Tag Archives: weymouth woods birdwatching

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

A Prairie Warbler encounter at the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve

Here’s a beautiful little Prairie Warbler which I was lucky to encounter while birding at the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve near Pinehurst NC.
My guests and I were making our way down the wooded fern lined trail when the bird flew down and began to forage in the brushy undergrowth down low beneath the pines.
Usually these tiny birds fly away as soon as I spot one so it was super cool to get an eye level view of one at close range.



These lovely little beauties are active birds, often wagging their tails as they search for the six or eight legged snacks that make up the bulk of their diet. When they get stuck for the winter in colder locations (like central NC) they’ll also supplement their diet with the sap flowing from trees and even berries when available.



Prairie Warblers breed across the entire state of NC. Now that spring has arrived, they’re busy building their nests in openings with patches of dense woody understory vegetation, such as overgrown fields with shrubs, or young regrowing forests. Their cup shaped nests are placed in trees or shrubs, generally less than 10 feet above the ground.
Once the eggs are laid, it takes between 12 to 14 days for them to hatch. Both parents share the duties of rearing the chicks.

Prairie Warblers are generally a spring and summertime resident of North Carolina but each year there are reports of a few of them which end up spending the winter here.
For the most part though they’ll stick around until late September before departing to their wintering grounds in the Caribbean, and along the east coast of Central America.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding both captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Eastern Towhees at the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve

The Eastern Towhee is one of those birds that we hear all the time here in North Carolina but not often see. They are shy, secretive birds yet their loud call of “drink yourrrr teeeee” helps us find them while hiking in the woods.
I spotted this pair of Towhees while birding the Gum Swamp Trail at the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve last week.
Aren’t they lovely?



Eastern Towhees are a year round resident of NC and are one of a handful of species that nests from the coast all the way up to the higher elevations of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
They are best found in areas where there is dense woods and scrub brush available for them to forage for a meal.
I’ve had luck spotting them in thick bushy patches in the OBX and in dark Rhododendron thickets in the mountains.



Towhees are generally ground nesters and will usually build their nest in a clump of leaves or in the tall grass at the base of a tree. They’ll also occasionally build their nests in tangled briars about 2 to 4ft off of the ground.
Both parents take care of the chicks who will leave the nest around 11 days after hatching.
Interestingly the young will hang out with their parents after fledging for a few months before moving on to scout their own territories.

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

Birding at the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve- The Red bellied Woodpecker

Here’s another bird that I’ve been seeing a lot of this spring, the Red bellied Woodpecker 🙂
This little guy was enjoying a good head scratch while preening on a pine branch at the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve in Southern Pines, NC.



One of the things I like about photographing this species is trying to catch a pic of its namesake red belly. Usually they are spotted clinging to the trunks of trees so it’s not often that we can see that their name indeed makes sense. If you look closer at these photos you can see that red color on it’s underside.

Red bellied Woodpeckers are a year round resident of North Carolina. They’re found in all 100 counties and are a relatively common sight when out birding in our mature hardwood forests. These guys are also a familiar backyard visitor both in the cities and suburbs often seen grabbing a snack from our feeders.

In addition to eating the seeds, nuts and suet that we provide for them, Red bellies are voracious consumers of insects that hide in the bark and leaves. Insects and seeds aren’t the only thing on their menu though. They are also fond of eating tree frogs, bird eggs and even minnows when they can catch them!
Crazy huh?

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

Prothonotary Warblers at the Weymouth woods sandhills Preserve

Another colorful bird to be on the lookout for at the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve during the summer is the Prothonotary Warbler.
With that vibrant golden plumage, they’re cheerful sight indeed whenever your lucky enough to spot one hunting for a six or eight legged meal in the trees.



Prothonotarys are best found in moist habitats like swamps, bogs and marshes. They can also be seen in the brush and hardwood trees alongside streams, ponds and lakes.
I found this beauty near the beaver dam & creek while birding at the WWSP last weekend.
There were plenty of insects flying around the water so it’s a good spot to sit and wait for the birds to show up. (don’t forget the bug spray if you visit though lol)

These lovely feathered gems show up in North Carolina during spring migration in mid April. The males arrive first to establish their breeding territory’s and begin scoping out prime nesting sites.
As cavity nesters (one of only two species of Warbler that do this) Prothonotarys raise their young in unused Woodpecker nests or in other holes in trees.
The male bird will start the process by building several starter nests in different locations to expand his territory and provide optional choices for his future mate.

