2023 Sea Islands Shorebirds Festival / Kiawah and Seabrook (and Edisto)

Inaugural Signage at Freshfields

Kiawah and Seabrook are the barrier islands just North of Edisto, and they organized the first Sea Island Shorebirds Festival on May 11. A Birder’s Breakfast hosted by the Kiawah Conservancy included a presentation on the migration habits of shorebirds. When these shorebirds spend part of their Spring at our beaches, they are feeding heavily and resting up to continue migrating. Volunteers known as Shorebird Stewards watch out for shorebirds on the beach at Kiawah and Seabrook, and Edisto has recently enrolled in the same program at Botany Bay WMA beach and the S.C. State Park beach. 

Kiawah Conservancy trip

All these places post signage on the beach to mark nesting areas, asking beachgoers to stay out of these areas. Dogs are required to be on a leash at Edisto starting May 1, mainly due to nesting turtle season but also for shorebirds. Edisto Police Chief Seyle says to call 1-843-549-2211 to report dogs off leash. The shorebirds can be frightened by roaming dogs, and they need to focus on the task of locating food sources like horseshoe crab eggs. It’s not unusual to see several different species of shorebirds resting together on the beach, and the best way to enjoy viewing them is with binoculars, so they don’t act nervous or fly off.

Shorebirds including Red Knots and Dunlin at Seabrook

The Sea Islands Shorebirds Festival featured guided walks in multiple locations, and I was able to view the shorebirds adjacent to The Ocean Course at Kiawah. The North end of Kiawah’s beach is growing, and these remote sandbars are a hotspot for shorebirds and wading birds. The Seabrook Island Birders Club organized a trip to the North end of Seabrook led by SCDNR's Janet Thibeaux to view Captain Sam’s Spit, another natural beach formation that shorebirds love spending time at. Off the southern tip of Seabrook is Deveaux Bank, which is now cherished as a protected roost that is home to shorebirds, as well as the brown pelicans that are seen flying up and down Edisto beach all day long. 

Field Trip to The Ocean Course

To view past blog entries on Shorebirds click on 2022 Harbor Island Shorebird Walk - 2020 Shorebird Protection on Botany Bay WMA -  2018 Shorebirds Talk at Seabrook Island Birders -  2017 Shorebird Symposium by Kiawah Conservancy - 2016 Spring Shorebird Synergy - 2016 The Narrow Edge Book Review - 2015 Manomet Workshop at Yawkey Preserve - 2015 World Shorebird Day - 2014 Moon Bird Book Review - 2014 / Inaugural World Shorebird Day

To view past Birding Field Trips for 2023 click Harbor Island- Kiawah Island -  Webb Wildlife Center - Whooping Crane Pond - Jarvis Creek Park - Caw Caw Bio Blitz - Hammock Coast Birding Festival  -  Botany Bay WMA - Pinckney Island NWR - ACE Basin NWR Combahee Unit