I just spent a week on Hilton Head Island, SC for a family vacation.
Actually not so bad as I paint, we rented a house in the Sea Pines area and while my birding was not as intense as I would have liked we did have a solid trip, and I thought it worth sharing my observations on good spots.
Sea Pines Reserve
A great habitat of palmetto, lowland coastal forest, lakes and old rice fields.
Very, very buggy - expect to be bitten.
Full of Herons, Egrets, Anhinga, Osprey. We also picked up Northern Parula and Pine Warbler here and the Southeastern (Worthington's) Marsh Wren.
We also scored a Barred Owl, that we disturbed to a perch right over us, we're it sat for photographs for a few hours. Another lifer was Wood Thrush.
Just outside the reserve at the Lawton Stables, we had Orchard Oriole.
Another good spot was Fish Haul Park, though Summer is not the best time. Here was a good collection of White Ibis, more Pine Warblers, Blue Grey Gnatcatchers etc.
The best spot was Pinckney Island NWR, we only had time to walk to the Ibis Pond. Here we met a docent who said that every Egret / Heron was breeding there except GBH - not a huge loss. Great views of B/YC NH, and in particluar TH and GH. Cattle Egret in breeding plumage was a first for us, and then over 200 White Ibis nests. We also picked up some tiny Moorhen chicks with their parents, Wood Duck and a possible Black Rail - not good enough to ID as a lifer for me. Had it called, then I might have made the call. My wife also got a Yellow-throated Warbler here, but I missed it. Back at the car we did get Eastern Wood-pewee a lifer.
The beach provided an excellent class in Tern recognition, particularly when there was a fish shoal close in. I picked up a lifer in Gull-Billed and had many Royal's and a couple of Caspian's.
Target bird of the trip seen several times outside our house was the Painted Bunting, along with Eastern Kingbird and Great Crested Flycatcher.
Lastly we visited the Audobon Newhall Preserve - nothing startling except what looked like a very pale GCFlycatcher with very little brown in the tail. With my limited experience I am tempted to think it's a possible Le Sagra's, but no way to follow up, and no photo's, so no call.
Total for the week was 58 species, with 8 lifers and 31 year birds, not too shabby.
Actually not so bad as I paint, we rented a house in the Sea Pines area and while my birding was not as intense as I would have liked we did have a solid trip, and I thought it worth sharing my observations on good spots.
Sea Pines Reserve
A great habitat of palmetto, lowland coastal forest, lakes and old rice fields.
Very, very buggy - expect to be bitten.
Full of Herons, Egrets, Anhinga, Osprey. We also picked up Northern Parula and Pine Warbler here and the Southeastern (Worthington's) Marsh Wren.
We also scored a Barred Owl, that we disturbed to a perch right over us, we're it sat for photographs for a few hours. Another lifer was Wood Thrush.
Just outside the reserve at the Lawton Stables, we had Orchard Oriole.
Another good spot was Fish Haul Park, though Summer is not the best time. Here was a good collection of White Ibis, more Pine Warblers, Blue Grey Gnatcatchers etc.
The best spot was Pinckney Island NWR, we only had time to walk to the Ibis Pond. Here we met a docent who said that every Egret / Heron was breeding there except GBH - not a huge loss. Great views of B/YC NH, and in particluar TH and GH. Cattle Egret in breeding plumage was a first for us, and then over 200 White Ibis nests. We also picked up some tiny Moorhen chicks with their parents, Wood Duck and a possible Black Rail - not good enough to ID as a lifer for me. Had it called, then I might have made the call. My wife also got a Yellow-throated Warbler here, but I missed it. Back at the car we did get Eastern Wood-pewee a lifer.
The beach provided an excellent class in Tern recognition, particularly when there was a fish shoal close in. I picked up a lifer in Gull-Billed and had many Royal's and a couple of Caspian's.
Target bird of the trip seen several times outside our house was the Painted Bunting, along with Eastern Kingbird and Great Crested Flycatcher.
Lastly we visited the Audobon Newhall Preserve - nothing startling except what looked like a very pale GCFlycatcher with very little brown in the tail. With my limited experience I am tempted to think it's a possible Le Sagra's, but no way to follow up, and no photo's, so no call.
Total for the week was 58 species, with 8 lifers and 31 year birds, not too shabby.