(Member registration opens 3/2; nonmembers on 3/9.)

Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge is a “Happening place” in the birding spring. Many of our waders (herons, egrets, night-herons, ibis) as well as anhingas, grackles, and smaller songbirds breed here. 

Join Master Birder Stephen Dickson in the parking lot, near the trail to Ibis Pond. We will stroll to the pond to view the action. Walking areas around the ponds are mowed for easy (and safe) viewing. Along the way, we will pick up some recent arriving songbirds, such as painted buntings and blue-gray gnatcatchers. We usually continue to Starr Pond, so that our total mileage is about 2 l/2 miles, most of it on a gravel/dirt road or mowed grass. Woodland birds, winter residents, common gallinules, wintering ducks, etc. make this visit a joy any time of year. But it is a really “happening place” for breeding birds from about mid-April through May.

 Optional:  Depending on interest, weather, etc., some of the group may wish to continue through the woods behind Starr to visit Osprey Pond, adding about a mile to the total.

Directions: Pinckney is located between Hilton Head and Bluffton, SC, with entrance on Rte 278 on the Bluffton side of the bridge. This is a dangerous, fast road, so be alert.  There are no restrooms at Pinckney, just convenient woods. Be sure to bring a snack, water, sunblock, bug repellent; dress for the weather (hat, sunglasses?). Remember there are alligators in the ponds (so keep your distance!) and ticks in the woods.

Tickets are $12.00 for Members and nonmembers.

(Member registration opens 3/2; nonmembers on 3/9.)

Join expert birders Jim Asmuth and Chip Walker for a day-long exploration of the various ecosystems of this extraordinary conservation area. We will meet along the entrance road (Webb Ave), within sight of its intersection with Augusta Stage Coach Rd. This entrance road passes through a tunnel of live oaks beside grassland habitat, and is superb habitat for Bachmann’s sparrows, red-cockaded and red-headed woodpeckers.

Note the early start time – 8:00 a.m.  This is so we can listen and look for the endangered Bachmann’s sparrows, which frequently quiet down later in the morning and become hard to find.

Webb Wildlife Management Area covers about 81,000 acres of mixed habitats along the Savannah River. Clearly, we can only scratch the surface. We will do a driving tour, with several stops for birding in hardwood forests, longleaf pine communities, near bald cypress swamps, and at a freshwater rookery. There is a nature trail leading into the Savannah River backwaters, which we will try out; but it is often flooded in spring. Swallow-tailed kites, Prothonotary, Chestnut-sided and Hooded warblers, Blue grosbeaks, Summer tanagers, Yellow-billed cuckoos, Indigo and Painted buntings all live here.

Directions from Hilton Head: Put the address in you navigation device, AND print out the directions, since we sometimes lose service once near Webb.  From HH, take Rte 278 north, across I-95, go left at the next light – Whyte Hardee Blvd.(= Rte 17). In town, take a right on Deerfield Rd (=Rte 321 north). Stick with 321 through a couple of name changes. You will eventually come to a funky and confusing intersection where 3 roads come together. Clyo Rd comes in from the south (don’t take that!). Head due west, crossing the rr tracks on Augusta Stagecoach Rd. Look for the brown binocular signs. Go through Brighton, SC (blink and you will miss it), then look for Webb Ave on the left. Webb is about an hour and a half from Hilton Head. 

There is a small restroom near the sign-in kiosk. FYI: Offices there are only open on weekdays. Bring lunch or snacks, plenty of water, sunblock, insect repellant, and a keen sense of adventure.

Member registration opens 4/6; nonmembers 4/13.

Sun City has a number of great nature and birding locations. Cliff Amos (Master Birder, Past President of the Sun City Bird Club and Member of Hilton Head Audubon) will lead us on a drive to, and walk along, their main nature trails through the woods.

Enter Sun City through the South Gate (left off 278N from Hilton Head). (Don't let your GPS take you to the back gate on Rte 170!)

Meet at Magnolia Hall at 8:30am (118 Sun City Lane)

Passes: Stop at the main gate visitor lane to pick up your pass. We assume most of you will be driving separately, except that couples registering together or with a guest will be ride-sharing. Only the pass for the registrant will be there. Please email Lynn Hodgson with the additional driver's name) Hodgson.lynn@aol.com if needed. 

Directions: After the gate, go to the second stop, and turn left onto Sun City Lane. The first left you come to is the parking lot for Magnolia Hall. Meet in the corner of the parking lot off to the left. (Hopefully you'll see a blue Bronco). We can carpool from there to the parking area for the nature trail.

a) The Nature Trail is roughly .8 miles of 1.6 miles round trip. 100% Boardwalk. It should consume about 1.5 hours. b) Time and energy permitting, we can drive up to a Rookery. After parking, a short walk on another boardwalk, then across the street to an opening i the hedges where we can view the rookery. c) Also, if there is interest, we can drive to another well treed trail that is only about .6 miles to the end and back. We may do these stops in the different order depending upon the conditions etc.

We expect to spend 2 to 2.5 hours. Restrooms are available at the beginning of the Nature Trail (and at the end of the walk). No facilities at the Rookery, although the Hidden Cypress clubhouse is only a couple of blocks away if needed. Possibly available at the end of the Landing Lane Trail. We will be mostly in the shade, but May 3 can be HOT, so dress for it. Also be sure to bring sun protection and water along with your usual binoculars. 

Copy/paste the following link to read and share, a SunSations Magazine article about the Nature Trail.  

https://view.publitas.com/d9718a7d-1ef1-4cf0-afe8-ec4e78d0bea0/march-2025-sunsations/page/24-25

Tickets are $12.00 for Members and nonmembers. 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 

(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. 

MOTHERS DAY SPECIAL !

