Tag Archives: sc birdwatching

Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC, Birding Trips in SC

Spending time with Red-breatsed Mergansers in SC

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 of the rock jetty at Huntington Beach SP which was freak’n awesome!



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 coastal areas.
 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.

By the way, I’ve added 80 new birding tour dates to my 2024 trip schedule so if you’d like to join me out there in South Carolina to see these beautiful ducks for yourself, check the calendar below for details & booking info!



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

Biridng Trips and Tours in SC

Painted Buntings at Huntington Beach State Park, SC

Seeing one of these colorful birds is such a treat!
Although I’ve encountered Painted Buntings many times over the years, it never gets old. I spent a few minutes photographing this handsome fellow while on a recent birding trip to SC. Though the birds are brightly hued they can be a little reclusive behavior-wise which makes them a challenge to find. The easiest way to locate one is to listen for their high pitched buzzzzed zeeeep calls from ground level to about 20 ft in the brush.


Painted Buntings can be found in open areas along the far edge of the coastlines of the Carolinas (and throughout the southern states) catching grasshoppers, weevils and other beetles, caterpillars, bugs, spiders, snails, wasps and flies.During non-breeding months of early spring and late summer, they prefer to eat seeds, thus if you happen to live on the beaches or barrier islands of the Carolinas, Painted Buntings may become regular visitors to your backyard feeders.


By the way, as colorful as these birds are, their favorite seed is plain as can be lol!If you’d like to entice a visit from one of these feathered gems, fill your feeders with white millet, a seed that is commonly snubbed by other birds yet abundant in the most basic of mixed seed blends.How cool is that?!

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

Biridng Trips and Tours in SC

Dowitchers in SC

One of the interesting birds I encountered at Huntington Beach SP last weekend was a flock of Short and Long billed Dowitchers.
Dowitchers are generally autumn and spring migratory visitors to the Carolinas however a few non-breeding adults may spend the entire year in our coastal counties.
Often spotted looking for a snack on mudflats, they are medium sized shorebirds with plump bodies sporting a pleasing pattern of golden brown spotted and barred plumage.



Right now it’s feeding time as they are fattening up, packing in the calories needed in preparation for their departure to their breeding grounds in Alaska and Canada.
Dowitchers use their long bills to probe into the mud in (reminiscent of a sewing pattern as seen trailing behind in the second photo)to find a meal. Their diet consists of marine worms, small invertebrates, crustaceans, horseshoe crab eggs and insects.
There’s a frenzy of activity going on as the birds squabble over catches but luckily here at Huntington, plenty of worms are available for all.


The majority of Long and Short-billed Dowitchers will soon head north once they’ve put on enough weight.
Look for Short bill’s in saltwater and brackish water habitats and Long billed in fresh and brackish water habitats for another few weeks.
Hopefully you’ll get to enjoy some time watching these elegant travelers too before summer begins!

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

Biridng Trips and Tours in SC

A Black necked Stilt at the Bear Island WMA

While birding at the Bear Island Wildlife Management Area in South Carolina this past weekend, I was pleased to find a pair of Black-necked Stilts wading through a shallow pond.
While they were a good distance away (resulting in these super cropped photos lol) from my vantage point it was still pretty cool to lay eyes on these elegant birds.



Black-necked Stilts can be found in the coastal counties of the Carolinas looking for a meal in fresh to brackish, still waters. They seem to prefer hunting in man-made bodies of water such as flooded out impoundments, dredge ponds, roadside runoff ditches and sewage treatment ponds. A nice thing because this gives us better opportunities to access areas for viewing them.
Always on the lookout for a snack, these long legged waders forage by probing the mud with its bill and by gleaning for flashes of sunlight bouncing off of its aquatic prey such as crustaceans and other arthropods, mollusks, small fish and tadpoles.
When their main source of food is scarce they’ll even eat plant seeds.



