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SIB Bird of the Week – Wood Stork
Large, white Wood Storks wade through southeastern swamps and wetlands. It is a good flier, soaring on thermals with neck and legs outstretched. This bald-headed wading bird stands just over 3 feet tall, which makes it one of the tallest wetland bird. A whooping crane beats out the Wood Stork as tallest. Wood Storks breed…
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 “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…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Anhinga vs Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga Double-crested Cormorant Anhinga anhinga …
SIB ‘Bird of the week’ – Black and White Warbler
Black-and-white Warblers are medium-sized warblers (small songbirds). They have a fairly long, slightly downcurved bill. The head often appears somewhat flat and streamlined, with a short neck. The wings are long and the tail is short. Their names actually describe them well. You have to listen very closely to hear their song. They can be…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Belted Kingfisher – King of the Lagoon
Belted Kingfisher – Megaceryle alcyonLength: 13″; Wingspan: 20″; Weight: 5 oz. Along any of Seabrook Island’s lagoons, ponds, lakes or other waterways you may hear a very distinctive loud rattling call, a flash of blue and a splash of water as a Belted kingfisher plunges head first into the water catching an un-expecting fish near the surface.…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Barred Owl
My husband says he’s not a birder. However, he goes birding with me on a regular basis, comes with me on most of my Shorebird Steward shifts, attends a few SIB events, and carries my tripod and other gear when I’m out taking photos. And most importantly, he’s my spotter. He has a gift for…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl – Bubo virginianus Length: 18.1-24.8″.; Wingspan: 39.8-57.1″ ; Weight: 32.1-88.2 oz. “Who’s awake? Me too! Who’s awake? Me too!” My “Birding by Ear” audio training suggests these phonetic phrases to help identify the Great Horned Owl. One night, while sitting on our back deck at Seabrook, my husband and I heard this…
SIB “Bird of the week “- Blue Jay
This is a common large songbird known to many people. Blue above and white below, with a prominent crest and a bold black necklace. The wings and tail are barred with black, and it has a bold white wing bar. The black bridle across the face, nape, and throat varies extensively and may help Blue…
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…
