Latest posts
Least Terns: Threatened birds return to Morris Island to nest
Those of us on Seabrook Island were disappointed this year when the Least Terns nests were washed over by the unusually high king tides in May. An article in the Post and Courier on July 1 indicates others in the Low Country are having better luck: MORRIS ISLAND — Squeezed off of many beaches by…
The Dakotas…Potholes and Prairies
Note: This article appeared in the July 1 Seabrooker. It’s been updated for SIB blog. After all the stops and starts of travel during Covid, we had an itch to get on the road again! You may wonder, why the Dakotas? They happen to be wonderful places for birdwatching, particularly in June and July. The birds are plentiful,…
Ask SIB: What is going on with recent reports of dead birds?
Question: A friend recently asked if we have heard of reports of dead birds on Seabrook Island Beaches. They have heard reports of at least 9 dead birds on Kiawah recently. Do you know what could be causing this? – Anonymous Answer: Seabrook Island Birders has not heard of any increase in dead birds on…
SIB Travels: The Acadia Birding Festival in Maine
We have participated in many dance and local seasonal festivals over the years,but we were totally unaware of bird festivals until early this year. The Acadia Birding Festival in Maine was a spur of the moment idea that morphed into a 3 week, 12 state, 3600+ mile road trip. In addition to the birding, we…
Invitation to shorebird zoom talk on Red Knots
Our friends on the Kiawah Island Shorebird Stewardship Program have shared the following invitation: You are invited to the third of four shorebird Zoom talks being hosted by the Kiawah Island Shorebird Stewardship Program. It will be on Wednesday, June 8th at 6:00 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the amazing…
Reminder: Red Knot Zoom presentation Wednesday at 6pm
Join the Shorebird Stewards for a Zoom presentation on Red Knot Research in the Southeast – On Wednesday, June 8th at 6pm, join speaker Fletcher Smith of the Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources as he presents interesting findings from a long-term red knot project of counting, surveying, trapping, and banding knots. Below is the information from our invitation…
Ask SIB: Will fledged wrens stay around?
Question: I have wrens that have nested inside my house I’m currently building. When the baby’s learn to fly will they fly around for a while or will they just go. Also if one is left behind can I continue to feed it? – Alivia Answer: Great questions! As a general rule, when a baby…
Help on Shorebird identification
Shorebirds always challenge my identification skills. I decided it was time to review various material I’ve seen. I thought maybe the list could be beneficial to others even if it wasn’t all encompassing. I started by adding this bookmark from Audubon to my birding backpack so I have it for quick reference: I recently received…
Did you know: What is the developmental timeline from egg to fledge?
As we watch the rookery on the golf course and also see those Eastern Bluebirds growing on the bluebird trail, we note these birds “grow up” at different rates. The time spent from egg production to fledgling varies by species. Smaller birds often mature more quickly and may go from newly-hatched chicks to fledgling juveniles…
Ask SIB: Are Egrets and Herons the same thing?
Question: Are Egrets and Herons the same thing? – SIB Member at recent SIB Bird Walk Answer: SIB’s Bob Mercer provided this response: The short answer—Egrets and herons are closely related. Generally, Egrets are white birds and Herons dark, but that does not really tell the true story. The scientific study of taxonomy separates all…