Black-necked Stilts are known to breed in the Carolinas may be found from now through late September. Unlike many of our other shorebird species, they are quite intolerant to cold weather so as soon as autumns chill arrives, they head south.
Luckily we are just getting into spring so you’ve got plenty of time to go see these gorgeous birds for yourself.

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

Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC

A Sora encounter at Huntington Beach State Park- why we go birding

It’s not often that I’ll post about the same species twice in one month but I was thrilled to get another look at a Sora this past weekend while birding at Huntington Beach State Park in SC.
The ones that I spotted a few weeks ago were mostly hidden in between a dark mass of reeds so seeing a Sora out in the open was super cool!
It’s funny to me that I’ve spent years looking for Soras and had never seen one until last month and now I’ve seen 4 in just the past couple weeks.
A lifer win.



Birding is a fun yet challenging thing.
The point of creating a list is to keep track of the date, location and numbers of various species that we see when out in the field.
Yet, the reasons why we do this may go deeper than a simple tally.
Some of us need a target to shoot for, it’s a numbers thing -an extension of the concept of “gamify everything”.
It can be a competitive mindset which drives us to want to be the number one lister in our county, state or country holding the record for rallying the highest number of birds per year.
Others relish the experience of traveling to far away strange places to see birds that we can’t see close to home.
It can be a need to SEE ALL THE BIRDS.
For some, birding is an escape from the stress of living in a world full of screens, social media, spreadsheets, a difficult home life and a 24hr sensationalized news cycle.
And yes, of course there are a zillion other reasons why we go birding.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that there is no wrong reason to go, rather it’s crucial that we heed the call to just go.
Breathe fresh air.
Feel sunlight on our faces.
Get lost.
Take photos.
Take notes.
See cool shit.
Learn and think about new things.



I’m grateful to be able to share my bird nerd stuff with you guys and I LOVE seeing all of your stories and photos too! There are some incredibly talented photographers out there.
I know I’m never alone even if I’m the only person out there for 50 miles who’s seeing a Sora for the very first time.
Glad you’re here for the ride 😉

So why do you go birding?
Leave a reply below 😉

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

Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC

Spending time with Lesser Yellowlegs at Huntington Beach State Park in SC

By Sally Siko

Yesterday I made a trip out to Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet SC.
The bird activity has upticked noticeably since my visit 2 weeks ago and I was pleased to see such a wide variety of species all in one spot.
In particular there were a ton of Lesser Yellowlegs hunting for a snack on the pond and mudflats.
It was really neat to watch these elegant birds making their way along the shore.



Yellowlegs are often seen foraging with other species of shorebirds on mudflats, in marshes, flooded fields, in shallow water pools and impoundments. Though they strongly prefer to hunt for a meal in fresh water, you can also find them feeding in brackish and salt water areas too, especially during migration.
Right now these guys are in full on gorging mode as they prepare to depart for their breeding grounds in Canada.
They’ll only be here for a few more weeks before returning in autumn to spend the winter in the Carolinas.



Speaking of other shorebirds, Lesser Yellowlegs may be difficult to ID as compared to a Greater Yellowlegs.If you’re lucky enough to spot both species side by side then making an ID is easier since Greater Yellowlegs are 1/3rd larger than Lessers.But what to do if there’s just one of the two species in front of you?Check the bill first.

Lesser Yellowlegs bills are proportionally, smaller in length relative to its head and straight in angle.The bill of the Greater is (very!) slightly upturned and is used to skim small animals & insects from the surface of the water as the bird swings it from side to side.This swing-skim behavior is seldom seen in the Lesser Yellowlegs, making the task of differentiating the two species a little easier when viewing them at a long distance or in poor lighting conditions.

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

Biridng Trips and Tours in SC

Spending time at a Little blue-heron rookery on Pinckney Island SC

By Sally Siko

It was so cool to see these Little blue Herons nesting at the rookery on Pinckney Island SC last week.
There was a ton of bird activity here but the Little blues really caught my eye.
Their subtle hue of azure and mauve plumage color is absolutely gorgeous!



