into its large spoon shaped bill and then pump it out through the sides with their tongue.
Their bill is lined with a long comb-like lamellae which filters out floating food particles such as tiny crustaceans, molluscs, insects, larvae as well as seeds and pieces of leaves and stems of aquatic plants.
In addition to the food particles they’ll also dine on water beetles, small minnows, and snails when available.



As is the case with other members of the dabbling duck family, Northern Shovelers may be found foraging for meal along the shorelines of the shallow, still or slow moving waters of marshes, ponds, flooded out fields and in our coastal impoundments.
These guys will hang out in North Carolina until
mid April before departing to their northern breeding grounds so there is still time for you to get out there and see them if you can!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

A Sanderling encounter on Oregon Inlet at the Pea Island NWR

After visiting the North Pond at the Pea Island NWR with my guests, we headed north up Rt.12 to the Pea Island Life Saving Station to see what we could find along the shores of the Oregon Inlet.
Along with Pelicans, Gulls and Ruddy Turnstones, a couple Sanderlings flew in and began foraging in the sand.



A familiar shorebird to many here in North Carolina, Sanderlings are usually seen scurrying after waves as they roll back out to sea always in the hunt for tiny crustaceans and mollusks exposed by the retreating water.
These tiny birds are quite entertaining to watch! With legs that seem to move a ‘mile a minute, these pint sized dynamos make quick work in their efforts to find a meal on the beach.


What’s the secret to their speed?
As seen in the photo below, Sanderlings are the only sandpiper which lacks a hind toe!
Propelling their weight forward with every step into the sand, this unique foot adaptation allows them to be strong runners with less resistance.



Sanderlings are one of the most common species of Sandpiper in the world. Indeed, during the wintertime they may be found along every coastline in the United States including Alaska and Hawaii too.
Here in N.C. they are a year round resident but during the summer, they are slightly less common because the ones who spend the warmer months here on our beaches are non breeding birds.
Whatever the season, it’s always nice to see one 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Savannah Sparrow at the Pea Island NWR

Check out this sweet Savannah Sparrow! My guests and I spotted this one while on a recent birding trip to the Pea Island NWR in eastern North Carolina.
Although they do breed in the Appalachian Mountains, Savannah Sparrows are a far more common sight during the winter throughout the rest of the state.
I think I saw at least 40 of them during my visit to the OBX which was pretty cool!

These little guys look similar to other sparrows with brown striping on their breasts so they can be difficult to ID at a distance. The thing to look for is that distinctive yellowish spot on the lore in front of and on top of their eye.
They were first named for Savannah, Georgia, (the city in which they were originally identified) yet they boast a wide range stretching from the northern shores of the Arctic Ocean, Canada, the United States and down into the southernmost regions of Mexico.

Like many sparrow species, Savannahs are voracious insect eaters and prefer to forage in habitats of open short grass fields containing piles of scrubby brush.
As is the case with this sweet little bird featured in these photos, they also inhabit our tidal salt marshes, ponds and estuaries during the winter where the likely-hood of finding a six or eight legged snack near the water is greatly increased.


Look for them in central and eastern North Carolina from September through May and June-August in the mountains of western part of the state.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A Brown Pelican encounter at the Pea Island NWR

As the end of my second day in the OBX, I made a quick stop at the Oregon Inlet on Pea Island NWR to see if I could tick off any new birds for the tour ahead.
Unfortunately I didn’t find anything unexpected but as I walked alone along the jetty, I knew there was no place I’d rather be.
Give me a cold ocean breeze, the sound of waves on rocks, mix in some gull cries on the wind and I’m happy 🙂
At first I thought that I’d be unable to get any usable photos before darkness set in, yet the waning light yielded the perfect conditions for capturing some portraits of the Brown Pelicans cruising over the water.



These birds are a neat creature to see up close, especially while in flight!
Although they’ve got a wingspan of 7ft, they’re actually the smallest member of the 8 members of Pelican species. They are also the only species of Pelican to occur exclusively in salt and brackish water marine habitats. This means you’re likely to see them hunting for fish over the ocean, along the beach, over sandbars, bridges, jettys, and docks.


