By: Sally Siko

While location scouting in preparation for a recent birding trip to Murrells Inlet SC, I decided to take a quick drive north to check up on the pair of Limpkins that I’d found a few months ago to see if they were still in the same location.
Though it took about an hour of searching in a swampy area / ponds adjacent to a suburban neighborhood, I was extremely happy to find the Limpkins a full 24 hours before my guest was to scheduled to arrive.

Rolling up on the first spot on tour day it only took like 3 seconds for me to re-find the bird.
It was a real thrill to be able to share this lovely creature with my tour guests,

This Limpkin and it’s mate are pretty far away from their normal home range which typically only extends north from South America into Florida. From what I’ve heard from local reports, this pair actually nested here this past summer and successfully raised a few chicks.
In fact this isn’t the only pair who have been found in SC. In recent years other Limpkins have been sighted as far inland as the Goose Creek reservoir including a breeding pair which was the first ever nest recorded in the state.

It seems clear that these Limpkins are comfortable enough to spend the winter in South Carolina thanks to the mild winter temperatures & ample supply of their favorite food (Apple Snails) found in the ponds and nearby swamp.
If you look closely at a couple of the photos you can see these large snail shells near the Limpkins feet.
It’s going to be interesting to see if the pair remains to nest here again in the spring.
I’m the meantime, I plan on checking in on these beauties several times over the winter and will provide updates on their status throughout the season ahead.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my mighty megapixel monster, the @canonusa #5Ds