Sterling Park: Come explore this undeveloped park with Ogeechee Audubon field trip chair Diana Churchill, in Richmond Hill, GA. 8:30 – noonish.  These impoundments were once part of a sewage treatment operation, but are now left to birds and wildlife. In winter, we should find several species of sparrows and possibly all 4 resident wrens. Sometimes we see snipes, too! We plan to walk the 3-mile mowed trail around and through the impoundments. There is a restroom in the parking lot. Most of the walk is open to the weather, so dress accordingly. Restroom in the parking lot. Watch for last minute messages the evening before.

Tickets for Members and Nonmembers are $12.00. Limited to 15 people.

PLEASE RSVP BUT EVENT IS FREE!

Our social begins at 7:00pm. The presentation, by Dr. Andy Jones begins at 7:30pm.

Dr. Jones is the Executive Director of the Spring Island Trust and Lowcountry Institute. He is a lifelong naturalist, with a passion for the biodiversity of the southeastern United States. From 2006 until early 2022 he worked as curator of ornithology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. He has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society for his contributions to ornithology. Dr. Jones is also the leader for our neighboring Sun City-Okatie CBC count circle. He will preview some of the birds we might see on the count and offer ID tips! You are welcome to bring cookies, etc., for the dessert table, as always. We hope to see you there! RSVP is requested but not required to attend.

Click the blue REGISTER BUTTON to RSVP.

Dr. Andy Jones

We are looking for volunteers for our monthly Audubon Newhall Preserve  “Second Saturday Work Day.”  Come prune a bush, paint, weed, or help with what ever chore is needed to keep the Preserve looking good.

Please meet in the parking lot by 8:30 AM. Water and donuts will be provided. Gloves and eye protection recommended.

Registration is not required, but RSVPs are helpful but not required either to: rclemens318@gmail.com 

2024 Christmas Bird Count - Hilton Head Count Circle Monday, December 16, 2024 

This is the 125th year for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count! We are one of over 2,600 count circles in the Western Hemisphere. Our count area is a 15-mile diameter circle covering Hilton Head, Daufuskie and Pinckney Islands, parts of Bluffton and our waterways. On our one-day count, we identify species and count each bird we see or hear. This early winter snapshot of bird populations is the nation’s longest-running citizen science survey. Audubon and other organizations use data collected to assess the health of bird populations, and to help guide conservation action.

Count Day: The Hilton Head area count is on Monday, December 16th. Our 20 Area Captains are contacting participants and putting their teams together. We always welcome more birders, so if you are interested in being a part of this international effort, please e-mail HHICBC@gmail.com and we will have a Captain contact you. You do not have to be an accomplished birder. Start out as the recorder, a spotter, or as the photographer in a more experienced group! You can also participate from the comfort of home by being one of our Feeder Watchers.

Please email us at HHICBC@gmail.com

(Member registration opens 12/1; Nonmembers on 12/8)

This is a four hour course in two sessions. The first one is Tuesday Jan 7th, the second one Thursday Jan 9th, both 9:30am-11:30am. A field practice will take place on Tuesday Jan 14th 8:30am-10:30am at the Mid Island Tract and is included in the course fee.

These two class sessions will be an introduction to the Merlin Bird ID App, how to use the eBird App, and using the eBird web site.   Instructor Ken Adams. Class size limited to 12. Course fee is $40 for Members and $50 for Nonmembers.   

We are looking for volunteers for our monthly Audubon Newhall Preserve  “Second Saturday Work Day.”  Come prune a bush, paint, weed, or help with what ever chore is needed to keep the Preserve looking good.

Please meet in the parking lot by 8:30 AM. Water and donuts will be provided. Gloves and eye protection recommended.

Registration is not required, but RSVPs are helpful but not required either to: rclemens318@gmail.com 

(Member registration opens 12/1; Nonmembers on 12/8)

Experienced wildlife photographer, Mary Alice Tartler, will open your world to the magnificent avian breeding season on Hilton Head Island. Through her beautiful photography documenting breeding seasons over the last 20 years, you will learn about the beauty, rituals and drama in the everyday world of an avian rookery. 

This memorable, informative presentation will help prepare you to observe breeding season in the Lowcountry in a refreshing, unique way. 

(Member registration opens on 12/1; Nonmembers on 12/8)

Onslow Island is a section of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of an elevated area of dikes and water impoundments immediately adjacent to the Savannah River. For several years its impoundments have been nearly dry and so rarely used that many now have shrubs and small trees in them. However, in October 2024, some were being used as a dredge spoils sites. So we hope there will be more nutrients and water, which we also hope will attract our wintering ducks and shorebirds.  Join HHA VP Lynn Hodgson for a hike of 2 -3 miles, to and around the impoundments.  She will bring a spotting scope. No facilities. Footing is uneven on the only occasionally mowed grassy dikes.

