Latest posts
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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 my very favorite birds! They are such a cool looking bird with that sleek brown crest that often lies flat over the back of the head. Waxwings are medium-sized gregarious birds that are silky brownish…
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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 For winter birding at Seabrook, I always look forward to the arrival of two of my favorite ducks….the Hooded Merganser and the Bufflehead. Both are winter visitors for us. On a quick look, the males…
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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 of this large native game bird is well known because of its role each Thanksgiving day. Millions of turkeys are drawn from an outline of the hands of elementary children prior to Thanksgiving each year. The turkey would have been our national bird if Benjamin Franklin had…
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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 sections of North American, during the winter this migratory bird loves to hang in the warmer areas of the South gorging on our berries! The Robin is among the most abundant bird species on the…
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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 Seabrook have no idea that there are two kinds of crows here. For most of us, a crow is a crow. Actually, there are two different species on the Island: The American Crow and the…
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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 pet Northern Mockingbird named “Dick.” He actually had several Mockingbirds at various times, but Dick was the only one he mentioned by name in his diary and apparently was his favorite. Jefferson often left the…
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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 handsome black-scalloped plumage. On walks, don’t be surprised if you scare one up from the ground. It’s not where you’d expect to find a woodpecker, but flickers eat mainly ants and beetles, digging for them…
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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 Black Skimmer along our beaches. As you can see from the map below, this dramatic and beautiful bird populates only a very small portion of the United States. Aside from its striking black and white…
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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 lot of attention at Seabrook. It doesn’t nest here, but Seabrook is an important stop for it in migration to feed. It’s feeding habitat has seriously declined since many coastal beaches have been lost to…
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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 is called “first year” plumage. When a Little Blue is immature (i.e., during the year in which it is born), it is totally white. Until a birder has mastered the characteristics of our local white egrets,…