Dear Ask SIB: I took this picture of two Ospreys this morning, is this a courtship behavior?
Osprey tussle – Gina Sanders
Answer:
Got to love the image. Looking closely, we can discern several clues to your question. The top bird, or aggressor, has a clean white throat and chest indicating it is an adult male. The upside-down bird, showing its talons in an effort to fend off the aggressor, shows a tinge of rust under the wings. This indicates a juvenile bird.
The answer to the question is, no, this is not breeding behavior. Osprey courtship happens once they return to their nesting site in the spring. Osprey don’t breed until at least three years old. Both of those facts eliminate courtship behavior. That answer then leads to the unasked question, “What are they doing?”
Currently in full swing, Osprey migration follows some distinct patterns. Early in the season, the females head south leaving dad to care for the young. Eventually he also takes off leaving the young to figure out migration on their own. Studies of Osprey in New England discovered many of the young head out right over the Atlantic Ocean, a route they only take once as they grow smarter once they experience the trip back.
That leaves me to hypothesize that this male is trying to convince the juvenile bird to move on. One might anthropomorphize it as kicking the teens out of the house.
Seabrook Island Birders (SIB) offers its members a monthly opportunity to bird with other members in the comfort of someone’s backyard. Almost every home on Seabrook has a good view of a variety of different birds. We’ve had a number of such activities, some in the morning, some in the evening. Our members get a lot out of the relaxed activity and learn a lot from each other. The host(s) sometimes learns about birds they see every day but may not notice or know what they are. Others enjoying sharing their little piece of paradise. No matter whether you are on the golf course, tennis area, lakes, lagoons, woods or ocean, there are birds in your backyard. If you are willing to host a Backyard Birding activity, please contact Melanie Jerome (melaniejerome@att.net) who coordinates these activities.
Just a few glimpses of prior Backyard Birding events:
SIB’s Backyard Birding at Lee Hurd’s Home on Loblolly Lane.
Backyard Birding Photographers – Judy Morr
SIB Members enjoying the decks at Lee Hurd’s home – Dean Morr
Bluebird on Coffee Mug – Dean Morr
Bluebird on scope – Marie Wardell
Entrance Lee Hurd’s Garden at 1126 Loblolly
Carolina Chickadee – Taken at Charles Moore’s home by Dean Morr
Ruby-throated Hummingbird – Taken at Charles Moore’s home by Dean Morr
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Dean Morr
Clapper Rail showing precocial down
Fawn Twins – Dean Morr
Northern Cardinal – Dean Morr
Below are some frequently asked questions that may help you in your decision. If you have more questions, contact Melanie and she can answer your questions without you having to make a commitment.
What do I need to do in preparation?
There is no preparation for this event, other than setting a date. You just have to let us into your backyard. You don’t even have to be there, but we hope you are. – only happened once
What if my house is not big enough?
We don’t care, we are not in your house. Many of the backyard birding is done at the villas also. We like to keep it at 12 for registration purposes, but average of 4-8 have been registering.
I haven’t seen many birds lately, what if there isn’t very many to view?
We don’t care if we only see one bird. We can find a lot to talk about and learn , even if we only see crows. (nutt’in against the crows)
Do I have to provide food and beverage?
We don’t need food or beverage, we bring our own insulated mugs. BYOB
What if I don’t know very many bird names?
We don’t care. We love to teach others, and we sometimes are not sure either. What a great way to learn about the birds you see in your yard.
I have a pretty busy schedule….
We know and it’s only a 2 hour commitment. We will just sit on your back porch or mostly standing in the yard, looking up!!
Won’t I be embarrassed if there are no birds?
Birds can be uncooperative, when it comes time for viewing, but even the most common bird can surprise you. I sat with my binoculars one day, looking at a crow for about 20 min. It was amazing how he sat and groomed his partner. He kept pecking the branch and i watched as he landed there and took off when he was done. The shape of the crows wings are one of the most beautiful shaped wings I’ve seen. The bird is so dark black that it looks almost blue in the sunlight. Appears to just caw for no reason, I could see. Interesting character.
