Though our recent trip to North Carolina was brief, I think my birding time was pretty productive.
I photographed four new birds (five if you include the first female of a species I have seen), and I was able to take pictures of many other familiar birds, too.
The new birds were Chirping Sparrow, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Northern Rough-winged Swallow and Magnolia Warbler (which I posted about earlier). Honorable mention in the new-bird category goes to my first female Black-throated Green Warbler (I photographed a male in the Florida Keys in 2024).
Among the familiar birds I found was a Carolina Chickadee, which seemed pretty appropriate for the locale.
Chirping Sparrow, Waynesville, N.C., July 2026.Chirping Sparrow, Waynesville, N.C., July 2026.Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Lake Junaluska, N.C., July 2026.Eastern Wood-Pewee, Waynesville, N.C., July 2026.Female Black-throated Green Warbler, north of Waynesville, N.C., July 2026. Female Black-throated Green Warbler, western North Carolina, July 2026.Indigo Bunting, Waynesville, N.C., July 2026.Indigo Bunting, Waynesville, N.C., July 2026.Juvenile Gray Catbird, Waynesville, N.C., July 2026.Juvenile Gray Catbird, Waynesville, N.C., July 2026.Canada Geese, Lake Junaluska, N.C., July 2026.Carolina Chickadee, north of Waynesville, N.C., july 2026.Carolina Chickadee, north of Waynesville, N.C., july 2026.Song Sparrow, Lake Junaluska, N.C., July 2026.Eastern Bluebird, Waynesville, N.C., July 2026.Juvenile Eastern Bluebird, Lake Junaluska, N.C., July 2026.American Goldfinch, Lake Junaluska, N.C., July 2026.Royal Mute Swan, Lake Junaluska, N.C., July 2026.Royal Mute Swans, Lake Junaluska, N.C., July 2026.
Over the course of the past three days, I visited three of my favorite birding spots: Orlando Wetlands (twice), Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island and Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. The Belted Kingfishers I photographed on Friday sort of stole all my attention, but I did get to take…
