May is a time for mothers and migration. SIB will celebrate both with activities. Migration and mothers will be observed on Global Big Day, on the golf course and in Backyard Birding. We end the month with an evening program on May 30 with Patrick Moore of Open Space Institute.
Beyond Our Backyard at May Forest State Park
When: Wednesday, May 1, 2024 9:00 am -12: 00 pm
Location: Meet at Real Estate office at 8:15 am
Max: 12 people
Cost: Free for members; $10 for guests.
Join SIB for birding a variety of diverse habitats in this lush, new state park.
May Forest State Park is located on James Island at the end of Fort Johnson Road. The 23 acres, once owned by the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy, is rich with history dating back to the Archaic Period. The property includes a canopy of live oaks, native plants and exotic vegetation. By far, the stand-out feature of May Forest is the stunning view of the Charleston Harbor, where visitors can see a beautiful perspective of Charleston. One can point out the famous Battery, the Cooper River Bridge, the Yorktown and all the way to Sullivan’s Island. Visitors can enjoy the serenity of this majestic property, take in the breathtaking scenery, picnic on the bluff, enjoy the screened gazebo or relax in a swing.
We will explore the paths through the woods as well as areas overlooking the harbor. A preview visit in February resulted in seeing 33 species. Hopefully we will see some of our migrating warblers during this visit.
There is a currently no entry fee for this state park.
There will be restrooms available, as well as benches and picnic tables.
As always, be sure to bring your binoculars/cameras, hats, water bottle, snack, sunscreen and bug spray.
Please register no later than April 29. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter the day prior to the trip. If you need to cancel, please let us know.
Register here.
Global Big Day – Learning Together
When: Saturday, May 11, 8:00 am – 8:30 pm
Location:
8:00 am – 10:30 am North Beach
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Palmetto Lake/Equestrian Center
7:30 pm – 8:30 pm Deveaux Watch / BW 9
Max: 12 for each location
Cost: None for members; $10 donation for guests
Will you join more than 30,000 others and become a part of Global Big Day? You don’t have to commit to birding for 24 hours—an hour or even ten minutes of watching birds makes you part of the team. Visit your favorite spot or search out someplace new; enjoy a solo walk or get some friends to join in the Global Big Day fun. As part of this day, SIB will conduct Learning Together activities at various locations plus offer you an opportunity to request someone to bird with you at your favorite location. The registration form allows you to select which locations you wish to bird.
The morning will start at 8:00 am with a Learning Together at North Beach. We will be looking for the Red Knots that are our guests in April and May, stopping at Seabrook Island to rest and refuel on their long migration from South America to the Arctic to breed. Large flocks have been seen to date, growing to 5,000 or more in past years. Overall, we hope to spot a nice variety of shorebirds as we work our way to the North Beach inlet. We’ll meet in the Property Owners’ beach parking lot at 8:00 am. This will get us to the beach at mid tide, which should be a busy foraging time for shorebirds, as the tide goes out. Be sure to bring binoculars, camera, hats, sunscreen, water, and snacks. Wear shoes you don’t mind getting wet. Of course, you can head back at any time.
At 2:00 pm, we will walk around Palmetto Lake. This is less than one mile of a flat, paved walk around the lake. Historically, in May at this location we see Great Crested Flycatchers, Orchard Orioles and Mississippi Kites in addition to the “normal” Great Egrets, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadees, etc. If time permits, we’ll continue on to the Equestrian Center to see European Starlings, Eastern Bluebirds and maybe even Cattle Egret.
At 7:30 pm, our evening will conclude with a sunset view of Deveaux Bank from the beach at Boardwalk 9. Deveaux Bank Seabird Sanctuary was established to protect significant roosting and nesting habitats of sea and shorebirds. Located at the mouth of the North Edisto River in Charleston County, Deveaux Bank Seabird Sanctuary encompasses approximately 215 acres and is only accessible by boat. As Deveaux has limited access with restrictions, one of the best ways to see the birds is through a spotting scope from Pelican Beach, accessible via boardwalk 9. Sunset is the best time to see large numbers of birds returning to Deveaux for the night so bring your beach chair, favorite sunset beverage, and join us to watch this nightly event. Birds most likely to be seen include Brown Pelicans, Least Terns, Royal Terns, Black Skimmers, Sandwich terns, Laughing Gulls, Willet, and possibly Whimbrel.
As always, be sure to bring your binoculars/cameras, hats and sunscreen. If you want to stay and watch the sunset, be sure to bring a chair. There is limited parking available on Seabrook Island Road beside Boardwalk 9.
