Reprinted from the Outer Banks Voice

By June, after long flights from Central and South America, most of our spring migrants have reached their destinations and begun new families.

The majority of shorebird species are in Canada or Alaska, many of them on the Arctic tundra, where conditions and abundant food are perfect for raising youngsters in a hurry.

The woodland songbirds that didn’t settle here in North Carolina are also far north of us, many of them breeding in lush Canadian forests.

So what’s a birder to look for on the Outer Banks in June?

First, we still have a few species of shorebirds on our beaches and mudflats. Some are are too young to nest, so they stayed behind. Others, like piping plover, Wilson’s plover, killdeer, eastern willet, American oystercatcher, and black-necked stilt actually nest here. In addition, our beaches are full of terns and gulls, many of them nesting.

Second, there is a plethora of breeding songbirds in our forests, scrub habitats, marshes and backyards to entertain us. From warblers to wrens and hummingbirds to hawks, they are available.

For those birders always looking for something rare, let’s look at several southern species that you just can try for. You may get lucky.

Black-bellied whistling-ducks have been slowly moving northward, with sightings in North Carolina becoming annual. This southern “tree duck” has been seen in Mann’s Harbor twice now, as well as in several other locations in the state. A black-bellied whistling-duck is like a goose, with a long neck, long legs, a black belly and a bright red bill. They almost never stay in one location for long, apparently liking their frustrating status as “one-day wonders.”

Mottled ducks have not been seen in Dare County yet, but will undoubtedly show up here eventually. Looking like a black duck, but lighter, with a very pale head, these dabbling ducks are gradually extending their breeding range northward. Wouldn’t it be exciting to find the first one ever recorded in Dare County?

Wood stork is another southern species that is expanding its range northward. There are already several large colonies in the southern coastal section of North Carolina and stray birds have been showing up in Dare County for several years now, including in 2018. These are unmistakable, large, black and white wading birds with heavy, down-curved bills. Wood storks have been spotted feeding in ditches, roosting in trees and soaring overhead.

Limpkin is a species that I’ve personally been anxiously waiting to add to my North Carolina list. Limpkins are large, brown and white-streaked wading birds normally found in swamps and wetlands in Florida. In recent years, there have been several reports north of Florida, including in North Carolina. One was spotted May 22 in Mecklenburg County.

Yet another wading bird from the Deep South that is possible in our area is the roseate spoonbill. 2018 was a banner year for this large wading bird, with several seen in our area, and there is no reason it can’t happen again. Look for this beautiful, spoon-billed bird at Pea Island and other wet habitats. You can’t mess up on the ID – it’s pink!

Search high in the air over the ocean for magnificent frigatebird. Although rare in our area, these “man-o-war” birds are seen annually in summer along our coast. They spend practically all of their time searching for fish, which they either steal from other birds or snatch from the water’s surface. Frigatebirds are easily identified by their dark plumage, 7 to 8-foot wingspan and a long, forked tail. This is a huge “wow” bird.

Purple gallinule is another awesome bird that makes its home in the Deep South but is sometimes seen in our area. Keep an eye out for them in densely vegetated wet habitats, such as swamps, marshes and even roadside ditches. More than one has been spotted in the ditch in south Nags Head in recent years. Look for a purplish-blue chicken-like bird, with huge yellow feet and a red and yellow bill. Purple gallinules are often seen walking on top of floating vegetation, feeding on plant parts and small animal matter.

The swallow-tailed kite is arguably our most graceful bird-of-prey. White with black trailing wing edges and a long, black, deeply forked tail, these beautiful birds are like no other. Historically breeding from Florida to South Carolina, these birds have now moved north and are nesting in southern North Carolina bottomlands along the Cape Fear River.

They are usually seen in spring and summer along our coastline, but may also be seen slightly inland. They hunt on the wing, catching flying insects; also dropping down to catch small snakes and lizards. You’ll never forget your first sighting of this graceful raptor. It’s always a good day when you see a swallow-tailed kite.

Gray kingbird, a summer resident from Florida to South Carolina is almost annual in Dare County. Similar to our common eastern kingbird, gray kingbirds are paler gray on the back, lack the white terminal band on the tail and have a heavier bill. They prefer open habitats, where they fly-catch for food from a low perch.

Shiny cowbird is another species to look for. A South American brood parasite that has spread northward, there were several sightings in North Carolina in the 1990s and early 2000s, but no reports in recent years.

They have been seen on Pea Island, Bodie Island and in Stumpy Point. Similar to our common brown-headed cowbird, but with a glossy purple head instead of a brown one, and a thinner, sharper bill. The females are more difficult to distinguish, looking very similar, but darker than, brown-headed cowbirds.

Very unlikely, but entirely possible, black-whiskered vireo has been seen several times in North Carolina, including once in Dare County, in my yard!

May and June seem to be the best months. Normally found in the mangrove swamps of Florida, mine was singing high in an oak in Manteo. Black-whiskered vireos look very similar to our common red-eyed vireos but have a larger bill and a different pattern on the face, including a dark malar stripe. Consult a good field guide.

Good luck, and let the birding world know if you find any of these gems. See you in the field!

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast.

Reprinted from Outer Banks Voice

Spring birding on the Outer Banks is awesome in May. Our summer breeders have already arrived and are in place, defending territories, building nests and raising young.

A good variety of beautiful, migrating songbirds, headed north, are flying through. Many will pass to the west of us, some will fly over us, but good numbers representing a great variety should drop in for refueling. These are the ones we’re after.

One of the best things about spring migration, in comparison to fall migration, is that the birds, whether songbirds, shorebirds or wading birds, are in their most beautiful plumage.

Unlike during fall migration, indigo buntings are actually indigo, scarlet tanagers are actually scarlet, red knots are actually red and black-bellied plovers actually have a black belly.

An early May morning venture into an Outer Banks forest has the potential to produce a long list of feathered jewels: warblers, vireos and flycatchers, with an occasional cuckoo, oriole, tanager, bunting, grosbeak or thrush mixed in.

Wood-warblers are very popular among most birders. In addition to the 12 species that breed in Dare County, plus lingering yellow-rumped and palm warblers, look for the other regularly occurring warblers. Yellow warbler, pretty easy in open habitats with small, brushy trees, especially willows. Magnolia warbler, any wooded habitat, but not easy — listen for its song. Black-throated blue warbler, look in the forest understory. Blackpoll warbler, any wooded habitats — listen for the very high-pitched song. American redstart, usually dancing around high in the trees. Northern waterthrush, in damp woods near water or bobbing up and down on the ground next to the water.

More challenging warblers to hope for in spring include Cape May, Blackburnian and blue-winged warbler. Do you feel lucky? In the “very difficult” category are chestnut-sided, bay-breasted, cerulean, golden-winged, Tennessee, Nashville, and Canada warbler. Most of this last batch are “mountain birds.”

Likely sites for migrant songbirds of all types include Buxton Woods, Bodie Island Woods, Nags Head Woods, Fort Raleigh and vicinity, Kitty Hawk Woods, the Duck boardwalk (edge habitat), and the Corolla Lighthouse area. Other possibilities include patches of woods in any of the southern villages, the woods of Southern Shores, and any wooded areas that are accessible from Sanderling to Corolla, especially those spots closest to Currituck Sound.

Open habitats near water are great places to look for purple martins and a variety of swallows. Tree swallows, bluish above and white underneath, nest in tree cavities and in birdhouses.

One dependable location is on the Coastal Studies Institute’s campus in Wanchese, where several pairs compete with the bluebirds for the boxes. Barn swallows, nesting under bridges, piers and boat docks, as well as in barns, are colorful with a red throat, cinnamon underparts, and a beautiful, long, forked tail. These common birds are wonderful acrobats and amazing to watch as they hunt aerial insects.

Brown and white northern rough-winged swallows, with their distinctive buzzy calls, nest in holes in cliff banks. Bank swallows, challenging to find, are similar to rough-wings but are smaller and have a brown breast band. They have been spotted in recent years in the Buxton campground area and in the Whalehead Club area in Corolla.

Cliff Swallows, with a dark red throat and a buffy rump, are very hard to find on the Outer Banks. They do not nest here yet but are expanding their range. They are nesting under the U.S. 17, Roanoke River bridge in Williamston, as well as under several bridges in the Greenville area.

May is a huge month for shorebird migration, and these birds are mostly in breeding plumage, too. Search the beaches, shorelines, inlets, impoundments and grassy fields for up to 35 or so species of plovers, sandpipers and other shorebirds.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, with its sandy beaches, wet grassy areas, mudflats and shallow waters, is the most obvious place to look first. Bring a spotting scope, if possible, a good field guide and start early. Not only are the birds very active in the morning, but the light is awesome and disturbance from N.C. 12 traffic is minimal.

In the surf zone and on the dry ocean beaches, where traffic is usually not a problem, look for sanderling, willet, whimbrel, red knot, ruddy turnstone, American oystercatcher, black-bellied plover, the rare Wilson’s plover, semipalmated plover and piping plover. Many of the black-bellied plovers will have jet-black underparts — stunningly beautiful! If you spot a Wilson’s plover, an irregular nester in our area, please report it to U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Please stay out of any posted nesting areas.

Along the sound edges on low tides, as well as in the impoundments, look for many of the same birds listed above, as well as many more species. You should certainly spot greater and lesser yellowlegs, ruddy turnstone, semipalmated and least sandpipers, Dunlin, short-billed dowitcher, black-necked stilt, American avocet, black-bellied plover, and semipalmated plover. Solitary, spotted and stilt Sandpipers and marbled godwits are fairly likely, too.

Several species of terns are possible in May. Best locations are along the beaches, especially near the inlets, as well as in the Pea Island impoundments, especially roosting on sand bars. Least terns, gull-billed terns, common terns and black skimmers are beginning to nest on the beaches, while royal and Sandwich terns are setting up house on some of the nearby spoil islands in the sound.

You may also see Forster’s terns, black terns and (huge) Caspian terns on your birding forays. Black terns are very different from the rest; instead of plunging into the water, these small birds feed mostly on insects and other animal prey, usually plucked from the water’s surface. An adult black tern is a very striking bird, almost entirely black and dark gray, they do have a white vent area.

In wooded Outer Banks back yards, the month of May provides you with good potential to see some of the migrant birds mentioned above. A good variety of native trees and shrubs will help tremendously, as will feeders and water features.

Migrant birds that will come to feeders include indigo buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks and Baltimore orioles. Species attracted to water are — virtually all of them. Late afternoon until dusk are good times to sit quietly and watch the bird baths, and remember, moving water is best, by far.

Hope to see you in the field!

Reprinted from The Outer Banks Voice

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a great Christmas holiday and Santa brought some warm winter clothes – or maybe a new pair of binoculars.

Here in North Carolina, far from the North Pole, we live at just the right latitude to enjoy a great host of wintering birds, including waterfowl, water birds, raptors and songbirds. Farther north, the climate can be too severe for many species, especially in midwinter, when freeze up occurs in many bodies of water. So the birds move south, many to the Outer Banks. With our open waters and plentiful food supplies, this area becomes a haven for many species.

