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Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC

Piping Plovers in South Carolina

By Sally Siko

What a difference in appearance a couple of months can make when it comes to bird plumage.
While on a recent trip to Huntington Beach SP in Murrells Inlet SC I had a chance to see a pair of Piping Plovers.
This is the second time in just a few months that I’ve encountered this species and I was pleased to be able to catch a nice look at them in their breeding attire (note black bands on the neck & forehead)
The last time I saw these tiny birds I didn’t think they could get any cuter but I stand corrected lol!
Watching them scurry up and down the shore on those speedy little legs made me smile.



Did you know that there are only three main breeding populations of Piping Plovers?
They occupy three general areas: the Atlantic Coast, the Great Lakes region, and the northern Great Plains region.
The wintering ranges of the three breeding populations overlap and extend from North Carolina to Florida on the Atlantic Coast and from the Florida Gulf Coast to Texas and into Mexico, the West Indies, and the Bahamas.



North Carolina is home to a small number of nesting Piping Plovers thus the may be found along the coast north of Cape Hatteras throughout the year.
Interestingly though they spend more (overall) time in North Carolina, your odds of seeing one appear to be increased if you look for them during the winter & early spring months along South Carolina’s beaches.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC

Red-breasted Merganser encounter at Huntington Beach State Park

By Sally Siko

One of the obvious challenges that comes with photographing a bird is of course that they move around quite a bit.
Add the Atlantic Ocean waves and a species of diving duck and now I’ve got a whole fresh set of obstacles to deal with.
In this case I was incredibly lucky to be able to catch a fair amount of shots of this male Red-breasted Merganser swimming right offshore which was freak’n awesome!


Normally these ducks swim behind the breakers, diving constantly in search of a meal. Even when shooting at 600mm, trying to photograph one from so far away is difficult to say the least.
Perhaps the best way to describe it would be like trying to photograph fleas jumping on a running dogs back from 20 ft away using a zoom lens lol!
In any case I took this opportunity for what it was and even though I still had to crop these images, I’m stoked to finally catch some useable photos of this handsome bird.



A member of the “Sawbill” family of ocean faring ducks for its long, thin serrated bill, Red-breasted Mergansers are voracious eaters of fish.
The young ones will also eat crustaceans and insects until they learn to hunt on the open water.
These guys are strong underwater swimmers, easily able to catch a slippery fish in that serrated bill and there are even reports of flocks of RBM’s hunting for schools fish cooperatively by driving them into shallow waters.
Red-breasted Mergansers aren’t just speedy underwater, they happen to be one of the fastest flyers of all the duck species in North America with speeds clocking in approaching 80mph at level flight.
Crazy!

Red-breasted Mergansers are usually found in brackish and saltwater habitats in the eastern counties of the Carolinas. That being said, smaller numbers also frequent our fresh water impoundments, lakes, and ponds, usually for short periods of time, both inland and coastally.
They’ll stick around until late May before they heading north to their breeding grounds so you’ve still got plenty of time to see them.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5


Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC

Red winged Blackbird at Huntington Beach, SC

By Sally Siko

When you’re exploring the coastal marshes and wetlands of the Carolinas there’s one bird which you’re almost 100% guaranteed to see, the Red-winged Blackbird.
Oh and not just see but hear!
High and low, their raucous metallic sounding calls seem to emanate from everywhere.
Yes they are common and thus often overlooked but gosh, if ya take the time to watch one for a bit you’ll find that they are quite beautiful.



It’s all about the details in my opinion.
I like that delicate rusty-gold colored lacing pattern of plumage on this males back. That hint of bright red lined with orange and yellow feathers on his wing.
Plus the jet black attire is always pretty cool looking in my book.
Truly a striking bird.

For now these guys are a laid back bunch but once breeding season arrives, male Red winged Blackbirds will become aggressively territorial.When singing to defend his turf or to attract a female, the male fluffs those bright red epaulettes and half-spreads his wings to show off those red and yellow feathers.
This display is meant to intimidate rival males and sends a clear message of “back off” to all challengers.
Red-winged Blackbirds nest in loose colonies, with a male attracting up to 15 females to nest within his home turf.He’ll vigorously protects his territory against all intruders, be it on four feet or two.They’ve even been known to swoop in to attack people on occasion when we come a bit too close to their nests for their liking.
Something to keep in mind soon when birding near water lol!



Though they are more numerously spotted in our eastern counties, Red-winged Blackbirds are found across the Carolinas from the mountains to the coast.
Look for them near ponds, lakes, estuaries and marshes throughout the year, especially in areas where cat-tail plants are present.

Photos & video by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Biridng Trips and Tours in SC

Horned Grebes in South Carolina

By Sally Siko

Whenever I’m birding along the mid Atlantic coast in late winter, I always keep an eye out over the ocean for Horned Grebes.
I spotted several while on a birding tour this past weekend.
Normally, the species is somewhat difficult to photograph as they usually spend time hunting for a meal a little further out on the water where the waves break. I lucked out to be able to spot a small flock swimming close to the beach.
It was so cool to actually get to take photos that didn’t look like little black feathered dots floating between the waves lol!


Horned Grebes are a wintertime resident of the Carolinas, although they are most commonly seen throughout February and March.
They spend most of their time in our coastal counties, on the inshore Atlantic, as well as in in sounds, estuaries and lakes. Occasionally they can be spotted inland to as far west as central South & North Carolina.

