Tag Archives: huntington beach state park
Roseate Spoonbills at Huntington Beach State Park
One of the most unique looking birds we’ve got flying around the Carolinas is the Roseate Spoonbill.
With that long flat bill it’s easy to see how these beauties earned their name.
I spotted this one a few weeks ago while birding at the Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, SC.
Having a “built-in” spoon on its beak can be a big help at mealtime. Spoonbills take advantage of this adaptation with a special feeding style known as “head-swinging.”
They’ll plunge their bill nearly vertically under water and swing it side to side in wide arcs. In this way, they snag a host of small animals from the lake bottom.
Their diet is made up of small fish, crustaceans (especially shrimp and crayfish), insects, molluscs (such as slugs and snails), and other small aquatic animals.
Roseate Spoonbills are an occasional, transient visitor to NC during the late summer along our southeastern coast. If you’d like to have a better opportunity to see them, your best bet is to take a short trip down to coastal South Carolina where they are found throughout summer and autumn. Some smaller flocks even spend the winter there so it might be worth looking for them in December too.
Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty @canonusa #R5
Breakfast with a Snowy Egret in the Carolinas
Semipalmated Plovers in the Carolinas
Behold the cutest little bird in the Carolinas, the Semipalmated Plover!
But what does “Semipalmated” even mean?
Well, it refers to the fact that they’ve got partially webbed feet.
I know it’s tough to see their toes in these photos but this webbing allows the birds to move about quickly in the shallow channels and puddles of water on the mudflats.
These tiny feathered dynamos are most often spotted in tidal marshes and beaches hunting for a meal in the mud and sand. Small birds with big appetites, they’re voracious eaters of insects and worms but will also gulp down small crustaceans and mollusks.
Though Semipalmated Plovers breed in the Arctic tundra, they are a semi-common sight in coastal areas of North Carolina during the spring and autumn.
A few even spend the winter here in our southeastern coastal counties so it’s well worth keeping an eye out for them in the months to come.
Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
#R5
Green Herons at the Huntington Beach State Park
When birding near shallow bodies of water in the eastern Carolina’s it’s hard not to stumble on a Green Heron or two fishing at the shoreline.
Since they are so common they’re often overlooked but if the sunlight hits them just right, these little birds are absolutely beautiful!
Looking closely at their wings you can even see how they got their name.
As it goes with others in the heron family, Green Herons can be found walking in shallow waters stalking fish and small crustaceans.
When their prey is spotted, they’ll freeze and then strike like a dart into the water piercing the prey with their bill.
Interestingly, Green Herons also employ another tactic to catch a meal as they’re the only species of heron known to “bait” their prey.
These clever birds will use twigs, feathers, or insects to lure a fish within reach. When the fish comes in closer to investigate the object, the bird will strike.
While most of the Green Herons will soon depart from North Carolina for warmer locals during migration, a small population appears to spend the cooler months just a couple hours south at the Huntington Beach State Park in SC so it’s worth keeping an eye out for them there during the winter.
Aren’t they lovely?!
🙂
Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
#R5
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
Wood Storks in the Carolinas
Of all the birds I saw on a recent trip to the Huntington Beach State Park, the Wood Stork was my favorite.
It was thrilling to watch these large birds catching their prey. With so much action going on, I managed to photograph a nice series of pics of one trying to eat a Blue Crab which was pretty cool!
The bird would hold the crab in its mouth and shake its head, crunching down on the crabs shell. One by one the crabs legs popped off until only the cephalothorax remained.
Then the Stork swallowed the crab whole in one gulp without so much as a pinch of Old Bay seasoning or melted butter to wash it down with.
Wood Storks are best found in the eastern counties of the Carolinas from June through September. Our largest species of wader, they prefer to hunt for a meal in swamps, freshwater marshes and in shallow ponds.
Wood Storks are very particular about the depth of water that they’ll hunt for a meal in.
Preferring no more than a foot of water to rise up their legs, the flock actually waited until low tide before finally coming down from out of the trees to hunt in the rapidly draining marsh below.
Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
#R5
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
Birding Huntington Beach State Park SC
By: Sally Siko | Admin Birdwatching NC
This past weekend I took a trip down to Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina to see what was flying around down there. This was also a nice opportunity to try capturing some more video with the Canon R5.
As it turned out, it was well worth the 3 hour drive to head to the coast as there were plenty of interesting birds to see once I arrived.
Though it was crazy hot outside, I was amazed at the level of constant bird activity occurring throughout the day!
Thanks to tidal changes in the marshes water levels, from sun up, to sundown there was always something new to see.
Even in late summer when the action slows down in other parts of the country, the Carolina’s offer a nice variety of birds to find if you’re willing to travel a short distance to see them.
Huntington Beach State Park is just such a place where year round birding opportunities exist making this a premier destination for birdwatchers in the southeast no matter the season.
I can’t wait to get back down there soon. Wanna join me?
I’ll likely be adding the Huntington Beach State Park on my list of upcoming birding tours this autumn so check back on my Birding Trips Page for updates soon!
Photos & video by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
#R5
Gear used on this trip shown below.
Canon R5