When the females come along a few weeks later, the male will show the her his array of nests then allows her to choose the one that suits her needs best.
Once the male wins a mate, the female will take over the rest of the nest construction, adding materials such as rootlets, plant down, and other soft grasses and plants to the nest cup.


While I was only able to photograph this single Prothonotary that morning, I did hear a second one calling out from the brush nearby. It would be great if they are mated pair and had a nest nearby.
I’m hoping to make another trip out to the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve within a few weeks. Hopefully there will be some young Prothonotarys to see there hunting over the creek with their parents!

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

Red cockaded Woodpeckers at the weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve

Recently I took a quick trip to the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve to scout out locations for my future birding tours.
I was pleased to see that the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are nesting once again in their favorite spots!



These sweet little birds were once a common sight in the southeastern regions of the United States. Due to loss of habitat, today they are considered an endangered species.
Red-cockaded Woodpeckers require a narrow scope of forest conditions to breed. They prefer to nest in mature stands of long leaf pine trees with little or no understory. Unfortunately these old growth forests have faced rapid decline which has led to the decline of this species as well.



Luckily, the Weymouth Woods Preserve is a special place where the old pine trees are preserved and maintained lending to provide the perfect conditions for the Red-cockaded to breed. Here you can see them raising their families every spring and throughout the summer months. It’s truly a special place to enjoy these wonderful birds.

I’ve still got a few spots open for guests to join me next spring on the birding photography tours. If you’d like to come along with me to find the Red-cockaded Woodpecker in 2022, check the link below for booking information.

BIRDING TOURS AT WEYMOUTH WOODS

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

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

Red cockaded Woodpecker at the Sandhills Nature Preserve at Weymouth Woods

Red-cockaded Woodpecker at the Sandhills Nature Preserve

One of my favorite bird encounters so far this year was getting a great look at the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers at the Weymouth Woods-Sandhill Nature Preserve in Southern Pines, NC.

These neat little Woodpeckers are on the endangered species list because of the steep grade of habitat decline, due to deforestation of the mature long leaf Pine trees that they depend on for nesting.
The Weymouth Woods Preserve is a very special place located in the heart of N.C. as it boasts a significant number of breeding Red-cockaded Woodpeckers who nest in the stand of old growth pines located within the preserve. While a visit here does not necessarily guarantee a sighting of this rare bird your chances of spotting one or significantly increased, especially this time of year!

To go see them for yourself, get there early in the morning as soon as the preserve opens to avoid the crowds and the heat.

Photo by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds

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

Red cockaded Woodpecker video from Weymouth woods Preserve

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Braved the rain and took a trip early yesterday morning to see if I could find some Red cockaded Woodpeckers at the Weymouth Woods Preserve in Pinehurst N.C. Big thanks to Gary at More then a Memory Photography @mtamemory for giving me a heads up that they were in the area! I was thrilled to find a nest in the woods and to be able to see these awesome little birds flying in and out of their tree as they fed their chicks. Interestingly, Red-cockaded woodpeckers are cooperative breeders, meaning multiple birds take care of the young. Females lay their eggs in the roost cavities of their male mates. The male and several helper birds, which are usually relatives of the breeding pair, incubate the eggs. The whole family sticks together while the young are raised. I also learned from Deborah Roy @deborahroyphotography that the USFWS paints some of the long leaf pines in the area with sap to encourage these endangered species to nest in this forest. At first, I thought that the tree featured in this video was the result of a natural excavation, but upon closer inspection, I noticed that this nest was indeed one of the number of trees that were painted with sap. Thanks for the insight Deborah! Always enjoy learning something new from my audience 🙂 Photos & video by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc Canon 5Ds . . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #birdwatchers #bird #birds #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #ncoutdoors #ncnature #canonwildlife #ncwildlifephotographer #northcarolinabirding #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds #audubonsociety #birdoftheday #redcockadedwoodpecker #endangeredspecies #woodpecker #usfwsnationalwildliferefugesystem #birdersofyoutube #lovebirdsluvsbirds

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

A Red cockaded woodpecker nest at the Weymouth Woods preserve

By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching N.C.

One of the best parts about living in central North Carolina is the opportunity to see all kinds of incredible birds in the springtime. In addition to the migratory species moving through, we’ve got access to view a small number of endangered species as they enter their breeding season.

Recently I took a quick trip to the Weymouth woods Preserve near Pinehurst N.C. to see if I could grab some photos and video of the endangered Red cockaded Woodpecker. Happily, I was not disappointed!

Shortly upon arrival, I found a nest in an old Long-leaf Pine tree and had the opportunity to watch a pair of woodpeckers flying in and out of their tree as they fed the nestlings inside. Check out the video below!

