Twenty-two SIB members joined us to bird Ocean Winds Golf Course while it was closed on Monday, November 4, 2019. What a beautiful day with temperatures in the 60’s and a brisk wind. We split the group with five golf carts working the course starting on the 18th hole and the second group of six golf carts starting from the 1st hole. Interestingly, we might have done slightly better had we started earlier since DST ended just the day prior, but we still saw or heard a total of 33 species! And of course we saw alligators, turtles and butterflies! A day full of the natural beauty that brought so many of us to Seabrook Island!
Birding on the golf course is a great way to bird, especially if you find it difficult to walk far, as we ride the course in golf carts. Be sure to sign up for our next birding on the golf course on Monday December 2 from 9:00 – 11:30 am when we bird on Crooked Oaks.
Sadly, one of the golf rangers stopped us to show a bird recently deceased. It had flown up just in front of his golf cart. Turns out it was an immature Pine Warbler. Just another example of how birds are threatened.
Be sure to see the full list of birds seen and photos taken by Dean Morr and Marie Wardell! (click below)
SIB Members birding the parking lot at the Island House – Dean Morr 
Northern Flicker finding bugs in the grass on the 1st hole fairway – Marie Wardell 
Female Anhinga stretching her neck – Dean Morr 
Great Egret sitting above the marsh – Marie Wardell Pied-billed Grebe swimming in the pond along the 6th hole – Dean Morr 
Eastern Phoebe enjoying the seeds from the Palmetto Tree – Dean Morr 
Female Northern Cardinal enjoying the feeders off the green of the 14th hole – Dean Morr 
We saw lots of Northern Mockingbirds along our travels – Dean Morr 
House Finch taking a break from the feeder – Dean Morr 
Female Anhinga showing off her beautiful wings – Dean Morr 
Great Blue Heron sitting on a broken Wood Duck box – Dean Morr 
Little Blue Heron fishing in the pond of the 16th hole – Dean Morr 
More than just birds today – lots of butterflies still passing through – Dean Morr 
One of the young alligators on the course – Marie Wardell 
One of the many turtles seen sunning themselves along the course – Dean Morr 
We hope he’s not hungry today! – Dean Morr 
A “sunning” of Double-crested Cormorants. Other names for a group of Cormorants include: “flight”, “gulp”, “rookery” and “swim” – Marie Wardell 
The deceased Pine Warbler – Nancy Brown
| Group A: 27 Species | Group B: 29 Species |
| 1 Pied-billed Grebe | Pied-billed Grebe 1 |
| tern sp. 6 | |
| 1 Clapper Rail | |
| 1 Wood Stork | Wood Stork 1 |
| 2 Anhinga | Anhinga 4 |
| 32 Double-crested Cormorant | Double-crested Cormorant 38 |
| Brown Pelican 4 | |
| 3 Great Blue Heron | Great Blue Heron 3 |
| 6 Great Egret | Great Egret 6 |
| Snowy Egret 1 | |
| 1 Little Blue Heron | Little Blue Heron 2 |
| 1 Tricolored Heron | |
| 2 Turkey Vulture | Turkey Vulture 2 |
| 2 Osprey | Osprey 1 |
| 1 Red-tailed Hawk | Red-tailed Hawk 2 |
| 7 Belted Kingfisher | Belted Kingfisher 5 |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3 | |
| 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker | Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 |
| 2 Downy Woodpecker | Downy Woodpecker 1 |
| Northern Flicker 3 | |
| 1 Pileated Woodpecker | |
| 1 Eastern Phoebe | |
| 11 American Crow | American Crow 9 |
| 5 Carolina Chickadee | Carolina Chickadee 2 |
| Tufted Titmouse 2 | |
| 2 Carolina Wren | Carolina Wren 1 |
| 5 Northern Mockingbird | Northern Mockingbird 6 |
| 25 Eastern Bluebird | Eastern Bluebird 20 |
| 2 House Finch | House Finch 3 |
| 1 Red-winged Blackbird | Red-winged Blackbird 2 |
| 1 Pine Warbler | Palm Warbler 8 |
| 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler | Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 |
| 2 Northern Cardinal | Northern Cardinal 1 |
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I am so envious of all the birds you have been seeing Bear Island; golf course etc….
Here in Maine we have had 2 chickadees in the past two months at our feeder!!!! Everyone is asking where are the birds??? I think they have an over abundant supply of food this Fall…. good for them😊KOB🍀
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Sorry you are not seeing the birds back in Maine! I heard there were sightings of Saw Whet Owls recently-did you get to see them?We hope to see you back on Seabrook Island very soon!
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