So, where do we find these migrants?

Let’s start with the ocean. When conditions are right, and baitfish are close to the beaches, there can be numerous northern gannets, common and red-throated loons, horned grebes and red-breasted mergansers visible from shore. Sometimes they are right in the surf. Look also for scoters. Blacks are most common, followed by surfs and then white-wingeds.

During some winters our shores attract alcids, too, so keep an eye out for razorbills and dovekies, “penguins of the north” they are sometimes called. Super rare birds are sometimes seen, too, like the western grebe that was present just off Kill Devil Hills in December. The ocean piers are great places to check – the pilings attract a variety of sea ducks. Scan through the flocks of gulls, too, occasionally you can spot a solitary Iceland, glaucous or black-headed gull, mixed with the common species.

Oregon Inlet can be a great spot to bird in winter. On north Pea Island, scan the waters on either side of the bridge, and along the rock groin as well. This is a great area to see many of the previously mentioned species, as well as common eider, long-tailed duck and some years a harlequin duck or two (or six). Gripping views can often be had when ducks are feeding around the base of the bridge. Bridges, now, since there are two.

While at the inlet, be sure to check out the land-birds, too, this is one of the best spots in the state for rarities, like snow buntings and rare sparrows. Shorebirds are usually present, sometimes including purple sandpipers. Rare gulls are occasionally spotted in this area, as well. While on Pea Island, most birders spend a few hours birding the impoundments near the visitor center, which are full of waterfowl in January. Refer to my December article for more information.

Don’t forget to check the north side of the inlet. The Oregon Inlet Marina has attracted many a rare bird over the years. Among the buffleheads and horned grebes, look for long-tailed duck, red-necked grebe and common eider. Ross’s Goose and brant have been seen here before, too. Super close looks can often be enjoyed. This is a good area to find a black-crowned night heron.

Winter is a great time to search the beaches for gulls, and the best locations are Cape Point and vicinity, and the Hatteras Inlet area. A four-wheel drive vehicle is helpful. Bad weather days are usually best, especially after extended cold.

In addition to hordes of great black-backed gull, lesser black-backed, herring and ring-billed gull, diligent searching may reward you with a glaucous or Iceland gull. Other rare possibilities include California gull, black-legged kittiwake, black-headed gull and little gull. A few overwintering laughing gulls are possible and dainty Bonaparte’s gulls can be easily found over the ocean.

Many of the loons, grebes, diving ducks mentioned above can be seen from the ferries that run out of Hatteras Inlet and this is perhaps the most reliable way to see Brant, as the sound behind Hatteras Island hosts flocks of these geese during winter, and they are not usually visible from shore.

A fun trip is to ride the free ferry to Ocracoke Island and then take the long ferry, for which there is a fee, from Ocracoke to Swan Quarter, on the west side of Pamlico Sound. Check the ferry schedules, as you’ll probably want the sun behind you for best visibility. You should see northern gannets, loons, grebes and a good assortment of diving ducks, including scoters. Watch for long-tailed ducks.

When you make landfall in Swan Quarter, you have options. You can ride the next ferry back to Ocracoke, or you can visit nearby Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, a great winter birding destination.

The wildlife drive impoundments, near the refuge office at Mattamuskeet, are usually full of waterfowl in winter. You should be able to spot a vast assortment of ducks, geese and swans, as well as coots and grebes. Eurasian wigeon are seen every winter. Bald eagles are common here, seen perched high in trees or flushing the ducks. If the gates behind the refuge office are unlocked, cross the bridge and drive the road behind the lodge to the end and scan from the point. You should see a good assortment of waterfowl here, as well, including canvasbacks, redheads, wigeon and Canada geese.

Although the causeway road across Lake Mattamuskeet does not produce the numbers of waterfowl that it did historically, it is still worth birding. The culverts usually attract buffleheads, ruddy ducks, Forster’s terns and Bonaparte’s gulls and sometimes a rare black-headed Gull will be present.

Also, the vegetation along the water’s edge holds a good variety of song birds each winter. This is easily the best spot in the area for wintering warblers. Orange-crowned and palm warblers are easy and there are usually several more species available for the hard-working birder. It is not unusual to find 10 warbler species during the annual Christmas bird count in late December. Blue-gray gnatcatchers and Baltimore orioles are usually present, as well.

For a real winter adventure, sign up for a pelagic trip to the Gulf Stream. You’ll leave Hatteras early and spend a full day on the water with a nice variety of birds, many of which are just not possible from shore. In addition to hordes of gulls, often including a rare species or two, expect to see lots of spectacular northern gannets, often very close to the boat.

Chum lures birds close in for great views. Species that may be seen during the winter months include such desirables as great skua, pomarine jaeger, parasitic jaeger, northern fulmar, great shearwater and manx shearwater. During some winters, razorbills, dovekies and even Atlantic puffins can be seen. The captain and crew are experienced birders and will help you “get on” the birds. Every day is different and you never know when that bird of a lifetime will appear. In addition to birds, whales and dolphins are often seen. For more information search www.patteson.com or Seabirding.

Reprinted from The Outer Banks Voice

An exciting time of year is upon us!

September jump-started the songbird migration, with a brief pause for a hurricane, and October will keep the birds moving through, on their way to their wintering grounds. There will be plenty of birds to see this month and hopefully some rarities to find.

In addition to a continuing mix of warblers, vireos, tanagers, orioles, cuckoos, thrushes, grosbeaks, buntings and flycatchers, look for our first winter birds to show. Yellow-bellied sapsuckers, red-breasted nuthatches, brown creepers, blue-headed vireos, golden-crowned kinglets, ruby-crowned kinglets, and several wren species will arrive in October. A good variety of sparrows will show up, as well.

The experts predict that this winter will be a “finch winter,” meaning that there should be a greater chance than usual of us seeing pine siskins, purple finches and other northern finches, due to failures in the natural food production of trees up north, so keep your feeders full and your fingers crossed. It could be interesting. One “finch winter” a few years back, we had redpolls, red crossbills, and even white-winged crossbills.

Personally, I’m hoping for evening grosbeaks this winter.

With reference to the wrens, look for sedge wrens and marsh wrens in fresh and brackish marshes. They are shy birds in dense habitat, so it may take some effort to see them. Search for the also secretive, tiny, chocolate-brown winter wren in damp, shady, woodland habitats, especially areas with lots of tangles and fallen trees. House wrens are the easiest to find – look for them in thick shrubby areas, wet or dry. They are usually plentiful along the brushy canal banks at the edge of the fields on the Alligator Refuge.

To find sparrows, search weedy fields for chipping, clay-colored, field, savannah, song, and white-crowned sparrows; the last two species preferring fields with a wooded edge or some high brush in which to hide. Look for bobolinks, too, which share the same habitat. Swamp sparrows prefer moist to wet habitats with thick cover. They are fairly common, especially toward the end of the month. White-throated sparrows prefer dry areas with heavy brush and trees, including backyards.

Salt and brackish marshes are where you can find seaside, Nelson’s and saltmarsh sparrows. You will need long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and boots to protect you from the sharp marsh plants. Strength, balance and endurance are helpful, too.

Several of the above sparrows, especially chipping and white-throated sparrows, will visit bird feeders in yards with good habitat. Scatter some millet or a good quality seed mix on the ground in an area with nearby cover.

October also brings a big increase in waterfowl. Pea Island and Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife refuges are the local hot spots. Puddle ducks especially, should increase in numbers and variety. Look for gadwall, American widgeon, American black duck, mallard, blue-winged teal, northern shoveler, northern pintail and green-winged teal.

Keep a sharp eye out for Eurasian wigeon – one has already been spotted this fall. While scoping for ducks, pied-billed grebes and American coots should be spotted and American white pelicans are a possibility. The first-of-the-season snow geese are usually spotted in October, too, so keep an eye on the sky. Diving ducks usually don’t move in until November, although you may find a few ruddy ducks toward the end of this month. Sea ducks such as surf, black and white-winged scoters should begin migrating south over the ocean in mid-to-late October, so an ocean watch is not out of place. A spotting scope is needed.

Raptor migration is good in October. Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks fly south, terrorizing songbirds, including the ones at our feeders. Northern harriers, American kestrels, merlin, peregrine falcons and red-tailed hawks may also be seen. On days with clear skies and cool, north winds, find a high sand dune, or an observation platform at Pea Island, and do a hawk watch. Start early, although mid-morning is usually best, and enjoy the show.

Shorebirds are still present in October, but diversity drops by the end of the month. Keep an eye out for unusual species, like American golden-plover, Hudsonian godwit, Baird’s sandpiper, buff-breasted sandpiper and any of the three phalaropes: Wilson’s, red-necked or red.

The 22nd annual Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival takes place Oct. 16-21 on the Outer Banks. Considered one of the premier East Coast wildlife festivals, Wings Over Water offers nature-oriented field trips and programs – everything from birding to paddling to photography to astronomy.

Field trip leaders will guide you to the nearby hot spots, including wildlife refuges: Pea Island, Alligator River, Mackay Island, Mattamuskeet and Pocosin Lakes, as well as other wild areas, including the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve in Tyrell County, Nags Head Woods, Kitty Hawk Woods, Pine Island sanctuary, Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. This is one of the few times that you may be allowed access to some of the normally closed areas of the refuges.

The volunteer trip leaders are experts and will do their best to show you a lot of birds. There is also a dinner and keynote speaker one evening. For more information google www.wingsoverwater.org. I hope to see you there.

At home, continue to keep those bird baths clean and filled, with moving water if possible. Fill the bird feeders with fresh, good quality bird seed and put out a cake of suet. Also, keep the hummingbird feeders filled with fresh sugar-water. If you still have hummingbirds coming to your nectar feeders in October, then these are the birds that will probably spend the winter with you. Keep your eyes open for different hummingbirds – sometimes western species turn up in North Carolina during fall and winter.

Head outside on these crisp fall mornings if you can and enjoy nature. It’s a blast!

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast.

Reprinted from The Outer Banks Voice. 

August is here. And, hooray, fall shorebird migration is in full swing.

It doesn’t take these long-distance sandpipers, plovers and company to fulfill their parental duties in the far north, and they’re on their way back south for the “winter” – right through the Outer Banks.

Visit the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge impoundments, ocean beaches and salt flats this month, and you’re apt to come away with a long list of plovers, sandpipers and other shorebirds to your credit.

But what’s the attraction? Why would you want to stand in the sun and heat just to see some old shorebirds? Or any other bird, for that matter? What is it about birds, anyway, that lures people out of their beds at the crack of dawn?

Well, let’s look into it.

Birds are exciting. For starters, they can fly. Watching their behavior can be incredible.

Have you ever watched a black skimmer slice the water in two, skimming for a fish? How about a flock of northern gannets diving into a school of fish from 50 feet high – striking the water like missiles? Awesome!

