Latest posts
Ethical and Responsible Bird Nest Photography
As winter draws to a close and spring arrives, so do families of nestling and fledgling birds. The birds of Seabrook Island are familiar to us, holding a special place in our hearts, and never more so than during nesting season. Social media is full of beautiful close-up portraits of birds displaying courting behaviors, nest building, tending…
SIB “Bird of the week “ – Northern Harrier
Formerly known as the Marsh Hawk, the Northern Harriers are slender, medium-sized raptors with long, fairly broad wings and a long, rounded tail. They have a flat, owl-like face and a small, sharply hooked bill. Harriers often fly with their wings held in a dihedral, or V-shape above the horizontal. They are a little bit…
SIB Travels: Cruising for Life Birds
It was time to set sail again, and for us, January and February are perfect months to take a cruise. In winter the destinations aren’t as crowded, we get to escape the cold weather in favor of warm, tropical breezes, and the overall pace on the ship is laid back and relaxed. Very few families with…
Birds love our water
Many of us live on a barrier island because we like being near water. Some of us even live by the beach or a lagoon. Birds also like the water. We can help birds by adding a birdbath to our yard. Some top reasons to add a birdbath to your yard are: A primary benefit of birdbaths to us…
Nesting Birds on Seabrook Island – Part I: Cavity Nesters
Spring is in the air and the birds are busy building nests and raising their young. The post below was originally distributed in 2017. Like many things we knew (or missed) years ago, it’s good to repeat some information. ************************************************** What is a cavity nester? Cavity nesting birds are ones that build nests, lay eggs…
Colonial Nesters on and near Seabrook Island
The article below has been updated since its original post in 2017. Current SIB members may experience different colony nests than reported here. Recently we visited the rookery seen on Ocean Winds golf course or at a recent Backyard Birding. That caused us to ask which birds nest in “rookeries” here on Seabrook Island. Quite…
Can birds signal your romantic future?
Happy Valentines Day to (bird) lovers everywhere! Doves, cardinals and lovebirds (a type of parrot) come to mind when people think of birds and love together. But ornithomancy is a practice dating to ancient times when Greeks and Romans used it to interpret their bird sightings and get a glimpse into the future. According to ornithomancy, single…
Why I am a SI Shorebird Steward (and why I think you would enjoy it, too)
Like most of us, I spent much of my 40 year professional career inside, behind a computer screen. Retiring to Seabrook Island in 2020 was an epiphany for me and my husband, Doug. There is a whole world out here! There are no lions and tigers and bears, but plenty of alligators, dolphins, and, of…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Western Cattle Egret
How did I miss the memo!?! The Cattle Egret that I’ve enjoyed observing, often in fields feeding near livestock and rarely ever near water like most other egrets and herons, got a name change! It wasn’t until I read about Judy Morr’s travels to Florida a few weeks ago that I even realized a change had happened! …
What’s the Deal with the Capitalizion of Bird Names?
Have you ever noticed when you read the articles from Seabrook Island Birders (SIB), the common names of birds are capitalized? The same is true with nearly every bird book, bird periodical or birding website. However, if you read articles in non-birding publications including print media, these same common names are not capitalized, unless a…
