September 2021

Beyond Our Backyard-Fort Lamar Preserve

Monday, October 4,2021
Location: Meet at SI Real Estate Office to Car Pool: 6:30 am
Meet at Fort Lamar: 7:15am (Cathy Miller to meet everyone there)
Max: 12
Cost: free to members, $5 per guest

Cathy Miller will lead the Seabrook Island birders to a James Island Birding hotspot, Fort Lamar Heritage Preserve, for a trip targeting fall migrants Monday, October 4. Fort Lamar is a small SC Department of Natural Resources preserve that was the location of one of the most significant battles of the Civil War, the Battle of Seccessionville. This site is highly favored by Fall migrants so be prepared for warbler neck. Some advance preparation in the form of neck stretches and review of Fall plumage of warblers is recommended as all eyes are needed when these birds bounce around the canopy above us. Some species that have been seen here during the months of September and October include: Red-eyed vireo, Yellow Warbler, American Redstart, Black-and-white warbler, Cape May Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Blackburnian Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Veery, Warbling Vireo, Baltimore Oriole, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Swainson’s Thrush, Gray-cheeked Thrush. Nothing is guaranteed, of course. But this spot usually reveals its treasures to those who are patient and observant. The eBird list of previous sightings goes on and on.

For those wishing to carpool, we will meet at 6:30 am at Seabrook Island Real Estate. Cathy Miller will meet us at Fort Lamar at 7:15 am. Be sure to bring binoculars, camera, bird guide, hats, sunscreen, water, and snacks. We ask that all participants wear a mask when unable to social distance if they are not vaccinated. Please be aware that there are no facilities on site and you may want to plan a restroom stop at one of the Harris Teeters (Maybank & Folly Roads or Oak Point & Folly Roads) en route to the preserve.

If you are not yet a 2021 SIB member, you must first become a member for only $10 by following the instructions on our website: https://seabrookislandbirders.org/contact/join-sib/. You may bring the form and your dues to the event. Or you may pay the Guest Fee of $5.

Once you are a member, please register no later than Saturday, October 2,2021. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter the day prior the event. If you need to cancel, please let us know so we can invite people on the waitlist to attend.

Ask SIB: Which spotting scopes for birding?

Question: I would like to give my daughter a “spotter” for Christmas. Any recommendations of best brands, etc.?
Thanks,
Lee Hurd, SIB Member

While binoculars are great for viewing birds “up-close”, a spotting scope will allow you to find and distinguish field marks on more “distant birds.” You will also be able to view plumage you cannot see through binoculars on “close-up” birds. Some spotting scopes can be adapted to attach your smartphone or digital camera.

Spotting Scopes are not astronomy telescopes; they are medium range telescopes. They are either “fixed” magnification where you change eyepieces or single zoom eyepieces with magnification power, usually between 15x and 60x. Zoom eyepieces are recommended for birding as they allow scanning at low power and a convenient shift to higher power to view details. Make certain your spotting scope is waterproof.

Quality spotting scopes are made with HD (high density) or ED (extra-low dispersion) glass. These allow better brightness and image clarity over standard glass. Light gathering capacity is indicated by the size of the lens furthest from the eyepiece, usually between 50mm and 100mm. Larger “objective lenses” provide brighter images but are slightly heavier to carry. Like most binoculars, choose a spotting scope with adjustable “eye relief” mechanism for eyeglass wearers.

Spotting scopes are configured for either straight thru viewing or 45-degree angled eyepieces. Straight-thru viewing is preferred by people who wish to “stand up straight” when viewing and easily locate and follow a bird. Birders, however, generally favor 45-degree eyepieces as they allow for shorter tripods (more stable) and are more convenient if you are sharing with a group of people of different heights. Look for a rigid, sturdy tripod with flip-locks on the legs to adjust easily on uneven ground. The importance of the right tripod should not be ignored when making your decisions.

In summary for birding, look for a zoom eyepiece lens and a “objective lens” of at least 60mm to provide a bright image; 85mm if you plan on attaching your smartphone or digital camera. A spotting scope with these specifications will generally weigh around 4lbs. I researched Vortex 20-60×85 scopes online and found a good quality scope will cost around $500. If you are willing to spend $1,000-$1,600, you can purchase an excellent quality spotting scope. Your tripod choice needs to be light enough to carry but sturdy enough to withstand wind conditions and not move. With the spotting scope and tripod, you will be carrying between 8lbs to 12lbs of equipment.

Since this is a major purchase, spend some time on the internet researching your options for both scopes and tripods. A Google search on “Spotting Scopes for Birding” will find not only features to consider but vendors and makes available. Just a few are:

The source for much of the information in the article was “How to Choose a Spotting Scope” published by The Cornell Lab dated April 6, 2007
“Spotting Scopes & Accessories” by B&H Photo
“Best Bird Watching Spotting Scopes 2021” by Birdwatching-bliss.com

Seabrook Island Birders has a donated Leupold 15-45×60 straight thru viewing spotting scope that you can borrow and try out. While out birding with others, ask to look thru their scopes and perhaps volunteer to carry their scopes and tripod around to get a feel for the weight of the combined unit you will be carrying.