Help! Volunteers are needed to host a Backyard Birding Activity for the remainder of 2023 and 2024 . Please consider hosting a backyard birding activity any time of the year. Just contact Melanie at melaniejerome@att.net, to set a date and get it on the calendar. If you are interested but don’t know when would work best, you can let Melanie know and she’ll contact you in the future to schedule a date.
Every bird course I’ve taken tells you to look at the bird’s beak to help in the identification. After researching how birds eat large items, beak shape became more interesting….so a study in beaks….
The beak – also known as the bill – has two parts: the upper mandible and the lower mandible. The upper mandible is a fancy name for a bird’s upper beak or upper bill. The upper mandible grows out of the skull, just as your upper teeth grow out of your skull. The upper mandible doesn’t move independently from the skull. The lower mandible is the scientific name for a bird’s lower beak or bill. The lower mandible can move independently because it’s hinged. It can move up and down, just like your jaw. Unlike your teeth, beaks are covered with skin. This skin produces a substance called keratin – the same material feathers, hair, and fingernails are made of. The keratin produced by a bird’s beak will dry and condense to make the bill hard and durable. The dried keratin also gives the beak a glossy appearance. As the keratin wears down, it’s replaced so the beak will remain sharp.
Seed-eating Birds
Seed-eating birds have strong, conical beaks that can crack open hard seeds. Northern Cardinals, and House Finches visit my feeder and have a short, thick beak that is perfect for cracking open sunflower seeds. The Carolina Wren, Carolina Chickadee and Tufted Titmouse also visit my seed feeders but their beaks aren’t quite as strong which is why I see them pounding the seeds against the feeder or the ground to open.
Carolina Chickadee – Taken at Charles Moore’s home by Dean MorrCarolina Wren – Bob HiderFemale Northern Cardinal – Charles MooreHouse Finch – Ed KonradTufted Titmouse – Dean Morr
Insect-eating birds
Prothonotary Warbler – Carl MillerEastern Bluebird with Grasshopper – Bob Mercer
Insect-eating birds have long, thin beaks that are good for picking insects out of leaves and bark. For example, the warbler has a long, thin beak that is perfect for catching mosquitoes and other flying insects. Eastern Bluebirds’ beaks aren’t as pointed as that Prothonotary Warbler but still allows them to pick out those insects such as this grasshopper.
The Blue Jays are one of the most successful general feeders in the bird world. They will eat almost anything. They eat mostly berries and seeds but also worms, insects, snails and even baby birds of other species. It’s all purpose bill is long for plucking, sharp for tearing and powerful for cracking.
The information I found makes me ask…what about woodpeckers. Woodpeckers have strong beaks which taper to the tip, forming a chisel for pecking holes in trees for food or nests. Most feed on insects which live under the bark. The woodpecker’s long tongue has a barbed tip and is covered in sticky saliva. These features help the bird capture and extract insects from the holes the bird drills.
Red-headed Woodpecker at Donnelly – Bob MercerPiliated Woodpecker – Alan FinkRed-bellied Woodpecker – Dean MorrDowny Woodpecker at suet block
Picky eaters
Swallow-tailed Kite eating – Ed Konrad
Some birds are picky eaters. They use their specialized beaks to pick their food out of the air, off the ground, or even from under tree bark. Swallows, swifts, flycatchers, nighthawks, and whip-poor-wills have a taste for fast food. They like to eat on the fly, using their short beaks and wide, gaping mouths to capture insects in flight. Some of these birds also have bristles (specialized feathers) around their mouths. The bristles work together like a net to help the bird catch insects. These and other birds also have small bumps located on the roof of the mouth. These bumps point backwards and help the bird hang onto food and work it down its throat.
