Freshest birds

Talk about fresh! The first images you see on this page are the latest ones I have taken, and they get older as you scroll down the list. The last ones may be a month or more old. There may be a few photos that are not birds, but you will see mostly feathers. After viewing these, you might want to click on one of the other categories I have listed in the menu above.

Scroll down to see images with species name. This site can be viewed on your phone, but the format is better suited to tablet or larger screen.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

11/19/24, Mountain Island Park

Winter Wren

11/17/24, Mountain Island Park

Hermit Thrush

11/17/24, Mountain Island Park

Purple Finch

11/13/24, Prairie Trail, McDowell Park

White-throated Sparrow

11/13/24, back yard

House Sparrow

11/13/24, Harper Park, Stanley NC

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

11/09/24, back yard

Golden-crowned Kinglet

11/09/24, back yard

Eastern Bluebird

11/09/24, back yard

American Crow

11/09/24, back yard

American Kestrel

10/31/24, Piedmont Prairie Trail

Red-headed Woodpecker

10/31/24, Piedmont Prairie Trail

American Goldfinch

10/31/24, Piedmont Prairie Trail

House Wren

10/31/24, Piedmont Prairie Trail

Brown Creeper

10/30/24, Harper Park, Stanley NC

Song Sparrow

10/26/24, Mountain Island Park

Eastern Bluebird

10/26/24, Mountain Island Park

Eastern Phoebe

10/26/24, Mountain Island Park

Blue-headed Vireo

10/20/24, back yard

Golden-crowned Kinglet

10/20/24, back yard

Northern Flicker

10/20/24, back yard

Cape May Warbler

10/13/24, back yard

Tennessee Warbler

10/8/24, back yard

Black-throated Green Warbler

10/8/24, back yard

Bay-breasted Warbler

10/8/24, back yard

American Redstart

10/4/24, back yard

Magnolia Warbler

10/5/24, back yard

Northern Parula

10/4/24, back yard

Blackburnian Warbler

10/4/24, back yard

American Redstart

10/4/24, back yard

Blue Jay

10/3/24, back yard

Baltimore Oriole

10/2/24, back yard

Bay-breasted Warbler

10/2/24, back yard

Rose-breasted Grossbeak

10/1/24, back yard

Tufted Titmouse

10/1/24, back yard

Red-bellied Woodpecker

9/29/24, Clover SC

Carolina Wren

10/1/24, Clover SC

Northern Cardinal

9/26/24, back yard, in the rain

Carolina Chickadee

9/26/24, back yard

Bay-breasted Warbler

9/22/24, back yard

Brown Thrasher

9/22/24, back yard

Tennessee Warbler

9/21/24, back yard

Northern Mockingbird

9/22/24, back yard

American Redstart

9/13/24, back yard

Black-throated Green Warbler

9/10/24, back yard

Tennessee Warbler

9/10/24, back yard

Black-throated Blue Warbler

9/7 (male) and 9/8 (female)

male was on BRP, and female in my back yard!

Chestnut-sided Warbler

9/7/24, Blue Ridge Parkway

Swainson's Thrush

9/7/24, Back yard

Tennessee Warbler

9/7/24, Blue Ridge Parkway

Black and White Warbler

9/8/24, back yard

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

9/3/24, back yard

Red-eyed Vireo

8/27/24, back yard

Wild Turkey

8/27/24, back yard

Northern Parula

8/27/24, back yard

American Goldfinch

8/27/24, back yard

The first one still has his nice summer color, but the second one is beginning to molt, and looking prettty ragged.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

