Saturday, October 15, 2022 7:30 am – 2:30 pm
Birding at College of Charleston’s Stono Preserve
Location: Meet at Seabrook Island Real Estate to carpool at 6:30 am
Meet at Publix on Main Road and Hwy 17 at 7:05 am to carpool to Stono Preserve
Max: 14
Cost: Free for members; $5 donation for guests
Join SIB to bird at the Stono Preserve of the College of Charleston. This beautiful 981-acre property along the Stono River and the Intracoastal Waterway provides a natural, outdoor laboratory for a variety of disciplines at the College of Charleston. For more information on this property, be sure to visit the link above. In the morning, we will enjoy a tour of this property led by Dr. Melissa Hughes, Professor in the Biology Department, in which she will take us birding through a variety of habitats. In the morning, we will walk along lowland forest bordering the Stono River, passing open marsh and both brackish and freshwater ponds; depending on time, we may also walk along open fields. We should see a variety of wading and shorebirds (depending water depth in the brackish pond), raptors (Osprey and Bald Eagles both nest on the site; American Kestrels are also common and both Great-horned and Barred Owls have been spotted during the day by following the commotion of crow and jays), woodpeckers (the site hosts all SC species except the Red-cockaded) and wintering warblers and sparrows.
As always, be sure to bring your binoculars/cameras, hats, sunscreen and bug spray. Bring plenty to drink and a picnic lunch to eat on the property. There is water on the property but we have been advised that it may not taste very good because the pipes are infrequently in use. We have also been warned that the Dixie Plantation Road leading to the site is a dirt road that may not be in great shape so drive with caution. We will have access to bathroom facilities and the beginning of our tour and during lunch. After our morning tour, we will picnic on site in the screened porch/classroom or on the outdoor deck. Following lunch, Melissa will suggest some areas where we can do additional birding. We ask that all participants wear a mask when unable to social distance if they are not vaccinated.
If you are not yet a 2022 SIB member, you must first become a member by following the instructions on our website: https://seabrookislandbirders.org/contact/join-sib/.
Once you are a member, please REGISTER no later than Thursday, October 13, 2022. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter the day prior the event.
SIB 