How about the acrobatics of a couple of hummingbirds competing for that nectar feeder in your yard. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a bald eagle attack a coot, or watched a Merlin chase down a shorebird. Or watched a razorbill flying – underwater.

I could go on and on – but you get the picture – birds are super cool. Birds are really beautiful. What in life is prettier?

Think of the brilliant orange and black Baltimore oriole, or the bright red of our common northern cardinal, with his handsome crest.

Some birds, like painted buntings, are downright gaudy with their blues and greens and reds.

How about the stunning black and white pattern, complete with a long, forked tail, of a swallow-tailed kite.

Flip through any bird book and be amazed at all the colors and patterns. Even the little brown jobs are gorgeous, when you really look at them.

Most birders like the challenges and rewards of searching for and identifying birds, especially new birds – species they’ve never seen before. And the playing field is – anywhere outdoors. What could be better than that?

The quest for rare species is like combining hunting and collecting, except, at the end of the day, there is no game for the table or trophy for the wall.

In birding, you hunt birds, but you don’t shoot, and you collect memories (and photos, sometimes). Like hunting, it takes preparation.

To successfully find the species you’re after, you first need to learn how to identify them. Some species are very unique in appearance and identification is straightforward.

Others can be downright tricky; in fact a few can be identified only by their call.

It also helps to understand their life history – the habitat they prefer, their food preference, the time of year that they are most likely, the time of day they are most active.

Maybe they are easier to find on a low tide, perhaps during a full moon, maybe with a Northwest wind blowing – these things can matter.

Rare birds are usually migrants, and are often birds that are seen only once or twice a year, sometimes less often, usually under certain conditions during a certain season.

Sometimes you can look for 20 years, or a lifetime, without finding a particular “nemesis” target bird. But how rewarding it is when you finally succeed.

More often, rare birds come to you – suddenly, unexpectedly and often for only seconds. That’s why it pays to have studied ahead of time – you’ll already be familiar with their identifying field marks, their song and their habits. By cracking the books before you go out, you’ll be rewarded with a rare sighting instead of going home wondering what it was that got away.

The rarities that are the most exciting of all are the birds that are completely out of range – accidental – like the crested caracara (a Texas and Mexican raptor) that turned up in Buxton a few years ago, or the broad-billed hummingbird from Mexico that spent several weeks at a feeder in Southern Shores this past winter, or the curlew sandpiper, a Eurasian species, that is hanging out at Pea Island, even as I write this article.

These are the birds that birders dream about – the reason they wake up at 5 a.m.

Many bird watchers enjoy keeping lists of the birds they’ve seen. Most have at least a “life list” – a list of all the (wild) bird species that they have ever seen anywhere in the world.

Many also have a “state list” and a “yard list.” Of course, you can keep whatever lists you like: North American list, county list, year list, list of “birds-you’ve-seen-while-surfing” – you get the picture.

These “honor system” lists give birders a little extra motivation and can make the game a little more rewarding and competitive.

Some birders are very competitive, trying to set records for the most birds ever seen in one year (or even in just one day).

A movie was even made about competitive birding, titled “The Big Year,” starring Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson. It was a hoot.

Some people like to go birding for the companionship. They prefer groups and enjoy the social aspects. They may even make new friends.

If you are new to the sport, birding in groups is a good way to learn about birds or at least pick up some birding tips. Plus, with more sets of eyes, more birds can be spotted, potentially.

Birding alone allows one to connect with nature on a more personal level. You can move quietly, at your own pace, listening for the most subtle of sounds. You can study nature at your leisure.

Going solo can be very calming and is a great way to escape your troubles or unwind from a hard day at work.

Personally, as a birder and a photographer, I can be stealthier and approach my subject much more closely if I’m birding alone. I can wait out a bird (or other animal) until it moves into the open, or until it does something exciting, like catches prey.

In general, I enjoy birding alone or with a friend or two if birding for songbirds in the woods, and I enjoy the comradery of groups when scoping for shorebirds or waterfowl, where noise isn’t as much of a factor.

Now, let’s get back to those August shorebirds at Pea Island.

In the plover category, search through the black-bellied and semipalmated plovers for an American golden plover, hard to find, but possible. Look especially in wet, grassy areas.

Look also for piping plovers on the beaches and mudflats. Wilson’s plover is a possibility.

Two of our prettiest shorebirds, black-necked stilt and American avocet, are both present now. Look for them in the impoundments, especially South Pond.

Various sandpipers should be present in good numbers. Sort through them and you should be able to identify at least a dozen species, on a good day.

Of course, they’re all good days if you’re out birding!

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast.

Reprinted from The Outer Banks Voice. 

If you were asked “what is your favorite bird,” what would be your answer, and why?

Would it be a common bird, like a blue jay or a rare bird, like an ash-throated flycatcher? Would it be a large, fierce species, like a bald eagle, or a diminutive one, like a nuthatch?

Maybe a backyard feeder-bird with a great “personality,” like a Carolina chickadee? You can feed chickadees from the palm of your hand if you really try.

How about a really colorful bird, like a painted bunting? I’ll bet that one hits a lot of top 10 lists.

You may be into owls – snowy owl is not a bad favorite – beautiful, graceful and dangerous.

Hummingbirds are a favorite of many people. I know people out west that devote their whole lives to hummingbirds.

How about a bird you’ve never seen – impossible? I’ll bet a lot of people would pick penguin as their favorite.

I have a friend whose favorite bird is a turkey vulture. While “buzzards” have a face only a mother could love, they are actually very fascinating and graceful creatures.

Personally, I don’t have a favorite. When asked, I’ll usually respond with “my next lifer is my favorite” because I love to see new species.

There are many reasons to like birds: their beauty, grace, speed, behavior, personality, song and of course, they can fly. Well, most of them. Those that can’t are usually very fast runners, or really great swimmers, like the penguin.

April presents us with a whole plethora of newly arrived songbirds to choose from.

Dazzling warblers in their bright breeding colors: yellows, greens, blues and oranges, with bold stripes, bars, spots, lines – each species unique and beautiful.

Vireos, painted in various shades of green, yellow, blue and white are a little more subdued but still handsome. Swallows, quick on the wing and good looking, too.

The sassy little blue-gray gnatcatcher, with a long gray and white tail. Shy thrushes, known for their unbelievable songs, begin to arrive by mid-month and continue into May.

Other migrant songbirds arriving include: orchard oriole, indigo bunting, eastern kingbird, great-crested flycatcher, chimney swift, summer tanager, chuck-will’s-widow and of course, our beloved ruby-throated hummingbird.

Where did all these birds come from?

Primarily Central and South America. It was a long-distance flight, with no control tower, no spelled-out flight plan, no guarantee of good weather and no calendar, and yet many (most?) of these birds arrive at the right location (habitat) at the right time, often on the very same day as the year before.

Awesome!

Let us explore the life history of one of our most cherished yard birds – the ruby-throated hummingbird – a real favorite with a lot of people. What’s not to like? They’re beautiful, feisty, tiny and easy to attract to your yard. And they are masters of flight.

They can fly up and down and sideways and backward and can stop on a dime. As small as a ruby-throat is, at just over 3.5 inches long (including the bill) and weighing in at only 0.12 ounces, they still have to make an incredibly long flight each spring from Mexico and Central America, some as close as Florida and others as far away as Panama, to their breeding grounds in the U.S. and Canada.

The males arrive first in early April, set up a territory and start defending it against other males. These are feisty birds. I’ve seen two males lock up and fall to the ground in battle. As I’ve said many times “it’s a good thing they are so small – otherwise, they’d be dangerous.”

When a female arrives about a week later, courtship begins, with the male making looping, U-shaped, high-speed dives from 40 to 50 high to attract her attention.

His wings during these flights, produce a loud buzzing sound and he often chatters as well. As soon as she accepts his advances and mating is over, the male and female have little to do with one another. The female begins the nest building and the male looks for more females.

The nest is a tiny, cup-shaped home, no more than about an inch deep and a couple of inches across. It is constructed of soft plant materials and held together by spider web silk and camouflaged with bits of moss and lichen. The nests are built far out on a downward sloping or horizontal tree limb, often in a small crotch.

On the Outer Banks, I’ve seen several nests in live oaks, a few in dogwoods, one in a maple and one in a loblolly pine. The ones I’ve seen have been from about 8 feet high to around 25 feet high, although they can be higher.

The best way to find a nest is to sit quietly and watch to see which direction the female flies. Eventually, with a little luck, she will lead you to the nest. She lays two tiny, white eggs about the size of Tic-Tacs.

The eggs are incubated for about two weeks. The female then does all the feeding while still protecting her young. The male does not help at all. It takes about three weeks for the nestlings to fledge and when they do, they are full grown and can forage on their own.

Ruby-throats often produce two broods in this area and I actually had a nest in my yard once with eggs in August.

Ruby-throats prefer wooded areas with open areas for feeding; a backyard with lots of flowers is perfect.

Hummingbirds prefer tubular flowers such as cardinal flower, coral honeysuckle, trumpet creeper, red buckeye and bee balm.

Flowers do not have to be red, but hummingbirds are attracted to the color. Nectar feeders work well but must be kept clean and filled with the correct solution of sugar water.

To make the solution, heat up one cup of water to boiling and add one-quarter cup of plain, white sugar – use nothing else. Red dye is unnecessary and may actually harm the birds.

The nectar found at box stores is a huge waste of money. All you need is plain, white sugar and water. Feeders need to be cleaned twice a week. Do not use soap. I prefer the small, saucer-style feeders for their ease of cleaning.

In addition to ruby-throated hummingbirds and all the other fabulous songbirds, April is a great month for shorebirds. Most are in full breeding plumage and are gorgeous.

So get out there and find your next favorite bird!

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast.

Reprinted from the Outer Banks Voice

March, at last. The days are growing longer, the temperatures are rising, shorts are back in style and spring is right around the corner. Sure signs of spring here on the Outer Banks are the return of the ospreys and laughing gulls this month.

For birdwatchers, March is a transitional month. The winter waterfowl are clearing out for the summer and traveling north and west to breed. Neotropical migrants are just starting to show up: beautiful warblers, swallows and gnatcatchers. And, our resident birds are beginning the breeding process, singing and searching for mates.

After the hoard of ducks and swans all winter the Pea Island impoundments in March are eerily quiet.

You can find a few species in March, but you’re better off birding the ocean, where you can still see plenty of birds. In addition to sanderlings and willets, brown pelicans numbers will have increased and they will be gliding by in their formations.

Northern gannets and red-throated loons should still be plentiful, and large flocks of red-breasted mergansers may be found. Look also for common loons and horned grebes. Scoters, or sea ducks, may be seen as they migrate north in their long strings. Near the inlets, look for the return of royal terns and black skimmers.

Razorbills have been plentiful again this winter, and a few should still be around in early March. These are really cool birds that resemble penguins. They are black and white and have a bill like a razor. These birds dive deep for their fish and shrimp prey.