Submitted by: Dean Morr

Join SIB to bird at Ft. Moultrie

REGISTER NOW

Sunday, September 26, 2021 8:00am-11:00am
Birding Beyond your Backyard- Ft. Moultrie
Location: Meet at SI Real Estate Office to Car Pool (7:00a)or can meet us at the Fort (1214 Middle St, Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482- park at Poe Avenue in the sand parking lot between Battery Jasper and Battery McCorkle)
Max: 12
Cost: free to members, $5 per guest

Join us in a trip to Ft. Moultrie. This is a well known birding Hotspot among birders and fall migration will be in full swing. We may see many migrant birds passing through. It has many different habitats, including meadow/field, forest and shoreline. We are lucky enough to get Craig Watson to lead this activity. Craig is a Migratory Bird Biologist at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and lives in Mt. Pleasant. He knows Ft. Moultrie very well when it comes to birding.

Ft. Moultrie was the the first fort on Sullivan’s Island. It has been rebuilt 3 times since 1776 and played a significant role in the Civil War. Today Fort Moultrie has been restored to portray the major periods of its history. A visitor to the fort moves steadily backwards in time from the World War II Harbor Entrance Control Post to the site of the Palmetto-log fort of 1776. Tour of Ft. Moultrie will not be part of our birding activity, but if you drive there yourself, you are welcome to stay and also tour the fort. They are open 9a-5p and you will need to go to Visitor Center and purchase a $10 ticket. We will be birding the parameter of the Fort before opening hours.

As always, be sure to bring your binoculars, hats, water and sunscreen. We ask that all participants wear a mask when unable to social distance if they are not vaccinated.

Learning Together-Crooked Oaks Golf Course

Learning Together on Golf Course-Crooked Oaks Golf CourseMonday, September 27, 2021 8:30am-10:30am
Birding on Crooked Oaks Golf Course
Location: Meet at Island House (Golf Course Parking Lot next to Spinnaker Beach Houses) for ride along the golf course in golf carts.
Max: 20
Cost: None for members; $5 donation for guests

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

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 Crooked Oaks 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. We can also expect to see Eastern Phoebes, Northern Flickers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Belted Kingfishers, Double-crested Cormorants, Bald Eagles, and more!

Please complete the information below to registe r no later than Friday September 24,2021. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter on Sunday, September 26th.

Birding the Ocean Winds Golf Course – Jackie Brooks

SIB “Bird of the Week” – Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird – Sialia sialis
Length: 7″; Wingspan: 13″; Weight: 1.1 oz.

Eastern Bluebirds - Charley Moore — Eastern Bluebirds – Charley Moore

Slightly smaller than its cousin the Robin, this bird is distinctive in its rusty red colored breast and white belly with a sky blue head, back and tail. The female shares the rusty red breast and white belly but is grayer with faint blue tails and wings. The song is a three part song that sounds like chur-lee chur chur-lee.

You will see these beautiful Eastern Bluebirds commonly perched on mailboxes alongside the roads of Seabrook Island and in the surrounding tree branches. They like open woodlands, meadows and fields and are year round inhabitants of this area. This was not always the case due to competition from other birds for their nesting holes and also the occasional cold spells that we have had that killed them off in large numbers. Their population declined by more than 90 % in the 20th century but thanks to efforts from bird lovers who have placed many bird houses in the area, their population is returning. There is also an increase in their population in winter when migrants from the north return to this area. If you are thinking of putting a birdhouse up, you should do this in early May to attract these migrants to stay. When you locate the birdhouse, try to keep it a discrete distance from other bird feeders so there is less activity to scare off new nesting birds.

Bluebirds enjoy a peanut butter corn meal mixture but really love live mealy worms which you can buy from Wild Birds Unlimited. They should be placed in an open bowl type feeder.

Their breeding habits are monogamous and they breed in pairs and small groups. The incubation period is 12 to 14 days and the young stay in the nest for 15 to 20 days. They usually brood 2 to 3 times a year with typically 2 to 7 light blue or white eggs.

Did you know that we have a Bluebird Society on Seabrook Island? It is run by Melanie Jerome with many volunteers. 71 bluebird boxes on 4 “Bluebird trails” around the island. There are boxes on the front and back nine of the Crooked Oaks course and the front nine of Ocean Winds. The other boxes are around the Lake House. The bluebird nesting season has ended for 2021. We had 309 eggs with 259 bluebird hatchlings. 253 fledged. That is a 97% fledge rate. These stats are reported to the Environmental Committee and the SC Bluebird Society. If you are interested in joining the Bluebird volunteers next spring, please go out to Seabrookislandbirders.org to let us know. No prior experience is necessary to join either group, just a love of birds and nature.