Fish eating birds
Female Anhinga – E KonradBelted Kingfisher – C Moore
Fish eating birds have different shape beaks based upon how they fish. Anhingas use their razor sharp bills to spear the fish under the water, but then the fish is AROUND the bill, so they can’t open their mouth to eat it. Not to worry; the anhinga wriggled their head to move the fish toward the end of the bill, and then they can throw it into the air and catch it. A Belted Kingfisher also uses its beak to spear small fish and crustacean
Brown Pelican along the West Ashley Greenway – Bob Mercer
Brown Pelicans are known for diving into the water to catch fish. However, American White Pelicans float on the surface and scoop up fish as they swim by. The pouch on the pelican’s lower bill is usually folded up, but it can get bigger when the bird is fishing. A pelican’s pouch can hold three gallons of water. During a typical fishing trip, the pelican will start by filling its expanded pouch. The pouch then contracts, and the water drains out. After the water drains out, the pelican swallows the fish left behind whole.
American Oystercatcher’s long orange bill is shaped like a knife. It uses its beak to pry open oysters and other bivalves for food, hence the name “oystercatcher”.
My favorite bird may be the Black Skimmer. The Black Skimmer’s most striking feature is its gaudy red-and-black, laterally compressed bill, which has a lower mandible that juts out farther than does the upper. The strange, uneven bill of the skimmer has a purpose: the bird flies low, with the long lower mandible plowing the water, snapping the bill shut when it contacts a fish.
When thinking about beaks, one can’t overlook the lovely Roseate Spoonbill. Their large bill is rounded at the end (like a spoon), and the birds use it to probe along the bottom of muddy water, feeling for fish, amphibians, and other aquatic invertebrates to eat. The distinctively shaped bill allows spoonbills to strain small food items out of the water.
That picture also shows a heron. The heron and the egret find their long, broad, pointed beaks useful when hunting fish, frogs, crustaceans, and other small animals that live in and around water. Whether their prey is swimming, hopping, crawling, or skittering, herons and egrets use the same hunting method. First, the bird stalks its prey in shallow water, moving slowly and painstakingly, waiting for just the right opportunity. Then, when they spot something suitable to eat, they quickly strike at it.
Great Egret sitting above the marsh – Marie WardellImmature White Ibis – Charlie MooreBar-tailed Godwit through scope – Michael HarholdLeast Sandpiper – Ed Konrad
Some beaks look similar but are used for different purposes. For example, the heron and the egret have long, pointed beaks. So do birds such as the ibis, curlew, snipe, and godwits. But look closely and you’ll see that the beaks of the ibis, curlew, snipe, and godwit are more slender than the beaks of the heron and egret. These beaks are not made for hunting like the beaks of the heron and egret. Instead, these slimmer beaks are used to probe in mud and shallow water for worms, crustaceans, and insects.
Most ducks have broad, flat beaks. Maybe you’ve seen a duck dip its harmless-looking beak into the water. The water contains food that will fill the bill, and to get it, the duck fills its bill. A duck has tiny, comb-like structures around the edge of its beak. These structures look like little teeth, but they aren’t. They’re called lamellae and are formed from the mandible. Lamellae help the lucky duck (or other waterfowl) who has them to strain small animals, insects and plants out of the water and the mud.
Ruddy Duck swimming in the Seabrook Island Water Treatment lake – Nancy BrownHooded Mergansers – Glen Cox
Some ducks, like mergansers, have narrower beaks with sharper, saw-like ridges around the edges. The merganser can use these ridges like teeth to assist in catching and securing small fish, amphibians, and crustaceans.
Shredding birds
Osprey with lunch – Jennifer JeromeRed-tail Hawk with Squirrel – Dean MorrBald Eagle at Botany Bay – Jackie Brooks
Raptors (birds of prey such as Northern Harriers, Bald Eagles, and Great Horned Owls) hunt larger prey. The things raptors eat can’t always be swallowed whole. Raptors have sharp, hooked beaks they use to pierce prey, pull off fur, tug away skin, pluck out feathers, and tear meat into bite-sized, easy-to-swallow chunks. In addition to the specialized shape of their beaks, raptors also have a unique “tooth” tucked inside their upper mandible. This “tooth” is shaped like a small triangle and is called a tomila. The tomila helps a bird kill its prey quickly by cutting the prey’s spinal cord. After the prey is dead, a raptor can fly away with it and eat in a safe place.
Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures are natures garbage cleaners and they usually don’t fly away to eat their lunch. Their long, hooked beaks are exceptionally strong and heavy for tearing hide, muscle, and even bone.
Nector-eating birds
Nectar-eating birds have long, thin beaks that are good for reaching into flowers to drink nectar. For example, the hummingbird has a long, thin beak that is perfect for reaching into the nectar-rich flowers of hibiscus and other plants.
An interesting part of a beak is the egg tooth. Starting about a third of the way through the embryo’s growth in the egg, an “egg tooth” or “pipping tooth,” a small, hard, sharp protuberance of calcified keratin on the beak’s upper mandible, begins to develop. The egg tooth helps the chick to break through the eggshell. It falls off naturally a few days after hatching.
The shape of a bird’s beak is not only important for eating, but it can also be used for other purposes, such as building nests, grooming feathers, and defending themselves from predators. In addition to the food they eat, the shape of a bird’s beak can also be influenced by other factors, such as the climate they live in and the availability of food. For example, birds that live in cold climates often have shorter beaks than birds that live in warm climates. This is because shorter beaks lose less heat.
Wednesday October 04, 2023 8am -10am Trip to Ft. Moultrie Location: Meet at SI Real Estate Office to Car Pool (6:45a)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, $10 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 retired 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 is 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 perimeter of the Fort before opening hours.
Be sure to bring sun block, bug spray, a hat, binoculars, camera and a scope if you have one.
Once you are a member, please register no later than Monday, October 02, 2023. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter the day prior to the event.
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 brighter yellow underparts. You also might pick up the soft striping on its breast and sides. The male sports a rusty-colored cap in its breeding plumage although we would be less likely to see that here because it does not breed here.
This warbler will eat some seeds and fruits in the winter months but it prefers insects.
The Palm Warbler has a weak trill like that of the Chipping Sparrow, but slower. It is primarily on one note but increases slightly in intensity as it progresses.
Palm Warbler – Ed Konrad
Although its name would seem to indicate that this bird is found mostly in palm trees, in fact it can be seen in a variety of habitats: open woodlands, low in thickets of shrubs, on the ground, and in open fields.
If you would like to learn more about this bird visit:
Pine Warbler Range Map – Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Article submitted by: Marcia Hider 2017 and repulised by SIB
Photographs provided by: Ed Konrad & Glen Bartley
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.
Saturday September 30, 2023 8:00 am – 10:30 am (High Tide 9:34am) Birding at North Beach Location: Meet at Boardwalk # 1 Parking lot Max: 20 Cost: Free for members; $10 donation for guests
Join SIB Shorebird Steward leader Mark Andrews to bird at Seabrook Island’s North Beach. This three mile round trip walk travels from Board Walk #1 to the tip of North Beach along Captain Sams Inlet as high tide approaches. Birders from beginners to advanced birders will enjoy the variety of birds found on North Beach. At this time, many different species of shorebirds rest and feed near the point or along the beach. Along the way, we will explore the many different species that can be found in this unique area. Piping Plovers and other winter residents are beginning to return from their summer nesting areas.
As always, be sure to bring your binoculars/cameras, hats and sunscreen. This will be a major full moon high tide so shoes that can get wet are recommended. Bring a spotting scope if you have one. There should be spotting scopes available for viewing. Bring plenty to drink and a snack if desired. There are no facilities.
If you are not yet a 2023 SIB member, you must first become a member for only $15 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 $10.
Please register no later than September 28th. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter the day prior to the trip. If you need to cancel, please let us know.