Dainty Bonaparte’s gulls are numerous in March and this is a great time to search their flocks for they are little gull, a visitor from Eurasia. Look for a gull even smaller than the Bonaparte’s that has rounded wings that are dark on the underside.

A spotting scope is a big help in spotting this tiny gull, although persistence and luck are more important!

The first neo-tropical warblers to arrive in spring are yellow-throated warblers, black-throated green warblers and common yellowthroats. Their beautiful songs can be heard on the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and anywhere else the habitat is suitable.

Other songbirds to look for in March are blue-gray gnatcatchers, white-eyed vireos, barn swallows, tree swallows and purple martins, especially toward the end of the month.

In the salt and brackish marshes, you can easily hear red-winged blackbirds and marsh wrens singing. The blackbirds are easier to see than the skulking wrens, though. You may also detect the grunting sounds of clapper and Virginia rails from deep in the grass.

Everyone’s getting in the mood for romance.

In the backyard, cardinals, blue jays, chickadees, bluebirds and the rest of the gang are pairing up and looking for good nesting sites, too.

I hope you have your bird houses cleaned out from last year. Keep those bird feeders filled with seed, especially black oil.

The demand for suet should increase as the temperatures rise.

Around the end of the month, you can put out your hummingbird feeders – the ruby-throats arrive in April. I recommend an ant moat above the feeder to keep out the ants.

If you still have fruit on your holly and pyracantha bushes, look for hoards of cedar waxwings in March. They will also swarm a clean bird bath. These beautiful birds are always a crowd pleaser. In fact, let’s take an in-depth look at this beauty.

Cedar waxwings are arguably one of the most beautiful birds that we have. Theirs is not the flashy, bright beauty of a northern cardinal or a painted bunting, but a more subtle, elegant beauty.

They are a smooth pale brown and yellow with a black mask and sleek crest. Their tail is dipped in lemon yellow and their inner wing tips show red, waxy tips, hence the name – waxwing.

Cedar waxwings travel in flocks most of the year, only disbanding to nest. In our area, waxwings first show up in small numbers in fall and their flocks increase until in late winter and early spring “everybody” is seeing them.

They swarm trees and shrubs that are hanging with ripe berries, eating with an astonishing intensity. Sometimes they even get a little “tipsy” if the fruits have started to ferment.

Their favorite foods during this time of year are cedar (Juniper) cones, firethorn (Pyracantha) berries, privet (Ligustrum) drupes and various holly (Ilex) fruits. I’ve also seen waxwings devouring over-ripe crabapples. Cedar waxwings will also feed on insects and flower petals, especially in spring and summer.

When not feeding, waxwings can be seen perched on high limbs, usually in the sun. If you have good ears, you may hear a high-pitched trilling coming from the flock.

Cedar Waxwings have only begun to — sparingly — nest in our area in recent years. Their nests are most likely to be in pine trees and they are difficult to find.

Usually what gives them away is an adult bird carrying nesting material or food back and forth to a particular tree. I’ve found evidence of nesting cedar waxwings now in Dare, Camden and Currituck counties in recent years.

Cedar waxwings usually begin nesting about mid-May and it extends through the summer. The female usually lays from three to five eggs and they can raise two broods some years. Juvenile birds, once they have left the nest, can be identified by the duller plumage and the streaking on the breast and sides.

While birding this month, keep your eyes peeled for one of the most spectacular birds in the country, the swallow-tailed kite. A few are seen each March and April along the Outer Banks. These unmistakable, black and white raptors, with their long forked tails, have to be seen to be believed.

Swallow-tailed kites are the very essence of grace. They “kite” over the land, plucking insects, small snakes and lizards from treetops.

Although they nest well south of here, they have been recently discovered nesting in southernmost North Carolina, seemingly spreading northward. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Good birding!

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast.

Reprinted from The Outer Banks Voice. 

Cold, windy, dreary February. The perfect month for staying indoors, watching movies (or basketball), catching up on chores and yearning for summer, right? Wrong. February is a great month for birding.

The ocean is full of life, and seabirds are plentiful.

Along our beaches, especially the wide ones like at Cape Point and the inlets, look for rare gulls mixed in with the gull flocks.

An all-white gull can be either an Iceland or a glaucous gull.

Iceland gulls are smaller than our common herring gulls, while glaucous gulls are larger. For specific field marks, refer to a good field guide.

Several other rare gull species are possible, as well. Sort through the Bonaparte’s gulls feeding over the ocean and see if you can spot a little gull, a European species.

Northern gannets can be common to abundant some days over the sea. Watch for huge white birds, with black wing tips, plunge diving from 50 to 100 feet high and at almost 60 mph. They hit the water like arrows, and then pursue fish underwater. They are incredible to watch, especially when present in large numbers. Nesting on rocky islands in the cold waters off Canada, gannets move south to our waters in winter.

For ocean watching, a spotting scope is almost a necessity. On many days, red-throated loons will be plentiful, and there are usually a few common loons to see, too. Sometimes the birds are close to shore, often they are way off the beach.

Always keep an eye out for the rare Pacific loon. On days when horned grebes are fairly common, look for red-necked grebes. Fairly rare here in winter, red-necked grebes are about twice the size of horned grebes and have a large, yellow bill. Again, consult a field guide for details.

Red-breasted mergansers are common in winter in the ocean as well as in the sound. These long-bodied, diving ducks have flat, saw-toothed bills, just right for grasping slippery bait fish. For a closer look at these ducks, check out the marinas in the area. There are often a few mergansers at Oregon Inlet, Wanchese Harbor and the back side of Hatteras Island, especially near the inlet.

Beautiful long-tailed ducks, formerly called oldsquaws, are also found in and around the inlets and near marinas. Another good place to look for them is in Roanoke Sound near the Daniels (“Little”) bridge. You should at least see some buffleheads.

Auks can be seen off our beaches in winter. Razorbills are the most common species seen, but some years we get a few Dovekies, a tiny auk only about 8 inches long. Both of these short and stocky birds are black and white, resembling penguins. They are great divers, with razorbills capable of reaching depths of around 400 feet.

A good place to look for seabirds is from the end of an ocean pier. Mornings are generally better; the birds are in closer and move offshore as the day grows old. While on the pier, check around the pilings for common eiders and scoters; even a harlequin duck is possible. Humpback whales are occasionally spotted in winter, too. If your favorite pier is closed, you may still be able to spot some of these birds from shore, as they feed around and under the pier.

Another good spot for winter seabirds is the south side of Oregon Inlet (North end of Pea Island). Sea ducks, grebes and loons are attracted to the jetty and the bridge pilings, which harbor lots of prey items. One year six harlequin ducks spent the winter here. You may see a harbor seal in this area, as well.

The ferries that run from Hatteras to Ocracoke can be good for some of these species as well.

Keep an eye out for flocks of brant, a dark sea-goose that can usually be seen behind Hatteras inlet in the sound. The longer trips, from Ocracoke to Swan Quarter and Ocracoke to Cedar Island, can usually produce several species of diving ducks, grebes, loons and gannets, as well.

The impoundments at Pea Island, Alligator River and Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuges remain outstanding for many species of dabbling and diving ducks in February.

Get there early while the sun is low. Bad weather is often the best time to look, so don’t roll over and go back to sleep because the wind is howling.

On the Alligator and Mattamuskeet Refuges, raptors are a big draw in winter. Among the red-tailed hawks, northern harriers and bald eagles, you may spot a Swainson’s hawk or a golden eagle, if you’re lucky. More common raptors often seen are red-shouldered, Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks, American kestrel, Merlin and peregrine falcons.

Short-eared owls are sometimes seen at dusk or slightly later, flying over the farm fields, especially from Milltail Road.

A good winter day-trip to take from the Outer Banks is to the Pocosin Lakes Refuge near Plymouth, North Carolina. The impoundments on the refuge hold lots of ducks, swans and coots and the farm fields support a huge population of snow geese and tundra swans each winter.

Among the Snow Geese, keep an eye out for the diminutive Ross’s goose. Among the flocks of swans, hope for a trumpeter swan. If you encounter large flocks of Canada geese, scan them carefully for cackling goose and greater white-fronted goose. This seems to be a good year for them. Sandhill cranes are also a possibility.

If large flocks of blackbirds and grackles are encountered, search carefully for yellow-headed blackbird, a western species. At least one or two are seen each winter. Brewer’s blackbird is another rare possibility.

In wooded habitats, many species of songbirds are taking cover from the winter weather. In addition to the permanent residents, look for hermit thrush, blue-headed vireo, orange-crowned warbler, winter wren, fox sparrow, brown creeper and yellow-bellied sapsucker. Cool, calm, sunny days are usually best.

In your backyard habitats, some of these same species can be seen, if you live near woods. Otherwise, you may be able to attract a good variety of birds to your yard using a variety of feeders and seed, plus a good bird bath or water feature. If you have shrubs with berries you may get big flocks of robins or cedar waxwings.

So, don those winter clothes and get out there. Winter birding on the Outer Banks is amazing.

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast.

Reprinted from The Outer Banks Voice. 

Owls, those phantom creatures of the night.

Their eerie calls raise the hairs on the back of your neck. Their flight is dead silent and the strikes on their prey are swift and lethal. Mysterious for sure, and considered evil by many – the stuff that legends are made of.

To others, especially since the advent of the Harry Potter books and movies, owls are delightful. I’m one of those.

An “owlaholic” you might say. Owls, are awesome; they’re just misunderstood.

So let’s explore the species of owls that call eastern North Carolina home; the permanent residents. Then we’ll take a look at a few of the species that visit the Outer Banks during the winter months. Beware, you may become an addict.

The smallest year-round owl in this area is the eastern screech owl. At 8 to 9 inches long, they are about the size of a man’s hand.

Common birds, they live in forests, swamps, woodlots, even residential sections, if there are plenty of trees — especially old trees with cavities for roosting and nesting.

There could be one in your backyard right now. Like most owls, screech owls are nocturnal and seldom seen by humans.

They have small ear tufts that can be raised or lowered and their color can run from red to brown to gray, and families are often mixed.

Screech owls feed on a great variety of animal life: small mammals and birds, insects, earthworms, snakes and snails. They will even catch fish and sometimes their prey is larger than they are.

Screech owls don’t usually, if ever, screech. Their normal calls are either a high-pitched, descending whinny, similar to a horse, or a lower-pitched, even tremolo. Pair bonding can consist of synchronized duets.

I’ve most often heard screech owls when I’ve stepped outside at night during the cooler months. Occasionally, you can locate one during the day when small songbirds are scolding the poor owl.

You can help attract screech owls to your yard by putting up a large bird house for them. Wood duck boxes work well.

Great horned owls are our owls that actually hoot. These huge beauties — 22 inches long, wing span close to 4 feet and weighing around 3 pounds — are another of our owls with ear tufts; the “horns” that give them their name. They look like the typical “wise old owl.”

They can often be heard calling at night during late fall, winter and early spring. Go outside on a calm night and there is a good chance that you’ll hear one or a pair, if you are near wooded habitat.

