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SIB Travels: The SE Arizona Birding Festival!
On August 6-9, Ed and I attended the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival in Tucson, presented by Tucson Audubon Society. It was our first birding festival in 14 years, and it was first rate! Registration online opened on June 1 and most of our trips were sold out within 20 minutes. There are so many trips and activities…
Deveaux Bank Receives New Designation as Site of International Importance
When the sun goes down on Seabrook Island, residents and guests alike make their way to beach Boardwalks 8 and 9 to watch the spectacular array of colors that make up our sunsets. It’s a beautiful sight, and a beachgoer’s dream. There’s an uninhabited island just across the water, and as the sun drops lower…
Help Resight Banded Black Skimmers
SCDNR is looking for volunteers to resight and report banded Black Skimmers. Remember our motto – Shorebirds, Let them rest – so no cell phone photos please. If you have a long telephoto lens and a computer program to enhance the code on the band, you are encouraged to submit photos as outlined on this image. Thank…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Northern Flicker
Northern Flicker – Colaptes auratusLength: 11-12.2″; Wingspan: 16.5-20.1″; Weight: 3.9-5.6 oz. Northern Flickers are large, brown woodpeckers with a gentle expression and handsome black-scalloped plumage. On walks, don’t be surprised if you scare one up from the ground. It’s not where you’d expect to find a woodpecker, but flickers eat mainly ants and beetles, digging for them…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Palm Warbler
Palm Warbler – Setophaga palmarumLength: 5.5″; Wingspan 8″; Weight: 0.36 oz. The Palm Warbler is one of the wood warblers. It is fairly common on Seabrook in the fall and winter months. The most obvious field mark is its tail-wagging habit. Although it is a rather dull olive on its back, as it wags, it shows its…
SIB Bird of the Week – Pine Warbler
This warbler is well named due to it not often seen away from pine trees. Pine Warblers forage in a rather leisurely way at all levels in the pinewoods, from the ground to the treetops. This species is only a short-distance migrant, and almost the entire population spends the winter within the southern United States.…
Birds and Hurricanes
All eyes are on Hurricane Helene as she marches her way toward Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. The forecast tells us we’ll be on the east side of the storm as it tracks through, which translates to the windy and rainy side. Up to 10″ of rain and wind gusts to 80 mph are being…
Bird of the week – Reddish Egrets – North Beach
Early Wednesday morning, Ed and I were treated to the sight of two beautiful Reddish Egrets actively feeding on North Beach. It’s a thrill to see one Reddish Egret at this time of the year, but two is fantastic! They are not common birds here in the Low Country, so it is always a great…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-Bellied Woodpecker – Melanerpes carolinusLength: 9.25″; Wingspan: 16″; Weight: 2.2 oz. This bird is our most conspicuous woodpecker heard around the island (although the downy is more numerous). Its most common call is a shrill, rolling kwirr or churr given by both sexes. You might also hear a gruff, coughing cha cha cha sounding through the woods, usually a contact call between…
SIB Travels: GPS Birding, Texas Style!
Llano Grande Golf CourseMercedes, TX The Dilettante Birders spent April in Texas, enjoying the eclipse and birding in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. One birding adventure stands out as we searched for a bird on the Rare Bird List. We left Brownsville headed for Corpus Christi. Since Mercedes, TX was not that far, we decided…