Brown Pelicans are a permanent resident of North Carolina and are known to nest in at least 10 different sites along our coast.
That was always the case though.
Just a few decades ago, the numbers of Brown Pelican were locked in a steep decline due to a string of brutal winters causing many of the birds to starve.


Today, thanks to warmer winter temperatures and the continued success of wildlife management programs implemented in our estuarine islands, populations of Brown Pelicans are growing every year making them a familiar sight along our beaches once again.
Truly something to be thankful for while on a winter evening’s stroll along the Atlantic 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

Birding at the Pea Island NWR: The Pied-billed Grebe

Here’s an interesting bird that I enjoyed seeing at the Pea Island NWR, the Pied billed Grebe.
These guys were everywhere! It was neat to watch these spunky little birds harass the Coots for a meal when they’d come up from a dive.



Pied billed Grebes are perfectly built for a life spent under water in pursuit of a meal.
Like many species of ducks, Grebes are able to waterproof their feathers by preening them with secretions from an oil gland located at the base of the tail. This means that they can dive consecutively without becoming waterlogged.
They’ve also got solid bones which adds to their weight enabling them to dive deeper and remain underwater longer.
Grebes have short, narrow wings somewhat reminiscent of that of a Penguin in appearance and and are able compress their feathers by pulling them in close to their bodies which aids their maneuverability when swimming.
They are a bit awkward looking on land and aren’t very good at just strolling through a marsh. This is because a Grebe’s legs are located father back on their body to help with propulsion underwater.

Although Pied billed Grebes seem to possess a lot of similarities with ducks they are a part of a larger family of diving birds called Podicipedidae. Their binomial name of Colymbus podiceps is derived from the Latin word Podilymbus, a contraction of podicipes which means “feet at the buttocks or arsefoot” and a Greek words kolymbos, meaning “diver”, and podiceps, meaning “rump-headed”.
This makes a lot of sense when you consider their leg placement on their body. Plus it’s amusing to think about a birds name basically meaning “ass footed-rump headed diver” lol!


Pied billed Grebes are a year round resident of North Carolina but are best found in the wintertime when they gather in large numbers in our eastern coastal counties.
Look for them in quiet freshwater marshes, near the shorelines of small to medium sized ponds, shallow lakes, or bays with reedy banks and swimming slow moving streams with a brushy shoreline containing cattails.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Gadwall Ducks at the Pea Island NWR

The Gadwall is an elegant species of duck that is often overlooked by casual birdwatchers due to their seemingly understated appearance.
When viewing one at a distance one might even describe them as dull but taking a closer look, you’ll notice that they are actually quite intricately patterned with a pleasing pallet of warm colors.


I spotted this drake swimming among the reeds during the second day of my recent visit to the Pea Island NWR while scouting locations for an upcoming tour.
Though the mid-day lighting was kinda harsh, I’m so happy to have had an opportunity to photograph one at a relatively close range.



I enjoyed watching this one foraging for a meal on the water. Like most species of dabbling duck, they’re fond of feeding on leaves and stems of submersed aquatic vegetation.
When the breeding season arrives, their protein requirements change a bit so during the spring & summer they also may be seen snacking on small crustaceans and other invertebrates.


Though most breed in the north central and western part of the United States, Gadwalls are also a year round resident of the coastal counties in North Carolina and are known to nest on Bodie Island and Pea Island during the summer.
In addition, every autumn thousands of Gadwalls arrive from all over the country to spend the cooler months here in the Tarheel State. Due to the influx of migrants in the eastern counties, they are much easier to find during the wintertime than any other time of year.
This is why you’re most likely to spot them in here in North Carolina paddling around in wide open fresh and brackish marshes, ponds and lakes from September through early April.
Get out there and enjoy them!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
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Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Ruddy Turnstones at the Oregon Inlet on Pea Island NC

Now here’s one of my favorite shorebirds, the Ruddy Turnstone.
I found this handsome little one near the jetty at the Old Coast Gaurdian Station on Pea Island this afternoon while leading a private tour.
The nice thing was that this bird was quite amicable to our presence on the beach allowing us a nice close up view from about 15 ft away.