Great horned owls nest in winter on the Outer Banks from Corolla to Hatteras, often in osprey nests, since owls do not build their own nests.

Recently a pair has nested in an osprey nest on a channel marker at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center and another in an osprey nest at the government center in Manteo.

Great horned owls use their great night vision and acute hearing to find their mammal and bird prey, and their silent flight and powerful talons to quickly dispatch it.

They feed by swallowing the animal whole or tearing it into bite-sized pieces with their sharp, hooked beak. Afterwards, they regurgitate the undigested bones and fur.

Barred owls, slightly smaller than great horned owls, live in wooded, wet areas. In this area, the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is the most reliable place to find them.

Although primarily nocturnal, they can sometimes be seen during daylight hours, often perched on a low limb over a ditch, hunting for snakes, frogs or crayfish. They will also take small mammals, birds and large insects.

Barred owls lack the visible ear tufts and yellow eyes of the great horned; instead they have round heads and dark eyes. One of the strangest things about barred owls is their calls.

They give a loud “who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-all” and when two or more are within range of one another, they sound even crazier, like a group of monkeys. Sometimes you can call barred owls in by imitating their calls.

Barn owls are the scarcest of our permanent owls, in fact, they are declining on the Outer Banks and may only be occasional winter residents.

Rodenticides and collisions with vehicles are two reasons for their decline. Barn owls get their name from their willingness to roost and nest in man-made structures, such as barns, abandoned homes and grain silos, when they can’t find a suitable tree cavity.

Barn owls are about 16 inches long and are a beautiful tan and white, with a heart-shaped face. Their feeding tactic is to fly over open marshes, grasslands or farm fields looking for mice, rats and other small mammals.

Barn owls produce a blood-curdling screech and have almost given me heart attacks a couple of times. If you wish to see a barn owl in this area, you can try looking for them at dawn or dusk over the marshes on Bodie Island or the farm fields on the mainland.

They are much more common, although still difficult to find, in the Lake Mattamuskeet area.

Short-eared owls, another beautiful species (but aren’t they all?) are winter residents only, arriving around November and leaving in early spring. They are named for their tiny ear tufts, usually hidden from view.

Like barn owls, they prefer to hunt over farm fields and marshes, but unlike barn owls, they roost on the ground. Short-eared owls are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk.

They are mainly silent while in North Carolina, but their barking can occasionally be heard. The most popular place to look for them is on the Alligator River Refuge, from Milltail Road. You can also try the marshes of north Bodie Island.

The short-eared owls come out to feed about the same time that the northern harriers call it a day, just about when it’s too dark to see. A lucky birder may occasionally see one hunting during daylight hours or while roosting on the ground. They feed primarily on rodents.

Our smallest visiting winter owl is the northern saw-whet owl, named for one of the many sounds that they make.

This diminutive species, only 7 or 8 inches in length, spends the winter in a variety of wooded or scrubby habitats, usually roosting during the day in a dense shrub or conifer.

Not rare, but nearly impossible to find while roosting, they can often be approached rather closely if located (I’m still waiting). Strictly nocturnal, and mostly silent while they hunt for small rodents, birds and insects, saw-whets are difficult to find at night, as well.

Go into the woods at night and if you’re lucky, you may hear their monotonous “toot-toot-toot-toot-toot.”

All right, I’ve saved the best for last.

There is a huge, white, arctic owl that only rarely visits the southern U.S. We were astonished here on the Outer Banks four winters ago, when several of them paid us a visit and now it looks like they are going to irrupt again this winter.

At the time of this writing, four have already been seen in North Carolina, including one on Pea Island.

I’m talking about the magnificent snowy owl, of course. Measuring 20-25 inches long, with a 4-foot wingspan and a 4-pound body, these beautiful beasts prey upon mammals and birds, from mice to rabbits and songbirds to waterfowl.

Snowy owls, when they are here, are usually found on the ocean beaches and dunes, the habitat that most closely resembles the arctic tundra where they live and raise their families.

They sit in the open, usually at the base of a small dune or piece of driftwood while they look for prey, and watch out for people. They will hunt day or night.

The best way to find one of these fantastic owls is to walk the beaches — the more secluded the better. If you see one, keep your distance — they usually do not allow a close approach and will flush.

Good luck in your quest!

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast.

Reprinted from the Outer Banks Voice. Each month Jeff Lewis, an expert on birds and bird-watching, writes an article on the subject for the publication.

What does December mean to you? Christmas shopping, decorations, time off work, time with family, candy canes, tinsel and Santa Claus?

To serious birders, December also means waterfowl and Christmas bird counts.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge in December is magical.

The three refuge impoundments are full of ducks, geese and swans (and lots of other birds, too).

To best observe these birds, get there very early for good viewing conditions – sunrise is about right – and, starting at the north end of North Pond, work your way south, stopping in spots safe from fast-moving traffic to scan the ponds. Safe locations include the small parking lot at the north end, the wide, sandy pull-off by the photo blind and the paved parking lot at the visitor center.

Heading south, the shoulder is just wide enough about midway at New Field, the middle impoundment, for safe parking.

Then, there is a nice location at the north end of South Pond to park. Driving south from there, look carefully before pulling off because some spots are firm and others are soft sand. After that, with the sun higher in the sky, I usually turn around, drive back to North Pond and walk the north and south dikes, taking advantage of the observation platforms. A good spotting scope is a real asset.

You should see lots of ducks and swans, Canada geese and maybe snow geese, and lots of other birds.

American white pelicans are common now at Pea Island in the winter, and several species of shorebirds should be visible on any mud flats that are exposed. Wading birds – herons, egret and ibis – should be present, as well. American coots should be easy to find in their big rafts and common gallinule is a possibility, especially at the north end of North Pond, a little ways back toward the west.

Puddle ducks, or dabblers, that are common in December include mallard, American black duck, northern shoveler, gadwall, green-winged teal, American wigeon and northern pintail. You may also find a blue-winged teal or two. Be sure to carefully search flocks of American wigeon for Eurasian wigeon; the drakes will have a red head, creamy yellow forehead and a gray back and sides (see photo).

Diving ducks that are usually present include redhead, sometimes in huge rafts; ring-necked duck; greater scaup; lesser scaup; red-breasted merganser; hooded merganser; bufflehead; and ruddy duck. Canvasbacks can sometimes be spotted in the redhead flocks. Some years, one or more common mergansers are present. The diving ducks are often farther back in the impoundments and may require a spotting scope for good views.

If the ducks suddenly take off, check the skies. This often means that a peregrine falcon or bald eagle is nearby.

While tundra swans are usually scattered everywhere, the best spot for snow geese is often at the south end of South Pond, fairly close to the road. Search through them for the smaller, stubby-billed Ross’s goose.

If you want to add a few more waterfowl to your day’s list, scan the ocean. Black and surf scoters can often be spotted, and a white-winged scoter is possible, too. You will usually see common and red-throated loons, as well, and maybe a few horned grebes.

Inside Oregon Inlet, near the Bonner Bridge, you may also find scoters and even a common eider, long-tailed duck or a harlequin duck, if you’re lucky. At the time of this writing, a rare female king eider had been seen, first near the Bonner Bridge, then in North Pond. Hopefully, it will stick around for a while.

Another great waterfowl location within range of Outer Bankers is Lake Mattamuskeet, about an hour drive from Manteo. The lake itself has been declining in productivity, but the impoundments at Lake Landing and especially Wildlife Drive should be super this winter. Cold, windy days are usually best.

Other good spots to try include the pond at the Bodie Island Lighthouse, the Alligator River Refuge, the Pocosin Lakes Refuge, which is about a two-hour drive west, and Mackay Island Refuge, to the north. Try to time your visit to Mackay when they have their periodic Open Roads Days. These locations are more rewarding if you have a spotting scope.

The National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Counts started in 1900 and are an annual citizen-science tradition in this country.

Count areas are circles with a 15-mile diameter, and they remain the same, year after year. A compiler is in charge of organizing his or her circle, which involves picking a date, recruiting participant birders, providing count sheets and arranging a meeting place afterward to compile the data.

The participants record the species seen as well as the actual numbers – basically taking an inventory of the birds found in his or her section of the circle. The birds are identified by sight or sound, so a good knowledge of birds is desirable. Inexperienced people who wish to learn are paired up with the more experienced birders.

The information gathered is used to determine winter bird distribution, population health, population trends, migration routes, habitat use and even clues to the effects of climate change on populations.

In our area are the following counts: Kitty Hawk, Bodie/Pea, Hatteras, Ocracoke, Alligator River and Mattamuskeet. For more information, check out the Audubon website and follow the links. Locations of the circles and contact information for the compilers in your area should be available.

Woodland, including edges, birds to look for in December include winter wren, blue-headed vireo, red-breasted nuthatch, brown creeper, yellow-bellied sapsucker, eastern phoebe, white-throated sparrow, fox sparrow, hermit thrush, ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglet, American goldfinch, purple finch and pine siskin.

Also, keep an eye out for cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks. Many of these birds will visit the birdfeeders or water features of people living in wooded habitats.

In open brushy or field habitats look for dark-eyed junco, savannah, song, swamp, Lincoln’s, white-crowned, chipping and field sparrows, along with house wren, eastern phoebe, northern harrier and American kestrel, in addition to the year-round residents.

When large flocks of blackbirds are found, look for the rare, but annual, yellow-headed blackbird.

In salt or brackish marsh habitats, you may find Nelson’s, saltmarsh and seaside sparrows and clapper, king, Virginia rail and Sora. Look here also for northern harriers flying low over the marsh. At dusk, you may spot a short-eared owl.

Good birding!

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast.

Learn More

• Audubon North Carolina

Reprinted from The Outer Banks Voice. Each month Jeff Lewis, an expert on birds and bird-watching, writes an article on the subject for the publication.

Cool November temperatures and chilly north winds send us our winter birds.

In wooded habitats, and along the edges, look and listen for yellow-bellied sapsucker, eastern phoebe, blue-headed vireo, brown creeper, winter wren, golden-crown kinglet, ruby-crown kinglet and hermit thrush.

Some of these species are easily overlooked, so let’s look closely at three of them, a trio that nests in the North Carolina mountains.

Yellow-bellied sapsuckers are fairly common here in winter but are easy to overlook. These woodpeckers can be heard drilling into trees or mewing, similar to a catbird, but if you approach too hastily they move around to the back side of the tree, remaining hidden. Stand still for a minute, and they’ll usually show themselves again.

As their name implies, sapsuckers feed on tree sap, and this is the reason for the drilling, of course. Interestingly, a sapsucker will drill various sizes and patterns of holes, depending upon the species of tree. They will peck deep holes, shallow holes, holes in horizontal rows, holes in vertical rows, tightly spaced or distant holes, round holes, oval holes or even shallow flat squares, small or large.

It is incredible how these unique birds have learned how best to harvest the sap from each tree. After the hard work is complete, sapsuckers return periodically to harvest the sap that has collected, which they lick up with their tongue. The insects that get stuck in the sweet sap add a little protein. Sometimes hummingbirds and other species will steal a little of the sap when the sapsucker is not watching. In addition to tree sap, sapsuckers also feed on berries and insects.

