NC Bird Watch

NC Bird Watch Hi, I'm Lauren, a WNC bird watcher & photographer.

Migration moments on the Blue Ridge Parkway today, featuring a Black-throated Blue Warbler male, a Black-throated Blue f...
08/29/2026

Migration moments on the Blue Ridge Parkway today, featuring a Black-throated Blue Warbler male, a Black-throated Blue female/immature, a Tennessee Warbler *and* a Black-throated Blue female/immature on the same w**d, a Canada Warbler, and a Blackburnian Warbler. This is such a bittersweet time, with so many warbler sightings - but knowing they’re about to be traveling south.

08/22/2026

Sweetest Piping Plover chick foraging for gnats and snacks while a parent calls nearby. (The peep sounds are from the parent.)

08/17/2026

This was my absolute favorite warbler bath video from last fall. The Tennessee Warbler that lands on the back of the other one! Unreal.

I had one tiny pond set up last year and am hoping for repeat moments like this — except now I have a tiny waterfall and a second tiny pond below the first, so a little more room for these sweet birds to move around. Fall migration is just getting started, so stay tuned. :)

08/13/2026

I’ve been working on a micro waterfall just above the tiny pond, hoping for more bath time visitors. I’m thrilled that a summer resident Hooded Warbler came by this morning. He bathes somewhere around the house every morning, but this is the first time I’ve seen him explore the waterfall! The Asheville area has been getting so much heavy rainfall, and I haven’t seen many birds in the pond lately, so this is a nice treat. I think it inspired me enough to try to finish this water feature after work today… maybe.

Waterfall very much inspired by Alison Kondler, so thank you!

Arizona Warblers! I saw all these warblers (three of which were lifers) on a trip to Arizona last week. For whatever rea...
08/12/2026

Arizona Warblers! I saw all these warblers (three of which were lifers) on a trip to Arizona last week. For whatever reason, the Black-throated Gray Warbler was the bird I most wanted to see. On the last morning of the trip, I watched this one forage low and close, and it was my favorite warbler moment of the whole trip.

In order: Black-throated Gray, Grace’s Warbler, Painted Redstart, and Red-faced Warbler.

I still have a lot of Piping Plover photos to edit, but here are some early favorites. The last one really shows just ho...
07/28/2026

I still have a lot of Piping Plover photos to edit, but here are some early favorites. The last one really shows just how long their legs are in comparison to the rest of their tiny selves. They’re born with close to their adult size legs and grow into them.

The Great Lakes population of these birds is federally listed as endangered, and they have required protection and interventions for their numbers to grow from as low as 12 pairs in the 1980s to 90+ pairs this year. I’m really upset by the Trump administration rule that was finalized and published earlier this month regarding the Endangered Species Act and the definition of “harm,” which will no longer include habitat protection. If Piping Plover habitat isn’t protected in both their breeding and wintering grounds, it is literally harmful to this incredible bird and could lead them to extinction. While state protections remain, these protections vary widely and often rely on the framework of the Endangered Species Act. If the rule goes into effect in September as planned, I worry about increased development on their winter habitat in particular, which could be detrimental to their population. I feel so helpless since I’m not in a position to sue the federal government, but some organizations are (SELC, Earthjustice), so here’s to hoping.

Two of my favorite photos of two of my favorite warblers on the same day in early June. These two male warblers (Cerulea...
07/20/2026

Two of my favorite photos of two of my favorite warblers on the same day in early June. These two male warblers (Cerulean Warbler + Blackburnian Warbler) are most likely bringing these caterpillars back to their young. 🐛

I saw a juvenile Blackburnian but not a juvenile Cerulean that day. (They may have been up high in a nest out of sight.)

Is it cheesy to say I feel proud of them? They were working so hard to bring as much food as possible to their young.

07/02/2026

A Piping Plover chick foraging near the water. I always get so excited and so nervous at the same time when I see them at the water, because the waves are so much bigger than they are, and they can’t fly yet. But the best worms are often at the water’s edge, so they have to learn how to find them.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July weekend! Most areas with breeding Piping Plovers don’t allow fireworks or pets near the beaches to keep them safe. :)


A Black-throated Green Warbler in blooming rhododendrons earlier this month. I’ve tried for photos of any and all birds ...
07/01/2026

A Black-throated Green Warbler in blooming rhododendrons earlier this month. I’ve tried for photos of any and all birds in the rhododendron blooms for the last few years, and this year is the first time where this species posed for a few photos. The blooms were a little earlier in certain areas this year, and I’m grateful the timing worked out!

07/01/2026

Trying to keep up with a backlit Piping Plover chick. About halfway through I realized I should probably be taking photos, but I decided to see the moment through. Such a beautiful moment with this little bird.

The Great Lakes Piping Plover population is endangered, and the chicks can’t fly for 21+ days after birth. So they need us to be extra cautious and avoid bringing dogs near their nesting beaches from April through August. 💛

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