Events

Again!! We went to Pinckney in April; but we want to see how all the chicks are coming along – who is new, who has fledged, etc.

Join Lynn Hodgson, Hilton Head Audubon Field Trip Chair, for a walk to Ibis Pond (and beyond) to study and admire the breeding wading birds, anhingas, grackles, etc. We will spend 9 most of our time at Ibis, with binoculars, and cameras!, about l/2 mile walk from the parking lot on a gravel road. Bugs may be out and the sun may be fierce to come prepared.

Then, Option 1. Spend more time at Ibis, then return to the parking lot the way we came, arriving by 11:30 – ish. Mileage will be about l l/2 miles.

Option 2: For the more adventurous (or those trying to get in their 10,000 steps), Lynn would like to continue to Starr Pond, then through the back trail to Osprey Pond, which will add at least an hour, so definitely bring water and snacks. Mileage about 2 l/2 – 3 miles?

Pinckney is part of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal refuges complex, located between Hilton Head and Bluffton, SC. It consists of about 4,000 acres with 10 miles of trails through maritime forest adjacent to salt marshes, and freshwater ponds with mowed margins for easy viewing.

Cost of the field trip is $12.

Directions: The entrance to Pinckney is on Rte-278 between the 2 bridges that connect Bluffton and Hilton Head SC. This is a dangerous road with too many cars in a hurry, so be very careful entering and exiting the Refuge. No facilities at Pinckney, but plenty of woods.

Photo of a Great Blue Heron at Pinckney Island by Jason Collins

Please join Field Trip Chair and Master Birder Lynn Hodgson for a slow-paced kayak paddle on Ebenezer Creek, Rincon, GA. We will paddle about an hour downstream and an hour back up, through mostly old growth swamp with bald cypress trees, some of which are over a thousand years old. We will probably see only a few bird species, but we often see pileated woodpeckers, occasionally a barred owl, as well as a few of our migrant warblers back here from points south.

Ebenezer Creek is a historic Civil War site, remembered for the tragedy in which many formerly enslaved people drowned while trying to follow General Sherman’s army. The Creek has very little flow and the protective 10 swamp allows only very light breezes inside, making this excellent for beginning kayakers.

Cost of the field trip is $12.

An additional kayak rental and outfitter fee is required. Our outfitters are Jim and Teri Pahorsky, Beaufort Kayak Tours. The outfitter fee of $60 per person (for kayak, PFD, paddle and guide service) to be paid on site in cash or check. (If you bring your own kayak, the Outfitter fee is $40). We will have 10 single and 4 tandem kayaks available. After you register, please email Lynn whether you want single or tandem, or if you are flexible (hodgson.lynn@aol.com). Either bring a sack lunch to eat at the boat ramp, or join Lynn and the outfitters at The Tin Fin Restaurant in Rincon, GA for lunch. There are outhouses at the boat ramp, but you will not be able to get out of the kayaks in the pluff mud of the swamp!

Meet at Tommy Long Boat Ramp, Rincon, GA, 9 a.m. Navigation devices will find this boat ramp, but just in case…. Directions: Take Rte 95 south from Bluffton toward Savannah. Take the first Georgia exit, #109, just after the Georgia Welcome Center. Keep right and head north on Rte 21. Go about 3 miles, turn right on Old Augusta Rd. For about the next 11 or so miles, you are on this road, although you pass straight ahead through 2 round-abouts (traffic circles) and the name changes erratically (e.g. Ft. Howard Rd, Long Bridge Rd). About l/2 mile after the second roundabout, turn right on Wylly Rd. Go 1.7 miles and turn left onto Tommy Long Road to the boat ramp.

“Birdability” birdwatching tours at Pinckney Island Wildlife Refuge are offered free of charge for mobility challenged individuals. This partnership between the Friends of the Savannah Coastal Wildlife Refuges and Hilton Head Audubon offers an opportunity to ride a 15-seat electric shuttle with a bird guide to look for both migrating birds and nesting egrets and herons present during the spring on Pinckney Island. Passengers do not have to leave the shuttle during the tour. The golf cart was purchased to expand accessibility at Pinckney thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry.

The diverse habitats at Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge attract an abundance of wildlife throughout the year, providing excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. The refuge bird list contains over 250 species. During spring migrations, warblers and other migratory song birds are common among the live oaks and in the shrub/scrub habitat. A variety of raptors, shorebirds, and wading birds call the refuge home year-round. Pinckney Island NWR is one of the best places in South Carolina to see breeding yellow-crowned night herons.

Bring your own binoculars or use those provided. You must be registered to participate. Registered participants can find the shuttle in the Pinckney NWR parking lot just before the tour begins. 

