Seabrook Island Birders Latest Blogs
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Shorebird Stewards Presents Feb, 2026
An evening with Janet Thibault, a wildlife biologist in the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division of the South Carolina Department…
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Purple Martins will return soon!
Purple Martins are starting to leave their wintering grounds and are headed our way! Purple Martins (PUMA) migrate from North…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Semipalmated Plover
If you’re out on Seabrook Island’s North Beach in winter, there’s a good chance you’ll spot a Semipalmated Plover mixed…
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Join SIB on a walk in February!
If you’ve been meaning to sign up for an activity with Seabrook Island Birders, February offers several opportunities: February 11…
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Slow Birding at the Boat Ramp/Crab Dock
Saturday, February 14, 2026 10:00a-11:30aSlow Birding at Boat Ramp/Crab DockLocation: 1201 Creek Watch TrMax: 12Cost: Free for members; $10 donation…
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Great Backyard Bird Count 2026
Sunday February 15, 2026 8:00am – 5:00 pm Great Backyard Bird CountLocation: Various locations around Seabrook IslandMax: 20 No cost to…
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Join SIB – Learning Together-Palmetto Lake
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 9:00am-10:30amLocation: Meet at Equestrian end of Lake House parking lotMax: 12Cost: Free for 2026 members, $10…
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Learning Together at Seabrook Island Golf Courses (Ocean Winds or Crooked Oaks)
Monday February 16, 2026 8:30 am – 10:30 am – Ocean WindsLocation: Meet at Bag Drop at Island House 3772…
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Did you know? How herons, egrets, and ducks stay warm in cold water.
When cold weather strikes, and snow is in the forecast, we often wonder how our feathered friends survive these Arctic…
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SIB Birds of the Week: Sparrows
We can all identify a sparrow, right? A small brown bird that you see in and around shrubbery and occasionally…
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The Rewards of Volunteering at the Avian Conservation Center
The Avian Conservation Center, located in Awendaw, SC is best summed up by its mission statement: “To identify and address…
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A look back at Christmas Bird Count
Early on a cold Friday morning, January 2, 2026, fourteen enthusiastic birders set out with their binoculars and spotting scopes in…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Loggerhead Shrike
Loggerhead Shrikes are relatively small birds, about 8-9″ long, look like a songbird, but act like a raptor. Shrikes don’t…
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Join SIB: Learning Together at Jenkins Point
Saturday, January 31, 2026 8:30 am – 11:00 amLocation: Meet at First Lagoon on left Cost: Free for…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Dunlin
If you’ve ever walked up to the inlet during high tide in winter and noticed a large flock of birds…
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Join SIB: Beyond Our Backyard at Hollings ACE Basin
Saturday, January 24, 2026 7:30am – 2:00 pm (roundtrip from Seabrook Island) Leave Seabrook Real Estate: 7:30…
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SIB Reports: Helping birds in cold weather
Winter is one of our favorite times of year to watch birds at our feeders. And with the colder weather,…
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Join SIB – Learning Together on North Beach
Friday January 23, 2026, 9:00am – 11:30 amBirding at North BeachLocation: Meet at Boardwalk # 1 Parking lotMax: noneCost: Free…
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Ecuador Adventure Part 5 – Oddballs
Anyone who has been following my series on our vacation in Ecuador knows that I covered the Galapagos Island in…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull: Length: 16.9-23.1 inches; Weight: 10.6-24.7 oz.; Wingspan: 41.3 – 46.1 inches Ring-billed Gulls are commonly seen on Seabrook…
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Learning Together at Seabrook Island Golf Courses (Ocean Winds or Crooked Oaks)
Monday January 19, 2026 8:30 am – 10:30 am – Ocean WindsLocation: Meet at Bag Drop at Island House 3772 Seabrook…
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Join SIB – Beyond Our Backyard – Pitt Street Causeway to Watermark Lake
Thursday, Jan. 15 8:30 am– 3:30 pmTrip to Pitt Street CausewayLocation: Meet at SI Real Estate Office to Carpool at…
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SIB’s Article for the January issue of “The Seabrooker”
In case you don’t receive it, or haven’t had a chance to read it yet, we hope you’ll enjoy The…
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Join SIB: Beyond Our Backyard at Kiawah River Development
