September 2023 |
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Inside this issue:
- What's New
- Upcoming Events
- New & Noteworthy
- Audubon Newhall Preserve
- Feathers Through Our Lenses
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Member and friends of Hilton Head Audubon,
Join us this fall on a birding journey through the beautiful coastal landscape of the Lowcountry. Our event lineup features bird walks lead by master naturalists and birders, a walk through Gullah-Geechee history at Mitchelville, and speakers who share their experience attempting a "big year" and conducting shorebird surveys. The season finale is the Christmas Bird Count which will take place on Friday, December 15th, 2023.
Every autumn, our coastal region bears witness to an awe-inspiring spectacle as countless birds embark on their southward journey during fall migration. The unique confluence of diverse ecosystems in this region, including marshes, estuaries, forests, and barrier islands, makes it an irresistible stopover for a wide array of avian travelers.
One of the most remarkable aspects of fall migration is the abundance and variety of bird species that can be observed. Shorebirds, such as sandpipers and plovers, also make their presence felt along our beaches and mudflats.
In the coastal woodlands, songbirds use this region as a crucial stopover point during their long migration. The live oak trees draped with Spanish moss provide a picturesque backdrop for observing a kaleidoscope of warblers, vireos, and thrushes. Many of these colorful songbirds pause here to refuel on insects and berries, making the Lowcountry an essential refuge along their migratory routes.
We leave you with this quote from Laurence Rockefeller on the role the individual can play in conservation: “see wildlife…, learn to identify the various animals and birds, to appreciate them, to understand the problems involved in their protection, the need for preserving forests, safeguarding watersheds, saving the wilderness – in effect, the people will see what they are asked to conserve.”
Let's get outside together!
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Events |
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To view all upcoming events in a calendar format, click here.
Audubon Newhall Preserve Volunteer Work Days The Audubon Newhall Preserve is a 50 acre nature preserve located at 55 Palmetto Bay Road on the south end of Hilton Head Island. It is owned and operated by Hilton Head Audubon, and maintained by a flourishing team of dedicated volunteers. We welcome you to come and join us, and learn about our work. Unless otherwise noted (like for this one), we meet the second Saturday morning of each month. Bring gloves and eye protection. Donuts, water, and bug spray will be provided. RSVPs are not necessary but helpful to RClemens318@gmail.com.
Saturday, September 16, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Saturday, October 14, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
September Meeting Tuesday, September 12, 2:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. Coastal Discovery Museum Free & Open to the Public
Tracking Threatened Species: Manomet’s International Shorebird Survey on Hilton Head Island Presenters: Jane Hester and Wendy Dickes The Manomet Bird Observatory, based in Massachusetts, is a leader in shorebird recovery and habitat management, forestry and climate science, fisheries restoration and education.
Manomet uses science and collaboration to strengthen bird migration routes, coastal ecosystems, and working lands and seas across the Western Hemisphere. For over 50 years, the organization has formed vital partnerships with businesses, producers, and educators, to help nature and local communities thrive.
For the last 10 years, the Georgia and South Carolina coasts — including Bluffton and Hilton Head — have participated in Manomet’s International Shorebird Survey, which monitors the numbers and types of shorebirds visiting our area.
Shorebirds have some of the longest known migrations of any animal group, making annual movements that link distant landscapes in 42 countries across the hemisphere from the Arctic to the southern tip of South America. To meet their daily needs and survive their annual migrations, shorebirds rely on a mix of habitats ranging from arctic tundra, wetlands, grasslands, beaches, lake edges, and even agricultural lands.
Wetlands and beaches are among the most highly threatened places throughout the world, and shorebirds depend upon them throughout the year.
This presentation by Jane Hester and Wendy Dickes will include their experiences of monitoring shorebirds during 120 trips to a key site, from the types of birds they have studied to surprising facts about them. They will include helpful tips on identifying the most common shorebirds of our area, including Sanderlings, Black-bellied Plovers, Red Knots and others.
October Meeting Tuesday, October 10, 2:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. Coastal Discovery Museum Free & Open to the Public
Realistic Big Year Birding Attempts Presenters: Tony and Rose Johnson Tony and Rose Johnson, island residents and expert birders, will share their often comical attempts at Big Years on a budget. They will share their strategies for planning and implementing Big Years both domestically and internationally.
November Social with Conservation Voters of South Carolina Thursday, November 9, 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. The Hilton Head Brewing Company It’s our annual fall social event: an inside/outside venue filled with bird-lovers sipping their favorite craft beers! Drop by between 3 – 6 pm at this relaxed afternoon event at The Hilton Head Brewing Company, 1 Cardinal Rd #13 on Hilton Head Island. The event is free. Guests will be responsible for their beverages and any accompanying bites.