The Horned Grebes breeding range is impressive, extending from Iceland to Russia and Alaska all the way to Minnesota!
During breeding season they’ve got a black head with a stripe of yellow feathers that extend from each eye to the back of their head and a reddish-brown body.

For now (non breeding season) they have a black body with a white neck and underbelly paired with bright red eyes.
A few, like the adult male also shown in this series of photos have already begun to molt into their summer plumage with the first hints of orange feathers poking through on it’s cheeks!

I’m looking forward to returning to Huntington Beach SP for my next tour to share them with my guests.
If you’d like to see one for yourself, you’ve still got a few more weeks before they migrate north.
So get out there and enjoy them while you can!

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5
Biridng Trips and Tours in SC, Out There with the Expert

Great Egret in breeding plumage

By Sally Siko

Great Egrets are a common sight here in the Carolinas. Almost as as ubiquitous to the landscape as a Northern Cardinal unfortunately can lead us to kind of ignore these beauties.
But as it goes so often with birds, keeping a sharp eye on all the species which cross our paths can lead to some delightful moments.
In this case, a splendid display of a Great Egret coming into breeding plumage!


I photographed this handsome Egret getting harassed by a jerk Brown Pelican (he was being a total bully, even having the gall to go after a large Great Blue Heron who was minding his own business lol!) during my birding tour this past weekend at the Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet South Carolina.
Normally these guys are pretty cool to see but when their long plumes grow out they turn into something like a white peacock of the water.

Did you know that these these majestic birds were nearly hunted to extinction?This was due to the demand of those elegant white breeding plumes in the late 1900s. A now familiar icon of the Audubon Society, public awareness of this species rapid decline was the flash point which sparked the fist bird conservation movements in the United States.Today, these stately birds are thriving and are happily found searching for food throughout much of the U.S.



As you might expect, Great Egrets are found in similar habitats of other wading birds such as Herons and Bitterns, often seen along the shorelines of ponds, lakes, marshes, estuaries and brackish water inlets.They are a bit smaller and more lithe then Great Blue Herons, yet these are still big birds with large wingspans of around 5.5 feet.Expert hunters of frogs and fish, they’ll stand perfectly still in the shallow water along a shoreline until the moment they strike.A lightning quick thrust of their sharp yellow bill is all that’s needed to land a meal and then their prey is swallowed whole.
As a birder and photographer I think they are super entertaining to watch while hunting and are always worth taking the time to stop and admire when in the field.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5
Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC

A Common Gallinule encounter in South Carolina

By Sally Siko

One of the most unique looking birds we’ve got here in the Carolinas is the Common Gallinule.
I spotted these two a few weeks ago while birding at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet SC.



These sharp looking relieves of the Coot are mostly found in our eastern coastal counties though they do stray further inland from time to time.
Generally, Gallinules are not easily spotted as populations are scarce in certain areas within it’s overall range, yet they may be locally common in others so it sort of depends on where you are in regards to chances of seeing one.

Common Gallinules breed in areas where they have access to small ponds and marshes to hunt for a meal and are easily identified by their charcoal black plumage and by that bright red and-yellow bill, and of course by those huge yellow feet.
Unlike their cousin the Purple Gallinule, Common’s spend a lot of time swimming vs. the Purple’s preference to search for a a meal on foot. This behavior difference is a helpful way to ID them when viewing one from a distance or in poor lighting conditions




These understated beauties are a year round resident of the Tarheel state but are much easier to find during the spring and summer.
Along with the Huntington Beach State Park in SC, you also have a good chance of finding Common Gallinules at the Lake Mattamuskeet NWR in Swansquarter, NC during the winter months so it’s worth keeping an eye out for them over the next few months.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on the full frame beast of an SLR, the mighty @canonusa
#5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Spending time with a Barred Owl at the Huntington Beach State Park Murrells Inlet, SC

By: Sally Siko- Admin BWNC

One of the best things about birding is that you never quite know with 100% certainty what you’re going to encounter in the woods.
Sure, we’ve got our expectations but every so often we are presented with the opportunity to be surprised and delighted by what we see.
I this case, I was so happy to spot this handsome Barred Owl hunting for a snack this past weekend while on a trip to the Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet SC.



It was thrilling to get a close up look at such an impressive bird. At one point, I was showing the owl to some other photographers when it took off and zoomed about a foot over our heads only to land briefly to catch an insect on the side of branch. Then it quickly flew to a nearby tree to consume its prize much to the delight of all.



Barred Owls are a year round resident of South and North Carolina and are widely found across both states.
They are primarily found wetland areas, such as around beaver ponds and in open swamps, bottomlands, and nearby marshes. I spotted this one in the woods across the road from the Nature Center at HBSP not far from the marsh boardwalk area.



I think my favorite part of this encounter was that I was able to get a nice close up look at the owls expressive eyes.
They are beautiful!


Speaking of their eyes, did you know that can not turn their eyes in any direction at all?
This is because owls don’t have eyeballs in the traditional sense.
Instead an owls eyes are shaped like fixed tubes, almost like binoculars.
In order to compensate for the lack of directional movement, they can turn their head 270 degrees.
We can rotate our heads only half that far. Incredible!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my beloved beast of a DSLR the @canonusa #5Ds