Although they breed in the Arctic, Ruddy Turnstones may be found in the coastal areas of North Carolina throughout most of the year in varying numbers. They’re most often spotted on rocky jetty’s, inlets and saltwater shorelines with pebble beaches.
Interestingly their preference for foraging in these types of habitats is actually how they earned their name.
They’ll scour the shoreline flipping over stones, pebbles and shells to look for prey possibly hiding underneath. It’s a unique behavior that’s really neat to watch.



The Ruddy Turnstone is also nicknamed the calico cat of shorebirds. During the breeding season, both males and females have bright orange legs, an orange-and-black patterned back, white belly, and black-and-white face. As seen in these photos, their nonbreeding plumage look similar to their breeding attire, but during the winter it’s replaced with a warm brown rather than then that distinct orange and black color combination.
Since they have to walk on wet rocks, the pads of their orange feet are grooved plus their toenails are short and sharply curved which gives them added grip while walking on those slippery surfaces.
Such fascinating birds!

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

PS. I just realized that it’s been a while since I showed my face on this website. Figured I might as well post a quick pic from today just so you guys know I’m a human not a bird bot 😉
Anyway hi!!



PPS. I met 3 birders from Ohio this evening at the Alligator River NWR. It was wonderful to connect with other like minded bird lovers out there in the field. If you are one of those 3, nice to meet ya! I hope you’re enjoying your trip to NC 🙂

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Northern Shovlers at the Pea Island NWR

Here’s a species of dabbling duck that always makes me smile whenever I see them, the Northern Shoveler.
I’ve been lucky to have spotted a few at the Pea Island NWR In Rodanthe NC over the past couple of days.
This pair was hanging near the shore of the North Pond with a juvenile White Ibis.
Aren’t they cool looking?



Northern Shovelers are omnivores with a preference to dine on plants, duck weed, and algae; yet they’re also fond of eating aquatic insects, mollusks and even crustaceans.
Their distinctive spoon shaped bill is adapted for sifting through large amounts of muddy water to find a meal. Even their tongues are highly specialized with extensive covering of comb-like teeth called lamellae, which help filter it’s food items from the water.

When foraging, the Northern Shoveler tilts its head from side to side, water is drawn in at the tip of the bill, filtered through the lamellae to pick up any food particulate and then expelled at the base. They are voracious eaters and are frequently seen swimming with their heads underwater as they hunt for a meal in the mud.



The Northern Shoveler is a wintertime visitor to North Carolina. Look for them in freshwater & brackish ponds, shallow lakes and marshes paddling around with flocks of other dabblers such as Gadwalls, Mallards and Black Ducks.
They are particularly common in our eastern counties from September through April so there is still plenty of time for you to see them too!

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

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

The White Ibis at the Pea Island NWR

Look out below…
This is an interesting bird that I saw last month at the Pea Island NWR, the White Ibis!


It was neat to see them flying overhead up until one decided to offload his last meal, lol!
*Check out the second photo in this post to see what I mean.
So very glad I wasn’t standing directly underneath them haha!



White Ibis’s are a year round resident of North Carolina and are most commonly found in our eastern coastal counties. During the breeding season they are known to nest on our barrier islands with other shorebirds near the lower Cape Fear river area.
When winter arrives, they also may be seen grazing in farm fields and foraging for a meal in freshwater & brackish suburban ponds, and waterfowl impoundments.



An opportunistic hunter of the shoreline, these handsome white birds enjoy a varied diet of crayfish, crabs, frogs, minnows, snakes and even insects. Look for them in the grass along the waters edge and wading through shallow, show moving waters.
And of course, make sure you look up occasionally to avoid getting splattered by their latest meal lol!

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