Fall officially arrived at 2:50am EDT on Saturday September 23. For birds, the fall season has been in effect for a few weeks. Fall means cooler temperatures, more comfortable birding and the arrival of many new seasonal birds. It’s a good time to review some of our fall arrivals. In addition to listing and showing a picture of some of these birds, I’ve included the links to their “Bird of the Week” articles.
American Redstarts are the always the first bird that comes to my mind when I think of fall birding. That’s because their flight pattern and yellow and brown tails remind me of falling leaves. They began arriving in mid-August and by mid-November, most have moved further south to winter in northern South America.
My brain wasn’t used to considering Palm Warblers when I spent 20 minutes recently trying to identify this bird hopping along the edge of Palmetto Lake. Its tail bobbing and yellow under its tail should have given me my first clue but I was hoping for something more exotic. Instead, it was this common fall and winter visitor.
Yellow-Rumped Warblers will be arriving mid-October. All winter long they will be maybe the most common siting, flittering around everywhere, showing off their bright yellow patch above their tails.
Black-throated Blue WarblerYellow WarblerPrairie Warbler
Many other warblers pass through in the fall. Frequently seen at Palmetto Lake are Prairie Warblers, Yellow Warblers and my favorite (both by name and when seen) is the Black-throated Blue Warbler.
Chipping Sparrow – Don RashSong Sparrow – Ed KonradSavannah Sparrow – Bob MercerWhite-throated Sparrow – Marie Wardell
Fall also means the arrival of those confusing Little Brown Jobs—the sparrows. Chipping Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows all arrive later in the fall and stay until spring.
Piping Plovers began arriving from their Arctic breeding grounds in mid-August. We will enjoy seeing them on North Beach until May.
While birding Palmetto lake last week, I saw my first Pie-billed Grebe. eBird says they are in Charleston County year-round but their numbers are higher in October through March.
Hermit Thrush won’t arrive until mid-October and will stay until mid-April. It’s always fun to see them running along the ground under my feeders.
I knew I hadn’t seen a Gray Catbird recently. A review of Seabrook Island Birders Checklist confirmed they are rare in Summer but are common in the other seasons so I’ll be looking for them to be returning and staying through spring.
I normally don’t think of Bald Eagles as migratory but eBird statistics confirm many of the Bald Eagles go to cooler climates for the summer. They return in the fall and by November and December have upgraded their nests and have begun laying eggs.
While we say hello to our new arrivals, we’d be remiss to not say good-bye to our Summer visitors. We’ll miss the Great Crested Flycatchers, Green Herons, and Mississippi Kites. Although a few will stay all winter, we will also miss all of the Painted Buntings and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.
This has already got me thinking about who will arrive for winter….stay tuned.
Ever wonder why a hummingbird looks different colors at different angles, as can be seen very clearly with these recent pics I took of one of the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds frequenting my feeders?
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird from various angles – Jennifer Jerome
Here’s what Cornells’ Bird Academy says “The iridescent colors of the gorget are the result of the refraction of incident light caused by the microscopic structure of the feather barbules. The refraction works like a prism, splitting the light into rich, component colors. As the viewing angle changes, the refracted light becomes visible in a glowing, shimmering iridescent display. ” Now we know! I thought it might be two birds, but it wasn’t!😄
Bird of the Week: Ruby-Throated Hummingbird will provide more information about this favorite bird. Also, remember some hummingbirds spend the winter on Seabrook Island so don’t take your feeders down just yet.
Submitted by: Jennifer Jerome
“Did you know” is an on-going series of blogs that answer possibly more technical questions people have about birds or their environments. If you have an idea or question, submit it via the “Ask SIB” link on the SeabrookIslandBirders.org web site or send an email to SeabrookIslandBirders@Gmail.com.
The beauty and vitality of Eastern Bluebirds depends on the efforts of a dedicated team of volunteers who monitor and protect their nesting sites. In this blog, we shine a spotlight on these unsung heroes who play a crucial role in conserving Eastern Bluebirds and share their inspiring stories.