8/27/24, back yard

Swainson's Warbler

8/26/24, Heffner Gap, Blue Ridge Parkway

Black-throated Green Warbler

8/26/24, Heffner Gap, Blue Ridge Parkway

Northern Parula

8/26/24, Mt. Mitchell Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway

Cape May Warbler

8/26/24, Black Mountain Gap, Blue Ridge Parkway

Red-breasted Nuthatch

8/26/24, Mt. Mitchell State Park

Eastern Wood Pewee

8/26/24, Heffner Gap, Blue Ridge Parkway

Chestnut-sided Warbler

8/26/24, Heffner Gap, Blue Ridge Parkway

Yellow-throated Vireo

8/26/24, Heffner Gap, Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

8/19/24, back yard

Eastern Bluebird

8/20/24, Clarkesville GA

Blue Grosbeak

8/21/24, Clarkesville GA

Cedar Waxwing

8/21/24, Brasstown Bald, GA

Great Crested Flycatcher

8/22/24, Clarkesville GA

Song Sparrow

8/20/24, Clarkesville GA

Swallow-tail Kite

8/17/24, Old Fort

Mississippi Kite (immature)

8/17/24, Old Fort

Black-capped Chickadee

8/12/24, Waterrock Knob, BRP (elev. 5820')

Dark-eyed Junco

8/12/24, Waterrock Knob, BRP (elev. 5820')

Cedar Waxwing

8/5/24, Mt. Mitchell State Park

Blackburnian Warbler (female/immature)

8/5/24, Heffner Gap, BRP

Scarlet Tanager

8/5/24, Heffner Gap, BRP

Hermit Thrush

8/5/24, Mt. Mitchell Overlook, BRP

Broad-winged Hawk

8/5/24, Mt. Mitchell Overlook, BRP

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

8/4/24, back yard

Wild Turkey

8/3/24, back yard

Young turkeys taking over the bird feeder

American Goldfinch

8/2/24, back yard

Cooper's Hawk

8/2/24, River Hawk Greenway

Red-headed Woodpecker

7/28/24, McDowell Prairie

Northern Mockingbird (kind of ugly, either molting or a young one)

7/28/24, McDowell Prairie

Field Sparrow

7/28/24, McDowell Prairie

American Goldfinch, squabble that sent feathers flying

7/28/24, back yard

Eastern Bluebird

7/23/24, back yard

Whitetail Deer

7/21/24, back yard

Striped Skunk (or Hooded Skunk?)

7/21/24, back yard

American Goldfinch

7/18/24, back yard

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

7/17/24, back yard

American Goldfinch

7/13/24, back yard

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

7/13/24, back yard

Northern Cardinal

7/13/24, back yard

Wild Turkey

7/5/24, back yard

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

7/2/24, back yard

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

6/27/24, York County airport

Black and White Warbler

6/24/24, Trout Lake near Blowing Rock

Northern Parula

6/24/24, Price Lake near Blowing Rock

Hooded Warbler

6/24/24, Blue Ridge Parkway

Chestnut-sided Warbler

6/24/24, Trout Lake near Boone

Veery

6/24/24, Trout Lake near Blowing Rock

Prothonotary Warbler

6/23/24, Mosquito Den Swamp

Common Grackle

2/23/24, Mosquito Den Swamp

Black-throated Green Warbler

6/19/24, Mt. Mitchell State Park

Chestnut-sided Warbler

6/19/24, Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue-headed Vireo

6/19/24, Blue Ridge Parkway

Indigo Bunting

6/14/24, Blue Ridge Parkway

Canada Warbler

6/14/24, Trout Lake, Blowing Rock NC

Hooded Warbler

6/14/24, Trout Lake, Blowing Rock NC

Blackburnian Warbler

6/14/24, Blue Ridge Parkway, NC

Chestnut-sided Warbler

6/14/24, Trout Lake, Blowing Rock NC

Black-throated Blue Warbler

6/14/24, Trout Lake, Blowing Rock NC

Summer Tanager

6/13/24, back yard (last 2 are immature males)

American Goldfinch

6/13/24, back yard

Northern Mockingbird

6/13/24, back yard

Yellow-breasted Chat

6/12/24, Cowans Ford Wildlife Refuge

Blue Grosbeak (female)

