On Monday, March 27th, SIB conducted its second “Learning Together” on Crooked Oaks golf course. As you may know, one of the two courses is generally closed for maintenance each Monday. The Seabrook Island Club, the Pro Shop and Golf Maintenance teams have been very gracious to allow SIB to borrow golf carts to ride around the 18-holes in search of birds. It was a gorgeous spring morning with birds singing while nine SIB members and guests searched for birds by sight and sound (and tried to stay dry!).
One of the highlights was to see the eaglet sitting on the side of the nest. It’s not quite fledged, but certainly looking like it’s considering that first flight! We also watched as a pair of Osprey build a new nest in a tall pine near the green on the 3rd Hole of Ocean Winds. Since the Bald Eagles took over their former nest, it looks like they are starting from scratch.
It was a quiet day on the ponds and marshes, but the warblers and song birds made up for the lack of wading birds. Plenty of Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and Northern Cardinals were seen and heard throughout the course. The group was excited to not only hear the Northern Parula’s rising buzzy trill with a final sharp note, but also see him only 20 feet above us in a Live Oak tree. The Eastern Bluebirds were also prevalent, and the group enjoyed watching a pair at a nesting box near the end of our trip behind a home on the 17th hole.
It was quite an educational day with Bob Mercer using the mulch to draw the difference between a Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawk – it was a Cooper’s we saw high in the sky looking like a cross. Flo Foley pointed out the reptiles including alligators, turtles and green anoles. And all the many songs and calls we heard to identify birds without even seeing them! Below is the complete list of the 33 bird species seen today. Thanks to everyone who came out to enjoy what we love about Seabrook Island!
Article & Photos Submitted by: Nancy Brown
- 2 Double-crested Cormorant
- 1 Anhinga
- 1 Great Blue Heron
- 2 Great Egret
- 2 Black Vulture
- 2 Turkey Vulture
- 2 Osprey
- 1 Cooper’s Hawk
- 1 Bald Eagle
- 1 Red-shouldered Hawk
- 12 Laughing Gull
- 11 Red-bellied Woodpecker
- 4 Downy Woodpecker
- 5 Blue Jay
- 14 American Crow
- 13 Fish Crow
- 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallow
- 16 Carolina Chickadee
- 9 Tufted Titmouse
- 6 Carolina Wren
- 5 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- 14 Eastern Bluebird
- 4 Northern Mockingbird
- 10 Northern Parula
- 4 Pine Warbler
- 7 Yellow-rumped Warbler
- 4 Yellow-throated Warbler
- 13 Northern Cardinal
- 35 Red-winged Blackbird
- 7 Brown-headed Cowbird
- 4 House Finch
- 6 American Goldfinch
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