Today we visit Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina to search for a Painted Bunting. In addition we find a beautiful field of sunflowers and offer a few suggestions for local camping options.
14 July 2026 – Tuesday
The North Carolina birding community has been abuzz about a Painted Bunting in Raleigh at Dix Park. We decided to head over there and see if we might be able to find him.
Arrived at Dorothea Dix Park and easily found parking at 0800.
The map pin shows where we parked. We are focusing on this small section today. Click on the link to find more about this expansive, free, city park: Dorotheadixpark.org
Raleigh’s skyline was visible in hazy, hot, July sun.
Our first bird sighting was in the right family: this lovely Indigo Bunting.
Meeting a group of friendly bird photographers, they pointed us toward the bunting that locals have named “Picasso.”
He’s way up in the top of a tree. Can you find him?
Thanks to a 200mm lens with a 1.4x teleconverter here’s evidence that the tiny bird in the distance really is a painted bunting. He is a big deal here because Raleigh is north and inland of their usual range.
Click on this Painted Bunting Overview to find out more about these colorful birds (courtesy of Cornell University).
Since Picasso seemed unwilling to come down to our level, we walked more of the park to see what other birds might be out. This Northern Mockingbird had quite a bit to say.
Another Indigo Bunting perched on the edge of a pine grove.
The added bonus, just up the hill from our van, is a field of sunflowers at the peak of blooming season. The annual sunflower festival was last weekend.
Our first overview of this field of gigantic sunflowers.
Even though we’ve lived in the Triangle for over thirty years, we had never visited the sunflower field at Dix.
The flowers are taller than Beth!
Birds are going to be very happy when these flowers turn to seed.
We spotted the NC State University Bell Tower in the distance
Sunflowers are even pretty from behind.
Only a few were still in the early stage of opening.
Pollinators were happy and very active.
At the edge of the field, an urban hive concept is incorporated into this attractive sculpture.
Though I walked the circumference of the field (it’s two tenths of a mile on the long side), I enjoyed standing still and observing the activity at one flower. They produce an astounding amount of pollen which was being actively harvested by multiple bees like this one.
We thoroughly enjoyed our morning at Dix Park. I see more bunting hunting in our future!
Where to Camp in Raleigh
We stayed at the NC State Fairgrounds Campground.
The cost here is $45 per night including full hook-ups, but not much else. It ends up just a few cents shy of $50 after taxes and fees. There are no restrooms, showers, picnic tables, or fire rings. There is a dump station included in the fee (also available for $10 if you aren’t camped here.)
What you do get is location. The 100 campsites here are next to the fairgrounds Horse Complex. Just beyond the horse fields you can see the NC State (Football) stadium. Behind that is the Lenovo Center where the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes play Hockey. It would be faster to walk to any of these venues than to drive and park. It was a 15 minute drive to Dix Park.
Unfortunately, the campground is not open during the closest event, the North Carolina State Fair.
If you are a Harvest Host member with a self-contained small rig, Raleigh Brewing Company is also near the fairgrounds.
The newly renovated family campground at Umstead State Park is an option with more green space. Pricing for a full hookup site is the same as at the Fairground, but if you don’t need full hook-ups, the price is less. For more information, check out this recent full walkthrough review from Resist the Grind. Do be aware that Umstead Park is adjacent to RDU International airport!
We hope you this gave you some ideas for a day with birds and sunflowers. Check out Raleigh’s visitors guide for more fun things to do in North Carolina’s Capitol City.
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