6/12/24, Cowans Ford Wildlife Refuge

Eastern Phoebe

6/12/24, Cowans Ford Wildlife Refuge

Common Yellowthroat

6/12/24/, Cowans Ford Wildlife Refuge

American Crow

6/12/24/, Harper Park, Stanley NC

Mimosa

6/12/24/, Harper Park, Stanley NC

Wild Turkey

6/2/24, back yard

More chicks, and a pretty vigorous dust bath

Wild Turkey

5/21/24, back yard

Indigo Bunting

5/17/24, Harper Park, Stanley NC

Common Yellowthroat

5/17/24, Harper Park, Stanley NC

Northern Mockingbird

5/17/24, Harper Park, Stanley NC

Prairie Warbler

5/16/24, Cowans Ford Wildlife Refuge

Red-headed Woodpecker

5/13/24, McDowell Prairie

Yellow-breasted Chat

5/13/24, McDowell Prairie

Turkey Vulture

5/13/24, McDowell Prairie

Chimney Swift

5/12/24, back yard

Great Crested Flycatcher

5/12/24, back yard

Northern Parula

5/10/24, Cowens Ford Wildlife Refuge

Indigo Bunting

5/10/24, Cowens Ford Wildlife Refuge

Prothonotary Warbler

5/10/24, Cowens Ford Wildlife Refuge

House Finch

5/11/24, back yard

White-eyed Vireo

5/10/24, Cowens Ford Wildlife Refuge

Orchard Oriole

5/10/24, Cowens Ford Wildlife Refuge

Blue Grosbeak

5/11/24, back yard

Yellow-throated Vireo

5/4/24, back yard

Great Egret

5/2/24, Huntington Beach State Park, SC

Orchard Oriole

5/1/24, Huntington Beach State Park, SC

Painted Bunting (female)

5/1/24, Huntington Beach State Park, SC

Anole

5/1/24, Huntington Beach State Park, SC

Painted Bunting

4/30/24, Huntington Beach State Park, SC

Prothonotary Warbler

4/30/24, Huntington Beach State Park, SC

Prairie Warbler

4/23/24, Piedmont Prairie Trail, McDowell Park

Indigo Bunting

4/23/24, Piedmont Prairie Trail, McDowell Park

Summer Tanager

4/23/24, Piedmont Prairie Trail, McDowell Park

Blue Grosbeak

4/23/24, Piedmont Prairie Trail, McDowell Park

Yellow-throated Warbler

4/19/24, River Hawk Greenway, Mt. Holly

Common Yellowthroat

4/18/24, Harper Park, Stanley

Blue Grosbeak

4/18/24, Alexis NC

Killdeer (faking an injury to draw me away from her nest, apparently)

4/18/24, Alexis NC

Red-eyed Vireo

4/16/24, back yard

European Starling

4/16/24, back yard

Common Yellowthroat

4/12/24, River Hawk Greenway, Mt. Holly

White-eyed Vireo

4/12/24, River Hawk Greenway, Mt. Holly

It's strange how quickly the size of this bird's pupils change.

Brown-headed Cowbird

4/10/24, back yard

Wild Turkey

4/8/24, back yard

Eastern Towhee

4/5/24, back yard

Northern Cardinal

4/3/24, back yard

Cedar Waxwing

4/3/24, back yard

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

3/28/24, back yard. First one this spring! Catching insects and posing in the crabapple tree.

Red-winged Blackbird

3/20/24, Rankin Lake Park

Carolina Chickadee

33/20/24, Rankin Lake Park

Wood Duck (They roost in trees!)

33/20/24, Rankin Lake Park

Yellow-rumped Warbler

33/20/24, Rankin Lake Park

Wood Duck

3/12/24, Rankin Lake, Gastonia NC

Thanks to my friend Sam Cranston for his help in photographing these birds.

