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