Tag Archives: yellow throated warbler

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

The Yellow-throated Warblers have returned to NC

By Sally Siko

One of my favorite early spring arrivals is the Yellow-throated Warbler. With that bold yellow, black and white plumage, they’re absolutely captivating to photograph.
I found this handsome fella this morning while birding along the Neuse River Trail Capital Area Greenway in Raleigh.
Happily he was hopping and flying at a lower level of the tree canopy so that I could get a good view.
Normally they tend to hang out much higher in the trees so it was neat to get a close up look at him!



This species of wood warbler are one of a handful which nests exclusively in the eastern part of the United States with a range that stretches from Missouri in Pennsylvania all the way down to Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico.
Their open cup-nests are constructed almost entirely by the female from bark strips, grasses, and weed stems, and lined with plant down and feathers. The nest is usually placed in the canopy of a pine, cypress or sycamore tree on the end of a a horizontal branch well out from the trunk at heights ranging from 15 to 60 feet above the ground.



Happily these gorgeous birds will spend the summer raising their families here in the Tarheel state. They will stick around until late September (or even into early October in our eastern counties) so there is still plenty of time for us to enjoy them this year.
Btw, if you’d like to see a Yellow-throated Warbler too (along with many other beautiful birds!) I invite you to check out the link below to view all of my upcoming group birding tours.

Go Birding With Me: Best Life Birding Trips, Guided Group Birding Tours & Bird Photography Workshops


I’m leading trips to destinations ranging from South Carolina to Maine.
Join me in discovering why there’s a lot to love about the East Coast of the United States when it comes to bird watching.
See ya out there!

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

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

Spending time with a Yellow-throated warbler in North Carolina

By Sally Siko

When walking through the forests here in central North Carolina, you’ll often hear the familiar calls of a Yellow-throated Warbler echoing down from the tree tops.
If your lucky, you might get a chance to see one up close as sometimes these delightful little birds can be quite curious to our presence in the woods.



Yellow-throated Warblers are gorgeous creatures IMO! Breeding males are particularly striking with that bold black and white plumage set off against a bright yellow patch of feathers on their throats.
I spotted this one singing his heart out while leading a birding tour at Cape Fear Shiners Park in Lillington NC a couple weeks ago.
It was so cool to be able to share this bird with my guests and to see how happy everyone was with their own photos!

Known as “Southern” warbler, Yellow-throated’s breed in the eastern United States but only north to southern New York and (in smaller numbers) west into Iowa yet they are much more commonly found in the Deep South rather than in the mountain regions.
Here in North Carolina you can find the nesting in our coastal and Piedmont counties throughout the summer.



The best places to find these beauties is from mid March – mid October in moist woods and edges, whether in swamps, bottomlands, forests along a lakeshore, streamside groves, or in pinelands; forests with scattered tall pines containing Spanish moss.
Though they are a rare sight in the winter months, Yellow-throated Warblers may also be found mainly in North Carolina’s coastal counties in maritime forests, or in mature pine-hardwood stands, especially where the hardwoods are broadleaf evergreens once the weather turns cold.
Aren’t they lovely?

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

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

A yellow throated Warbler at the Bodie Island Lighthouse in the OBX

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One of the prettiest birds I encountered a few weeks ago while on a birding trip in the OBX was this male Yellow-throated Warbler. He was hanging out in a Pine tree with a small flock of Brown-headed Nuthatches near the Bodie Island Lighthouse. These striking looking Warblers favor moist forests and edges, whether in swamps, bottomlands, open woods along lakeshores, streamside groves, forests with scattered tall pines and even in trees with growths of Spanish moss. Generally, Yellow-throated Warblers are found mainly in central and eastern North Carolina from March- October however some may stick around through December, especially along the coast. During the colder months, they are found mainly in maritime forests, or in mature pine-hardwood stands, especially where there is a mix of hardwoods and broadleaf evergreens. There’s plenty of time to see them this Autumn so get out there while you can! By the way, if you’d like to join me on my next birding adventure to the OBX, I’m currently accepting reservations for my November “Birding the OBX” tour. We will be on the lookout for resident & migratory shorebirds & waterfowl. From Tundra Swans and Northern Shovelers to Willets and Scoters, this trip should truly some really interesting birds! Space is limited so shoot me a DM for more info & booking details 🙂 Photo by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame SLR, the @canonusa #5Ds

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