Lou & Jan's Excellent Birding Adventures: September 2016

Trip Report Hilton Head Island

Date:

September 19-24, 2016

We really enjoy birding around Hilton Head. All the parks there are clean and well maintained in this impeccable, affluent community. We were there for a week -- mostly cloudy, hot and humid weather, but never getting rained out from any of our trips. Highlight was probably the leucistic Laughing Gull with red legs and red bill -- a very rare bird -- at Hunting Island State Park.

1. American Crow photo below
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

2. American Redstart photo below
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

3. Anhinga photo below
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

4. Belted Kingfisher photo below
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

5. Blue Jay
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

6. Carolina Chickadee
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

7. Carolina Wren
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

8. Cattle Egret
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

9. Common Yellowthroat
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

10. Great Egret photo below
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

11. Eastern Wood-Pewee
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

12. Northern Cardinal
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

13. Palm Warbler photo below
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

14. Pine Warbler
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

15. Prairie Warbler
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

16. Red-eyed Vireo
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

17. White-eyed Vireo photo below
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

18. Yellow-throated Warbler
     Location:  Jarvis Creek Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

19. Double-crested Cormorant photo below
     Location:  Honey Horn
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

20. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron photo below
     Location:  Honey Horn
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016
adult

juvenile

21. Laughing Gull photo below
     Location:  Honey Horn
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

leucistic (on the right)

22. Red-bellied Woodpecker photo below
     Location:  Honey Horn
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

23. Red-winged Blackbird
     Location:  Honey Horn
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

24. Snowy Egret photo below
     Location:  Honey Horn
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

25. Tricolored Heron photo below
     Location:  Honey Horn
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

26. Tufted Titmouse
     Location:  Honey Horn
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

27. White Ibis photo below
     Location:  Honey Horn
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

28. Wood Stork photo below
     Location:  Honey Horn
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

29. Black Skimmer
     Location:  Mitchelville Beach Pk
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

30. Black-bellied Plover
     Location:  Mitchelville Beach Pk
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

31. Boat-tailed Grackle photo below
     Location:  Mitchelville Beach Pk
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

32. Brown Pelican photo below
     Location:  Mitchelville Beach Pk
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

33. Piping Plover
     Location:  Mitchelville Beach Pk
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

34. Forster's Tern
     Location:  Mitchelville Beach Pk
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

35. Caspian Tern photo below
     Location:  Mitchelville Beach Pk
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

36. Least Sandpiper
     Location:  Mitchelville Beach Pk
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

37. Royal Tern photo below
     Location:  Mitchelville Beach Pk
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

38. Willet photo below
     Location:  Mitchelville Beach Pk
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: 9/19/2016

39. Bald Eagle photo below
     Location:  Shelter Cove Community Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

40. Barn Swallow
     Location:  Shelter Cove Community Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

41. Black-crowned Night-Heron photo below
     Location:  Shelter Cove Community Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016
juvenile

42. Fish Crow
     Location:  Shelter Cove Community Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

43. Great Blue Heron photo below
     Location:  Shelter Cove Community Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

44. Green Heron
     Location:  Shelter Cove Community Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

45. Little Blue Heron photo below
     Location:  Shelter Cove Community Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

juvenile

46. Northern Mockingbird
     Location:  Shelter Cove Community Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

47. Osprey photo below
     Location:  Shelter Cove Community Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

48. Pied-billed Grebe
     Location:  Shelter Cove Community Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

49. Red-shouldered Hawk photo below
     Location:  Shelter Cove Community Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

50. Northern Parula photo below
     Location:  Xeriscape Garden
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

51. Gray Catbird
     Location:  Alder Lane Beach Access
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

52. House Finch
     Location:  Alder Lane Beach Access
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

53. Ring-billed Gull photo below
     Location:  Alder Lane Beach Access
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

54. Sanderling photo below
     Location:  Alder Lane Beach Access
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

55. Eastern Bluebird
     Location:  Buckingham Landing BL -- Bluffton
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/20/2016

56. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
     Location:  Savannah NWR -- VC
     County: Jasper  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/21/2016

57. Brown Thrasher
     Location:  Savannah NWR -- VC
     County: Jasper  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/21/2016

58. Pileated Woodpecker
     Location:  Savannah NWR -- VC
     County: Jasper  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/21/2016

59. Summer Tanager photo below
     Location:  Savannah NWR -- VC
     County: Jasper  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/21/2016

60. Blue Grosbeak photo below
     Location:  Savannah NWR -- Wildlife Drive
     County: Jasper  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/21/2016
female

61. Acadian Flycatcher
     Location:  Savannah NWR -- Wildlife Drive
     County: Jasper  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/21/2016

62. Red-tailed Hawk
     Location:  Savannah NWR -- Wildlife Drive
     County: Jasper  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/21/2016

63. Turkey Vulture
     Location:  Savannah NWR -- Wildlife Drive
     County: Jasper  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/21/2016

64. Black Vulture
     Location:  Old House Creek Pier
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/21/2016

65. Mourning Dove
     Location:  Old House Creek Pier
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/21/2016

66. Blue-winged Teal photo below
     Location:  Pinckney NWR
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/22/2016
a lone Blue-winged Teal with Wood Ducks

67. Brown-headed Nuthatch
     Location:  Pinckney NWR
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/22/2016

68. Common Gallinule
     Location:  Pinckney NWR
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/22/2016

69. Painted Bunting photo below
     Location:  Pinckney NWR
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/22/2016

70. Wood Duck photo below
     Location:  Pinckney NWR
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/22/2016

female

71. Downy Woodpecker
     Location:  Port Royal Cypress Wetlands
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/23/2016

72. Chimney Swift
     Location:  Port Royal Cypress Wetlands
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/23/2016

73. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
     Location:  Port Royal Boardwalk Park
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/23/2016

74. European Starling
     Location:  Broad River BL
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/23/2016

75. Canada Goose
     Location:  ballfield at Pinckney & Ribaut, Port Royal
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/24/2016

76. Clapper Rail
     Location:  Marsh Boardwalk Tr - Hunting Island SP
     County: Beaufort  State: SC  Country: US
     Date: /9/24/2016

NOTE: Photos are best-of-trip and thus may not be from the location where
the species was first seen.

Other Stuff

looking north from Old School House Pier near sunset

Wednesday, September 28, 2016