Red-headed Woodpecker

Melanerpes erythrocephalus

07.24.2011 - Falls Lake, NC

The Red-headed Woodpecker is by far my favorite east coast woodpecker. In the Piedmont of North Carolina they're rather locally distributed, but in the right habitat they can be extremely common. At sites like Mason Farm, Flat River, or Falls Lake, you're hard-pressed to be out of earshot of these beautiful birds.

10.14.2011 - Falls Lake, NC

In mid-October of 2011, James and I got to view this Red-headed Woodpecker at very close range while we walked to the Will Suitt mudflats on Falls Lake. The bird was gathering acorns and hammering them into various nooks and crannies in a tree, presumably to save them for colder months. In doing so, the bird would occasionally fly to eye-level right in front of us, giving both James and I our best looks ever at this magnificent species.

Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandvechensis

08.31.2010 - Torrey Pines State Park, CA

Savannah Sparrows are an incredibly diverse species, with several well-defined sub-species across North America. The Belding's Savannah Sparrow is a resident of marshes and beaches along coastal California. This dark and heavily-streaked subspecies is sometimes considered a separate species, along with the related Large-billed Savannah Sparrow.

01.05.2012 - Flat River Waterfowl Impoundment, NC

The Eastern Savannah Sparrow is an uncommon winter resident in the Piedmont of North Carolina. They can be found anywhere there is short grass or scrub, becoming fairly common in rural parts of the state.

01.13.2013 - Fort Fisher, NC

Savannah Sparrows become increasingly more common towards coastal North Carolina, to the point that they can become the most encountered sparrow species. In this part of the state, they can be found in a variety of habitats, including beaches and rocky jetties. We found this particularly confiding individual calling atop the rocks that line the beach at the Fort Fisher Civil War museum.

Lesser Kestrel

Falco naumanni

02.17.2011 - Seville, Spain

James photographed this pair of Lesser Kestrels perched on the low overhang of a local cathedral. Note the difference in plumage between the colorful male (left) and the drab, barred female (right). Though the species is undergoing a global population decline, Seville remains one of the best places in the world to view these beautiful birds.

Snow Goose

Chen caerulescens

12.31.2010 - Falls Lake, NC

James and I got our lifer Snow Goose in late 2010 when one was found on the Durham Christmas Bird Count associating with Canada Geese at what would become known as 'Magic Goose Pond'. We refound it later that year at the large pond off the railroad trestle that crosses Ellerbe Creek on Falls Lake. The goose was a blue-morph, very rare inland but numbers are increasing on the coast.

12.27.2010 - Pocosin Lakes NWR, NC

A week later, I left on my first birding trip to the Outer Banks. On the way, we stopped at Pocosin Lakes NWR and found this enormous flock consisting mostly of Snow Geese. We estimated about 30,000 Snow Geese, with about 10,000 Tundra Swans and some Canada and Ross's Geese mixed in. This is still one of the coolest experiences I've ever had, and really highlights coastal North Carolina as an important wintering site for these fantastic birds.

12.27.2010 - Pocosin Lakes NWR, NC

This photo represents just a small portion of the birds in the field that day. Notice the four different plumages of Snow Goose you can see here - adult white-morph, the predominant plumage shown; adult blue-morph, with its dark back and neck but white head; immature white-morph, which is kind of dingy gray; and immature blue-morph, which is a dark gray overall. I'll never forget the awe-inspiring sight and sound of 30,000 Snow Geese taking flight all at once!

Tricolored Heron

Egretta tricolor

08.19.2011 - Ocracoke Island, NC

Tricolored Herons are nearly unique among North American Ardeids in that immature birds look radically different from adults, sharing this feature only with the closely related Little Blue Heron. Like the individual above, immature birds appear mostly rufous, with a bluish tinge appearing towards the rear.

05.18.2012 - Fort Fisher, NC

Tricolored Herons are very active feeders, and will run back and forth in shallow water trying to spear prey items. We found this one foraging along the banks of Crossover 4 at the Fort Fisher spit.

07.22.2013 - Huntington Beach State Park, SC

Originally called the "Lousiana Heron", a name still used by some birders, the Tricolored Heron is a resident all along the eastern seaboard. We watched this one and several others along the causeway at Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina, so obviously that old name is a misnomer!

01.13.2013 - Carolina Beach Lake, NC

James and I both agree that this is our favorite photo of a Tricolored Heron to date. It's a particularly bright individual we viewed at a close distance roosting in the early morning light along the shores of Carolina Beach Lake. A beautiful bird, and a fantastic species that I never tire of.

American Kestrel

Falco sparverius

07.30.2010 - Fiesta Island, CA

Although I'd seen other American Kestrels before, this is the first one we photographed, and it was James's lifer. This female was hanging out in the low scrub, apparently drenched from the morning fog. That and her apparently molting plumage meant she didn't fly as we approached, leading to this sweet picture.

12.29.2012 - Cape Hatteras, NC

Towards coastal North Carolina, American Kestrels become extremely common - at one point, half the birds we saw sitting on powerlines were kestrels. But kestrels are notoriously skittish, and will often flush even when a car approaches. We found this male hawking for insect prey in one of the campgrounds at the Cape Hatteras lighthouse. Check out how different he is from the female - bold colors and spotting on the breast make males incredibly distinct. Truly one of America's most beautiful birds.

American Bittern

Botaurus lentiginosus

08.02.2010 - San Elijo Lagoon, CA

The very first American Bittern James and I ever saw was this fly-by back in 2010. I was lucky to see it, and we'd probably have a better photo but we were using our old Canon SX120 then. Not that it mattered, we'd get much better looks soon.

01.16.2012 - Pea Island NWR, NC

In January 2012, James and I stopped by the North Pond at Pea Island NWR. An American Bittern had been foraging out in the open there for years, but I'd never gotten the chance to see it. We actually missed it the first time around, and only saw it after another birder pointed it out to us.

10.23.2012 - Duke University, NC

During the 2012 fall migration, this American Bittern showed up at an artificial wetland managed by Duke University. When I first went to see it, I couldn't find it immediately, as I was looking too far in the distance. The bird was a mere three feet from the boardwalk I was standing on, and frequently foraged out in the open. People say American Bitterns are secretive and hard to see. As you can tell from our pictures, James and I have never had that problem.

Razorbill

Alca torda

01.13.2012 - Wrightsville Beach, NC

Razorbills dive by flapping their wings underwater. This individual was feeding near Johnnie Mercer's Pier in Wrightsville beach, and would surface and dive again in less than a second. There were over 100 Razorbills in the Atlantic Ocean that day.

01.13.2012 - Fort Fisher, NC

Later that day, we found several Razorbills sitting in the surf across from the Fort Fisher Civil War Museum. Unlike the ones off the pier, this Razorbill sat above the water for almost a minute. Note the relatively small bill lacking a white line - this bird is likely a young individual, perhaps in its first winter. The winter of 2012-2013 saw a huge Razorbill irruption along the east coast, with hundreds of individuals appearing as far south as Miami, Flordia.