While leading a tour this past weekend I was pleased to share this Louisiana Waterthrush with my guests. I found the bird via its beautiful song emanating from the woods, so we set off down the trail to look for it. It didn’t take long to locate the bird perched on a branch overhanging a swift moving, steep banked creek. These birds are generally pretty shy so it was a real joy to get a good clean look at the it from a relatively close range!
The Louisiana Waterthrush nests across nearly all of the eastern United States. That being said, they are a scarce sight in Florida and near the coastal areas farther north and west during the breeding season. Generally speaking, they are not one of North America’s more common species, as their breeding territories are well-spaced along narrow streamside corridors. Yet, if the right habitat is found, this species can usually be seen and heard without too much trouble.
During the spring and summer months, the best places to look for them are along streams and rivers, under the shade of hardwood trees, and as with the case here in the woods at the PeeDee Wildlife Refuge, near creeks with near-vertical banks where the nests are placed. These beautiful birds favor slightly running waters of rocky creeks, as opposed to standing water of larger streams and rivers, but they can certainly be quite numerous along some of our larger rivers such as the Roanoke and Cape Fear.
With the breeding season just now getting underway, you still have plenty of time to see one for yourself this year. They’ll stick around until mid August here in the central part of the state and until early August in other regions before heading south to Central America in the West Indies to spend the winter.
While walking along the gravel rd at the Pee Dee NWR I heard a loud drumming sound echoing in the trees overhead. Wanting to see who was making all that noise, I sped up taking care not to make a sound (as best I could lol) as the rocks and leaves crunched underfoot. Then a familiar call rang out.
A Pileated Woodpecker! Looking up into the canopy, I finally spotted this handsome young male working his way up the trunk of an oak tree. He was moving so fast I barely had time to snap off a couple shots before he disappeared into leaves. Though the encounter was brief, I was glad to catch a good look at him anyway.
Measuring up to 19 inches in length, Pileateds are the largest species of Woodpecker living in North America. These large birds are found all across the eastern United States, western California and in the Pacific Northwest. Their hefty size and loud calls make them a pretty easy bird to ID in the field, even when other species are in the area.
Their diet consists of insects including larvae, beetles, Caterpillar‘s, termites and spiders. That being said, their favorite food is ants and it’s not unusual to see one sitting on an anthill at the base of a tree eagerly gobbling up the six legged delicacies. Pileated’s are more often seen high up in the trees circling the trunks and limbs in search of a meal. Using their long bill, Pileated’s will poke and prod under the bark to snap up a tasty insect snack.
Pileated Woodpeckers are a year round resident of North Carolina. As with most of our other Woodpecker species found in the Tarheel state, their best spotted in swampy areas with stands of large dead trees but can also be found in dry, mixed deciduous forests as well.
Autumn will soon be here. Signs of change are everywhere if you know where to look. From flocking Canada Geese to molting plumage, birds everywhere are preparing themselves for the migration journey ahead. Some changes aren’t so obvious, yet if you take the time to look closely you’ll be able to pick up on the seasonal cues even before cold weather arrives. Case in point, the beak color of a Prothonotary Warbler.
During the spring & summer this warbler has a bright black beak. In autumn and winter it is a tan color. The change happens quickly too!
I took photo of a Prothonotary with the black bill (featured in the first photo) late last month.
The second photo shows a Prothonotary with the tan beak just last weekend. Can you see the difference?
But how does a Prothonotary Warblers beak change color? Their beak is covered in keratin, the same substance from which our hair and fingernails are made from. Under the beak’s layer of keratin lies a bony structure. While the bone makes up the foundation, it’s covered with a layer of living tissue which, in turn, is coated with a thin layer of see-through keratin. These living cells can change color, and the color shows through the keratin. Seasonal color changes to the living tissue in their bills occur due to fluctuations in the birds hormone levels and diet throughout the year.
Now that the Prothonotary’s breeding season has ended, their hormones levels have changed again so their beaks have returned to a light tan color. These beauties will stick around North Carolina until early September before heading south to their wintering grounds in Central America and northern regions of South America. Enjoy them here in the Tarheel state for a couple weeks because they won’t be back until April.
One of the most striking looking birds we’ve got here in North Carolina is the Red headed Woodpecker. They’ve got a bold black and white plumage combination paired with a cherry red head which sets them apart from any other species found in the state.
I happened to catch some good looks at a pair of Red head’s while birding at the Pee Dee NWR last month. It was neat to watch them catching insects in midair then flying back to a hole in a dead tree to feed their young (or possibly to cache their catch).
