Latest posts
Painted Bunting Palooza
We received this note from Jennifer Hesterman this past week: Hello, thought you would enjoy this photo, taken after the storm on August 26th at 6:30 PM – 3 males and 7 females and/or immature males. And two water-logged cardinals 🙂 Jenni
Nesting Birds of Seabrook Island – Part II: Non-cavity Nesters
Spring is in the air and the birds are busy building nests and raising their young. The post below was originally distributed three years ago, but with the upcoming Virtual Evening Event: Nesting Birds featuring staff from Audubon South Carolina, we thought it would be fun to share this article with our members again! And…
SIB supports current Beach Rules for Pets
In October 2019, the Town of Seabrook Island enacted revised Beach Rules for Pets which in part, moved the “Pets of Leash” area. Town Council is scheduled to conduct a one-year review of Ordinance 2019-09 during its Ways and Means Committee meeting on Tues. September 8, 2020, at 1:00 pm. Please submit your comments prior…
Can You Find the Hidden Bird?
Most people who spend time on Seabrook Island between April and June have heard the Chuck-will’s-widow. However, not many have seen one! Seabrook Island resident Warren McCulloch not only saw the bird, but it was on a nest. And, he got photos!!! After the storm two weeks ago, I was out walking in the yard…
Ghost Bird
On Sunday, September 10, 2020, The Post and Courier featured a fascinating article on a bird native to South Carolina called the Black Rail. Even a non-birder will enjoy this well-written article about an elusive bird, also known as the “Ghost Bird”, that is declining in numbers, but has yet to make it on the…
Mercer’s Musings: A Study of Red Knots
This article, written by Robert Mercer, originally appeared on page 11 in the June 2020 edition of The Seabrooker. As I leave South Carolina behind, so are the Red Knots (Calidris canutus rufa). Early in the year, when the Red Knots started to show up on Seabrook Island beaches, my friend, Mark Andrews, talked me…
Special Captive Reared Piping Plovers Seen on Seabrook Island, SC’s North Beach
Update: October 11, 2020 We certainly don’t see these individual Piping Plovers every day. We had not seen “Big VB” since September 5, but then Ed & Aija Konrad saw him on North Beach on October 7 & 8, 2020. On October 9, 2020, I reported another of the 2020 Great Lakes captive reared pipers,…
Watch the Replay – Nesting Birds of Seabrook Island
On June 3, 2020, Seabrook Island Birders (SIB) held its first Virtual Evening Program, Nesting Birds, with Matt Johnson & Nolan Schillerstrom from Audubon South Carolina. Nearly 100 people registered from 16 states, with about 55 joining the program live. Everyone seemed to enjoy the topic and the great work done by Matt and Nolan to present information…
Birds of a Feather …
With so many birds on Seabrook Island you expect to find an occasional feather in your yard or on your walks. Identifying a single feather can be tricky. When we look at a bird we are looking at the sum of all its feather parts. Compare it to jigsaw puzzles. If several puzzles were tossed…
Update: Chuck-will’s-Widow with her Babies!
Earlier this month, we shared a story and photos about a nesting Chuck-will’s-widow on Seabrook Island. The great news is, she has hatched two babies! I spent 15 minutes photographing and I swear both chicks and mama did not move an inch. No wait, not even an 1/8 of an inch! If I hadn’t gotten…