February 12, 2024

Sunday February 18, 2024 8:00am – 5:00 pm
Great Backyard Bird Count
Location: Various locations around Seabrook Island
Max: 20 No cost to members, $10 to non-members

Connect to Birds, to Nature, and with Each Other! Birds are everywhere, all the time, doing fascinating things. Join Audubon and SIB, February 16–19, 2024, when the world comes together for the love of birds.

Check SeabrookIslandBirders.org/bird-walks/ to also register for:
– Learning Together on North Beach – Friday February 16, 2024
– Learning Together on Crooked Oaks Golf Course – Monday February 19, 2024

You can also do your own birding and submit your findings. This birding can be any time (and as many times) between 12:01am February 16 through 11:59pm February 19. Audubon gives the following steps:
Step 1 – Decide where you will watch birds.
Step 2 – Watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days, February 16-19, 2024.
Step 3 – Count all the birds you see or hear within your planned time/location and use the best tool for sharing your bird sightings (either Merlin or eBird). If you use eBird, “share” your eBird list with SIBeBird so we can compile a list for all of Seabrook. If you don’t use eBird, please answer the question below requesting a form you can write into, deliver to SIB and SIB will enter into eBird.

SIB’s organized GBBC activities are on Sunday.

Sunday February 18, 2024 8:00am – 5:00 pm
Great Backyard Bird Count
Location: Various locations around Seabrook Island
Max: 20 No cost to members, $10 to non-members

Join us in participating in Audubon’s Great Backyard Bird Count. The day will involve walks at various locations throughout the day. The schedule below allows for individuals to sign up for a portion of the day if the whole day is not of interest. We request you register for all sections you will be attending so we know if we should wait for you at any individual location.

Between locations listed below and as time permits, we’ll stop by members’ yards to see what they have at their feeders. Unfortunately, these will be unscheduled visits since duration of each location below needs to be somewhat flexible based upon what’s being seen. We do provide you an opportunity to enter your address if you’d like us to include you on our list.

– Maintenance Area /Equestrian Center 8:00-9:30 am
We’ll start at the Garden Parking Lot. We will walk through the Club Maintenance area and look over the fence to the retention ponds of the Water Treatment Facility. In this area we hope to see Hooded Mergansers, Buffleheads, Ruddy Ducks and songbirds and sparrows. From there, we will walk along the horse trail (or drive) to the Equestrian Center to see Starlings and Cowbirds plus numerous other birds that can be expected there.

– Palmetto Lake 10:00 – 11:30 am
Join us to explore the birds around the Lake House and the walks of Palmetto Lake. This is less than one mile of flat, paved walk around the lake.

– Bobcat Trail and Six Ladies Trail – 1:00-2:30 pm
We will meet at the Owners parking lot near Boardwalk 1 and proceed to Bobcat Trail then Six Ladies Trail and back to the parking lot. This walk provides a variety of habitats for our viewing pleasure. The Six Ladies Trail is over uneven terrain but those uncomfortable with that portion can return to the parking lot upon the completion of the Bobcat Trail portion.

– Jenkin’s Point 3:00-5:00 pm
We will be exploring the birds seen along Jenkins Point lagoons and streets, including ducks, wading birds and shorebirds. Since this event will be primarily by car, it is appropriate for members with mobility issues. You could join us on your bicycle if you wish.

For all events, bring sun block, bug spray, a hat, water, snacks and binoculars.

If you are not yet a SIB member, you must first become a member for $15 by following the instructions on our website: https://seabrookislandbirders.org/contact/join-sib/, or you may join each session for a single Guest Fee of $10 per person.

Once you are a member, please register to let us know which portions you plan to attend no later than Thursday, February 16, 2024. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter on Friday, February 17, 2024.

Brown-headed cowbirds are found in grasslands, woodland edges and residential areas. They are native to North America. They will roost along with blackbirds numbering in large amounts. It is a stocky blackbird with brown head. Smaller and shorter tale than a blackbird. The females are unmarked brown with faint streaks on the breast and pale throats. Both usually range about 7.2 inches in size. Look around Seabrook Island and you will find them everywhere. I usually see them first on the ground and at my mixed seed birdfeeder.

Female brown-headed cowbird – Audubon Library

They feed mostly on seeds from grasses and weeds, but a quarter of their diet are insects. They are not shy about coming to backyard bird feeders. They get their name from their close association to livestock who flush up insects for them to eat.

Grayish cowbird eggs with blue bluebird eggs-Audubon Library

Female Cowbirds make no nest of their own. They lay eggs in a great variety of other birds’ nests, including red-winged blackbirds. Over 220 different species nests have been documented with cowbirds eggs. The host nest momma does not recognize the new eggs and will raise that baby cowbird along with her own babies. Cowbird eggs hatch faster than other species eggs and baby cowbirds can be much bigger and will push other babies out of the nest. Social relationships are difficult to figure out in birds that do not build nests, but male and female Brown-headed Cowbirds are not monogamous. Genetic analyses show that males and females have several different mates within a single season.

Audubon Library

Here is a common yellow-throat with a baby cowbird. It is ok to remove any cowbird eggs you might find in a nest. Cowbirds can be real noisy, making clicks, whistles and chatter like calls. Brown-headed Cowbirds are of low conservation concern. When you consider the average a seed eating bird often consumes ¼-½ of its weight in food each day, a flock of hungry cowbirds can consume at lot of food at your feeders. There is no fool proof way to deter this species, but if you stop feeding for a couple of week the large flock will move on.

For more information about the Brown-Headed Cowbird, see the All about Birds Website.

Article submitted by: Melanie Jerome
Photographs provided by: Dean Morr and Audubon Library

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.