Red-wing Blackbird

3/12/24, Rankin Lake, Gastonia NC

American Kestrel

3/8/24, Eastern Cleveland County

Eastern Meadowlark

3/8/24, River Hawk Greenway

Barred Owl

3/3/24, Hector Henry Greenway, Concord NC

Northern Shoveler

3/3/24, Hector Henry Greenway, Concord NC

Eastern Bluebird

2/24/24, back yard

River Otter

2/21/24, Catawba River at Tuckaseegee Park, Mt. Holly NC

Red-bellied Woodpecker

2/25/24, River Hawk Greenway, Mt. Holly

Hairy Woodpecker

2/25/24, River Hawk Greenway, Mt. Holly

Northern Cardinal

2/24/24, back yard

Pine Warbler

2/18/24, back yard

A lot of photos of this bird to follow. They love the upside-down suet feeder, and I take too many photos of them, but they are irresistible.

Red-headed Woodpecker

2/13/24, River Hawk Greenway, Mt. Holly

Golden-crowned Kinglet

2/8/24, back yard

Pine Warbler

2/8/24, back yard

Northern Cardinal

2/8/24, back yard

Red-shouldered Hawk

2/7/24, River Hawk Greenway, Mt. Holly NC

Red-headed Woodpecker

2/7/24, River Hawk Greenway, Mt. Holly, NC

Bald Eagle

2/6/24, Rankin Lake Park

Red-bellied Woodpecker

2/6/24, Rankin Lake Park

Pied-billed Grebe

2/2/24, Rankin Lake Park

Bald Eagle

2/2/24, Rankin Lake Park

Ruddy Duck

2/2/24, Rankin Lake Park

Mallard

2/2/24, Rankin Lake Park

Orange-crowned Warbler

2/1/24, Cherryville NC

Loggerhead Shrike

2/1/24, Eastern Cleveland Co., NC

Loggerheads in love?

White-breasted Nuthatch

2/1/24, Cherryville NC

Horned Grebe

2/1/24, Moss Lake, NC

Downy Woodpecker

1/30/24, River Hawk Greenway, Mt. Holly, NC

Great Blue Heron

1/30/24, River Hawk Greenway, Mt. Holly, NC

Eastern Towhee

1/30/24, River Hawk Greenway, Mt. Holly, NC

Song Sparrow

1/30/24, River Hawk Greenway, Mt. Holly, NC

Double-crested Cormorant

1/30/24, Rankin Lake Park, Gastonia NC

Killdeer

1/22/24, Northeastern Gaston County

Black and White Warbler

1/23/24, Tuckaseegee Park, Mt. Holly NC

Swamp Sparrow

1/23/24, Tuckaseegee Park, Mt. Holly NC

Golden-crowned Kinglet

1/11/24, Eastern Cleveland County

Loggerhead Shrike

1/11/24, Eastern Cleveland County

Canada Goose

1/11/24, Eastern Cleveland County

American Kestrel

1/11/24, Eastern Cleveland County

Pileated Woodpecker

1/7/24, Hector Henry Greenway, Concord NC

Northern Shoveler

1/7/24, Hector Henry Greenway, Concord NC

Rusty Blackbird

1/7/24, Hector Henry Greenway, Concord NC

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

1/4/24, Mt. Holly NC

Red-headed Woodpecker

1/4/24, Mt. Holly NC

In this photo I accidentally captured the bird in the act of relieving himself in mid-air. Not a beautiful sight, but probably (hopefully?) a one-of-a-kind image.

Blue Jay

1/3/24, back yard

Pine Warbler

1/2/24, back yard

Red-bellied Woodpecker

12/31/23, back yard

Winter Wren

12/28/23, River Hawk Greenway, Mt. Holly

Cedar Waxwing

12/23/23, back yard

European Starling

12/23/23, back yard

American Kestrel

12/20/23, eastern Cleveland County

One of my favorite birds, and the smallest raptor in North America

Pine Warbler

12/19/23, back yard

American Robin

12/19/23, back yard

Eastern Bluebird

12/19/23, back yard

Brown-headed Nuthatch

12/19/23, back yard