Monday, June 10, 2019 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Birding on Ocean Winds Golf Course
Location: Meet at Island House (Golf Course Parking Lot next to Spinnaker Beach Houses) for ride along the golf course in golf carts.
Max: 20
Cost: None for members; $5 donation for guests
Each Monday one of the Golf Courses is closed, so join us for a morning of birding by riding in golf carts for at least 9-holes on Ocean Winds golf course. We expect to see a large variety of birds including Double-crested Cormorants, Egrets, Herons, Bald Eagles and other birds of prey. We should also see and hear some of the smaller birds like Tufted Titmice, Eastern Bluebirds, Northern Cardinals and some of the many warbler species. Maybe Great Crested Flycatchers, Mississippi Kites, Eastern Kingbirds or some of our other summer residents may also have arrived.
As always, be sure to bring your binoculars, hats and sunscreen. Water will be provided.
If you are not yet a 2019 SIB member, you must first become a member for only $10 by following the instructions on our website: http://seabrookislandbirders.org/contact/join-sib/. Or you may pay the Guest Fee of $5.
Please register no later than Friday June 7, 2019. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter on Saturday June 9.
Located on Wadmalaw Island, the Bears Bluff NFH has a self-guided tour our group will take around the perimeter of the 31 acre facility. We will not only see examples of the South Carolina Lowcountry’s natural habitat but also see work being accomplished by staff at BBNFH. SIB Leaders will take our participants across a previously impounded estuarine area which is naturally reverting back into coastal marshland as well as a freshwater pond where birds, turtles and alligators are often visible. Two boardwalks offer a unique perspective and will allow guests “to get in the marsh without getting dirty.” The self-guided tour offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the estuarine ecosystem while experiencing some of this area’s most breathtaking scenery. Opportunities abound for bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts, so bring your binoculars and pack a lunch!
Join SIB Executive Committee Member Nancy Brown for this walk in search of seabirds, wading birds, passerines and birds of prey. Be sure to bring binoculars, camera, hats, sunscreen bug repellant, snacks and water. Pack a lunch and stay longer to enjoy what the Bears Bluff NFH has to offer!
Friday, June 7, 2018 7:30 am – 12:00 pm
Beyond our Backyard – Bears Bluff Fish Hatchery
Location: Meet at SIRE parking lot and car pool (approximately a 45 minute drive)
Max: 20
Cost None for members; $5 donation for guests
Learn more about Bears Bluff NFH: https://www.fws.gov/bearsbluff/index.html
If you are not yet a 2019 SIB member, you must first become a member by following the instructions on our website: http://seabrookislandbirders.org/contact/join-sib/ or we request a $5 donation to SIB.
Once you are a member, please register no later than Wednesday June 5 , 2019. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter the day prior the event.
If you have additional questions about the program, please contact us by sending an email to: SeabrookIslandBirders@gmail.com
SIB is pleased to announce our next evening program will feature Dr. James Rotenberg, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, at UNCW (University North Carolina at Wilmington), to speak on “The Conservation Status of the Atlantic Coast population of Painted Bunting”
Jamie is an environmental ecologist and ornithologist in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Jamie is known as the “bird guy” in his department. His main research interest focuses on using birds as environmental indicators of habitat change and condition. The Painted Bunting Observer Team Project, or “PBOT” is one of the main projects Jamie carries out here in North and South Carolina. He also works on research projects in the country of Belize in Central America. The project in Belize includes research on the bird community of southern Belize as well as Harpy Eagles, migratory Wood Thrush, and rainforest sustainability using cacao (chocolate) agroforestry.
Date: Wednesday May 29, 2019
Registration & Social: 7:00 p.m.
Program Starts: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Live Oak Hall at the Lake House on Seabrook Island
Fee: Members $5 and Guests $10
SIB will provide beverages including wine and coffee. We ask everyone to RSVP no later than May 27, 2019 so we will know how much wine to purchase and how many chairs to set up.
For only $10, you may join or renew your 2019 SIB membership the night of the event.
Don’t miss this chance to have another fun filled evening with our flock of Seabrook Island Birders!
Look up in the sky – it’s a jewel, a small parrot, no it’s SUPERBIRD!
Male Painted Bunting
Without a doubt, one of the most beautiful and colorful birds on Seabrook Island or anywhere else is the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris). Look for this small to medium-sized multi-colored finch (about five inches long with an eight-inch wingspan) at your bird feeder and around the edges of dense brush (such as wax myrtles) and thick woodlands.
Painted Buntings nest and breed here from the middle of April through September. Some may stay throughout the winter but most of our birds go south to Florida and to the northwest Caribbean islands. These birds are part of the eastern population that occurs along the Atlantic coast from North Carolina to Florida. A second western population breeds in northern Mexico to northern Texas and winters in south-west Mexico.
