On Tuesday, February 9, from 8:30 to 10:00 am, join Charleston County Parks & Recreation Commission (CCPR) birding experts to explore the wonderfully diverse opposite ends of Folly Beach. You will see a variety of coastal birds. Help experienced birders scan the ocean for a variety of ducks, seabirds, and shorebirds and learn how to spot ‘bunches’ of Red Knots, “rafts” of scoters, and much more. Register for the class using the link below.
Ages 12 & up. A chaperone is required for participants ages 15 and under. Park fees, operating schedules, and hours are subject to change without notice.
Meet at:
Folly Beach Fishing Pier
101 East Arctic Avenue
Folly Beach, SC 29439
If you would like to share your photographs of our local birds, please submit them using the instructions on this link and we will post them on our blog, gallery and Facebook pages.
Minutes of the First Quarterly Meeting of the Seabrook Island Birders
January 20, 2016 at the Lake House
This was the first meeting of those who had expressed an interest in birding on Seabrook Island. Originally 78 persons had signed up and nine (Charley Moore, Nancy Brown, Flo Foley, Marcia Hider, George Haskins, Donna Lawrence, Lyn Magee, Dean Morr, and Judy Morr) had volunteered to initiate the organization. Those organizational meetings were in November, December, and January and culminated in this initial gathering of the interested parties.
Registration of attendees started at 6:45 PM. It took 45 minutes to process those who opted to pay the $10 annual membership fee and receive their membership cards. According to Marcia, the paid up membership now stands at 99 — many of whom were not on the original list. Attendees filled the Live Oak Room at the Lake House — attendance was counted as 102. The turnout exceeded expectations of most of the organizers. Refreshments were provided under the guidance of Donna Lawrence.
More than 100 people attended the first SIB meeting!
The guest speakers, Christina Fifer Owner of Wild Birds Unlimited, along with one of her employees Adam Sherrill, described several birds who are likely to visit feeders in our backyards, with the appropriate food for each, and demonstrated a variety of feeders for the distribution of these foods. She also answered several birder questions and offered some bird seed freebies. SIB members will receive a 10 percent discount on food items purchased at her WBU store on Savannah Highway in West Ashley. (see earlier blog post for details on discount)
Christina Fifer, Owner of Wild Birds Unlimited, West Ashely, SC presenting
Nancy Brown demonstrated the SIB communications options which she has already established for the benefit of our members as well as some indication of additional enhancements. There are user friendly ways for members to know what activities in bird watching are scheduled, how to arrange other birding expeditions, what birds are being seen on the Island and in the vicinity, and what links are available to enhance each member’s birding experience.
Flo Foley provided a brief summary of projected activities for the membership and particularly focused on the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) taking place February 12-15, 2016. SIB members are invited to meet on February 14th at 8:30 AM, at the Lake House, for a guided walk around Palmetto Lake to participate in the Count. More information about the GBBC may be found on our website.
Dean Morr reported on 2015 bluebird monitoring. There are 75 bird nesting boxes on four trails around the golf douses and the Lake House which are monitored as to occupancy by a group of volunteers. While the emphasis is on observing Eastern Bluebirds, they found Carolina Chickadees were the early occupants in 39 boxes and 102 young ones were fledged. During the season, 76 bluebird nests were noted (numbers do not add because some boxes were used more than once) and 259 birds were fledged. They are nice additions to our local wildlife.
Three persons in the audience were recognized as representatives of other related organizations. Valerie Doane, of the SI Photography Club, offered our membership the opportunity to participate with them in learning about photographing birds. Lori Porwoll is a volunteer with the Birds of Prey facility as a transporter of injured birds to their clinic and she invited persons to join her in that effort. David Gardner, Program Director at St. Christopher and an ardent birder, invited members to visit their office for guidance in the use of their property for birding while not interfering with their programs.
In an effort to define interest, Charley Moore asked for a show of member interest in a proposed SIB program by the Birds of Prey personnel, with a live bird demonstration, which would likely require a participation fee of $5-10 to cover the cost. There was a favorable response. This will be pursued as the subject of the April program.
Charley Moore then presented a proposed slate of SIB officers for 2016. The slate:
Chair — Charley Moore
Program Co-Chairs — Judy Morr and Lyn Magee
Treasurer and Membership — Marcia Hider
Secretary — George Haskins
Communications and Web Master — Nancy Brown
Bluebird Trails Chair – Dean Morr
Activities Chair — Flo Foley
Social Chair — Donna Lawrence
It was moved, seconded, and approved that the slate be elected.
Six door prizes (three bags from WBU, two framed bird prints, and a bird book) were awarded in a random drawing.