Unlike most North American woodpeckers, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are a social species that live in family groups with a highly developed, cooperative breeding system. This also makes them unique amongst all bird species–only 3% of bird species breed in this manner. Another interesting behavior to note is that these woodpeckers use a group of trees, known as a “cluster”, to develop nesting/ roosting cavities en mass. Family groups generally consist of 2–6 birds with one monogamous breeding pair and 1–4 helpers. The helpers are typically the pair’s male offspring from the previous breeding season, who have delayed their own reproduction in order to help their parents in raising their siblings. The family group grows in size during the course of the breeding season with the hatching and fledgling of new young.

Red cockaded Woodpecker at the Weymouth Woods Preserve

Red cockaded Woodpeckers are adapted to mature, living, open-pine forests. It is estimated that there are about 6,000 groups of red-cockaded woodpeckers, or 15,000 birds from Florida to Virginia and west to southeast Oklahoma and eastern Texas, representing about 1 percent of the woodpecker’s original range.

The Red-cockaded is the only woodpecker which excavates cavities exclusively in living pine trees. Cavity trees that are being actively used have numerous, small resin wells which exude sap. The birds keep the sap flowing apparently as a cavity defense mechanism against rat snakes and possibly other predators. The typical territory for a group ranges from about 125 to 200 acres. Habitat loss and degradation have greatly reduced its range and negatively affected this species, which has been considered Federally Endangered since 1968.

Seeing these lovely birds in the wild was absolutely thrilling! I’m so glad that I was able to photograph them at the Weymouth Woods Preserve.

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert

The Quest: Red-cockaded Woodpecker

By: Mary Erickson of Birds of a Feather Walk Together

January is my birthday month, and I made a very specific gift request to my Dear One: that he help me find a new life bird–the Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
Road trip!

“The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a habitat specialist of the Southeast’s once-vast longleaf pine stands. Its habitat—old pines with very little understory—was shaped by the region’s frequent lightning fires. The birds dig cavities in living pines softened by heartwood rot. They live in family groups that work together to dig cavities and raise young. The species declined drastically as its original habitat was cut down, and the species was listed as Endangered in 1970. “

The Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve is a 90 minute drive south of us, in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
However we got a rather late start for a birding adventure, and arrived at the Preserve at 11 a.m., where we learned that the Red-cockaded Woodpecker is here in the morning, then leaves FOR THE ENTIRE DAY, and returns in the evening and immediately goes to bed. So we made a plan:

•   Explore the trail near the visitor center
•   Go into town for lunch
•   Go somewhere else to bird for an hour or two
•   Return at 3 p.m. to see target bird

Trails in the Sandhills are exceptionally comfortable for hiking!

The day was overcast, and the trees are tall, so we spent a LOT of time with this view. And it’s NOON, which is not the “birdiest” time of day.

Nevertheless:

Siri, I’m hungry.Well, we can’t have that. Here’s what I found.

We can now highly recommend The Leadmine in Southern Pines. And yes, that’s a New York Sour, because it’s my birthday and I’m not driving.

After lunch we headed to the Boyd section of the Preserve, and did a 1-mile loop around The Oldest Living Long-Leaf Pine tree on the planet.

There were woodpeckers, but not our target bird.

We also saw evidence of a recent controlled burn, which takes the place of the historical lightning fires which maintain the desired habitat.

Then back to the main center at 3:00 p.m., where we began walking back and forth along a stretch of trail looking for the woodpecker to return to its nest site. The trees with existing cavities are helpfully marked–but they are spread out and numerous.

So many nesting holes!!!

And then, at 4:40 p.m. I hear the husky squeak squeak squeak, see a woodpecker, check it out with the bins, grab the camera for a photo, my Dear One who is away at a different stand of trees, and 20 seconds later the bird pops into his hole and has gone to bed.

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker!!!

Three minutes later, my best friend arrives, way too late to see a bird that was only there for 20 seconds. He never saw it. But was so happy that I did, for my birthday.

And that, my friends, is love.

Author Bio: Mary Erickson is an accomplished North Carolina birder, blogger and photographer. You can view her stunning photography and read all about her adventures in birding the Tarheel State at Birds of a Feather Walk Together

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

Birding at weymouth Woods Preserve, Southern Pines N.C.

A few weeks ago, I went birding at Weymouth Woods in Southern Pines, N.C. What an interesting environment to explore!


After about a 1/4 down the trail, I spotted 3 male Eastern Towhees singing in the brush and finally saw a Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
Here’s a pic of one of the Towhees and my eBird list.
Looking forward to making a return trip in November!