Brown creepers are a bizarre little bird. Brown above and white below, and only about 5.5 inches long, a brown creeper looks a little bit like a Carolina wren, except with a stiff woodpecker tail. Their feeding behavior is unique.

Brown creepers start at the base of a tree, usually a large one, and using their stiff tail and down-curved bill for support, creep up the tree in a spiral searching for insects and spiders in the cracks and crevices of the bark. When they reach the top, they simply flutter down to the base of the next tree and start all over again. They remind me of a mouse or a large bug, flat against the trunk.

Brown creepers are very cryptically patterned and are easily overlooked against the brown bark. Even the calls that creepers give are hard to hear, as they are extremely high pitched. Many people cannot hear them at all. So fixated on tree trunks, brown creepers even build their nests, similar to a hammock, under a wedge of bark.

Winter wrens have one of the prettiest songs of any bird, in my opinion, a long, bubbly concoction of about 100 separate notes, but you’re very unlikely to hear one during the winter on the Outer Banks.

They will sometimes sing in spring just before leaving for their breeding grounds, though. Winter wrens are dark brown and tiny, only about 4 inches long, or about the size of a chicken egg, with a head and stubby tail attached. They prefer dense tangles in woods, often in moist habitats, and forage for insects along the ground.

They are considered secretive and hard to see, but mostly, if you sit still for a while, they just ignore humans; I’ve actually had one hop right over my feet. Once you learn the two-note call that they give, a hard “jip-jip,” they become easier to find.

Winter wrens have a peculiar habit of bobbing up and down and they have a very short tail that they keep stuck straight up, so they are easily identified, once found. They mostly forage along the ground for their insect prey.

Other winter resident songbirds that are present by November include orange-crowned warbler, palm warbler, and a good variety of sparrows: Savannah sparrows, song sparrows, swamp sparrows and fox sparrows are four common to uncommon ones. white-throated sparrows and chipping sparrows are common in some of our yards and some years we have good numbers of dark-eyed juncos. Nelson’s and saltmarsh sparrows can be found by trudging through brackish and salt marshes. Unusual to rare sparrows to look for in winter include Lincoln’s, vesper, lark and tree sparrow, to name a few.

By November we are inundated with yellow-rumped warblers, aka butter-butts, so named for their bright yellow rumps. These little birds are found in abundance and in a great variety of habitats; just about anywhere there are some shrubs or trees for a little cover.

Waterfowl are mostly in place by November, especially by the end of the month.

Get out early and scan the pond at Bodie Island and especially the impoundments at Pea Island, Mattamuskeet, Mackay Island and Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuges — many species of ducks are available for viewing. Snow geese and tundra swans should also be present.

Ocean watching can be fun in November.

Northern gannets should be present, flying south or plunge-diving into schools of fish.

On many days large numbers of red-throated loons can be seen, and a few common loons are usually present, as well.

Look for horned grebes, too. Long strings of black scoters and surf scoters can be seen as they migrate south over the ocean and sometimes a white-winged scoter can be seen as well.

Our ocean piers are the best vantage points from which to scan for these birds. You may even see a Humpback Whale. If you’re lucky you may spot a common eider or long-tailed duck or erant; eiders are more often seen around structures like jetties and piers and long-tailed ducks and brant are more often seen in the sounds, especially near the inlets.

One of the best ways to see Brant is to ride the ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke. Some years you can see many of these species inside Oregon Inlet, especially around the Bonner Bridge. Harlequin ducks are even present occasionally.

In the backyard, keep a good variety of bird food out, in feeders and on the ground; this is the time of year when unusual birds sometimes show up at feeders. Look for painted buntings, Baltimore orioles and white-winged doves.

Even western tanagers show up occasionally.

Good birding!

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast.

Reprinted from the Outer Banks Voice

OUTER BANKS – Great weather and great birding are ahead as migratory species flock our way this month and an event next week that is sure to make aspiring birders say, “Wow!”

Birders can expect everything from tiny kinglets to raptors to geese, and maybe a few swans as well. And with cool fall temperatures here, there’s every reason to get outside and enjoy the show.

If you’re new to the game, or just prefer birding in groups, the main session of the 21^st annual Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival takes place Oct. 17 to Oct. 22 on the Outer Banks. An “Encore” session is set for Dec. 8-10.

Considered one of the premier East Coast wildlife festivals, Wings Over Water, or WOW, offers nature-oriented field trips and programs, with everything from birding to paddling to photography to astronomy. Various trips will take you to any one of six nearby wildlife refuges or other wild areas like the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve, Nags Head Woods, Kitty Hawk Woods, Audubon Pine Island Sanctuary and Center and Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.

One of the attractions for me is being able to get into some of the normally closed areas of the refuges. The volunteer trip leaders are experts in their fields and will do their best to show you a good time. Check the WOW website for more details.

This month plenty of waterfowl should be available to enjoy.

All of the puddle duck (dabbler) species should be present, with the diving ducks not far behind.

Snow geese start to show up this month as well. Look especially in those refuges that have impoundments: Pea Island, Mattamuskeet and Mackay Island National Wildlife. The Alligator River Wildlife Refuge should be good, too, if the farm fields have been flooded. Other potentially good spots to try are the Bodie Island Pond and Morgan Futch Game Lands, just across the Alligator River Bridge in Tyrrell County.

October is a big month for raptors.

Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks arrive, wreaking havoc with songbirds, including the ones in our yards. Northern harriers can be seen gliding over our marshes and farm fields, tilting back and forth as they look for rodents. Our resident red-tailed hawks will be joined by their brethren from the north.

Our three eastern falcons, American kestrel, merlin and peregrine falcon, began arriving in late September and should be fairly obvious in October.

Kestrels hunt from a perch, consuming large insects and mice. Super-quick merlin prey on birds, especially shorebirds. Peregrines falcons, renowned for their speed, reaching over 200 miles per hour during their dives, hunt mainly ducks, although a nice, fat pigeon is good, too.

On cool fall days, with clear skies and north winds, it is fun to find a high perch (pun intended), like a tall dune or an observation platform, and watch the migrating hawks.

You may see only a few, or you may see many dozens, winging their way south. I recommend one of the platforms along the Currituck Sound just north of the Dare/Currituck County line. The high platform in the southwest corner of the north pond on Pea Island can also be good, and you have the advantage of being able to view the waterfowl in the impoundment. Mid-morning is generally best. Many other migrants are usually seen, too.

Warbler diversity is still good in early October but begins to lessen by mid-month as these primarily neo-tropical migrants reach their winter destinations in Central and South America. Their numbers remain high, though, as yellow-rumped and palm warblers arrive, many to spend the winter. These are hardy birds.

To make up for the loss of warbler diversity, a dozen or so species of sparrows arrive, many to spend the winter. While not as colorful as warblers, sparrows have a subtle beauty of their own and are a favorite group for many birders.

Some, including the white-throated sparrow, even become backyard birds, feeding on the ground under your feeders. Other species are habitat specialists. Nelson’s sparrow and saltmarsh sparrow, as an example, join our permanent seaside sparrows out in the salt marshes where they spend the winter, not seen unless one specifically tromps through the marsh in search of them.

Shorebird numbers remain high in October, but by the end of the month, their diversity declines. Look for them on mudflats, ocean beaches, large muddy or grassy fields, and along the shorelines of our sounds and inlets.

Many of our “winter” songbirds arrive in October. In addition to the already mentioned sparrows, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, eastern phoebes, blue-headed vireos, brown creepers, golden-crowned and ruby-crowned kinglets, American goldfinches and hermit thrushes arrive this month.

House, sedge and winter wrens also appear – yes, we have a few house wrens year-round. Marsh wren numbers increase as migrants join the year-round birds in the fresh and brackish marshes. Some years we get red-breasted nuthatches, pine siskins and purple finches, mostly during years when their natural food plants in the north have not produced well.

To best locate woodland songbirds, seek out areas that are heavy with native plants that produce fruit or attract insects.

Some of the best are flowering dogwood, tupelo gum, Virginia creeper, American beauty-berry, wax myrtle, muscadine grapes and pokeweed, just to name a few.

The more natural the habitat the better; manicured environments hold very few birds.

In more open habitats, look for areas dense with native grasses and goldenrod, great spots for sparrows and a few of the lower-feeding warblers. On cool fall mornings, look for the sunny edge of a patch of dense woods; this edge is sometimes teeming with life.

I have to tell you that, as I write this article, I am distracted by birds in and around the water feature, a tiny pond and a bird bath with a drip, that was strategically installed just outside my dining room window. My visitors, so far, include an American redstart, a northern parula, a black-and-white warbler, a black-throated green warbler and a couple of red-eyed vireos, not to mention the year-round cardinals and chickadees. I took a quick break, went outside, and added a Baltimore oriole and a yellow-billed cuckoo to my list.

Life is good!

So, let’s end this in the backyard. Continue to keep those bird baths clean and filled, with moving water if possible. Keep the hummingbird feeders filled with fresh sugar water. Fill the bird feeders with a good quality mix of seeds, making sure to scatter some on the ground. Put out suet or peanut butter, and enjoy the birds.

Learn More

• Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast. You can read other stories about the Outer Banks here.

Reprinted from the Outer Banks Voice

OUTER BANKS — Fall migration is a magical time for birders.

We weather the summer heat and eagerly turn the calendar pages while we anticipate clear fall mornings, cold fronts and trees dripping with warblers.

Amateur meteorologists, we study the weather maps and wait for the right forecast. Over and over, the long range forecast looks good, then changes at the last minute. Northeast or southerly winds will just not suffice.

Of course, we arrive too early; we always do. The sun is still down and the skies seem empty. But then we hear it — that first call note, a tiny “zeet” — a warbler. Soon followed by another and another.

Migrants are coming in. Many birds are high, and can’t be identified; some fly right by us, within arm’s reach. Others drop down into the shrubs like pellets of hail. Frustration and joy at the same time.

The day awakens and soon we are looking at warblers, orioles, flycatchers, and vireos, some in flight and others perched here and there in trees, shrubs and even on the ground. Some linger for two minutes – some for two seconds, so we quickly get on them with our binoculars.

A yellow warbler here, an American redstart there and a trio of Baltimore orioles in the distant snag. Several bobolinks just flew over, calling.

The orioles are gone now and have been replaced by an eastern kingbird — and here come three more. Now another oriole lands, flushing the kingbirds; this one’s an adult male — such a gorgeous bird. And a small green bird just disappeared into the bushes right in front of us. Maybe a vireo?

This frantic action goes on for a couple of hours, then the birds are gone.

Part of the fun is simply seeing and identifying the colorful migrants.

One of the goals is searching for unusual species. One of the most fascinating things is just getting caught up in the migration, feeling the energy of it all.

Where did these awesome birds come from? When did they leave? How far did they travel last night to get here? Why did they come to this exact spot at this exact time? Where are they headed next?

