Seabrook Island Birders

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Learning Together on Jenkins Point
Friday, March 24, 8:30am – 10:00am
Meet at First Lagoon on left
Max: 20 people
Free for members; $10 donation for guests – priority will be given to prior waitlisted and members

We’ll be exploring the birds seen along Jenkins Point lagoons and streets, including ducks, wading birds, shorebirds and song birds. We’ll go from location to location via car or bike. Since this event can be primarily be car, it is appropriate for members with mobility issues. Meet at Jenkins Point Ct., the street after the first pond on the left.

As always, be sure to bring your binoculars/cameras, hats and sunscreen.

If you are not yet a SIB member, you must first become a member for only $15 and following the instructions on our website. You may bring the form and your dues to the event. Or you may pay the guest fee of $10. You can also use the link above to renew your membership for 2023.

Please register no later than the Friday prior to the trip. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter on the day prior to the trip. If you need to cancel, please let us know so we can invite people on the waitlist to attend.

Learning Together at North Beach
Saturday, April 1; 10:00am – 12:00pm
Meet at Boardwalk #1 parking lot
Free for members; $10 donation for guests

Join SIB to bird at Seabrook Island’s North Beach. This three-mile round-trip walk travels from Boardwalk #1 to the tip of North Beach along Captain Sams Inlet as high tide approaches. Beginners to advanced birders will enjoy the variety of birds found on North Beach. At this time, many different species of shorebirds rest and feed near the point or along the beach ridge near the beach’s pond. Along the way, we will explore the many different species that can be found in this unique area.

As always, be sure to bring your binoculars/cameras, hats and sunscreen. Bring a spotting scope if you have one. There should be spotting scopes available for viewing. Bring plenty to drink and a snack if desired. There are no facilities. We ask that participants wear a mask when unable to socially distance if they are not vaccinated.

If you are not yet a 2023 SIB member, you must first become a member for only $15 by following the instructions on our website. You may bring the form and your dues to the event, or pay the Guest Fee of $10.

Please complete the registration no later than March 30th. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter on March 31st, the day prior to the trip.

REGISTER | Learning Together at North Beach

Learning Together | Palmetto Lake
Thursday, April 6; 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Meet at Equestrian-end of Lake House parking lot
Max: 15 People
Free for 2023 members; $10 for guests

Join the Seabrook Island Birders for a leisurely walk around Palmetto Lake. The path around Palmetto Lake is wheelchair navigable and for those walking, it will be less than a half mile. As we walk along the path going towards the Equestrian Center we hope to see Cat Birds and Brown Thrashers hiding in the thicket. In this area, we always see the Mockingbirds, Northern Cardinals, Carolina and House Wrens, Bluebirds and perhaps the last of the Yellow Rumps and Palm Warblers. Looking into Palmetto Lake, we are likely to see Anhingas, Double-Crested Cormorants, Terns, Gulls, Night Herons and possibly Green Herons that might be beginning to nest in the shrubs around the lake. At the back side of the path we hope to see and hear Vireos, early arriving spring warblers like the Northern Parula, and year-round resident warblers like the Black & White Warbler and Yellow-throated Warbler. If the “white birds” get the invitation, we can expect to see Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets and White Ibis roosting for the evening. There’s also the possibility of a Roseate or Raptor flyover.

Dress in layers and bring your binoculars, hats and a beverage of choice. You may also wish to bring a chair to sit and enjoy your beverage while watching the birds coming in for their evening roost. Sunset is at 7:44pm, so timing should be good for their sunset roost.

Please complete the information below to register no later than Tuesday, April 4th. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter on the Wednesday prior to the activity.

REGISTER | Learning Together at Palmetto Lake

April Movie | Register Here
Bringing Nature Home: The Importance of Native Plants
Tuesday, April 11th at 4:00pm
Oyster Catcher Community Center and Zoom

Bringing Nature Home: The Importance of Native Plants is one of a 6-session webinar series focused on the ecological roles of native plants and some of the creatures that depend on them. On this webinar, Doug Tallamy, author and professor at The University of Delaware, will focus on the benefits of native plants to create a welcoming environment for the fauna it supports. This series was sponsored by The Ohio State University Department of Entomology and The Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens, and is funded by a USDA/NIFA Integrated Pest Management Pollinator Health grant.

Watch the trailer

Beyond our Backyard | Congaree National Park – Trip to Bluff Unit National Wildlife Refuge
Friday, April 14; 6:30am – 4:00pm
Meet at SI Real Estate Office to carpool at 6:30am or meet at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center, Congaree Park at 9:am
Max: 12 People
Free to members; $10 per guest (Park website indicates there are no entrance fees)

Congaree National Park is spread across 26,276 acres of central South Carolina land, located 18 miles southeast of Columbia. The park forms the largest expanse of intact old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the United States and has incredible biodiversity. The park’s river-floodplain ecosystem is lined by lakes, creeks and swamps, providing wildlife with adequate food and shelter. Congaree National Park is a recognized Important Bird Area (IBA). 76 species were identified there in April 2022. eBird shows “high frequency” in mid-April of Prothonotary Warblers, Black-throated Blue Warblers and the arrival of Summer Tanagers. A personal visit in April 2021 also included a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and a Worm-eating Warbler.

Expect 3-4 miles of walking over flat terrain with some being on boardwalks over swamps. Bring plenty to drink, sunscreen and bug spray. Our 2021 visit found limited lunch options so a packed lunch is recommended.

Once you become a member, please complete the registration below no later than April 12th. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter the day prior to the event.