On the form, you can also suggest another location and time and if you would like a friend to join you to bird. SIB will send an email to the Google group of all these suggested times and places for people to gather.
Please register no later than Thursday May 9, 2024. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter on Friday, May 10.
Register here.
Learning Together on Ocean Winds Golf Course
When: Monday, May 13, 2024, 8:30 – 10:30 am
Location: Meet at the Island House (golf course parking lot next to Spinnaker Beach Houses) for ride along the golf course in golf carts
Max: 24 (If all seats in golf carts are used)
Cost: Free for members; $10 donation for guests. Priority will be given to prior waitlisted & members
The Seabrook Island Club closes one course a day each week and allows SIB to use golf carts to travel the course to bird. Join us for a morning of birding by riding in golf carts for at least nine holes on Ocean Winds golf course. We expect to see a large variety of birds including Egrets, Herons and birds of prey. We will also see and hear some of the smaller birds like Tufted Titmice, Eastern Bluebirds, Northern Cardinals, Carolina Wrens and some of the many warbler species. Since it is spring, we can also expect to see Eastern Kingbirds, Great-crested Flycatchers, Orchard Orioles, Summer Tanagers, Mississippi Kites and more! A highlight this month will be the nesting activity at the rookery, as well as the chance to see Osprey nests!
As always, be sure to bring your binoculars/cameras, hats and sunscreen. Water will be provided.
Please register no later than Friday prior to the trip. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter on Sunday, the day prior to the trip. If you need to cancel, please let us know so we can invite people on the waitlist to attend.
Register here.
Backyard Birding the Haulover Rookery Part 2
When: May 21, 2024, 5:00 – 6:30 pm
Location: 2445 The Haulover
Max: 20
Cost: Free to members, $10 for guests
We are going back to see the babies! Our visit in May to Annalee Regenburg’s backyard was a witness of a bumper crop of Egret and Heron nests. We lost count at 100 nests. Now, we are going to go count babies. Annalee’s house backs up to the Great White Egret Rookery. The females sit on their nests all day and the males come into the nests in the evenings. We plan on observing this wonderful, sometimes noisy event. We will likely see some snowy egrets and green herons, plus some night herons and Wood Storks too. One year, we even saw Cattle Egrets. Walk around back when you arrive.
As always, be sure to bring your water, binoculars, hats and sunscreen.
Please register no later than Sunday, May 19. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter on Monday May 20.
SIB Presents Patrick Moore, Open Space Institute of South Carolina
When: Thursday, May 30, 7:00 pm
- 7:00 pm – Registration & Refreshments
- 7:30 pm – Program
- 8:45 pm – Program ends
Location: The Lake House Live Oak Hall
At our next program, we will continue to focus on how key organizations are working to protect birds and their habitats. Please join us to learn more about the Open Space Institute and specifically, their work in the southeast. We will hear about the history and current status, and future of conservation in South Carolina, and the role the Open Space Institute has played in protecting and opening more than 100,000 acres in South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina to the public. The presentation’s focus will be on existing, expanding, and new places for the public to get outside and see wildlife in the South Carolina lowcountry.
About Open Space Institute (OSI)
OSI protects land that supports the things we can’t live without – like clean water, climate protection and healthy communities, and safeguards the places that make life worth living, like parks for recreation and plant and animal habitat.
Over the past 40 years, OSI helped save millions of acres through land acquisition, funding and research and advocacy. We’re also increasing access to the great outdoors through the support of grassroots efforts and park enhancement projects.
Specific to the Palmetto State
At OSI, we protect land for people, for wildlife – forever. In South Carolina, our work is no different yet increasingly urgent. Blessed with blackwater cypress swamps, rural sea islands, and the breathtaking Blue Ridge mountains, South Carolina also is home to some of the fastest-growing areas on the Atlantic Coast.
As one of the most effective land protection organizations in South Carolina, OSI is helping to restore the critical longleaf pine ecosystem, and we were instrumental in protecting the last sizeable inholding in the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, an incredibly important area for a number of at-risk and endangered species.
Most recently, OSI made one of the largest conservation investments in South Carolina history with the acquisition of the $16 million Slater tract; helped secure the Hasty Point property to increase equitable access to the Waccamaw Wildlife Refuge; and launched a comprehensive, community-based planning initiative that will shape the vision for the Black River Water Trail and Park Network
Register here
-Submitted by SIB
(Image credit: Open Space Institute)