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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Gray Catbird
Gray Catbird – Dumetella carolinensis Length: 8.5″; Wingspan: 11″; Weight: 1.3 oz. If you struggle with learning bird songs and calls, try starting with the “catty mew” of the Gray Catbird. Just the sound of it makes you think of a cat which will help you remember its name! These birds are migratory, but you can hear and…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Regulus calendulaLength: 4.25″; Wingspan: 7. 5″; Weight: 0.23 oz. There are two good ways to identify the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. First, you might see it out of the corner of your eye. That’s because it flicks its wings and hops fairly continuously. You also might recognize it from its very distinctive call. The…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Setophaga coronataLength: 5.5″; Wingspan: 9.25″; Weight: 0.43 oz. Yellow-rumped Warblers are one of the most common warblers in North America and abundant on Seabrook Island from fall through spring. The Yellow-rumped Warbler is sometimes referred to as “Butter Butt” due to its bright yellow rump. It was formally called Myrtle Warbler in the…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Turkey Vulture vs. Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture vs. Black Vulture – Cathartes aura and Coragyps atratusTurkey Vulture – Length: 26″; Wingspan: 67″; Weight: 4.0 lbBlack Vulture – Length: 25″; Wingspan: 59″; Weight: 4.4 lb No, those are NOT buzzards; they are vultures. We have no buzzards in North America but we do have two types of vultures:…
SIB “Bird of the Week”- Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow are streamlined small songbirds with long pointed wings and a short, squared’ slightly notched tail. Adult males are blue green above and white below with blackish flight feathers and a thin black eye mask; females are duller with more brown in their upperparts, and juveniles are completely brown above. Juveniles and some females…
SIB Bird of the Week – Pine Warbler
This warbler is well named due to it not often seen away from pine trees. Pine Warblers forage in a rather leisurely way at all levels in the pinewoods, from the ground to the treetops. This species is only a short-distance migrant, and almost the entire population spends the winter within the southern United States.…
Bird of the week – Reddish Egrets – North Beach
Early Wednesday morning, Ed and I were treated to the sight of two beautiful Reddish Egrets actively feeding on North Beach. It’s a thrill to see one Reddish Egret at this time of the year, but two is fantastic! They are not common birds here in the Low Country, so it is always a great…
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 head, Laughing Gulls provide sights and sounds evocative of summer on Seabrook Island. You’ll run across this handsome gull in large numbers at beaches, docks, and parking lots, where they wait for handouts or fill…
Bird of the Week: Red-winged Blackbird
For years I’ve been noticing smaller birds like Chickadees, Titmice and Wrens mob larger birds like Crows and Blue Jays, and medium size birds such as Mockingbirds, Blue Jays and Crows mob larger birds like Hawks and Owls if they encroach into their territory. Just the other morning Blue Jays were causing a complete ruckus…
Bird of the Week: White-eyed Vireo
White-eyed Vireo – Vireo griseus There are four species of vireos possible on Seabrook Island. The White-eyed Vireo may be seen all year round. The others spend either the winter in the area—Blue-headed Vireo or the summer—Red-eyed Vireo and Yellow-throated Vireo. Ebird reports of White-eyed vireo come from many locations on Seabrook Island including the…