So what exactly is fall migration and how can birders predict which days will be best?

Many species of birds are permanent residents. They stay put year-round. Good examples are some of our backyard birds: cardinals, mourning doves, towhees and chickadees.

Many other species have a home base, but move each spring to a better place to breed — a location where food is abundant when the eggs hatch. Each species has its own location, habitat requirements and its own schedule, requirements for successful breeding that are passed down from generation to generation.

Let’s look at wood-warblers, a colorful and popular group of birds.

Most of our migrant warblers nest in North America and/or Canada but spend the rest of the year in the West Indies, Central America or South America. Quite a round trip for birds the size of chickadees.

Blackpoll warblers, for a great example, fly from the boreal forests of Northern Canada all the way to eastern South America, often in a nonstop flight over the Atlantic Ocean of almost 1,800 miles in three days. Not bad for a bird weighing in at just 12 grams and measuring 5½ inches long. Some blackpolls even make the trip from Alaska, crossing the entire continent before reaching the ocean.

In fall, when nesting is over and it’s time to head home, warblers wait for the right conditions to make the journey easier. They prefer to migrate at night, for several reasons. First, to avoid predators. Second, because temperatures are normally cooler and skies less turbulent at night, making navigation easier. Third, because food is easier to find during the day, so they stop then to “refuel.” Migrants also prefer a tailwind to help push them along, saving energy. Since they are flying south in fall, this means they need a north wind.

They have complex, predetermined routes, but their timing is about the same each year, so they are fairly predictable. This helps birders know when to look.

What is important to birders on the Outer Banks is that one of the routes that many songbirds take during fall migration is along the Atlantic coast. On those occasions when the north winds that are aiding their migration are actually out of the northwest, the birds are sometimes pushed out to sea during the night.

Morning arrives and (yikes!) the birds realize that they have no land on which to stop, rest and refuel, so they turn around and fly back in the direction from which they came, northwest, to try and get back on track.

When they finally reach land, if they do, they are often exhausted and drop down into the first vegetation they find to rest. This is the scenario that enables birders to see so many songbirds first thing in the morning after a strong northwest wind.

So where are these “hot spots” for songbird migrants? The north end of Pea Island, the dikes between the impoundments at Pea Island, the north end of Roanoke Island, the sound front in Duck and in the village of Corolla, near the lighthouse.

Other spots that can be good are Bodie Island woods and Nags Head Woods, although there are a lot of habitats available there for birds to disperse. Sunny edges of habitat are generally good spots to try, rather than deep in the woods, especially in the morning.

Birding for shorebirds can also be great in September, with around 35 species possible. Best bets are mudflats around the inlets or impoundments. Water levels make a huge difference.

If the impoundments are high, shorebirds can be harder to find. If water levels are low, check Mattamuskeet — the impoundments and the lake itself. If rainfall has been plentiful, check out any flooded lawns: Bodie Island, Wright Brothers, the Manteo Airport, turf farms, even campgrounds can hold birds.

Several species of ducks migrate to the Outer Banks in September. Scope the local impoundments for gadwall, American wigeon, American black duck, mallard, blue-winged teal, northern shoveler, northern pintail and green-winged teal.

Wetland birds to look for in September are pied-billed grebe, American bittern, Virginia rail, sora and American coot.

Raptors that show up in September include northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, American kestrel, merlin and peregrine falcon, especially later in the month.

At home, keep those feeders and water features clean and filled. During fall migration there is no telling what may show up.

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast. You can read other stories about the Outer Banks here.

Reprinted from the Outer Banks Voice

OUTER BANKS — We are very fortunate to live in an area that hosts so many fascinating animals. We enjoy dolphins, sea turtles, alligators, black bears, foxes, bobcats, even the occasional manatee — just to name a few.

We also have a huge variety of really cool birds. One of the most unique and amazing is the brown pelican.

The brown pelican is a large water bird with an oversized bill, long neck, webbed feet and a large, gray-brown body.

Immature birds are darker than adults, appearing chocolate-brown all over. As large as they might seem, with a length of around 48 inches and a wingspan of 84 inches, brown pelicans are the smallest of the eight pelican species on earth.

Their bizarre bills are characterized by a wicked, down-curved hook on the end of the upper mandible and a large, expandable throat pouch – like a beach ball – underneath. Pelicans are elegant, masterful fliers, plunge-dive like an Olympian, are great swimmers, with their big, webbed feet, yet appear rather awkward, even comical, when standing or walking on land.

Brown pelicans live here year-round in our coastal marine habitats. They are easily seen over the ocean, in the inlets and in the sounds. But don’t take them for granted — it was not always that way.

Habitat destruction and especially pesticides nearly eliminated brown pelicans from North America in the 1960s and early 1970s.

The pesticide Endrin was killing the birds outright and DDT was causing the egg shells to become too thin to be incubated: They simply broke under the weight of the pelican. Through enormous conservation efforts, including the banning of DDT, brown pelicans gradually recovered and are common now.

Along our coast, synchronized squadrons of brown pelicans can be seen as they head to and from their fishing grounds, gliding above the surf, rising and falling to stay just above the waves.

They use a phenomenon known as “ground effect” to reduce drag and increase lift. As the air flows between their wings and the surface of the ocean, it is compressed and exerts an upward force on the pelican, providing lift and saving energy.

In addition, the formations in which the pelicans fly reduce wind drag on all but the lead bird, again making it easier to fly. At times, you may even see pelicans soaring high in the sky, like vultures. They are riding thermals, heat rising from the earth, to give them lift, again saving precious energy.

A brown pelican eats mostly menhaden, mullet and other small fish that form schools near the surface of the water.

It feeds by diving into the water head-first, sometimes from as high as 50 or 60 feet. During a dive, it tucks its head and rotates its body to the left to protect, or cushion, the right side of the neck, where the trachea and esophagus are located. When the bird hits the water, the pouch expands to help trap the fish.

Once the fish is captured, the pelican comes up and drains the water, about 2.5 gallons, from its pouch. It is at this point that gulls will sometimes try to steal the fish right from the pouch. They will even boldly stand on the pelican’s back or head.

Brown pelicans occasionally feed by sitting on the surface and seizing prey with their bills, like other pelican species, usually when a dense school of fish is close to the surface and the water is too shallow and muddy to plunge. They also steal food from other seabirds, scavenge dead animals and eat invertebrates such as shrimp. They can also become acclimated to humans and will hang out around fishing boats and piers, begging for handouts.

Pelicans stay water-resistant by coating their feathers with an oily secretion from preen glands located on the backs of their heads.

In late winter, as breeding season approaches, the back of the neck molts into a dark brown and the top of the head turns a bright yellow.

Pelicans breed in colonies in our sounds — usually on small islands where they are free from terrestrial predators.

The male locates and defends a potential nest site and perches nearby for up to three weeks, performing a head-swaying routine until he attracts a mate. Pelican nests, made of sticks and lined with grasses and seaweed, are built on the ground or in shrubs or trees.

The more experienced birds build on higher ground than do the rookies. The males bring the materials and the females construct the nests. Once the eggs, typically one to three, have been laid, the parents incubate — with their feet. If suddenly disturbed, pelicans may fly hastily, sometimes crushing their eggs, so it is important to stay away from nesting colonies.

Once the young have hatched, both adult pelicans regurgitate semi-digested fish onto the nest floor, later switching to fresh fish once the young are large enough. The young can fly and fend for themselves after about three months, but it takes three to five years to reach sexual maturity.

Brown pelicans are basically quiet birds but will make grunting sounds when at the breeding colony. The chicks are generally very noisy, and if you ever approach a nest, the young birds will lunge and snap at you.

Although the brown pelican story is a happy one, they still face threats, from habitat degradation to pollution to sea-level rise to entanglement in fishing gear and, on the Gulf Coast, oil spills.

Other Shorebirds

In addition to pelicans, coastal birders in June can find a good variety of terns, most of them nesting. Shorebirds will be present in small numbers until they begin to return in July from the breeding grounds. Egrets and herons are nesting as well, and when seen are usually busily catching prey to feed their young. Osprey should be feeding young, as well.

In the woods it’s the same story. The songbirds are feeding young, whether they are warblers, wrens or woodpeckers. This includes your backyard, where the cardinals, mockingbirds, brown thrashers, mourning doves and chickadees are all busy with new families. You can help them out by providing suet and clean water.

Learn More

• Audubon: Priority Birds: Brown Pelican

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast. You can read other stories about the Outer Banks here.

Reprinted from the Outer Banks Voice

Now that winter has settled in, it’s time to don a couple of extra layers and get outside. This is the best time of year to visit the local wildlife refuges to observe waterfowl.

Pea Island, Alligator River, Mackay Island and Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuges are hosts to lots of ducks, geese, swans and other water birds this time of year.

When you set a date, plan to get up early; birding is almost always best in the morning. Birds are active, the light is good and the traffic and other human noise are reduced. Early morning is also the best time to see big flocks in the air as noisy geese and swans move from roosting areas to feeding areas.

My personal favorite locations are North Pond at Pea Island right at sunrise, the Mattamuskeet causeway slightly before sunrise, Mattamuskeet’s Wildlife Drive anytime in the morning, and the Alligator River refuge at sunset. These favorite places are magical on cold, clear, calm days.

A little farther away, the farm fields near the refuge headquarters on the Pocosin Lakes Refuge near Plymouth can be amazing just before dark. If you can hit it just right, the winter flocks of snow geese and tundra swans all lifting off at one time to head for their roosts on Pungo Lake can be a thrilling experience.

If you simply must hibernate during cold weather, fear not, you can still get your bird fix.

Winter is the best time of year for feeder watching. Natural foods like insects and fruits are often in short supply, especially in more northern latitudes, and birds are naturally attracted to well-stocked feeding stations. For best results, offer a variety of bird food in a variety of feeders.

The No. 1 bird seed in this area is black oil sunflower seed. Chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, cardinals, white-throated sparrows, towhees, goldfinches, house finches, mourning doves, blue jays and woodpeckers all love these small sunflower seeds.

A tube feeder is the most popular choice for most of these birds, but the cardinals, doves, towhees and sparrows would prefer to feed on or near the ground. A low platform or hopper feeder is more to their liking, or you can just broadcast a couple of handfuls on the ground every day or two.

Thistle seed is very good for finches, especially those smaller-billed finches, such as goldfinches and pine siskins. These tiny, expensive seeds require a special tube feeder or sock.

White proso millet is good for a variety of sparrows, and the doves really love it, as well. This is what you must have if you want to attract painted buntings, which we do have in small numbers on the Outer Banks in winter.

White millet is best offered on a low platform feeder or on the ground, although most any feeder style will work for the buntings.

Peanuts attract a lot of birds, especially the ones already shelled or in pieces. Chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, Carolina wrens, various woodpeckers and blue jays love them. The standard tubular wire peanut feeder works well; the birds can peck the peanuts through the openings.

