Tag Archives: birdwatchign south carolina

Field Notes

Night Herons at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet NC

Black crowned Night Herons are simply gorgeous creatures. I love the way those bright red eyes stand out from their charcoal and white plumage.


These lovely birds are found throughout the United States during the summer and are year round residents of North Carolina in our coastal counties.

North Carolina’s only true nocturnal Heron species, Black crowns are often spotted in marshy wetland areas hunting for a meal at dusk. They primarily dine on fish, frogs, small crustaceans and insects however they also eat carrion, small rodents and snakes. They’ll even raid the nests of other birds to eat the eggs if the opportunity arises.



Look for Black crowned Night Herons around ponds and marshes with a heavily vegetated shoreline. The brush and trees provide the perfect cover for the birds to stalk their prey unseen as well as providing cover for roosting during the day.
They’ve got a distinctive raven-like croaking call so it’s worth listening for them in their preferred habitats too if you’d like to find one.

Photos & video by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
#R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Clapper Rails at the Huntington Beach State Park

When looking for birds, timing is everything. Usually we think about things like migration or morning as being the best time to spot a new bird but hourly changes to a habitat are something to consider too.
Case in point- when the tide goes out, the birds roll in to the marsh at the Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet SC.



When the marsh is filled with water, the Clapper Rails stay hidden in the tall grass but once the water drains, these shy birds will wander out into the open mudflats to feed.
I found this one yesterday at Huntington Beach and was so happy to get a nice close up look.

Clappers are a year round resident of North Carolina and although they are very commonly found in the saltwater marshes along our coastline yet due to their secretive nature, they can be tough to actually see.
That being said, Clappers are not necessarily hard to locate because they are one of a few species of Rail which are vocal when the sun is up. These brown waders can be heard giving their laughing, cackle calls throughout the day. This means that you can verify that they’re in the area when seeing one in the tall marsh grass isn’t an option.

Photos & video by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
#R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert

White Ibis fight at the Huntington Beach State Park

While birding at the Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet SC on this past weekend, I ended up with a ringside seat to a battle of two American White Ibises
Though it was a remarkable sight, this behavior is not unusual as male American white Ibises are known to be quite aggressive when defending their meals (and personal space!) against intruders.

Both Ibises lunged, stabbed and bit, often holding onto the others head or wings while clawing at each others bodies in a submission hold of avian sorts.
Several times one bird would give up yet the other would pursue it relentlessly, dive bombing and even chasing the weaker opponent on foot.
Eventually they called it a draw and walked away together (lol!) seemingly at peace at least until the next meal was found.

When they’re not fighting, White Ibises are highly sociable birds. They roost, nest and feed together in large flocks throughout the year.
Happily the numbers of American White Ibises residing in the Carolinas have been in the increase which is pretty neat!
They are a year round breeding resident of North Carolina and are most commonly found along our southeastern coastline, especially on our small offshore islands.
Look for them foraging (and yes, even fighting!) for a meal in shallow brackish, salt & freshwater open swamps, marshes and on mudflats during low tide.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless miracle, the @canonusa
#R5