Join Master Birder Lynn Hodgson for our favorite spring birding location. We will meet at the Cypress Wetlands on Paris Avenue in Port Royal, SC. for an hour or so birding from the boardwalk, which offers close-up views of bird MOM’s! -- waterfowl, wading birds, alligators, turtles, and occasional surprises. The rookery here is huge, with all the wading birds nesting, and by early May should have lots of egret and heron chicks begging for food!  Other species may still be sitting on nests with eggs. 

 If there is enough interest, we will detour to another smaller section of the Wetlands about 2 blocks away. Then we return to the main trail around the other side of the larger wetland, including a viewing platform with views of the “backsides” of the islands visible from the boardwalk.  While there are a few roots to avoid on the trail part, this is a flat, easy walk of about a mile. Maybe a mile and a half if we do the detour. The Boardwalk is open to the sun & weather, but the trail part is shaded. Dress for the weather, sunscreen, sunglasses, and hat recommended -- and expect bugs. 

Directions: From Hilton Head / Bluffton, take Rte 170 toward Beaufort. Cross the Broad River bridge, then right at the traffic light onto Rte 21. Watch for the veer to stay on Rte 21 which becomes Ribaut Rd. In Port Royal, look for a Parkers gas station on the right, just where Ribaut Rd and Paris Ave. come together. The entrance to the Cypress Wetlands is actually on Paris Ave, directly across from the Parkers (also the nearest restrooms), and next to the Police Station. Park along Paris Ave, and walk back to the Wetlands boardwalk. We recommend you plan to stay for lunch at one of several small restaurants near the Wetlands or the Fishcamp Restaurant on 11^th St. They will be crowded on Mother’s Day, so we will try to finish the loop trail around 11. 

Tickets for Members and Nonmembers are $12.00.

(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.

Join Hilton Head Audubon’s day at Historic Mitchellville Freedom Park’s Juneteenth celebration!    

Conservation and nature groups will show the beauty of both birds and nature on Hilton Head Island and particularly at the Park.  The highlight of the day will be a raptor demonstration with Lila Arnold, who will introduce the audience to her owls and hawks at 11:15am and 1:15pm.

Also, spend time learning about what great work conservation and nature organizations are doing and grab lunch from the food trucks on site.  Visit the telescope set up in the gazebo over the marsh. 

Bring your binoculars, wear comfortable footwear and water. Prepare for a memorable day connecting with nature and history at this special Juneteenth celebration.

Some parking will be available on site at Historic Mitchellville Freedom Park.  Additional parking is located Cherry Hill School at the corner of Dillion and Beach City Road, a short walk to the Park.

Outside of a university setting, the Lowcountry does not have an advanced-level nature education program focused on birds. There is a need for continuing education classes that inspire and train people to become better birders.

Vision Statement

The Hilton Head Audubon Lowcountry Master Birder program will be an opportunity for highly motivated and enthusiastic people to become exceptional birders. This program would feature high standards for achievement with rigorous assessment methods. This one-year, intensive program is intended to be a formal integration of important aspects of bird identification and avian biology and ecology.

Goal

The goal of this Hilton Head Audubon program is to create a cadre of exceptional birders in South Carolina’s Lowcountry who will become leaders in our birding community. Successful participants will have the distinction of being a “Lowcountry Master Birder.”

At this point we are seeking the level of interest in this Program.  Please click on the link below for futher information about the Program.  If you are interested, please register.  You will not be committed to signing up or for paying at this time.  Someone will be in contact with you about program enrollment. Please contact Jim Asmuth at jasmuth@snet.net should you have questions.

Further info about Lowcountry Master Birder Program

Member registration opens 5/4, nonmember on 5/11.

Join expert birders Jim Asmuth and Chip Walker for a car caravan sandpiper hunt at this working turf farm. We will be stopping when we sight activity on the sod fields. Scopes would be helpful; Chip and Jim will be bringing theirs. Target birds are the Upland, Buff-Breasted and Pectoral Sandpipers, all of which were seen around that time in 2024. There is a colony of year round Ground Doves, as well. It takes about 2 2- 2.5 hours to cover the various sod fields. Note that people are welcome when the farm is NOT working - which means weekends only. We will meet at the Piggly Wiggly, 10847 N. Jacob Smart Blvd. in downtown Ridgeland. SC parking lot at 8:30am. Take Rte 278 to I-95North and get off at the Ridgeland exit. We will carpool from there, so we have more eyes in each vehicle, and fewer vehicles. The drive is about 35-40 minutes from Bluffton. There are no facilities or water available after the Piggly Wiggly. There is little shade and the roads are packed sand but very passable. If we have really nasty weather (e.g. hurricane?), our rain date will be Sept 6.

Tickets are $12.00 for members and nonmembers. Limited to 15 people.

Member registration opens 8/3; nonmembers on 8/10.

Start the fall field trip season with a slow meander with Master Birder, Terry Cerisoles, around the newly established Mid Island Community Park, which is being converted from many years as a golf course. At present, there is a small parking lot, some port-o-potties, and plenty of old, uneven, but mowed golf cart paths and fairways. Bordering pines a, but others are not often seen elsewhere on Hilton Head. The very tall dead standing pines host the only Red-Headed Woodpecker colony we know of on the island. Join Hilton Head Audubon along the paths and lagoons, for about 2 or 3 hours, 2 or 3 miles. Except for occasional overflying aircraft , this place feels very wild but is in the heart of the island. 

Directions: The parking lot is about 100 yards off of Rte 278, on Union Cemetery Rd, Hilton Head SC. If coming from the north (from Bluffton or the Cross Island Expressway), take 278 Business East. Go past Matthews Rd, then past the Dillon Rd interesection (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. Capacity is limited to 15 people. Rain date is Sept 20th.