Photo of Great Egret: Patricia Kappmeyer

Please join Master Birders Kathy Byrd and Lynn Hodgson for a hike at the Solomon Tract, a section of the Savannah NWR on the Georgia side of the Savannah River, accessed via Port Wentworth. This is mostly a shaded walk, through maritime and floodplain forests, with a mile-long loop in the middle, on an open dike, returning the same way we went in. Total mileage about 2.5 – 3 miles.

We will be opportunistic, taking what we get, but expect migrating forest birds as well as the usual floodplain residents. For instance, we have had bobolink flocks, but not always. We often see indigo buntings, but not always, etc. In short, it is an unpredictable but always interesting amble through the 11 woods. This section is not open for most hunting but is usually open for youth hunts (under 16’s with an adult unarmed supervisor). Therefore, unlike some birding trips, we wear bright colors just in case. Any sleepy young hunters will be heading out about the time we are heading in. They have sometimes given us useful intel on birds ahead down the trail.

Bring binoculars, bug repellent, sunscreen, snacks and plenty of water. We will go rain or shine unless there is a really nasty storm coming. No facilities after Port Wentworth. Cost of the field trip is $12.

Directions: About 50 min. drive from Hilton Head, non-stop, depending on traffic. Head toward Savannah on I-95. Take the first exit in GA, exit 109 at Port Wentworth, Rte 21. Keep Left, through the “miz-maze” intersection, to go back under the freeway. Turn Left onto O’Leary Rd (First traffic light after going under I-95) Follow O’Leary to a right turn onto EMB Blvd (same as EM Industries Blvd.) where there is a small refuge sign. Up ahead the road will split but stay right – you’ll see another refuge sign. In a short distance, the road ends in a small parking area.

Photo: Bobolink by Lynn Cleveland

“Birdability” birdwatching tours at Pinckney Island Wildlife Refuge are offered free of charge for mobility challenged individuals. This partnership between the Friends of the Savannah Coastal Wildlife Refuges and Hilton Head Audubon offers an opportunity to ride a 15-seat electric shuttle with a bird guide to look for both migrating birds and nesting egrets and herons present during the spring on Pinckney Island. Passengers do not have to leave the shuttle during the tour. The golf cart was purchased to expand accessibility at Pinckney thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry.

The diverse habitats at Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge attract an abundance of wildlife throughout the year, providing excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. The refuge bird list contains over 250 species. During spring migrations, warblers and other migratory song birds are common among the live oaks and in the shrub/scrub habitat. A variety of raptors, shorebirds, and wading birds call the refuge home year-round. Pinckney Island NWR is one of the best places in South Carolina to see breeding yellow-crowned night herons.

Bring your own binoculars or use those provided. You must be registered to participate. Registered participants can find the shuttle in the Pinckney NWR parking lot just before the tour begins. 

Photo of Great Egret: Patricia Kappmeyer

On Tuesday, June 11, 2024, from 11 am – 3 pm, Hilton Head Audubon will host a day at Historic Mitchellville Freedom Park (HMFP)’s weeklong Juneteenth celebration, which will honor their 10th anniversary of celebrating Juneteenth.

Juneteenth is a national holiday to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States; the celebration attracts thousands of participants each year with historic commemorations, music, food, and vendors.

Established in 1862 on Hilton Head Island, Mitchelville is the first place in the U.S. where Africans in America, just out of slavery and not yet citizens, governed themselves. The Park is located at 40 Harriet Tubman Way (off of Beach City Road), Hilton Head, S.C. 29926. Website: www. https://exploremitchelville.org/

We are calling our day “Celebrating Naych and B’uhds,” meaning celebrating Nature and Birds, and will be featuring wildlife art, conservation groups, naturalists, live music, family events and food. Our event begins at 11am with a raptor demonstration, followed by music by Calibogue Sound. Audubon birders will give bird tours of Mitchelville. The Boys and Girls Club will showcase and sell their birdhouses. Gullah-Geechee Cuisine and Mother Smoking Good will sell mouth-watering food. Binya, the popular Hilton Head shop, will be on hand selling Gullah and Lowcountry art, accessories, and books. We are continuing to add vendors, so stay tuned!

Hilton Head Audubon will be also distributing copies of its 2023 booklet, “Gullah Geechee of Mitchelville: Cultural Ties to Birds and Nature,” supported by a grant from National Audubon, on the importance of birds and nature in the Gullah Geechee community at the time of the founding of Mitchelville.  

For additional information or sponsorship opportunities, contact HHIAudubon@hiltonheadaudubon.org.