Eastern Bluebirds – Bob Hider

Male Eastern Bluebird – Bob Hider

Female Eastern Bluebird in the rain – Bob Hider

Passerine C – Bob Hider

Range Map – Eastern Bluebird – Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Article submitted by: Ron Schildge, resubmitted from 2016/07/31
Photographs provided by: Bob Hider & Charley Moore

This blog post is part of a series SIB will publish on a regular basis to feature birds seen in the area, both migratory and permanent residents. When possible we will use photographs taken by our members. Please let us know if you have any special requests of birds you would like to learn more about.

Watch: To the Ends of the Earth: Birds of East Africa

Do you love birds and nature? Are you interested to learn more about the birds of Africa? Recently, the Seabrook Island Birders offered a movie matinee found on PBS called, “To the Ends of the Earth: Birds of East Africa. All of the participants watching this one-hour documentary agreed it was spectacular!

Read the description and take time to stream this program!

Introduced by esteemed conservationist Jane Goodall and narrated by National Geographic’s Bill Jones, this documentary focuses on what humanity has in common with other species. Wildlife photographer Todd Gustafson captures stories of competition, courtship, family, hunting and flight to illustrate the hidden life of East African birds.
To the Ends of the Earth: Birds of East Africa is a local public television program presented by CPTV and distributed nationally by American Public Television.

Watch Now

Watch Recorded Program “All About Vultures”

Vultures have often been feared and reviled since they are in the business of death. But these intelligent and surprisingly clean birds have a crucial role to play in human health and cultural history around the world. Learn about their significance in history, culture, and ecology with Jen Tyrell, Bird-Friendly Communities Coordinator, Audubon South Carolina!

If you missed the live presentation of this program on September 15, 2021, you can now view the recorded event! As always, Jen educated our members in a fun and interesting way, sharing her knowledge about “Vulture Culture,” differences between the New World vs Old World vultures, their adaptations, misconceptions and reality, the ecology of vultures and which vultures are in peril and why.

Don’t miss out on watching this hour long program! You will truly have a new respect for these fascinating birds!!!

Meet the Speaker:

Jennifer McCarthey Tyrrell, Bird-Friendly Communities Coordinator

Jen is a Master Bird Bander and an expert in bird biology, with a B.S. from Coastal Carolina and a Master’s degree from the College of Charleston. Before joining Audubon, Jen worked with Wild Birds Unlimited and the Center for Birds of Prey. Today, Jen spreads the word about bird-friendly communities and the benefits of native plants, and also manages bird banding and Painted Bunting research.

Backyard Birding at Palmetto Lake

Tuesday September 21, 2021 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Backyard Birding at Palmetto Lake
Location: Meet at the Gatehouse end of Lakehouse Parking Lot
Max: 16
Cost: Free for members; $5 donation for guests

Join SIB to officially say good-bye to Summer as Fall starts on September 22. The recent resurgence of COVID had made many uncomfortable meeting at someone’s home. Therefore we’ll bird in the Lakehouse’s backyard….Palmetto Lake. We plan to walk part way along the path towards the Equestrian Center then hopefully see the “white birds” come in to roost for the evening. The path around Palmetto Lake is wheelchair navigatable and for those walking it will be probably only a quarter of a mile. As we walk along Seabrook Island Road, we hope to see some of our fall warblers such as American Redstart, Yellow Warbler and my favorite Black and White Warbler. We also expect to see a large variety of birds including Northern Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, Herons and birds of prey. If the “white birds” get the invitation, we hope to see Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets and White Ibis roosting for the evening.

As always, be sure to bring your binoculars/cameras, hats and sunscreen. Bug repellent may also be appropriate. Bring your drink of choice to enjoy as the sun sets at 7:18. We ask that all participants wear a mask when unable to social distance if they are not vaccinated.

Please register no later than Sunday, September 19. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter on Monday September 20, the day prior to the trip.

Join SIB for Learning Together on North Beach

Monday September 20, 2021 7:00-9:30 AM
Birding on North Beach
Meet: Oyster Catcher Community Parking Lot ( boardwalk #1)

We hope to spot a nice variety of shorebirds as we work our way to the North Beach inlet. We’ll meet in the Property Owners’ beach parking lot at 7:00am. Be sure to bring binoculars, camera, hats, sunscreen, water, and snacks. Of course, you can head back at any time. We ask that all participants wear a mask when unable to social distance if they are not vaccinated.

Please register no later than Saturday, September 18,2021. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter on the Sunday, September 19th. If you need to cancel, please let us know so we can invite people on the waitlist to attend.