REGISTER | Birding Beyond our Backyard: Congaree National Park

Learning Together on Ocean Winds Golf Course
Monday, April 17; 8:30am – 10:30am
Meet at Island House for ride along the golf course in golf carts (Golf Course parking lot next to Spinnaker Beach houses)
Max: 24 People (if all seats in golf carts are used)
Free for members; $10 donation for guests – Priority will be given to prior waitlisted and members

The Seabrook Island Club closes one course a day each week and allows Seabrook Island Birders to use golf carts to travel the course with our members to bird. Join us for a morning of birding by RIDING in golf carts for at least 9-holes on the Ocean Winds golf course. We expect to see a large variety of birds including Egrets, Herons and birds of prey. We will also see and hear some of the smaller birds like Tufted Titmice, Eastern Bluebirds, Northern Cardinals, Carolina Wrens and some of the many warbler species. Since it is spring, we can also expect to see Eastern Kingbirds, Great-crested Flycatchers, Summer Tanagers, Mississippi Kites and more!

As always, be sure to bring your binoculars/cameras, hats and sunscreen. Water will be provided.

Please complete the registration below no later than the Friday prior to the trip. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter on the Sunday prior to the trip. If you need to cancel, please let us know so we can invite people on the waitlist to attend.

REGISTER | Learning Together Golf Course – Ocean Winds

Learning Together at North Beach
Saturday, April 22; 8:00am – 10:00AM
Meet at Boardwalk #1 parking lot
Free for members; $10 donation for guests

Please complete the registration below no later than April 20th. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter on April 21st, the day prior to the trip.

REGISTER | Learning Together at North Beach

Backyard Birding at the Haulover Rookery
Monday, April 24; 5:00p, – 6:30pm
2445 The Haul over
Max: 20 People
Free for 2023 members; $10 donation for guests

We are going back! Our visit last May to Annalee Regenburg’s backyard was a witness of a bumper crop of Egret and Heron nests. We lost count at 100 nests. Annalee’s house backs up to the Great White Egret Rookery. The females sit on their nests all day and the males come into the nests in the evenings. We plan on observing this wonderful, sometimes noisy, event. I’m sure we will see some Snowy Egrets and Green Herons, plus some Night Herons and Wood Storks too. They are all tucked in there! One year, we even saw Cattle Egrets. Please walk around back when you arrive.

As always, be sure to bring your water, binoculars, hats and sunscreen.

Please complete the registration below no later than Tuesday, April 21st. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter on Sunday, April 23rd.

REGISTER | Backyard Birding at the Haulover

Beyond our Backyard at the Edisto Nature Trail
Tuesday, April 25; 7:00am – 12:00pm (Walk starts at Edisto Nature Trail at 8:00am)
-An optional (weather permitting) drive down Hyde Park Road is planned for the return drive
Meet at SI Real Estate Office to carpool to Edisto Nature Trail (Google maps says 50-minute drive)
-Edisto Nature Trail: 17038 Ace Basin Parkway, Jacksonboro, South Carolina
Max: 15 People
Free to members; $10 for guests

Come join us for Spring migration, Beyond our Backyard at the Edisto Nature Trail! This park, within the ACE Basin on Highway 17, is both a migrant hot spot and a known nesting area for a number of sought after bird species. The park, adjacent to the Edisto River, has a variety of habitats along its 1.5 mile looped trail.

Some of the bird species we hope to see, and have encountered in years past, include such Warbler Species as Prothonotary, Worm-Eating, Black & White, Swainson’s, Kentucky and Hooded. Other possible bird species include Veery, Scarlet Tanager, Blackburnian Warbler, Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, Blackpoll Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Warbling Vireos, and a variety of raptors.

This nature trail has a number of boardwalk cross-overs to assist in traversing potentially wet areas. Appropriate footwear is recommended, even during dry spells. Participants should also consider these other items to maximize their comfort and enjoyment: binoculars, bug spray, sunscreen, hats, layered clothing to adjust to the mornings weather, field guides if print is your preference, eyeglass – lens cleaner, water, snacks, camera, and a pack or shoulder bag for your needs.

Weather permitting, for those looking to extend their day, we will drive Hyde Park Road on our return home. Hyde is a productive corridor for Spring migrants that parallels Savannah Highway.

Once you are a member, please complete the information below to register no later than Sunday, April 23rd. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter the day prior to the event.

REGISTER | Birding Beyond our Backyard: Edisto Nature Trail

Beyond our Backyard at Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Center & Sanctuary
Friday, April 28; 7:30am – 2:00pm (Tour starts at Biedler at 9:30am)
Meet at SI Real Estate Office to carpool (Google Maps says 1.5hr drive)
Min: 12 People | Max: 15 People
$15 per person, $10 additional Guest Fee if not a SIB member (Payment will be to SIB at the event to reimburse for prepayment already made)

If you have never been to Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Center and Sanctuary, you won’t want to miss this opportunity – it’s well worth the 70-mile one-way trip! Our last visit, 32 species of birds were observed including Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Swallow-tailed Kite, Barred Owl and of course, the Prothonotary Warbler!

As the walk ends between 12:00 and 12:30pm, participants may want to bring a lunch, snack or beverage to “picnic” at the center prior to their return to Seabrook Island, as there are a limited number of restaurants in the area. Also be sure to bring sunblock, bug spray, a hat, binoculars, camera and a scope if you have one.

Once you are a member, please complete the registration below no later than Wednesday, April 26th. All registratns will receive a confirmation letter on Thursday, April 27th.

REGISTER | Birding Beyond our Backyard: Beidler Forest