You will have no problem in identifying a mature male Painted Bunting with its vivid blues, greens, yellows, and reds that make it look like a small parrot. The male’s head is iridescent blue, its throat and underside are bright red, its back is a brilliant green fading to lighter green on the wings. Females and one-year-old males are a uniform yellowish-green color with a slightly lighter eye ring.
SIB is pleased to announce our next evening program will feature Dr. James Rotenberg, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, at UNCW (University North Carolina at Wilmington), to speak on “The Conservation Status of the Atlantic Coast population of Painted Bunting”
Jamie is an environmental ecologist and ornithologist in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Jamie is known as the “bird guy” in his department. His main research interest focuses on using birds as environmental indicators of habitat change and condition. The Painted Bunting Observer Team Project, or “PBOT” is one of the main projects Jamie carries out here in North and South Carolina. He also works on research projects in the country of Belize in Central America. The project in Belize includes research on the bird community of southern Belize as well as Harpy Eagles, migratory Wood Thrush, and rainforest sustainability using cacao (chocolate) agroforestry.
Date: Wednesday May 29, 2019
Registration & Social: 7:00 p.m.
Program Starts: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Live Oak Hall at the Lake House on Seabrook Island
Fee: Members $5 and Guests $10
SIB will provide beverages including wine and coffee. We ask everyone to RSVP no later than May 27, 2019 so we will know how much wine to purchase and how many chairs to set up.
For only $10, you may join or renew your 2019 SIB membership the night of the event.
Don’t miss this chance to have another fun filled evening with our flock of Seabrook Island Birders!
Spring is an amazing and important time for our Seabrook Island shorebirds! Migrating Red Knots are here in growing numbers. After wintering with us, Piping Plovers are heading north to breed. Least Terns, Wilson’s Plovers, and other shorebirds are getting ready to mate and possibly nest on North Beach. It’s a time to enjoy the splendor of our shorebird residents and guests. And to be extra careful when on the beach – give them space to rest, feed, and nest, and follow our beach rules for dogs.
Our SC DNR and USFWS partners have been active monitoring the Red Knot flock to plan for their banding and research. We’re seeing flocks of 300 to 1,500 feeding and resting all along the shore – left of Boardwalk 1, on the sandbars, in the Critical Habitat, at the point, and back on the old inlet. There was a recent sighting of 4,000 knots on the far end of North Beach!
Red Knot, North Beach
The knots are turning into their beautiful reddish breeding colors. It’s a spectacle when they fly, a large flock darting through the sky with a tint of red as they turn! From late March to early May they move between Seabrook, Kiawah, and Deveaux Bank. In past years Aija and I have seen over 5,000 knots on North Beach at their peak in late April. SC DNR has concluded we have the largest single flock of Red Knots on the East Coast!
Red Knot flock of 300, North Beach Critical Habitat
Red Knot population has declined 85% since 1980, and they’re a “Federally Threatened” species. Knots have the longest migration of any bird, 18,000 miles round trip from the tip of South America to the Arctic where they breed. From SC DNR’s research and geolocator data retrieved on Seabrook and nearby beaches, they’ve determined that 2/3 of our Red Knot flock migrate directly from here to the Arctic to breed, and do not make the usual stop at the Delaware Bay. This discovery makes Seabrook Island a critical stop for the knots before their remaining 3,000-mile journey to the Arctic.
Mark in blue shirt, Seabrook Island SC DNR Red Knot Stewardship
Mark Andrews, a Seabrook Island Birders’ member and Seabrook Island resident, is working on a new project with SC DNR this spring to help protect Red Knots. Mark is spending considerable time on North Beach, observing the size and location of the Red Knot flock, and educating Seabrook residents and guests about the knots. Mark’s project is to promote awareness to help our Red Knots rest and refuel for their long migration north to breed. Look for Mark on North Beach and learn about the knots!
Piping Plover flock, high tide resting in Critical Habitat, soon to head north to breed
In April we say bon voyage to our Piping Plovers (PIPL), some having wintered with us since late July. We’re seeing the last of the PIPL now, but in larger flocks of 12 or more as more southern wintering PIPL are stopping here as they head north. Piping Plovers breed in the North Atlantic, Great Lakes, and Great Plains regions. Atlantic and Great Plains PIPL are Federally Threatened, Great Lakes PIPL are Federally Endangered.
This tiny bird, now with a dark breeding color breast band, can be anywhere on North Beach – left or right of Boardwalk 1, in the dogs off lead area, feeding in the Critical Habitat low tide mud flats, or resting in the high tide rack. They need our help for the final bit of rest before heading north. The Great Lakes banded PIPL pictured above, in the flock of 12 PIPL we recently spotted, is one of only 70 breeding pairs remaining from that region.
