A familiar sight in spring, beachgoers may be surprised to see some of our Shorebird Stewards out and about this fall. So, what’s up?
As the sand renourishment project continues on North Beach, Seabrook Island Shorebird Stewards will be out on the beach each day. But it’s not about the sand renourishment. With the attraction of strand feeding dolphins, an unusually high number of roosting Piping Plovers, and beachgoers concentrated at the inlet, the Shorebird Stewards are using this opportunity to educate people about the birds that rely on our shores for their survival.
Photo: Jen Jerome
While both sides of Captain Sams inlet see increasing numbers of Red Knots in the spring, it is rare to see Red Knots in the fall. When they do start to arrive in numbers in February through May, they are here to pack on weight to prepare for their migration to James Bay in northern Ontario, and then on to the high Canadian Arctic where they nest. Donax Coquina clams are their preferred food until horseshoe crab eggs become available after the April moons. The birds leave the Arctic in late July and return to wintering grounds either in Florida, Georgia, the Caribbean, or as far away as Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia. It is unknown why they rarely migrate back through South Carolina.
Photo: Jen Jerome
The Piping Plovers, however, have already started to arrive and are the primary concern at this time of the year. Frequent winter residents of Seabrook Island, this year we have an especially large number of Piping Plovers, up to 14 roosting at high tide between the lagoon and the inlet. They blend in with the sand so well that they are nearly impossible to see unless one is actively looking for them. The Shorebird Stewards will help by pointing them out and encouraging beach walkers to give them space to rest without being stressed. New white wintering signs will be posted by SCDNR in the next few weeks.
Look for our stewards walking the beach and stop and say hello. We always welcome the opportunity to talk about our shorebirds!