sprawl of rich marshland fed by the vein-like tidal estuary
we call the Kiawah River. In the heart of this landscape, we
have maritime forest and freshwater wetlands that continue
to be suitable habitat despite development. These wild places
nourish ecosystems and attract a wealth of wildlife, helping to
create locations that are spectacular for birds. Here are some
of my favorites:
• • The eastern end of Kiawah (entering the beach through
the Ocean Course) brings you to some of the best habitats
for seabirds and shorebirds. This location encompasses
large tidal pools for easy foraging, sandbars for peaceful
roosting, and open low-lying dunes for nesting.* This is my
favorite area to spot a variety of tern species, potentially see
an unlikely pelagic bird, or watch reddish egrets dance.
• • The Preserve, located on the north end of the island, is
woven with trails taking you through marshland and
freshwater wetlands. Several pond systems are, especially
in the summer, great for finding roseate spoonbills and
black-necked stilts and, in the winter, waterfowl. For the
willing and patient, the large cattails of freshwater wetlands
provide suitable habitat for sedge wrens, sora rails, and,
during the colder months, several species of sparrows.
• • Mingo Point, on the western end of the Island, has several
sunflower and millet seed feeders, making it a great spot to
find a menagerie of songbirds, including the iconic painted
bunting. In the fall, this is one of the best areas to view a
diversity of warblers on their southward migration.
• • If you are traveling by water vessel, the mudflats at a falling
mid-tide attract the interests of thousands of shorebirds.
This area is located about a mile north of the Kiawah
River Bridge and traps ample food on its acres of exposed
mudflats and oyster beds during a lower tide. If not traveling
by water, you may be lucky enough to see some of these
birds fly by while observing from the Kiawah River Bridge. Because Kiawah is so rich in nature, I have traveled it
for many years and have become very familiar with its wild
places. However, when I explore new, unfamiliar places, I use
several resources that make it easy to discover similar, natural
locations. At the top of my list is eBird, a citizen science
project created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that has
collected several hundred million bird sightings from birders
(enthusiasts, not scientists) across the globe. These data points
have been incorporated into incredible conservation research,
projected future bird ranges, and have strongly increased our
understanding of bird populations.
Perhaps in appreciation for these citizen-reported
sightings, eBird offers back all of this data to the birding
community. Visiting www.ebird.org will show you where all
of the top birding hotspots are located and where in the world
you are most likely to find a particular species. There are
also mobile applications such as BirdsEye that utilize eBird
data to inform users about the best birding locations in their
immediate areas and what birds are nearby that would make
great additions to a life list.
These resources are made possible by the contributions of
enthusiasts (like you and me) voluntarily reporting sightings.
Submitting lists of birds you have confidently identified
to projects like eBird will help others find new birds and
can help promote the fun of birding. Most importantly,
though, these contributions will aid researchers in better
understanding the birds around us and will hopefully result
in conservation that can help preserve the wildlife in their
wild places for years to come.
By birding on Kiawah Island and reporting your sightings,
you can aid in conservation and collaboration that may
help show the benefit of keeping Kiawah a hotspot birding
destination.
Happy birding! NK
Marbled godwit Pileated woodpecker.
SUMMER/FALL 2017 • VOLUME 38
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