Latest posts
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Green Heron
Green Heron – Butorides virescensLength: 18″; Wingspan: 26″; Weight: 7 oz. A relatively common sight on Seabrook Island, the green heron is a dark, stocky bird that appears to hunch over on slender legs, often at the edge of a pond, marsh or stream. Seen up close or through binoculars, it is a distinctive bird with a
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – European Starling
European Starlings are ubiquitous in the U.S. with an estimated population of 200 million; they are also a generally vilified species. Luckily for us, there are not many on Seabrook and they are primarily in the barn area. In my research for this article, I came across a fascinating piece that I hope you will
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird:Family – TrochilidaeSpecies – Archilochus colubrisLength: 3 – 3.75”; Wingspan: 4.25 – 4.5”; Weight: 0.1 oz (Submitted by Ron Schlidge) The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only hummer known by most Easterners and has a range that covers most of eastern North America. Both sexes have glittering green crown and upperparts, and the underparts are
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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” – Gulls vs. Terns
If you guessed GULLS vs. TERNS, you are correct! All those birds on the beach – it’s very confusing. To make things a bit clearer, let’s discuss two very common and very similar groups: terns and gulls. What they are NOT are those little birds that run along the edge of the water, or the
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Bird of the Week: Common Nighthawk
We recently shared information about the Chuck-will’s-widow, a bird common to Seabrook Island, more often heard than seen. A similar bird common to Seabrook Island, but generally not heard or even seen by many, is the Common Nighthawk. Both birds are in the nightjar family and breed in this area. They are often called “goatsuckers”
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Grackles: Boat-tailed and Common
Grackles have always appealed to me due to their beautiful iridescence and graceful look in flight. They have adapted to living in close proximity to people and are abundant in our area. Although the range of the Common Grackle is large and expanding, their numbers are declining. Boat-tailed Grackles, however, are not at risk. These
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SIB “Bird of the week” – Eastern Screech Owl
Eastern Screech Owl – Megascops asioLength: 6.3-9.8 in. Weight: 4.3-8.6 oz.Wingspan: 18.9-24 in. If you find yourself in a wooded area at night, don’t be too alarmed if you hear a haunting whinny floating across the night air. No, it’s not a ghost horse, it’s likely coming from a bird no bigger than a pint
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Northern Parula
Northern Parula – Setophaga americanaLength: 4.5″; Wingspan: 7″; Weight: 0.3 oz. Northern Parulas are tiny, dainty birds and one of North America’s smallest wood-warblers. These birds are very active and beautiful warblers that are sometimes hard to see because they love to forage in the dense foliage of mid to upper tree canopies. Most birders hear
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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Red-headed Woodpecker
(submitted by: Judy Morr)resubmitted by SIB Is Woody Woodpecker the only woodpecker you know you can identify for sure? There are actually 6 different woodpeckers seen on Seabrook Island: Cornell Lab states “Several species of woodpeckers have red on their heads. Only one of these is named Red-headed Woodpecker,” and we will profile them first.