Recently, two students from University of South Carolina (USC), working through SCDNR, contacted SIPOA and Seabrook Island Birders (SIB) about their research project on our beach. Mark Andrews of SIB is our contact regarding their activities. Below is their article about their work.
You may view the flyer about their study and what you can do to help.
We (Sara Padula and Maggie Pelton) are undergraduate researchers with the Senner Lab at the University of South Carolina. We are specifically focused on the Red Knot, a shorebird that stops on Kiawah and Seabrook to rest and refuel, as it makes its 9000 mile journey from the bottom of South America to the Arctic. You may see us on the beaches with our spotting scopes as we gather data to determine how long these knots are staying on the Island as well as how many knots are using Seabrook’s beaches. The knots are typically on South Carolina’s shores from February through May, so we will be, too.
If you see us on the beach, with our scopes and vests, please do not hesitate to say hello and ask questions.
If you would like to be a part of the research yourself, you can participate in resighting surveys by recording flag numbers you see from individual birds. Information about how to do this can be found on our flyer. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you on the beach!
Sara & Maggie
-Submitted by SIB
(Image credit: SIB)