What’s up with the yellow SC DNR nesting signs in the Critical Habitat? Least Terns and Wilson’s Plovers are beginning to mate and hopefully nest! Look up into the sky and you’ll see and hear the racket of the small white terns chasing each other with fish. From a distance, look for the Least Tern courting behavior either inside the nesting area or on the shore. It’s a hoot. The male presents a gift of fish to a female, female considers to accept or reject, and like with all guys, she will often reject the gift and dart away, leaving the male – fish still in mouth – looking very foolish.
If you look carefully in the nesting area, not getting too close to signs, you may spot a couple of Wilson’s Plovers, at times chasing each other with aggressive mating behavior. Or possibly hunkered down in some rack in the dunes. Last June, Aija and I spotted Least Tern juveniles and Wilson’s Plover chicks in this habitat. A first for us in 12 years of birding and photography on North Beach! Least Terns and Wilson’s Plovers are SC Threatened Species, so they need our help to nest and thrive.
Our resident pair of American Oystercatchers, one banded U5, may also be hopefully mating, along with others. We’ve been seeing U5 and its mate on North Beach for many years, they’re old friends! SC DNR thinks the Oystercatchers have nested on North Beach, although we haven’t observed nests or chicks. We’ve also been seeing the Willets in aggressive mating behavior, and they have nested here too.
Lots of activity in the Spring! Please make a difference when you’re on North Beach by following these simple steps:
Keep away from birds. When you see a flock, large or small, give them space.
Don’t force the birds to fly. How close to a bird is too close? If birds react — calling loudly or taking flight — step back immediately. A good rule is to stay at least 50 yards away, or half the length of a football field.
Respect posted nesting and feeding areas.
Follow Seabrook’s beach rules for dogs. Shorebirds will be anywhere on the beach including the dogs off leash zone. Please don’t have your dog chase any birds! Our shorebirds’ survival is not a game.
Be a good steward. Learn about our shorebirds and their needs and share the word. Shorebirds are one of the many natural treasures of Seabrook for us to understand, enjoy, and most importantly protect.
Note that the Town of Seabrook, working with USFWS and SC DNR, is in the process of improving our signs. The large buoys that washed away have been reordered. These will mark to start of the dogs off lead area, and the start of the Critical Habitat/no dog zone. There are temporary signs up now at the start of the Critical Habitat until the buoys arrive and can be installed. April is such a critical month for shorebirds, and our signs are missing or faded. So some immediate clarification was needed.
Also, please remember that the Critical Habitat line extends from the No Dogs metal sign at the high tide line straight out to the ocean. The beach and sandbars continuing past this visual line are part of the Critical Habitat and no dog zone. This is especially important in Red Knot season as knots will rest and feed on the sandbars that can be accessible at low tide.
So, when walking North Beach, look around you, observe and enjoy these incredible shorebirds. Just like 20 Seabrook Island Birders did on a recent bird walk on North Beach, tallying 40 species!
Red Knot, breeding color, North Beach, photo by Ed Konrad
On Wednesday, April 24, Aija and Ed Konrad will lead a SIB Learning Together bird walk at North Beach. The group will be looking for the Red Knots that are our guests in April, stopping at Seabrook Island to rest and refuel on their long migration from South America to the Arctic to breed.
When: Wednesday, April 24 10:00 am – 1:00 pm (shorter or longer as you wish!) Location: Meet at Owners Parking Lot near entrance to Boardwalk 1 Max: 18 Cost: None for members; $5 donation for guests
Click here to read additional information and access the sign up form.
During the summer of 2017 and 2018, adult male Painted Buntings were fitted with geolocators (a light-level tracking device) on Kiawah Island. The birds were banded with an aluminum band on the right leg and either a yellow or pink on the left leg. To retrieve the valuable data stored on the geolocator, we need to recapture these birds and take off the device. If you see a Painted Bunting with a yellow or pink color band coming to your bird feeder, please contact Aaron Given at agiven@kiawahisland.org or 843-768-9166.
For SIB’s third movie matinee, we will be presenting Opposable Chums: Guts & Glory at the World Series of Birding, a 2008 documentary/comedy 64 minutes in length.
As described on Amazon: “The World Series of Birding features more than 70 teams competing to identify the most bird species in 24 hours. It’s equal parts scavenger hunt, science expedition, and endurance test. Opposable Chums, as seen on PBS, features renowned birders David Sibley, Kenn Kaufman, and Pete Dunne. Taking you along for the raucous ride, Opposable Chums may well be the very first nature documentary comedy.”
The contest goes from midnight to midnight.
The playing field is the state of New Jersey.
Any vehicle except aircraft may be used.
All birds counted must be alive and unrestrained.
