Blog Archives

THE GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER

7/19/2020

Before I get into discussing the star of todays journal, I want to welcome back all visitors to the site, especially the many of you who returned this past week after the site has been down and under repair for so long. I really appreciate that my readers did not totally abandon me after such a long time. I needed to clean up many old archives and I tried to make some parts easier to navigate, especially the National Refuges and the State and Local Parks sections. I believe those areas will now be easier to navigate. During the "off" time, I have been actively birding in my home area. With tne pandemic, travel has not really been possible, but I hope to get to some distant sites this fall if things ease up.I have already posted some recent journal articles covering trips during the spring, and I hope you have had a chance to review those. BUT, A HEARTY WELCOME BACK TO ALL!!

Today, I want to highlight some pics of one of our most plentiful and widespread birds across the country, the Great Crested Flycatcher. They winter south to Mexico, Florida, and other southern locations, and are regular nesters in the US, almost nationwide and into southern Canada. They are cavity nesters and one of their unique nesting behaviors is placing at least one snakeskin in their nest! I suppose this helps ward off other predators! In Cherokee Indian lore these birds have the quality of being "great defenders" of their tribe, and of assuring success in sports. You can usually find them near tall trees that border open spaces. The pics below were taken at Goose Creek State Park and at The Field.

SEE GALLERY BELOW. CLICK ON ANY PIC TO ENLARGE. SCROLL UP OR DOWN TO SEE MORE RECENT POSTS, OR CLICK ON ARCHIVES BY DATE ON THE RIGHT FOR OLDER ENTRYS.

0 Comments

FORT MACON,NC-SPRING 2020

7/8/2020

0 Comments

One of the few things I have been able to do during the Pandemic for recreation and to get out of the house safely is to pursue my photo interests. Fort Macon State Park on the NC coast has always been one of my favorite spots, and so I have been there several times this spring. I have not been disappointed. There are always birds here, and the coastal views are refreshing.

A treat in the spring is the arrival of the Painted Buntings. This area is about the northern boundary of this special bird's nesting range as they come up from Florida and other southern areas. They are more plentiful in South Carolina coastal areas, but you can find them from this area and south in NC. They are such beautiful birds, I am always newly impressed when I see the first one each spring.

The pictures below were taken over several trips here since March. See gallery below.

SEE GALLERY BELOW. CLICK ON ANY PIC TO ENLARGE. SCROLL UP OR DOWN FOR MORE RECENT ENTRIES, OR CLICK ON ARCHIVES ON RIGHT FOR OLDER POSTS BY DATE.

0 Comments

RIVER PARK NORTH GREENVILLE, NC.

7/7/2020

0 Comments

This RIVER PARK NORTH -Greenville, N.C. is where I first got really involved in birding. It is my "hometown" local park, and has afforded many pleasant and productive hours of quality bird watching! Over the years, the park has increased the number of visitors and human activities and this has reduced the wildlife population, so that photography opportunities have decreased as you might expect. It continues to be an excellent birding site however, with a diverse and seasonal abundance of residential and migratory species present. It continues to provide good birding opportunities. Below is a sampling of photos taken here over this spring(2020).

SEE GALLERY BELOW. CLICK ON ANY PIC TO ENLARGE. SCROLL UP OR DOWN TO SEE OTHER RECENT POSTS. CLICK ON ARCHIVES ON RIGHT FOR EARLIER ENTRIES.

0 Comments

THE FIELD SPRING 2020

7/5/2020

0 Comments

During the Pandemic, The Field, as always, has been my place of solace and spiritual renewal. There is always something fresh and uplifting to experience there. Around the seasons the changes in flora and wildlife offer a continuous flow of events of wonder and beauty. During this spring season, I have enjoyed the seasonal colorful nesting birds that return each year to brighten this time of renewal. Tanagers, Indigo Buntings, Common Yellow-throats, Yellow=breasted Chats, Blue Grosbeaks, and White-eyed Vireos are a few.

For a few pictures taken here over the past few weeks, see the gallery below

0 Comments

VOA SITE C NORTH CAROLINA

7/4/2020

0 Comments

This article is being prepared during May while the Corona-virus is in full swing in North Carolina. This web site is under construction so you will not see it until probably sometime in early July along with several new posts. I am grateful that during this time when most folks are home-bound that I can still get out into nature and attempt to gather a few pictures. The birds don't seem to mind and it is a great escape. I highly recommend it! Cheap too! Well, that is after the $$ for camera and lens!

This old Voice of America site has only recently been taken over by the N.C. Wildlife Service and is a great birding location, especially for some of our most colorful birds including Prairie Warblers, Goldfinch, Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks, Yellow-breasted Chat, Common Yellowthroat, and many others. It is also a known breeding site for the Henslow,s Sparrow, which I have so far not been able to capture in a photo. The pictures below were done on an early day in May. The Bald Eagle pics were taken at a catfish farm nearby. See Gallery below.