Dean Morr of SIB presenting a Charley Moore photograph of an owlet on canvas, one of six door prizes, to Inga Fyfe
I just spoke to the Center for Birds of Prey and they have six (6) seats left of the 25 total in this exciting photography workshop with Guest Artist Taylor Glenn on Monday February 15, 2016. See below for details – Call today if you want to register before the seats are gone!
Note: They will take an unlimited number of observers.
Curated Photography Day with Guest Artist Taylor Glenn
ANNOUNCING – Limited number of tickets available!
We’re excited to have one of the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition’s featured artists as curator for our first Photography Day of 2016.
Program Details
What: Curated Photography Day with Taylor Glenn
When: Monday, February 15
Time: 8:30am – 11:30am
Taylor Glenn is a photographer specializing in outdoor lifestyle and nature imagery. He is a resident of Jackson Hole, Wyoming and travels extensively for his work. Glenn’s photos have appeared in American Photography’s 30th and 31st editions and fine publications including Covey Rise, Outside Magazine, Sunset Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and Wired Magazine.
As curator for this Photography Day, Taylor will share his expertise in a variety of
technical areas including equipment choice, and managing distance, light and subject movement.
This event will take place on the Monday following SEWE,from 8:30am to 11:30am and advance registration is required. Tickets are $45 per photographer and can be purchased online or by calling the Center’s office at 843.971.7474.
As was announced during our kick off meeting of the Seabrook Island Birders (SIB) on January 20, 2016, all SIB members will receive a discount at the West Ashley, SC location of Wild Birds Unlimited! See below for more information.
Do you have a passion for birds and/or an interest in learning more about the incredible variety of birds that inhabit Seabrook Island throughout the year? If so, there is a new organization being created just for you. It’s the Seabrook Island Birders (SIB).
You don’t need to be an accomplished birder to join. In fact, simply loving to see birds at your backyard feeder is enough. On the other hand, SIB will provide a place for experienced birders to notify others of unusual sightings and additional time-sensitive information.
SIB will have its inaugural meeting and membership sign-up January 20th in the Lake House Live Oak Room at 7:00PM.
Membership Registration & Social Time
Guest Speaker: Christina Fifer, Wild Birds Unlimited – Attracting birds to your yard and bird feeders
SIB Communications, Website Tour of Blog, Calendar & Birding Resources
Announcements & Upcoming Events
Door Prize Giveaways
PLEASE JOIN US ON JANUARY 20th for a fun evening of learning about our feathered friends and about Seabrook Island’s new birders’ group – SIB.
For more information or if you are unable to attend the meeting but want to join:
Visit our website and follow our Blog via e-mail by hitting the “Follow” button: seabrookislandbirders.org
Follow us on Facebook by clicking this link then hit “Join Group”: SI Birders on Facebook
SIB membership ($10.00 annually) is restricted to residents and their renters but all programs and activities are open to everyone. Guests and visitors will be asked to make a small donation. SIB’s goal is to provide the opportunity to go on bird walks, participate in annual bird counts and learn about the many birds that frequent our island each season of the year.
Send your name, address, email address with $10 to:
Marcia Hider, 3145 Green Heron Ct., Seabrook Island, SC 29455
Do you have a passion for birds and/or an interest in learning more about the incredible variety of birds that inhabit Seabrook Island throughout the year? If so, there is a new organization being created just for you. It’s the Seabrook Island Birders (SIB).
You don’t need to be an accomplished birder to join. In fact, simply loving to see birds at your backyard feeder is enough. On the other hand, SIB will provide a place for experienced birders to notify others of unusual sightings and additional time-sensitive information.
SIB will have its inaugural meeting and membership sign-up January 20th in the Lake House Live Oak Room at 7:00PM. Christine Fifer (Wild Birds Unlimited) will talk about attracting birds to your yard and bird feeders. She will have different kinds of feeders available and explain why one or the other is used. She has also generously offered to bring seed samples for SIB members.
Then, Seabrook residents Nancy Brown and Flo Foley, SIB’s technical gurus, will provide a tour of the new SIB website (seabrookislandbirders.org), Facebook account and blog that will be available for members to use. They will show how to access the SIB calendar and how to post birding information that members feel they would like to share with others.
Finally, in celebration of our new club, there will be a raffle with several bird-oriented gifts as prizes. Members will receive raffle tickets when they join.
This will be the first of four meetings annually. The general format will consist of a short social time preceding the meeting, a guest speaker and then announcements concerning Island birds and up-coming birding activities.
SIB membership ($10.00 annually) is restricted to residents and their renters but all programs and activities are open to everyone. Guests and visitors will be asked to make a small donation. SIB’s goal is to provide the opportunity to go on bird walks, participate in annual bird counts and learn about the many birds that frequent our island each season of the year. The Seabrook Island Bluebird Society (SIBS) and its Bluebird Trails will be an important and integral component of SIB.