This social is an opportunity to refresh your love of birding, rekindle your friendships (and start new ones), and renew your interest in Audubon’s mission to conserve.
We all know that birding is about so much more than birds: Birding brings us outside into nature and helps us reduce stress, think better, and even form friendships.
HHA’s Social is for all bird-lovers – young and old, new and experienced, shy and lively, and members and non-members alike. Bring a non-member with you! Join us in celebrating all our interest and involvement in Hilton Head Audubon’s work for protecting birds and conserving nature.
Amidst our socializing will be a short program featuring a talk by John Tynan of Conservation Voters of South Carolina on S.C.’s conservation successes, and Hilton Head Audubon President Kay Grinnell on the State of the Birds.
December Meeting Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head
2023 Christmas Bird Count Join us for a free presentation about the upcoming 2023 Bird Count for the Hilton Head area count circle. On Thursday, December 7th, we will convene at the First Presbyterian Church, Fellowship Hall, 540 William Hilton Parkway, with a reception at 7:00 pm, followed by a presentation at 7:30 pm by Bob Speare about the birds we might see on the count.
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is an early winter snapshot of bird populations. It is the nation’s longest-running citizen science survey, providing critical data on bird population trends. Each count is done in a 15-mile diameter circle. The count started in 1900 and has grown to include over 2,600 count circles in the Western Hemisphere.
Our Hilton Head count will be on Friday, December 15th, 2023. We identify and count all birds seen or heard in the 24-hour period. Birders of all levels are welcome to participate. For more information, go to https://hiltonheadaudubon.org/ |
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Bird Walks |
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Audubon Newhall Preserve Guided Walks Free guided tours every Tuesday led by Master Birders. Please gather in the parking lot by 8:30 a.m. No registration required. Please note the Preserve will be closed September 21-23 for trail improvements.
Bird Walk: Saturday, September 9 Mid-Island Tract, Hilton Head, 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT. Master Naturalist Terry Cerisoles will lead a two-hour long birding tour of Mid-Island Tract, a verdant, 103-acre parcel of land in the center of the Island. Filled with oaks, Sweet Gum, Magnolia, Red Maple, Pine and other trees, this spacious area is a haven for birds, including the only known red-headed woodpecker nesting colony on Hilton Head. The Town of Hilton Head will be developing it as a nature-themed park in coming years.
Over 130 species of birds have been seen here, including Downy Woodpeckers, Chipping Sparrows, American Goldfinches, Wood Storks, Barred Owls, Peregrine Falcons and countless others.
The mid-island track is located at Union Cemetery Road just off William Hilton Parkway. Reservations are necessary and attendees are limited to 12. Cost of field trip is $12. Register here.
Bird Walk: Saturday, September 23 Jarvis Creek Park, Hilton Head, 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Sarah Gustafson, an avid birder who enjoys birding travel and has birded in 43 states in the US, will lead a two-hour tour of Jarvis Creek park. We'll be targeting fall migrants as Javis Creek Park is a migration hotspot. We'll be on the lookout for warblers such as Prairie and Black-throated-blue warblers, American Redstart, and Northern Waterthrush.
Meet at the deck overlooking the pond, near the restrooms.
Located off William Hilton Parkway on 50 Jarvis Creek Road, this 53-acre park includes a large pond, open fields, picnic shelters, restroom facilities and a one-mile walking trail.
Reservations are necessary and attendees are limited to 10 people. Cost of field trip is $12. Register here.
Bird Walk: Monday, October 9 Savannah National Wildlife Refuge 8:30 a.m. -10:30 a.m. Veteran birder Stephen Dickson will lead this tour of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in 1927 as a sanctuary for migratory birds, most notably wintering waterfowl.
The refuge lies in both Georgia and South Carolina, divided by the Savannah River, and encompasses over 30,000 acres of vital wildlife habitat, including tidal freshwater marsh and bottomland hardwood forest. In the fall, migratory birds and butterflies arrive in large numbers from more northern areas. Commonly seen butterfly species include cloudless sulphur, zebra longwing, gulf fritillary, and monarch. Wintering waterfowl like blue and green-winged teal, northern shovelers, and ringneck ducks begin arriving. Northern harriers can be seen hovering above the marshes looking for a snack.
Reservations are necessary and attendees are limited to 12. Cost of field trip is $12. Register here. Attendees will meet at the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive entrance, located at 694 Beech Hill Lane, Hardeeville, S.C. — NOT the at the Preserve’s visitor center, which is several miles away.