Our Eastern Bluebird Trails on Seabrook Island are located on Ocean Winds golf course, Crooked Oaks golf course and the Lakehouse. We have 71 nesting boxes strategically placed in suitable habitats. Our nesting season runs from March through August. There can be up to 3 cycles per season from one Eastern Bluebird pair. It is important to monitor these bluebird nesting boxes, to see how our bluebirds are doing during the season. A lot can happen to a bluebird box, as our volunteers know.
I would like to thank all of our current volunteers and the past volunteers for all their time and energy monitoring our bluebird trails. Meet the volunteers/A Big Thanks to:
Jo and Jim Eisenhauer
Janice and Michael Shada-Watson
Eileen and Bob Mercer
Karen and Russ Preston
Melody Murphy
Jane Magioncalde
Carol Heilman
Jane Marvin
Val and Pat Luzadder
Leslie Gore and Susan Miller
Anne Snelgrove
Jenni Hesterman
Paula and Harry Braham
Rob Jerome
They have a lot of stories to tell during the monitoring season. We can find many things inside the boxes when we open to check on the bluebirds. We also find other critters inside. All the volunteers are passionate about birds and nature.
The responsibility of our volunteers is to check each box weekly. We document what we see inside. What species is nesting, is there a complete nest, how many eggs, how many young and how many fledged. They then clean out the box. There is a lot of maintenance involved with our boxes also.
Our maintenance volunteers, Val and Pat Luzadder have been a great help, since in the past year we will have replaced all 71 of our nesting boxes with new ones, thanks to the Seabrook Island Club and the Seabrook Island Birders donations.
We do have great success stories to tell.
Out of 71 nesting boxes, we had 69 Eastern Bluebird nest attempts, 281 eggs, 233 hatched and 221 fledged. We do often, at the beginning of the year, have Carolina Chickadee nests also. They really like our bluebird boxes and often beat the bluebirds to it. We had 17 Carolina Chickadee nests, 70 eggs, 57 hatched and 52 fledged. For the Eastern Bluebirds, this is a 82% hatch rate and a 95% fledge rate. We have found that we had an issue with many of our eggs not hatching this year. Per the SC Bluebird Society, the heat can cause the Male Bluebird to become temporarily sterile. All Stats are reported to SC Bluebird Society (Cornell), Seabrook Island Club and the Environmental Committee.
Our volunteers are dedicated because they can encounter adverse weather conditions, gators, snakes, ants, wasps and many other things we find inside those boxes. But, their love of nature and the many babies bluebirds is where their passions lie.
If you are interested in being a Bluebird Volunteer for 2024, please contact Seabrookislandbirders@gmail.com.
If you are like many causal birders or keenly interested birders, domestic song sparrows are not high on your list of birds you would focus on or like to know more about. On a recent trip to Italy, Switzerland and France the local House Sparrows and Italian Sparrows were everywhere and scouting for tidbits at every outside cafe and even eating out of people’s hands. In short order I lost interest in trying to keep track of these and turned my attention to less prevalent and more unique birds on my journey. I suspect you would do the same.
Melissa Hughes
However, did you know that a Song Sparrow can have a repertoire of up to ten unique songs? Do you know why and what these songs are used for? Do you know how each sparrow composes these songs, i.e., what is their source material? On a morbid note, do you know the animal most prevalent in sparrow nest predation? If like me, your interest is piqued and like me you want to learn the answer to these questions and much more, the Seabrook Island Birders invite you to watch the recording of a recent presentation by Melissa Hughes, Professor of Animal Behavior and Ornithology at the College of Charleston.
You will learn: Why do birds sing? How does song help them decide where to live, with whom to mate? How do individual differences in behavior affect their lives? (What are these “individual differences in behavior” – do birds have “personality”?) By paying close attention to the behavior of individual birds in the soap opera of their lives – what songs they sing, their successes and failures as mates and parents, and how long they live – we can gain a richer appreciation for the complexity of their lives. The recording is available on our YouTube channel.
SIB 