Onslow is only open on Wednesdays. This property is very exposed, with no protection from the weather. If the weather looks really nasty, especially if very windy, we will postpone to the next Wednesday that your leader is available, Feb 5.

Directions:  From north of Bluffton take Rte 170 West (Okatie Hwy).  Follow Rte 170 the WHOLE way. It turns here and there, so you have to pay attention.  At one point it joins Rte 17, then in about a mile, exits right. Follow Rte 170 right, pass the entrance to the Laurel Hill Drive (which your GPS can probably find). Cross over 1 bridge, then look for a small dirt parking lot on the left. At that turn, you will be able to see the Savannah River bridge ahead of you (which has been under construction and may still be so).  If you cross the river into Port Wentworth, turn around! 

Tickets for Members and Nonmembers are $12.00. Limited to 15 people.

(Member registration opens on 12/1; nonmembers on 12/8)

We all know that Pinckney Island NWR is a “happening place” for birds in spring, but it is surprising how many bird species winter there. Join Master Birder Stephen Dickson to find them. We will bird the parking lot for woodpeckers, then proceed to Ibis Pond and vicinity for gallinules, coots, visiting ducks, etc. We will then proceed to Starr Pond, which has fewer birds, but surprises us sometimes. At this point, the group will probably split. Those who have had enough or have other commitments (or if the weather is nasty) will head back to the parking lot, but the hardiest will follow Stephen behind Starr to the back trail (sometimes a bit wet) to Osprey Pond.

Dress for the weather and wear shoes/boots for a walk of about 3 miles. There are no facilities at Pinckney. Definitely bring water and binoculars, and perhaps a snack. There are picnic tables at Ibis Pond, if you want to stop for lunch on your way back to the parking lot.

Tickets for Members and Nonmembers are $12.00. Limited to 15 people.

(Member registration opens 1/5; Nonmembers on 1/12.)

This 74 acre multi-use park has ball fields, restrooms, etc, but also some nice wooded trails and a largish meadow. It is perfect for a winter amble relatively protected from the weather, looking for birds. While not spectacular for diversity, we should see most of our resident bird species and possibly some interesting visitors. Ken Adams birds there frequently and can show us all the cool places we might not discover on our own.  Directions: If coming from Sea Pines direction, take Rte 278 toward the Cross-Island Expressway. Just before that, take a right at the stoplight for Arrow Rd. If coming from north island or Bluffton, take the Cross-Island Expressway then left at the first traffic light, Arrow Rd. From either direction, once on Arrow, take a quick left onto Helmsman, then right to 4 Haig Point Rd. Crossings Park is next to the Haig Point ferry parking. Meet in the parking lot by the restrooms. 

Tickets for Members and Nonmembers are $12.00. Limited to 15 people.

We are looking for volunteers for our monthly Audubon Newhall Preserve  “Second Saturday Work Day.”  Come prune a bush, paint, weed, or help with what ever chore is needed to keep the Preserve looking good.

Please meet in the parking lot by 8:30 AM. Water and donuts will be provided. Gloves and eye protection recommended.

Registration is not required, but RSVPs are helpful but not required either to: rclemens318@gmail.com 

EVENT IS FREE BUT PLEASE RSVP 

Many shorebirds undertake fantastic migrations each year from nesting grounds in the Arctic to wintering sites as far south as the southern tip of South America. This presentation will highlight shorebird natural history from nesting sites in the Arctic tundra to the South Carolina coast. Location information from tracking projects show that many shorebird species fly directly to Arctic habitat after leaving South Carolina beaches in the spring. Join us to learn about SCDNR’s Red Knot satellite tracking project and a recently discovered animal migration spectacle. 1/2 of the estimated eastern population of Whimbrel, a type of curlew, are roosting at night on a small island in coastal South Carolina during the spring. Felicia Sanders will explain the significance of this discovery – the largest known concentration of the species in the world – and current research efforts to tag and track Whimbrel.

PLEASE RSVP BY CLICKING THE BLUE REGISTER BUTTON

Felicia Sanders serves as the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Bird Conservation Project supervisor and was recently named Biologist of the Year by the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. 

(Member registration open on 1/5; Nonmembers on 1/12.)

Join Master Birders Rachel Green and Karen Seminary for an exciting morning on the 4 mile Laurel Hill Drive. Meet at the entrance on Rte 170, for car-pooling. More eyes looking from fewer cars generally mean more birds spotted!  Cars will drive slowly with frequent stops in favorite places to get out and look into the impoundments, along the dikes, and in the hammocks. Most of the drive is open, so prepare for windy, chilly weather.  Directions: Take Rte 170 (Okatie Hwy) west from Bluffton toward Savannah (about 6 miles or so).   Rte 170 curves and turns, but Just stay on it! It will eventually join Rte 17, then in about a mile split off again, so keep right to stay on Rte 170.   In about 2 more miles, you will see the entrance to the Laurel Hill Drive on your left, on a curve.  Signal your turn well ahead of time and be CAREFUL.  Rte 170 can be dangerous with logging and other large trucks. [Note that the Visitor Center is on Rte 17, so do not use that in your GPS.]

