Bountiful Birdlife

A host of colourful and exotic birds await those who visit North Carolina

- Matt Williams

THE DOGWOOD TREES are in bloom in early April in North Carolina. Their delicate and beautiful white flowers single them out from the rest of the foliage that lines the interstates. Many of the other trees are draped in purple Wisteria that has grown and clung to the branches.

Above them Turkey and Black Vultures circle in groups, tilting on the wing. They are ubiquitous, giving a flavour of what it must have once been like to have Red Kites all across the UK in centuries gone by. The Turkey Vultures are distinguished by their red heads, slightly narrower wings and the pale band of feathers right along the outer edge of each wing.

The forests of North Carolina are some of the most biodiverse on the North American continent, home to Alligators, wild hogs, bears and snakes. It’s a state full of a unique blend of culture, too, home to biscuits (a kind of bready breakfast dish), Bibles and barbecues... and birds. For a birdwatcher, there is no end of things to discover. Our trip took us from the wetland hardwood forests in the east of the state to the forested Appalachian mountains in the west, crossing the North American continental divide.

The forests are made up of huge cypress and Tupelo trees, in some cases hundreds of years old. The forest floor is ankle deep or deeper in water and, where it is dry, it is a mass of rich leaf litter.

High up in the Appalachians, the air was cooler and most of the trees were still blossoming, a mix of oranges, reds, yellows, pinks and greens.

These colours were highlighted by the sightings of Blue Jays and striking red-and-black Northern Cardinals.