Sunday, January 11, 2026 9:00am-12:00pmLearning Together at Kiawah River Location: Meet at the “bridge” entering the propertyMax: 12 peopleCost None for…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove – Zenaida macrouraLength: 9″- 12″; Wingspan: 17″-19″; Weight: 4-6 oz. Mourning Doves are one of the most recognized…
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SIB Reports: 2026 Bird Challenge
A new year has arrived, are you bird-ready? Maybe this is the year you’d like to sharpen your birding skills,…
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SIB Bird of the Week … Osprey
I think he’ll be to RomeAs is the osprey to the fish, who takes itBy sovereignty of nature.Coriolanus Act 4…
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Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays from Seabrook Island Birders! May the season bring you many joys and maybe even a few wonderous feathered…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – White-throated Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis L: 6.3″-7.1″, WS: 7.9″-9.1″, WT: 0.8-1.1 oz. One of the most common sparrows found on Seabrook…
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Winter “snowbirds” arrive with Winter
The arrival of Winter 2025 officially is the Winter Solstice on December 21 at 10:03am. It’s a good time to…
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SIB Bird of the week – Baltimore Oriole
Have you noticed any new birds coming into your yard lately? One brightly colored visitor that might show up frequently…
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Ask SIB – What’s going on with all the white birds around the lake?
“Some of the residents are curious about those beautiful white birds that flock to the trees around the lakes. What…
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Ecuador Birding Adventure – Part 4 – Tanagers
If you thought the hummingbirds were numerous (134 species), the family Cardinalidae has 178 species in Ecuador, this includes but…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Cedar Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing – Bombycilla cedrorumLength: 7.25″; Wingspan: 12″; Weight: 1.1 oz. I just love Cedar Waxwings and they are one of…
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Volunteer to Assist with the Christmas Bird Count on Seabrook Island
Each year starting on December 14th and continuing through January 5th, people across the country are participating in the annual…
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Pop Up Birding-Palmetto Lake
Sunday, December 7th, 2025 4:00p-5:30p Location: Meet at Equestrian end of Lake House parking lotMax: 12Cost: Free for 2025 members, $10…
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What is eBird? And why should I use it?
If you’ve ever wondered how birders and birdwatchers keep track of the birds they see, the most common answer is…
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SIB “Birds of the Week” – Hooded Merganser & Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus L: 18″, WS: 24″ WT: 22.4 oz.Bufflehead Bucephala albeola L: 13.5 WS: 21″ WT: 13 oz…
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Birders’ reasons to be thankful
Birders have some of their own reasons to be thankful on this special day. An informal survey of some Seabrook…
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Ecuador Birding Adventure – Part 3 – Trogon and Toucan and Kin
Most birders who have explored outside of the Unted States have labeled the Trogon and its close relative Quetzal as…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey – Meleagris gallopavoLength: 46″; Wingspan: 64″; Weight: 259 oz. Eastern Wild Turkeys are often seen on Seabrook Island. The domesticated version…
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SIB Explores: Rare Bird Alerts
Do you sometimes wonder how all those people report a rare bird on eBird days before you hear about it?…
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Sad news: George Haskins obituary
Seabrook Island Birders recently lost one of its founders. George Haskins passed away on November 2, 2025, at the age…
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Birding Ecuador – Part 2 – Hummingbirds
Here in the eastern United States, we love our hummingbird. I say that in the singular as we only have…
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SIB’s Article for the November Issue of “The Seabrooker”
In case you don’t receive it, or haven’t had a chance to read it yet, we hope you’ll enjoy The…
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SIB Reports: What do woodpeckers and tennis players have in common?
Woodpeckers and tennis players share a similarity, and it has to do with how they use their core muscles and…
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Birding Ecuador – Part 1 Antpittas
In late July and early August, Eileen and I were in Ecuador. We spend 14 days on a trip arranged…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – American Robin
American Robin – Turdus migratoriusLength: 10″; Wingspan: 17”.Although generally this bird is thought to be a sign of spring in the more northern…
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Hooded Mergansers have returned!
