Naturally Kiawah Magazine Volume 36 | Page 58

The Birds! The Birds! Story and photographs by Tina Schell I n Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic movie The Birds, local residents of a fictional California town are stunned by the increasingly violent attacks of local birds. Happily, unless you choose to invade the skimmer, plover, or oystercatcher nesting areas on the eastern end of Kiawah’s beach, you’ll find our local birds much more afraid of you than you are of them. While we, like Mr. Hitchcock’s protagonists, have both crows and seagulls around us, there are more than 200 other bird species who share our beautiful island. While it would be impossible to include them all, this article highlights some of the more prevalent and unique winged creatures, the seasons when they are most apparent, and the habitats in which they can be found. 56