Red headed Woodpeckers are a year round resident of North Carolina and are found across the state from the mountains to the coast. During the summertime months they’re best spotted in stands of longleaf pines or in open wetland areas containing tall, dead trees. The pond here at the Pee Dee NWR is the perfect habitat to find them. When winter arrives, the forest dwelling Red- heads move away from the pines and into the marshy/ swamp areas to join the summer families.
Here’s another friendly feathered face I encountered while birding at the Pee Dee NWR, a Black-and-white Warbler! These tiny birds are inquisitive creatures, calling from canopy above while following me while I walk through the woods.
The foraging behavior of Black-and-whites is unique among warbler species as they are often seen clinging to the underside of limbs and circling the trunks of trees like a Nuthatch. Poking and prodding their beaks into the bark crevices, they search for a meal of beetles, spiders, caterpillars, larvae and ants. Given their habit of walking up tree trunks, they can be tough to get a picture of so I was grateful to catch a decent photo of one perching on a limb ‘right side up lol!
Black-and-white Warblers are found in nearly every county in North Carolina during the summer. That being said their numbers aren’t evenly distributed throughout the state as they appear numerously in localized regions in the east and west while being a (somewhat) scarce sight in the Piedmont. Look for these bold zebra-striped feathered gems in our hardwood forests (in the western counties) and in marshy areas (in the eastern counties) from late March through late October. Aren’t they sweet?
When walking around the large pond at the Pee Dee NWR, you’re likely to hear the loud call of the Great crested Flycatcher echoing out over the water. These birds are a cheerful sight as they glide from branch to limb on the submerged dead trees on a never ending search for a six or eight legged snack.
My guests and I enjoyed watching this pair of Flycatchers inspecting a hole in a tree for a few minutes. The birds would duck into the cavity briefly and pop back out happily chomping down a mouthful of insects. Every so often, the male would sing and fluff up his crest before taking off to scout out new spots to hunt. Truly a beautiful little bird!
Great crested’s are the only species of Flycatcher to nest in tree cavities in NC. They don’t excavate their own holes, rather they nest in the cavities drilled out by woodpeckers. They will even nest in boxes or bluebird houses which are placed higher than 8 ft from the ground.
You can find Great crested Flycatchers in all 100 of North Carolina although they’re somewhat more common in the Piedmont and eastern coastal regions of the state. Look (and listen!) for them in pine and oak forests as well as near ponds, swamps and marshes. They’ll be here until September so you’ve still got plenty of time to enjoy them before they migrate south for the winter ahead.
If you get the chance, it’s nice to take a few minutes to sit and watch a Green Heron hunting for a meal. I spotted this handsome guy while on a birding trip at the Pee Dee NWR in Wadesboro NC last weekend. He moved slowly, one foot methodically placed over the other, creeping at a snails pace as not to alert its prey hidden below the surface of the murky water below. The Heron struck twice but came up empty both times. Undeterred, he kept at at it eventually landing a small fish a little further out into the pond.
Like most other Heron species, Green’s prefer to spend their time wetland habitats such as marshes, bogs, swamps, creeks, ponds and lakes. Their diet consists of fish, frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, crayfish, insects and even small rodents when the opportunity presents itself. During the winter, they’ll hunt for prey in brackish water so small crustaceans and mollusks will be on their menu too.
These handsome birds are found throughout the Tarheel state from March to October so you’ve still got plenty of time to go see one this year. That being said, a few Green Herons have been reported to spend the wintertime in our southeastern coastal counties which is pretty neat!
While on a birding trip to the Pee Dee NWR a couple of weeks ago, my guests and I were delighted to encounter a handsome Barred Owl in the woods.
It took a bit of searching to find this owl hidden among the boughs of the trees. The group and I stood there looking up scanning the mid canopy but with no luck. Still, we kept looking… After a few more minutes of squinting through the leaves, I finally spotted that familiar outline sitting in an oak tree. Got ‘em! So cool. Better yet, the moment when I saw my guests faces light up when I showed them the owl was freak’n awesome! So glad we could share that moment and take some photos together. *Btw, my best advice for finding a camouflaged Barred Owl in a tree is to look for a large football-shaped cat (with feathers and big shiny eyes of course haha!) on a branch.
Barred Owls prefer to nest & hunt for prey in wetland areas such as marshes, bogs, swamps and near beaver ponds. They may even be found near rivers and ponds looking for a meal. The wet, wooded habitat near the large pond at the Pee Dee NWR offers the perfect home for these beauties. A walk or drive around the canal in the woods at the north end of the pond is a great way to find them. It’s also interesting to note that in recent years, this species have started to nest in wooded lots in suburban areas away from their traditional habitats. In fact, most of my sightings have been in highly populated neighborhoods here in the Raleigh area.