Every year in late October we start asking the question “When will Hooded Mergansers return?” Usually it’s in early November,…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Crows: American vs Fish
American Crow – Corvus brachyrhynchosLength: 17.5″; Wingspan: 39″; Weight: 16 oz. Fish Crow – Corvus ossifragusLength: 15″; Wingspan: 36″; Weight: 10 oz. Probably many people on…
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The Eerie Sounds of Halloween
Ghostly screams that pierce the night. Haunting, mournful, and eerie wails. Raspy shrieks and hair-raising screeches. These are the chilling…
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Galapagos Island Adventure – Part 5
We cannot leave the Galapagos Islands without visiting several iconic species. There are the two species of frigatebird, the Red-billed…
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Copy of Bird of the Week … Northern Mockingbird
Well, not sure any of you guessed this, but our 3rd President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, had a…
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SIB Member Profile – Mary Wilde
Mary Wilde and her family have owned on Seabrook Island since 2010. Like many, they came for a family vacation…
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Galapagos Island Endemics (Part 4)
In the last three blogs, I discussed our Galapagos Island adventures with the Mockingbirds, Darwin Finches, Reptiles, and Mammals. While…
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SIB Reports – Here’s to the Birdwatchers!
Birders are “the most curious creature of all. Hyper-focused. Single-minded. Intense. Devoted. They speak in reverent tones and hushed whispers…
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October Big Day – SIB style
October 11 was October Big Day. This is a day designated by eBird with this stated purpose: Wherever you are…
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Ask SIB: Why are there so many Wood Storks?
If you’ve driven past the Lake House lately, you’ve probably noticed a large number of big, white birds gathering on…
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Matt Johnson Sept 29, 2025 Program Recording Now Available
If you missed it or you would like to watch it again a recording of “From Beidler Forest to Barranquilla,…
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Galapagos Islands Endemics (Part 3 Non-birds)
An endemic Lava Lizard basking on an endemic Land Iguana
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Backyard Birding at Crab Dock/Boat Ramp
Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 4:00p-5:30pBackyard Birding at Boat Ramp/Crab DockLocation: 1201 Creekwatch TrMax: 12Cost: Free for members; $10 donation for…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Northern Flicker
Northern Flicker – Colaptes auratusLength: 11-12.2″; Wingspan: 16.5-20.1″; Weight: 3.9-5.6 oz. Northern Flickers are large, brown woodpeckers with a gentle expression and…
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SIB Reports – eBird Taxonomy Update Coming Soon!
Cornell Lab All About Birds and eBird will soon be updating our checklists for the upcoming Taxonomy Update. And it’s…
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SIB Reports – Brown Pelicans return to nest on Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary
SCDNR reported yesterday, October 8th, that Brown Pelicans had returned to nest on Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary, at Shem Creek.…
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Galapagos Birding (Part 2)
If you read the previous blog, you know that Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Island in 1835. During his five…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Black Skimmer
Black Skimmer – Rynchops nigerLength: 18″; Wingspan: 44″; Weight: 11 oz. We are among a lucky few to have the…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Piping Plover
Piping Plover – Charadrius melodusLength: 7.25″; Wingspan: 19″; Weight: 1.9 oz. The Piping Plover is a small shorebird that has gotten a…
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Galapagos Island Birding (Part 1)
This July, Eileen and I joined Wildside Nature Tours for 10 days on the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. Located 700…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Little Blue Heron
Little Blue Heron – Egretta caeruleaLength: 22-29”; Wingspan: 40”Below is a confusing bird to identify. It’s a Little Blue Heron in what…
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Fall has arrived! What birds should we expect?
Fall officially arrives at 2:19pm EDT on Monday September 22. For birds, the fall season has been in effect for…
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Where Have All the Martins Gone?