It’s hard to beat a good seed mix if you can find it. The good mixes will be composed of black oil sunflower, white millet, safflower, peanut pieces and sometimes dried fruit.

Almost all of the seed mixes offered at the “big box” stores contain filler that few of the birds eat – canary seed, milo, corn and wheat – and are just a waste of money.

Bird specialty stores usually carry the best seed mixes. They may cost a little more, but there is less waste. These mixes can be offered to the birds in a tube feeder, hopper feeder or platform feeder.

Suet is a popular food to attract birds. Many birds are naturally insect eaters and prefer suet, which is beef fat, to seeds. Suet cakes are readily available commercially and all brands and flavors will work to a certain extent, but some are better than others. If you have the time, you can even make your own, which are superior to the store cakes.

Suet cakes are normally offered to birds in little wire cages that can be hung up by a chain or mounted on a board.

Woodpeckers, nuthatches, wrens and many other birds love suet. Sometimes birds not usually attracted to feeders, including warblers, orioles, brown creepers and tanagers, will show up at suet feeders.

Raccoons love suet, too, so if you have a raccoon problem, you may want to purchase the hot pepper variety. The “heat” does not affect the birds.

Water, especially moving water, is the very best way to attract the greatest variety of birds to your yard.

Most birds do not even eat birdseed, but all birds need water, both for drinking and bathing. It is vital that birds keep their feathers in tip-top shape.

Shallow bird baths are superior to deep ones and it helps to place a rock in the bath, which gives the birds more confidence. Birdbaths need to kept clean and once again, moving water is best. This can be accomplished using a drip irrigation device that allows a controlled drip into the birdbath, or with a small pump that sends up a spray from a small pond or tub.

Regardless of what you feed your birds, or how nice your water features are, you will have better luck by far if your habitat is right. This means having a good variety of native trees and shrubs on your property and enough cover for the birds to feel safe.

There are numerous websites and books available to help you choose the proper plants to improve your yard and winter is a perfect time for such projects.

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast. You can read other stories about the Outer Banks here.

Reprinted from the Outer Banks Voice

October is a special month for birders on the Outer Banks.

Waterfowl are flocking in. Most of our dabbling, or puddle, ducks arrive this month. Check out the impoundments on the Pea Island, Mackay Island and Mattamuskeet national wildlife refuges, as well as the pond on Bodie Island.

American wigeon, blue-winged teal, northern shoveler, northern pintail and green-winged teal should be easy to find. Gadwall, mallard and black duck numbers increase this month as migrants join our year-round populations.

Late in the month, a few snow geese and diving ducks may show up – but that’s mostly a November thing. Our local Canada geese (watch where you step!) populations will be increased by the “real” ones as they migrate down from the north.

As far as sea ducks go – a few start “stringing out” over the ocean late in October but November is a better month to look for them.

October’s Raptors

Our raptor species list during the breeding season is pretty slim: ospreys, a few red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks in our wet forests, a few bald eagles and very few – but increasing numbers of – Cooper’s hawks.

In October, most of our ospreys leave us for warmer climes, but we have a whole host of other raptors pushing through, some continuing south, others here to stay for the winter.

The woodland hawks that arrive are sharp-shinned hawks and Cooper’s hawks, the bane of backyard birdwatchers. These bird-eating accipiters like to find successful feeding stations and set up residency, much to the chagrin of the local mourning doves and blue jays.

Our local red-tailed hawks are joined by a wave of their overwintering brethren from the north – competition for the rats and rabbits.

Northern harriers, or marsh hawks, arrive this month to help keep the rodent population down to manageable levels. They can be seen – look for the white rumps – drifting low over marshes and farm fields as they search for their next meal.

Falcons began showing up in September but are here in greater numbers this month.

The beautiful American kestrel, or sparrow hawk, the quick-as-lightning and slightly larger merlin and the powerful and famous peregrine falcon are all present in October.

Kestrels are easy to find on the Alligator River National Wildlife Reserve and on utility lines across the state where they feed primarily on large insects and mice. Merlin and peregrine numbers peak in October and can be found mostly around wet habitats. The impoundments at the Pea Island National Wildlife Reserve and the Cape Point area in Buxton are two good places to look.

Merlin feed on songbirds and shorebirds. Peregrine falcons feed primarily on shorebirds and ducks. They are incredible predators and have been clocked at more than 200 mph during dives.

Our bald eagle population increases in fall and winter as migrants join the local populations. They tend to congregate around the best feeding areas – places where there are plenty of fish, or habitats rich with waterfowl.

These majestic raptors are big, strong predators, but will also gladly eat carrion if it is available. Eagles can be reliably located on the Alligator River and Lake Mattamuskeet national wildlife refuges.

Shorebirds and Songbirds

Shorebird migration, which has been ongoing since July, continues this month.

A few species are long gone: black-necked stilt and upland sandpiper, to name a couple. Several sandpipers are nearing the end of their fall migration: spotted sandpiper, solitary sandpiper, stilt sandpiper, white-rumped sandpiper, pectoral sandpiper, semipalmated sandpiper.

Others, like greater yellowlegs, sanderling, dunlin, short- and long-billed dowitchers and Wilson’s snipe are just settling in for the winter. Look for them in the appropriate wet habitats.

Willets, here year-round, actually serve their terms in shifts. Our eastern willets, here during the summer, are replaced by their look-alike western willets during the fall and winter. Both can be found on our ocean beaches, along with the little “wave-chaser” sanderlings.

Songbirds undergo a changing of the guard, as well.

Many of our breeding birds leave us this time of year: indigo buntings and blue grosbeaks, orchard orioles, yellow-billed cuckoos, red-eyed vireos, blue-gray gnatcatchers and chimney swifts, to name a few. All of our swallows leave for the winter, except for tree swallow, which increases a hundred-fold as swarms of birds from the north move to North Carolina for the winter.

All of our flycatchers also depart, replaced by only the eastern phoebe, except for occasional western rarities, in winter. Almost all of our beautiful, neo-tropical wood-warblers exit for Central and South America.

Out of 17 species of warblers that nest in Eastern North Carolina, only two are hardy enough to remain for the winter, pine warbler and common yellowthroat. They are joined by orange-crowned, palm and yellow-rumped warblers as the only winter representatives of this large family in our region.

One of the most overlooked and under-appreciated families of birds that arrives primarily in October is the sparrow family, emberizidae. This family includes our beloved back-yard eastern towhee, found here year-round, dark-eyed junco and white-throated sparrow, as well as many others.

In various open habitats you can look for chipping sparrow, field sparrow, savannah sparrow, vesper sparrow, and lark sparrow. In brushy areas seek-out song, Lincoln’s and white-crowned sparrows. In swampy habitats you can find swamp sparrows. In wooded areas white-throated and fox sparrows are likely. And there are others, some that just pass through and some that spend the winter. These “little brown jobs” can be a very challenging and rewarding family of birds to look for and identify.

October for backyard birdwatchers means, in addition to keeping the year-round birds happy, watching for rose-breasted grosbeaks, indigo buntings, red-breasted nuthatches and Baltimore orioles.

If you live in an area that is heavy with wild muscadine grapes, then you probably have orioles. You can often hear them chattering in the treetops even if you can’t see them. Sometimes nectar feeders or grape jelly will lure them down. Ruby-throated hummingbird numbers will decline in October, but for those Outer Bankers who leave their feeders out, a new, overwintering crop of hummers should show up late in the month.

And keep an eye on those birdbaths, as any number of migrant songbirds may show up for a refreshing dip or drink.

Wildlife Festival Continues

Here on the Outer Banks we have the Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival held each October. Dozens of birding, paddling, photography and natural history trips are offered, led mostly by local or regional experts. There are also refuge tours, workshops and programs offered. The 20^th anniversary festival began Tuesday and continues through Sunday.

For more information, visit www.wingsoverwater.org or call 252-216-9464.

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast. You can read other stories about the Outer Banks here.

Reprinted from the Outer Banks Voice

Did you know that the “dog days of summer” actually coincide with the start of fall bird migration?

A common misconception about fall migration is that birds are flying south simply to avoid the cold temperatures of winter. Not so much, although this is certainly true for some species.

Instead of providing escape from a frozen environment, migration is more about relocating to an area with a richer food supply.

Just as birds fly north in spring to breed and raise their young in a habitat saturated with food, they return south when their parental duties are over, back “home” where living conditions and food are perfect.

Shorebird migration for many species is in full swing in August. Nesting primarily in the arctic or subarctic, those duties are winding down and the birds are beginning to head south. Amazingly, the adults of many species pack up and leave their young behind on the breeding grounds. The juvenile birds migrate later on their own, yet they somehow know when and where to go.

There are close to 40 species of shorebirds that can (possibly) be seen in North Carolina in any given year, each on their own schedule. A few, like American oystercatchers, don’t bother to migrate at all and can be seen here year-round. Most species, however, are long-distance migrants. American golden plovers nest in the high arctic of Alaska and Canada and then fly all the way to southern South America and back each year.

Our own Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge along the Outer Banks is a hotspot for seeing these amazing frequent flyers. Check the impoundments, mud flats, inlets, ocean beaches, even grassy lawns, as each species has its own particular habitat preference.

Other spots to check are the shorelines of our sounds and bays during low tides, when the mudflats are exposed. As with most nature-watching, early morning is often the best time for this pursuit.

Some of our North American woodland songbirds begin migrating in August, as well, some even in July. As with the shorebirds, it’s a case of when the nesting job is done. Look for yellow warblers and American redstarts, among others, in August.

Those in Dare County are treated to a huge purple martin spectacle each fall. As these familiar swallows prepare to head south for the winter, they congregate and roost by the tens of thousands each evening at the William T. Umstead bridge across Croatan Sound.

If you haven’t made the trip to the Manns Harbor at the west end of the bridge in late July or August to see the spectacle, you owe it to yourself to do so. It really has to be seen to be believed. Mid-July to mid-August is the actual peak, with up to 100,000 birds present each evening. You will need to be in place just before dusk to enjoy the bird spectacle … and the sunset.

Of course, there are many exceptions to the summer-is-fall migration pattern. Some birds, most notably our waterfowl, do indeed migrate later in the year, during the human-determined “real” fall. So there is plenty to look forward to.

Back to our current dog days of summer. In the back yard, please keep your water features clean and full; it is vital that birds have a reliable source of clean water this time of year. Moving water, from a fountain or drip is best. This keeps the water more fresh and mosquito-free. Also, moving water attracts more birds to your yard for you to enjoy. Shallow bird baths are more attractive than deep ones.

If you have sugar-water feeders in your yard for hummingbirds, you may notice that the numbers of these tiny flying jewels visiting your yard are peaking this month. Please keep these feeders clean and filled; change them out at least twice a week whether the nectar is gone or not. If you hang your feeders in the shade the solution will stay fresh longer.

Keep cool, enjoy August and look forward to September — when bird migration really heats up.

This story is provided courtesy of the Outer Banks Voice, a digital newspaper covering the Outer Banks. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Voice to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest about our coast. You can read other stories about the Outer Banks here.