Teams may begin the event anywhere in the state, and follow any route they devise.
But each team must cross the Finish Line by midnight.
To watch several “Opposable Chums” trailers, click here.
SIB will provide the popcorn and snacks! You can bring pillows to make the chairs more comfy and BYOB. Please sign up to join us for this fun afternoon where you will learn more about the wacky world of birding!
The Yellow-throated Warbler, Setophaga Dominica, is a common warbler in this area year round and breeds west to Texas and north as far as Illinois. They are part of the family of Wood Warblers or Parulidae.
If you are lucky enough to spot this stunning warbler, it is an easy bird to identify. It has a bright yellow throat and chest with sharply contrasting black triangles through and below the eyes and bright white eyebrows. The back and top of head are gray with a white under-belly and two white wing bars. The Yellow-throated Warbler, besides having colorful markings, is also distinctive because of its stockier body and longer, sharp, black bill. The male and female are similar in appearance with the female being slightly duller.
As many of you have noticed on social media lately our male Wild Turkeys, or toms, are being quite aggressive and putting on quite the show. Actually that’s right on cue for Wild Turkeys on Seabrook Island as breeding and nesting for Wild Turkeys begins in late February around this part of the east coast. Increasing day length and warmer weather determine the date when the breeding season begins. You might be interested in knowing some Wild Turkey facts.
A Wild Tom Turkey, with his brightly colored head, gives a loud gobbling call to attract females and then puffs up and fluffs his feathers, swells the wattle, and spreads, drops and drags his wings while strutting around in a mating dance. All of that plus some humming sounds entices the female. Once mating occurs, that female goes off to find her nesting site while the male can continue looking for other females. The male might mate with three or four other females.
Interestingly, after the female turkey, dully colored for camouflage, finds her ground nest site, will lay only one egg. She will cover the egg with ground debris, then leave to feed and roost elsewhere. The next day she will lay another egg in the same nest and then leave again. This continues until she has laid all her fertilized eggs, which usually number from nine to thirteen. Then she will sit on the nest for the next twenty eight days as the eggs incubate leaving briefly once a day to feed. Because the nest is on the ground, the eggs are at risk from predators such as raccoons, bobcats, opossums, and even snakes. However, on Seabrook Island the turkey population seems to be growing so we must have more Wild Turkeys than predators.
Apparently Wild Turkeys have a pecking order within their flock. During mating season the males become quite aggressive towards anything they perceive as a threat. I thought the tom was seeing his reflection on the car and was attacking what he thought was another male. And, this might have been the case. However, it was also suggested that turkeys have lost their fear of humans and assimilated to life in neighborhoods, and that this tom with his hormonal spike, might have seen the automobile as the threat and was trying to knock the car down the pecking order.
Don’t feed Wild Turkeys as this can cause them to act tame and may lead to bold or aggressive behavior.
Keep bird feed areas clean by using feeders designed to keep seed off the ground
You may threaten a bold or aggressive turkey by making loud noises, swatting it with a broom, or spraying water from a hose.
Turkeys can also respond aggressively to shiny objects like car windows, mirrors and polished car doors. It is recommended to cover the reflection if possible.
So, maybe we should all keep a broom handy when we drive or walk around Seabrook Island so we aren’t knocked down the pecking order. Just keep in mind Wild Turkeys can run up to a speed of 25 mph and fly at a speed of 55 mph. Have fun, it’s only six more months until deer mating season!
Article Submitted by: Joleen Ardaiolo
(Photo & Video Submitted by: Glen Cox & Tracy Thorne)
Matt Johnson is the Director of Bird Conservation & Engagement for Audubon South Carolina. A native of South Carolina, Matt grew up in Columbia and attended Clemson University from 2003-2009. After receiving his graduate degree in Biological Sciences, Matt worked as a producer for the Emmy award-winning nature documentary entitled “Expeditions with Patrick McMillan.” In 2013, Matt left Clemson to begin working with Audubon as the Education Director at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. In 2017, he transitioned to his current position, where he works on a variety of engagement projects across the state to promote bird conservation.
SIB will provide beverages including wine and coffee. We ask everyone to RSVP no later than March 25, 2019 so we will know how much wine to purchase and how many chairs to set up.
For only $10, you may join or renew your 2019 SIB membership the night of the event.
Don’t miss this chance to have another fun filled evening with our flock of Seabrook Island Birders!
During the summer of 2017 and 2018, adult male Painted Buntings were fitted with geolocators (a light-level tracking device) on Kiawah Island. The birds were banded with an aluminum band on the right leg and either a yellow or pink on the left leg. To retrieve the valuable data stored on the geolocator, we need to recapture these birds and take off the device. If you see a Painted Bunting with a yellow or pink color band coming to your bird feeder, please contact Aaron Given at 