The End of the Season The Purple Martin housing has grown quiet, signaling the close of our season with these…
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SIB Reports: A closer look at birds, with the editors of BWD Magazine
With fall migration underway, the birds we’re seeing and hearing are changing from day to day! The editors of BWD…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – American Redstart
American Redstart – Setophaga ruticillaLength: 5.25″; Wingspan: 7.75″; Weight: 0.29 oz. While the American Redstart is a wood-warbler and part of…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Carolina Wren
Carolina Wren – Thryothorus ludovicianusLength: 5.5″; Wingspan: 7.5″; Weight: 0.74 oz. The Carolina Wren is the state bird of South Carolina and…
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Red Knot Update #4
As of August 29th, 2025, we have 11 satellite-tagged Red Knots still transmitting location data. Two were banded on March…
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SIB’s Article for the September Edition of “The Seabrooker”
In case you don’t receive it, or haven’t had a chance to read it yet, we hope you will enjoy…
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SIB “Bird of the Week”- Carolina Chickadee
The Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) is a common bird to our area, as well as a great portion of the…
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A Birds Eye View: The Feather Detective
The Feather Detective by Christopher Sweeney is a unique blend of mystery, memoir, and ornithology. One doesn’t usually think of…
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Move over Maverick, Hummingbirds are the real Top Guns!
If you’re a fan of the movie “Top Gun”, you’ve surely seen the sequel in which Maverick (Tom Cruise) reaches…
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2025 SI Eastern Bluebird Trail Season
The beauty and vitality of Eastern Bluebirds depends on the efforts of a dedicated team of volunteers who monitor and…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Roseate Spoonbill
Roseate Spoonbill – Platalea ajajaLength: 32″; Wingspan: 50″; Weight: 52oz. The next time you see a Roseate Spoonbill, check out the…
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SIB Reports: State of the Birds
“Five years ago, most ornithologists had a general sense that birds were declining – more than 3 billion birds lost…
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Thoughts of a New Bird Watcher
Occasionally through the years I would look at what birds were doing for a few minutes and then go back…
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Update #3 – Red Knot Tracking (and Hurricane Erin)
We are happy to report that both of the Red Knots tracking over the Atlantic Ocean have successfully reached land! LP7…
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SIB Reports: Shorebird Identification
Do you find shorebirds challenging to identify? Even the best birder has trouble with this bird group! And just when…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Laughing Gull
Laughing Gull – Leucophaeus AtricillaLength: 16.5″; Wingspan: 40″; Weight: 11 oz. Swirling over beaches with strident calls and a distinctive, crisp black…
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Latest Update! Red Knot Tracking
We have big news on the tracking front with two birds (LN5 and LP7) flying over the open Atlantic Ocean,…
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A Birds Eye View: That Last Carolina Summer
That Last Carolina Summer by Karen White is a good summer read. The publisher’s description calls it A Gripping Southern…
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SIB Bird of the week – Red-eyed Vireo
This little 5.1 inch Red-eyed Vireo is a chunky vireo with a long, angular head, thick neck, and a strong,…
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SIB Reports: Storks and Corks
Audubon South Carolina’s Silver Bluff Sanctuary, near Aiken, SC, has managed stork feeding ponds that provide vital foraging and resting…
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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…
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SIB Reports: Fall Migration and Bird Cast
BirdCast Migration Dashboard is back online for fall migration. Starting Friday, August 1, the site will report daily, radar-based measurements…
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Red Knot Update!
Hello Red Knot fans! This spring, 27 Red Knots were fitted with satellite transmitters during two banding events: 14 birds…
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Did you Know: How Birds Deal with Summer Heat
As we all escape to our air conditioning to avoid the South Carolina heat in summer, what do birds do…
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SIB -BIRD OF THE WEEK -Tricolor Heron
The Tricolor Heron can range in size from 25-30″ (64-76 cm). W. 3’2 (97 cm). Dark blue upperparts contrast with…
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Cruise Birding – 11 European countries in 12 days!
On May 13, Ed and I departed for an 18-day trip to Europe! It was our first trip “across the…
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SIB Bird of the Week – Summer Tanager
If you’ve ever caught a glimpse of a flame-red bird flitting through the treetops in South Carolina’s warmer months, chances…
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Painted Bunting
Painted Bunting – Passerina cirisLength: 5.5″; Wingspan: 8.75″; Weight: 0.54 oz. Without a doubt, this bird is one of the most beautiful…
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SIB – “Bird of the Week” – Marsh Wren
This little guy can be heard right now in all our marshes on Seabrook Island. They like to hang out…
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First Purple Martin Fledgling!
As many of you know, Seabrook Island Birders embarked on a new project this year – Purple Martin Landlords! After…