(Member registration opens 1/5; Nonmembers on 1/12.)

Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, Green Pond, SC. 8:30 - noon

Bear is always one of the highlights of the Lowcountry year. Join HHA VP and Master Birder Lynn Hodgson at the entrance, on Titi Road, which faces Mary’s House Pond, where we will set up spotting scopes. Depending on water levels, this pond may have lots of waders and/or ducks, and possibly White Pelicans or Tundra Swans. Then we will drive into the WMA, stopping frequently to look and listen. Bear Island consists of 12,021 acres of brackish water marshes, maritime forests, bottomland hardwoods, upland fields, and water-controlled impoundments, lagoons, etc.  From the Bear Island WMA website: “Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, owned by the SC Department of Natural Resources, is managed to provide quality habitat for wintering waterfowl and other wetland wildlife including threatened and endangered species such as wood storks and bald eagles; to provide habitat for upland game and nongame species; and to provide recreational opportunities for the hunting and nonhunting public."

Directions:  From Savannah or Bluffton, take either 170 or I-95 to Hwy 17 heading east toward Charleston. Turn right onto Bennett’s Point Rd (if familiar with Donnelly, this turn-off is a few miles beyond it). Continue on Bennett’s Point Rd 13 miles. Entrance is on the left, on Titi Rd, about a mile after crossing the Ashepoo River.  No facilities once you turn onto Bennett’s Point Road. The last chance for gas, snacks, bathrooms is a small gas station/store on Rte 17, shortly after the Donnelley entrance. And once at Bear, we often lose cell service, so warn folks who might worry about you!

Tickets for Members and Nonmembers are $12.00 Limited to 15 people.

(Member registration opens on 1/5; Nonmembers on 1/12.)

The newly established Mid-Island Community Park is being converted from the abandoned Planter’s Row golf course into a park. At present, there is a small parking lot, some port-o-potties, and plenty of old, uneven but mowed golf cart paths and fairways with bordering pines and oaks, all very popular with birds. Some species are common, but others rarely seen elsewhere on Hilton Head. The very tall dead standing pines host the only red-headed woodpecker colony we know of on the island. There is a good chance we will see all 6 wintering woodpeckers.  Join expert birder Jim Asmuth for a meander along the paths, around the lagoons, for about 2 1/2 hours.  Walk 2 to 3 miles of semi-wildness (except for plane engine noise from the nearby airport!) in the heart of the island. This trip is geared toward beginning birders, but all are welcome.

Directions: The parking lot is about 100 yds off of Rte 278, on Union Cemetery Rd, Hilton Head, SC, which begins one block south of the Dillon Rd traffic Light, on the left.

If coming from the north (from Bluffton or the Cross Island Expressway), take 278 Business east. Go past Mathews Rd, then past the Dillon Rd intersection (McDonald's) -- both of which have traffic lights. The next left (no traffic light) is Union Cemetery Rd. 

If coming from the south on Rte 278 Business (e.g. from Sea Pines), go past Port Royal Plantation entrance, and take the next right onto Union Cemetery Rd.  If you make the turn onto Union Cemetery Rd, but miss the parking lot, you will soon see the Union Cemetery itself, and need to turn around. 

Tickets are $12.00 for Members and Nonmembers. Limited to 15 people.

EVENT IS FREE BUT PLEASE RSVP!

Coastal Conservation League Project Manager, Grant McClure, presents an update on local conservation initiatives.

This event is free but you must register!

Feel like you need some help with the basics?  New to Birding? Please join Hilton Head Audubon VP & Master Birder Lynn Hodgson and HHA Board Member Ava Elizabeth Rios at Jarvis Creed Park on Hilton Head at noon.  This is a special event for teens, tweens and children.

We will discuss and demonstrate some basic birding skills, such as purchasing, adjusting, and practicing with binoculars, clues for identification, introduction to Hilton Head Audubon.

Bring binoculars if you have them. Basic beginner binoculars will be available to borrow if needed. Dress for standing around in the weather. We will probably walk 1 to 1 l/2 miles, and spend about 2 hours. Meet at the fishing pier, near the restrooms. If the weather is cooperative, you might wish to bring a picnic lunch. There are several pavilions with picnic tables.