Interestingly this species is closely related to the Snowy Egret (same genus), a white bird of similar size.
Their similarities are especially noticeable as first-fall and first-winter immature Little Blues are completely white in plumage and are easily confused with Snowy Egrets.
The easiest way to tell the two species apart from a distance is to observe their feeding habits.
Unlike the Snowy’s who are constantly on the move, the Little blue Heron is slow and methodical in its feeding approach, walking very slowly in shallow waters or standing still waiting for prey to approach.



Here at the rookery, clusters of Little blues nested together in small groups.
Their nests are flimsy, hardly more than a few layers of loose twigs and sticks haphazardly stacked to provide a platform for the eggs to be laid.
Their typical clutch is 3-4 eggs, with an incubation period of three weeks and a nesting period of six weeks.
While in the nest, both parents feed the young by regurgitating a softened stew of prey. Within four weeks after hatching, the chicks are capable of short flights but don’t become independent until around six to seven weeks.

Little Blue Herons are a year round residents in the coastal regions of the Carolinas. Although they are typically live near saltwater areas they prefer freshwater habitats, in fact they’re also occasionally spotted inland all the way to the Triangle (central NC) from June to August.They are usually seen hunting for fish, invertebrates, frogs, small reptiles and insects in shallow freshwater marshes, ponds and on mudflats.What a beauty!

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

Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC

It’s Great Egret nesting season in the Carolinas

By Sally Siko

It’s spring and breeding season has begun for the Great Egrets in the Carolinas.
I spotted several pairs preening, sitting and squabbling on their nests while birding yesterday morning at the Pinckney Island NWR in SC.
The male Egrets are looking impressive with those bright white plumes sticking out and that lime green coloring on his lores.
It’s fascinating to see the change in their appearance over just a couple of weeks!



As you can see here Great Egrets are colony nesters, banding together as a group as there is strength in numbers when it comes to deterring predators.
The rookery here at Pinckney is populated by Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Anhingas, and a handful of Little Blue Herons.
It’s a noisy stinky spot with weird calls, gurgles and shrieks emanating from the scrubby trees filled with nesting birds.



Their nests are large, tangled messes of sticks which serve as a platform on which to incubate the eggs and raise the chicks. These flimsy structures are not exactly the works of art that other birds make, but they seem to work for the egrets lol!
Great Egret eggs are a pale greenish blue, and will be incubated by both the male and female for about 23 to 24 days. Once the chicks hatch, both parents will be kept busy feeding their young for the next 2-3 weeks until the little ones fledge.
In two years, the youngsters will be mature and may return to this spot to breed and add to the every growing cycle of life found at this rookery.

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

Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC

Spending time with a Sora in SC

By Sally siko

After years of trying, I finally managed to grab a few photos of a Sora this morning while birding at the Pinckney NWR in SC.
I’d added this species to my list ages ago but somehow never had an opportunity to get a portrait of one.
This bird was scurrying in between the dense, dark cover of reeds so it was very difficult to photograph it but I’ll take what I can get!



Measuring about 8in (about the size of a Robin), Soras are small members of the rail family of birds.
As with other rails, Soras are best found hunting for a meal along the shorelines of reedy ponds, in swamps, wetlands, marshes, and other semi-aquatic habitats. Their favorite habitats have a variety of vegetation, including reeds, rushes, tall grasses, and cattails.
This species also inhabits farms and pastures in agricultural areas particularly flooded out fields or meadows.



With a range stretching across southern Canada, the entirety of the United States down into Mexico and Central America, Soras are perhaps the western hemispheres most common species of rail. That being said, their small size and secretive nature can make them a challenge to actually see!
Luckily they are pretty vocal and will respond to a sharp noise, like clapping your hands, whereupon all the Soras nearby will start peeping and whinnying in chorus, letting you know how numerous they really are.

Soras are a migratory visitor to the central and eastern counties of the Carolinas. The best time to look for them are now through early May and again from late August through early October.
You’ve got about 5 weeks to enjoy these birds here in the Tarheel state this spring so get out there and see them!

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

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