Latest posts
Ask SIB: Brown-headed Cowbirds – Brood Parasite
In a recent email, Joleen Ardaiola said: Jackie Brooks replied: This brings up two questions. First, why do Brown-headed Cowbirds lay their eggs in the nest of other birds? Second, why don’t those other birds recognize the imposter and continue to feed a baby bird that may be twice the size of the parent like…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-Bellied Woodpecker – Melanerpes carolinusLength: 9.25″; Wingspan: 16″; Weight: 2.2 oz. This bird is our most conspicuous woodpecker heard around the island (although the downy is more numerous). Its most common call is a shrill, rolling kwirr or churr given by both sexes. You might also hear a gruff, coughing cha cha cha sounding through the woods, usually a contact call between…
SIB Travels: GPS Birding, Texas Style!
Llano Grande Golf CourseMercedes, TX The Dilettante Birders spent April in Texas, enjoying the eclipse and birding in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. One birding adventure stands out as we searched for a bird on the Rare Bird List. We left Brownsville headed for Corpus Christi. Since Mercedes, TX was not that far, we decided…
Happy Father’s Day: A tribute to those beautiful male birds
Happy Father’s Day to men everywhere! As we think of bird fathers, we can’t help but think about how beautiful they are. Have you noticed that in many species, the males are much more colorful than their female partners? Some species with easily recognized males can best be shown in a pictorial. Why are males…
SIB Travels: Another Texas Birding Vacation
This year seems to be the one where multiple SIBlings headed to the state of Texas to bird this spring. Eileen and I set out on Easter, March 31, 2024, for Texas at the same time that Judy Morr and Jennifer Jerome where birding in Texas. They started in San Antonio but were soon at…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Kites: Mississippi vs Swallow-tailed
Mississippi Kite – Ictinia mississippiensisLength: 14″ Wingspan: 31″ Weight: 10 oz Swallow-tailed Kite – Elanoides forficatus (endangered in South Carolina)Length: 22″ Wingspan: 51″ Weight: 12 oz Living at a beach community, I’m sure many people are accustomed to looking at kites in the sky along the beach – you know, the kind that Ben Franklin used. But have you ever looked up to see…
Have you seen Scoters on the beach?
On a recent morning on Turtle Patrol, members noticed a Black Scoter just sitting on the beach near Privateer Creek beyond Camp St. Christopher. Having recently seen a post on Facebook from Center for Birds of Prey, they knew what needed to be done. (The post text is copied below). Center for Birds of Prey…
To Rescue or Not To Rescue Baby Birds
We think this blog from 2019 is worth repeating as each spring, SIB receives questions regarding what to do when a baby bird is found. Have you ever wondered whether to intervene with nature? Since we, as human beings, have moved into “nature’s” neighborhood it might be appropriate to occasionally give “nature” a helping hand. …
Welcome Summer and our summer birds
Happy Summer! Like us, many birds avoid the summer sun by limiting daytime activity. These birds will forage in the early morning, evening or throughout the night so they can conserve energy and rest during the warmest times of day. You can plan your birding activities to coincide with the birds schedules. SIB’s “Sit, Sip…
Birds on Seabrook Island Year-round: Backyard Birds
At the beginning of each season, we’ve briefly discussed birds arriving for that season. Many of our favorite birds are here all year. In fact, there are so many, let’s focus today on those we often seen in our backyard. The link in each description is a link to a “Bird of the Week” article…