(Member registration opens on Feb 2; Nonmembers on Feb 9)

Nemours Wildlife Foundation, 161 Nemours Plantation Rd, Yemassee, SC 29945.  Special note:  If you register for this Hilton Head Audubon (HHA) field trip to Nemours, you must ALSO register yourself (no additional charge) with Nemours. A link to register with Nemours will be provided after you sign up through HHA.

From their website: Nemours Wildlife Foundation is a private non-profit foundation, whose mission is to facilitate conservation and human well-being in the ACE Basin and beyond through collaborative scientific research, leadership development, management demonstration, and experiential education. Please join Nemours Education Coordinator Heather Kraus & HHA VP Lynn Hodgson for a tour of the Foundation’s property including pine savanna, hardwoods and impoundments originally created for rice cultivation. After a brief introduction at the duPont Conservation Hall, we will pile into their open-air wagon with cushioned bench seating for a driving tour around the property. The tour vehicle allows for many eyes looking in all directions and allows us to keep spotting scopes at the ready. We will stop to dismount, look and listen in key locations. Please do not wander around on your own before or after the tour. But be sure to ask Heather lots of questions!

Directions:  Take I-95 North to exit 33 Charleston/Beaufort, onto Rte 17 east.  OR, take Rte 170 east from Bluffton and Rte 21 north from Beaufort then exit onto Rte 17 at Gardens Corner.   Nemours will be on your right about 5.5 – 6 miles east of Gardens Corner intersection of 17 & 21. After turning into Nemours, follow the signs for the duPont Conservation Hall. The Conservation Hall is the one-story brick building on the left. The Research Building is the two-story building on the left. The Research Building is closed to visitors; please do not enter. People should park cars in the grass opposite the Conservation Hall and Research Building.

Bring the usual: binoculars, water, snack. Dress in layers as it may be chilly on the trailer and will be exposed to the wind.

Tickets for Members/Guests/Nonmembers are $12.00. Capacity of 12 people for this event only. 

(Member registration opens on 2/2; Nonmembers on 2/9.)

Aaron Palmieri, educator for the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy, will lead us on a stroll through Cemetery Loop, located along the edge of the New River in Palmetto Bluff. We will meet at the Conservancy Classroom to board their tour truck, which will take us into areas of Palmetto Bluff rarely visited by us birders, in search of residents, purely migratory species, summer breeders, and winter birds that have not begun their journey northward. 

Directions: The Conservancy Classroom is located in Moreland Village (655 Old Moreland Road, Bluffton). The drive into the property is often longer than what people expect so plan accordingly.  Parking is available along the edge of the facility and in a small parking lot located past the classroom. Restrooms are located at the northern end of the Preserve and near the Conservancy classroom where people are encouraged to park. The seating is a metal bench, so consider bringing a cushion. And dress warmly since it can be very chilly on this open-air ride. 

Tickets for Members/Guests/Nonmembers are $12.00. Capacity is 12 due to limited seating on tour truck.

(Member registration opens on 2/2; Nonmembers on 2/9.)

The scientific data is in! Relief from the daily pressures we face in life is critical to our mental and physical wellbeing. What better way is there to get away from it all than to spend a couple of hours on a woodland amble with the birds? Unlike our usual bird walks which focus on identification, counts and an Ebird list, this “Mindful Bird Walk” , led by Kathy Byrd, will instead encourage us to use all our senses to fully experience the wonder of nature. We will walk slowly and stop often.

Please join us at the historic Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn on Saturday, March 29th at 9:30AM to explore and unwind. We will meet in front of the main museum building, near the parking lot. Restrooms available there.

Tickets for Members/Guests/Nonmembers are $12.00. Capacity is 15 people.

(Member registration opens on 4/6; Nonmembers on 4/13.)

Join Steve Hein, Executive Director of the Center for Wildlife Education at Georgia Southern University, as he provides a unique up-close opportunity to see three majestic birds of prey; the Peregrin Falcon, Harris Hawk and Goshawk. Learn about the distinctive adaptations that each bird has that make it such a skilled hunter. 

(Member registration opens on 4/6; Nonmembers on 4/13.)

Join us on Tuesday May 13th at Jarvis Creek Park on Hilton Head  for our annual end of the season picnic, rain or shine. We will gather at 4:30pm, join a bird walk at 5:00pm to catch any lingering migrants or newly arriving summer residents  before dining at 6:00pm.

Hilton Head Audubon will supply fried chicken, drinks, and all paper products. We ask that you bring a side to share and showcase your culinary skills! It will be a great time to chat with birding friends or get to know other members with whom you share a passion for birds and the natural world.

Located off William Hilton Parkway on 50 Jarvis Creek Road, this 53-acre park includes a large pond, fishing pier, open fields, picnic shelters, playground, a one mile walking trail and workout stations. You are encouraged to bring a folding chair - we have rented a pavilion but seating is limited. Tickets for this event are $10.00 per adult HHA member and $12.50 for nonmembers.