The rain date for this trip is Saturday, October 14
Bird Walk: Saturday, October 21 Fish Haul Beach Park, 8:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m. Naturalist Lynn Hodgson will lead this tour of Fish Haul Beach, located at 120 Mitchellville Road on Hilton Head Island.
Nestled in Bay Gall, one of Hilton Head Island's historic Gullah neighborhoods, Fish Haul is considered one of Hilton Head’s hidden gems. It has four major natural habitats—a maritime forest, salt marsh and creeks, beach dunes and scrub, and tidal flats.
Over 230 species of birds have been seen at Fish Haul, including American Oystercatchers, Bald Eagles, Black Skimmers, Clapper Rails, Little Blue Herons, Ruddy Turnstones, White Ibis and others. The flats provide feeding and loafing habitat for most of the herons, shorebirds, gulls, and terns of the South Carolina coast, and this is a particularly good spot for other shorebirds, gulls, and terns.
Reservations are necessary and attendees are limited to 12 people. Cost of field trip is $12. Register here.
Meet in the parking lot near the sidewalk leading to the beach. This venue has restrooms at the parking lot.
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Tick Talk by Rosemary Staples
Did you know that ticks - those repugnant, disease-carrying, bloodsucking mites - actually serve a purpose in our ecological web? Guinea fowl, frogs, lizards and possums eat them. Barnyard birds consume ticks that might otherwise bite cattle, and rattlesnakes dine on tick-eating rodents. As carriers of diseases, ticks help check animal populations by culling out weaker individuals.
So much for the positive purpose of ticks. There are almost 900 species around the world, even in Antarctica, and the oldest tick fossil is around 100 million years old. Ticks hang out in leaves, grass, and trees and feed primarily on the blood of mammals. They are attracted to places where heat, humidity, and habitat attracts an abundance of hosts, and they are attracted to the Lowcountry.
The most common tick in South Carolina is the lone star tick which can transmit alpha-gal allergy, a reaction some patients develop to red meat after being bitten. The female lone star sports a white spot but the male is plain black. The brown dog and American dog ticks carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Lyme Disease may be carried by the black-legged tick, often called the deer tick though the disease is rare in South Carolina. According to the CDC, only 40 cases have been reported in Beaufort County since 2000.
Not all ticks are infected; some estimates suggest only 30 percent of ticks carry disease-causing bacteria. Generally, ticks must also be attached for an extended feeding time before they can pass the disease along. Tick populations appear to be on the rise, possibly due to rising temperatures and humidity.
Contrary to lore, a tick does not fly or leap onto their victims. It employs a unique approach known as “questing,” In this position, the tick locks its rear legs to a leaf or twig, and reaches out with its front legs to climb aboard its host. Most bites are painless so ticks can ride for days until detected or it falls off, whichever comes first.
If you are bitten by a tick, remove it at once with thin tweezers. Pull straight out, without twisting and clean with soap and alcohol. Never puncture or remove by hand as infection could spread. Monitor the area for several days and note if you have chills, fever, aches, or if a rash appears. You can save the tick in a plastic bag and send it to an online county or state extension office that monitors disease.
How to avoid ticks? Steer clear of brushy areas where they lie in “quest.” If you simply must plow through the woods, then layers of light, long-sleeve shirts and pants will aid in sighting a tick should one land on you. Stuff your pant legs into your socks, which also keeps mosquitoes, ants and chiggers away. Spray often with DEET-containing products or wear clothes treated with permethrin.
And always check yourself after being outside, regardless of the season. If ticks can survive Antarctica, they can certainly survive our Lowcountry winters.
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August Work Day by Bob Clemens
We had a hardy crew of well-hydrated volunteers for our August “Second Saturday” Newhall Work Day. Paying homage to the Heat Index (99 degrees in the shade!), we worked only an hour, but accomplished a great deal.
Carrie Jones led a green-thumbed crew of John Grobe and Karen Lucey in weeding the Pond Pollinator Gardens while the remainder of the team trimmed back vegetation on the north side of the Newhall Trail from the parking lot to the pond. (That sounds easier than it was!)
In September the Preserve will be closed for three days, Thursday September 21 through Saturday September 23, to allow for the work necessary for the Newhall Trail project. The local Rotary will resurface the Newhall Trail, making the path more trafficable for wheelchairs and strollers. That project has been made possible with grants from the local Rotary, the District Rotary, the Nature Conservancy, and donated labor and machinery from MAJ Enterprises. In preparation for the resurfacing, volunteers will dig down 6 to 8 inches, removing roots, lay fabric, and then resurface the trail with the shell material.
