Latest posts
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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 to deal? David Sibley wrote a brief article on this that states: The activity patterns birds employ to survive the heat are generally what we would call “common sense,” and your strategies for finding birds…
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Did you know? Amazing Hummingbird Facts
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are a familiar sight at our feeders. They quickly drop by for a drink, then they’re away like a flash. Sometimes you’ll hear the chattering of multiple hummingbirds having a discussion about who owns the territory around the feeder. They can be quite aggressive! But did you know, while we typically see only…
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Did you know: Birds molt changing their appearance
I forgot I’d written this in 2023 so when I recently asked myself the question again, I thought it was time to republish. – Judy Morr In mid-February, I saw a bird for the first time on Seabrook Island – an Indigo Bunting. I didn’t recognize it initially with it’s brown plumage with just a…
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Did you know: What is a murmuration?
“Did you know” is an on-going series of blogs that answer possibly more technical questions people have about birds or their environments. If you have an idea or question, submit it via the “Ask SIB” link on the SeabrookIslandBirders.org web site or send an email to SeabrookIslandBirders@Gmail.com. Below is a blog from 2022. I was…
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Did you know: Covert Feathers
A covert feather is one of a set of feathers which cover other feathers. The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail and protect important flight feathers. You can see them inside the red outline on the photo of a Northern Mockingbird that was banded during our Fall Migration Station. Since most…
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Did you Know: South Carolina Wildlife Management Areas are not just for birding
Seabrook Island Birders often schedules birding trips to Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) in South Carolina: Bear Island, Donnelly, Botany Bay, Santee Coastal and Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin to name just a few. During these visits, various questions are raised about these areas.• How were these lands obtained?• What funds WMAs?• Why are some portions…
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Did you know: There are birth month birds?
You’ve probably heard of birth month gemstones and birth month flowers, but have you heard of birth month birds? It might come as a surprise to learn every month of the year has not only a representative jewel and flower, but also a bird. I note the birds are not specific species but rather a…
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Did you know: Bird Feet or toe-tally cool adaptations
Like us humans, birds are bipedal, walk or stand on two legs. Look at any image of a bird and you will notice the most visible joint pivots like our ankle. What we see as the birds’ leg is really its foot. Nature uses a basic structure over and over; this is called homologous structure.…
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Did you know: Hummingbird colors are due to refraction
Ever wonder why a hummingbird looks different colors at different angles, as can be seen very clearly with these recent pics I took of one of the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds frequenting my feeders? Here’s what Cornells’ Bird Academy says “The iridescent colors of the gorget are the result of the refraction of incident light caused…
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Did you know: Birds Beaks Adapt to food
Every bird course I’ve taken tells you to look at the bird’s beak to help in the identification. After researching how birds eat large items, beak shape became more interesting….so a study in beaks…. The beak – also known as the bill – has two parts: the upper mandible and the lower mandible. The upper…