Unlike other species of owl, you are likely to hear or see a Barred Owl hooting during the day, yet they are nocturnal hunters. Their diet consists of mice, moles, squirrels and other small mammals but they will also catch salamanders, frogs, lizards and even crawfish or crabs when the opportunity presents itself. These handsome birds are a year round resident of North Carolina and although they are more numerous in the central and eastern regions, may be found in nearly every county here in the Tarheel state. Aren’t they lovely?
By the way, I’ve still got several birding trips planned throughout the year at the Pee Dee National wildlife Refuge. Wanna join me? Check out the link below for trip details and booking information.
When the summer heat rolls in, it’s nice to get out of the sunny fields and into the woods to cool off. We aren’t the only ones who appreciate the cool shade that the trees provide, Ovenbirds are masters of the shadows and remain active throughout the day even during the hottest hours. I found this one recently at the Pee Dee NWR while hiking along Wildlife Dr. in Wadesboro NC. It’s a quiet stretch of gravel road that provides a nice pathway through the thick deciduous forest which is the perfect habitat for spotting all kinds of birds and other wildlife.
Marveling at the lush green palette before me, I didn’t have to walk very far before hearing the Ovenbird’s loud call echoing in the woods and was stoked to be able to find it perched on a low branch just a few steps off of the road. So cool!
Ovenbirds favor mixed deciduous and coniferous forest areas which are semi open under the canopy yet still contain scrubby thickets and moderate brush. Though they look like Thrushes, they’re actually a species of warbler and like others in that family they are voracious eaters of insects. However like Thrushes, (and unlike most other warblers) Ovenbirds are usually spotted hunting for a meal on the ground scratching up under the leaf litter in search of beetles, worms and grubs.
Ovenbirds are a spring and summertime resident of North Carolina and are found across the state from the mountains to the coast from April to October. That being said, a few Ovenbirds have been found to spend the winter in Buxton Woods on Cape Hatteras Island in recent years. This is an interesting trend to watch as more people get out to go bird watching during the winter in the OBX. Pretty cool, huh?
I have been able to visit Pee Dee NWR a number of times over the last few weeks and thought I would share some of the birds that have been hanging around. Up until the last week or two it had been a little slower than usual so I guess the birds were getting tired of the heat as well, but my last few visits have seen an increase in action and I am very excited to see what the next couple of months brings.
Indigo Bunting by N.C. wildlife photographer Dan Gettis
As always, you are almost guaranteed to see some Red Headed Woodpeckers. They can be found across the entire refuge but the easiest and best views of them are around the main impoundment behind the visitor’s center where they continuously fly from the dead trees in the water to the trees on the other side of Wildlife Drive. There are usually anywhere from 10-30 or so in that area. One morning last weekend I spotted 5 Red Tailed Hawks sitting in 2 trees close together in that same impoundment. They didn’t stay long but I always at least hear a hawk in that area, sometimes multiple. Red Shouldered, Red Tailed and Cooper’s Hawks are going to be the most common.
Great Egrets and White Ibis by N.C. wildlife photographer Dan Gettis
The Great Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Green Herons and Great Blue Herons are starting to add to their numbers again. Lately there have been 4-5 Green Heron in the impoundment, 5-6 Little Blue Heron, 1-2 Great Blue Heron and 3-4 Great Egrets. In the afternoons, White Ibis have been flying in as well. There are a couple of Barred Owls that like to hang out in the thick woods off Wildlife Drive. I haven’t seen one of them in a while but I did hear 2 calling back-and-forth very close to the road 2 weeks ago.
Pileated Woodpecker by N.C. wildlife photographer Dan Gettis
If you hang out for a while or walk slowly along Wildlife Drive, you will potentially see: Brown Thrashers, Sparrows, Red Winged Blackbirds, Cardinals, Blue Grosbeak, Eastern Bluebirds, Pewee, Phoebe, Chickadees, White Eyed Vireo, Common Yellowthroat, Black and White Warblers, Prothonotary Warblers, Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Yellow Billed Cuckoos, Indigo Buntings, Tufted Titmouse, Blue Gray Gnatcatchers, Summer Tanager, Great Crested Flycatchers, and others I am surely forgetting (all of these have been seen in the last couple of weeks).
Ruby-throated Hummingbird by N.C. wildlife photographer Dan Gettis
Lastly, Ruby – throated Hummingbirds. The main impoundment has a lot of button bushes between the road and the water. The last couple of weeks I have been seeing more and more hummingbirds in those bushes. They love the button bushes and there are a lot of honeysuckle vines and trumpet creepers in the refuge as well and if you just sit and watch those areas for a while you will see one.
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