PLEASE JOIN US ON JANUARY 20th for a fun evening of learning about our feathered friends and about Seabrook Island’s new birders’ group – SIB.
JOIN SIB TODAY – Send your name, address, email address with $10 to Marcia Hider, 3145 Green Heron Ct. Seabrook Island, SC 29455 or put it in her local mailbox. You may also join at the January 20th meeting.
Charles Moore, Seabrook Island Birders Organization Committee
(This information is copied from: CCPR ) – trips have been added to the Seabrook Island Birders calendar
There are many outstanding birding opportunities to be found within your Charleston County Parks. From Piping Plovers at Folly Beach County Park to Painted Buntings at Palmetto Islands County Park, a wide variety of bird species can be seen within the Charleston County Park system.
One park in particular, Caw Caw Interpretive Center, is noted for its rich bird life. Located in Ravenel, Caw Caw is a birding hotspot for coastal South Carolina. Over 250 species of birds (DOC) have been seen among the many habitats on the Caw Caw property. Prothonotary warblers flash their brilliant yellow in the cypress swamp during spring and summer months, just as swallow-tailed kites soar overhead. Summer also offers the chance to see the colorful painted bunting or the bright blue indigo bunting along the forest edges.
Former rice fields provide year-round feeding grounds for egrets, herons, and ibises. In addition, a variety of waterfowl make Caw Caw their home in the winter.
Birding Programs
Birding programs are offered not only at Caw Caw, but at other CCPRC locations and statewide locations as well! Staying on top of our birding activities is easy:
Sign up for an email newsletter from our Interpretive Naturalist that describes our birding experiences and programs.
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. followed by an optional checklist
Caw Caw Interpretive Center
Join us on one of our regular bird walks through many distinct habitats that allow us to view and discuss a variety of birds, butterflies, and other organisms. The cost is only $10 and no pre-registration is required.
Birding experts from CCPRC and the Audubon South Carolina explore Folly Beach in this partnership program. The walks start at either Folly Beach County Park or the entrance to Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve.
Birding Trips 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Meeting locations vary Search for programs online.
Join us as we explore nearby locations such as the Francis Marion National Forest, Huntington Beach State Park, and the sod farms near Orangeburg. Additional impromptu birding trips may arise.
The Seabrook Island Birders (SIB) Organizational Committee has made considerable progress during the past two months, including the following:
*The group’s official name will be the ” Seabrook Island Birders (SIB).
*Membership will be available to all Seabrook Island property owners and their renters.
*The purpose of SIB is to provide Seabrook Island residents, renters, and guests, who have a passion for, and interest in learning more about, birds the opportunity to do so through educational lectures, birding trips, and by sharing information about the incredible variety of birds that inhabit Seabrook Island throughout the year.
*Dues will be $10.00 annually – collected at time of membership and each January thereafter.
* The officers (Chairman, Membership/Treasurer, Communications Coordinator, Activities Coordinator, Program Coordinator and etc.) and other committee members will meet monthly.
*Seabrook Island Bluebird Society (SIBS) programs, such as the Bluebird Trails, will be an important and integral component of SIB.
*SIB will have four meetings for all members annually beginning in January 2016. These meetings will include a guest speaker and information concerning Island birds and up-coming birding activities. Meetings will be open to all interested individuals, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hour in length and preceded by a 15 minute social.
*A SIB website (seabrookislandbirders.org), a Gmail account (calendar and bulletin board), a Facebook account, and a blog site for SIB have been developed and will be available to all members.
Just a note to let you know that a Seabrook Island Birding Group is becoming a reality.
Sixty-two individuals have expressed an interest in forming a group to learn more about birds, go bird watching and/or promote and protect the natural habitat for birds here on Seabrook Island.
We have formed an Organizational Committee, had our first meeting on November 3rd and will be meeting again on December 1st.
If you have ideas or input as to what you would like this new bird group to do (programs, outings, etc), please contact one of the following and let them know.
Organizational Committee Members:
Nancy Brown, Flo Foley, George Haskins, Marcia Hider, Donna Lawrence, Jim Lawrence, Charley Moore, Dean Morr, Judy Morr, Bill Smith, Marian Chamberlain, Lyn Magee, and Joe Penny.
We will be providing additional updates and hopefully some dates to put on your 2016 calendar for some interesting programs and activities concerning Seabrook Island’s incredibly rich bird life.
Charley
Charles J. Moore
3326 Wildcat Point
Seabrook Island, SC 29455
SIB 