Shown in the photo, from left to right, are Fearless Leader Bob Clemens, John Grobe, Karen Lucey, Carrie Jones, Sal Gioia, Summer Intern Rylie Tiemann, Vice-Chair Matt Mattoon, and Hilton Klein.
Our next Work Day will be Saturday September 16th (the third Saturday, for a change) from 8:30 until 10 AM. We will work on trimming back vegetation on the south side of the trail to facilitate the resurfacing project.
RSVPs are not necessary, but are helpful to Bob Clemens at RClemens318@gmail.com.
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Journaling to Improve Your Bird and Wildlife Photography by Patty Kappmeyer
There are so many ways to improve your technical skills and techniques including watching specialized tutorials on YouTube, attending in person workshops, reading manuals and practicing on end, that I thought I would share a non-technical method to enhance your photography and spur your creative energy.
I am a journaling enthusiast who writes about my experiences in observing and photographing the natural world, and adds in a bit of history of place, travel notes, and food and culture, and people I meet along the way. After every photography outing (several times a week), I keep lists and make observations about birds, wildlife, flowers, trees, weather conditions, time of day, sunrise or sunset, rising or falling tides, the color of the marsh grasses, camera settings and equipment used, what worked, what didn't. My journal is a trusted companion for my creative outlet and a reference book.
Journaling can specifically enhance your wildlife or bird photography in the following ways:
Observation and Documentation: By journaling your wildlife or bird photography experiences, you can document important details about the species you encounter. This includes their behavior, habitats, preferred feeding locations, and seasonal patterns. Such observations can inform your future photography sessions and help you anticipate and capture unique moments. For example, I can predict within a few days in the Fall when the hooded mergansers will appear in the lagoon behind my house, or when the first great egret will start to nest at a local rookery.
Research and Planning: Journaling provides a space to research and gather information about the specific wildlife or bird species and habitat you wish to photograph. You can record details about their migration patterns, breeding seasons, and preferred locations. This knowledge allows you to plan your photography outings more effectively, increasing your chances of capturing compelling images.
Field Notes: Use your journal as a field notebook to jot down real-time observations during your wildlife or bird photography sessions. Note the location, weather conditions, time of day, and any interesting behaviors or interactions you witness. These field notes can serve as valuable references for future shoots, helping you replicate successful encounters or learn from past experiences.
Learning and Improvement: Through journaling, you can reflect on your wildlife or bird photography techniques, assessing what worked well and what could be improved. Write about composition choices, camera settings, and post-processing approaches. This self-reflection facilitates continuous learning, allowing you to refine your skills and capture more impactful images.
Emotional Connection and Storytelling: Journaling helps you develop a deeper connection with the wildlife or birds you photograph, and the history of the place.. Write about the emotions, experiences, and stories behind your encounters. Describing the challenges, joys, and surprises can add depth and context to your images, making them more engaging and memorable for your audience.
Personal Growth: Beyond the technical aspects, journaling promotes personal growth as a wildlife or bird photographer. Write about your journey, the lessons learned, and the impact of these encounters on your appreciation for nature and conservation. This introspection can inspire you to continually evolve as a photographer and contribute to the conservation of the species you photograph.
Remember, journaling is a flexible and personal practice. Adapt it to your needs and preferences, focusing on what aspects of your wildlife or bird photography journey you find most valuable to document and reflect upon.
Suggested Reading for Journaling Inspiration: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Ann Lamott Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold On Writing; A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd |
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August Sightings Please enjoy these collages of bird activity photographed during the past month by our Facebook group members.
There are several ways to report bird sightings : use eBird, join the HHIAS Facebook group or Birding-Friends@google.com. If you would like to join the Birding-Friends google group please send an email requesting access to ecobon@hiltonheadaudubon.org |
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Joining HHIAS or renewing your membership is easy, click here to complete the online forms. Please consider a contribution beyond the basic annual membership level to support our mission. A reminder that Gift memberships are available for purchase, click here.
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DonationsHilton Head Audubon accepts donations online, using Venmo, or by mailing a check. Donations can also be made in honor or memory of someone by following the instruction on the form. Donate online. Donate by mail.Donate by Venmo. If you have Venmo, scan the Venmo QR code or go onto the Venmo app and find us by typing “HHI Audubon Society” or “@HHIAudubon”. We use our donations to support: advocacy regarding conservation/birding in our region, providing birding education programs to area schools, maintaining and interpreting through signage and tours of the Audubon Newhall Preserve, managing the annual Christmas Bird Count, actively participating in regional Citizen Science programs, and increasing awareness about local conservation projects or concerns.
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