2024 Edisto Island - Audubon Christmas Bird Count

American Oystercatcher 1/2/24

A very cold weather day greeted the bird count team on January 2, 2024 for the 3rd annual Edisto Island Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC). I was tasked with leading a team of birders through Zone 7 and we elected to start our day on Edinsgsville Beach due to a low tide cycle in the morning. Crisp cold weather greeted us but a Great Blue Heron was already on station in an ocean inlet fishing for its breakfast. A gathering of several species of shorebirds at the same inlet gave us the chance to use spotting scopes to better ID these birds that were scurrying about.

Polar Explorers? Nope.  Edisto Bird Count Team!

Traversing the beach we arrived at Frampton Inlet to find a large flock of white pelicans and cormorants gathered there. We also spotted several hundred dunlin in that area that were migrating through. American oystercatcher, ring-billed gull, bald eagle and osprey were some of our other beachfront observations. We then canvased multiple creeks and neighborhood ponds for wading birds, and listened out for songbirds of all variety. Capt. Phillip Albenesius and three guest birders from N.C. were on my team, and I hope that we get back together for the 2025 Edisto Island count.

To view past blog entries from Edisto Island CBC click on 2023

To view past blog entries from the Palmetto Bluff CBC click on 2023 - 2022 - 2021 

Dunlin at Rest on Beach. We were careful to not disturb!

Ring-billede Gull in the sun

To view 2023 Birding Trips click on  Yawkey Center / Winter - Nemours Wildlife Foundation - Yawkey Center / Fall - Botany Bay WMA -  Fripp Island -  Wings Over Beaufort -  Sea Island Shorebird Festival - Beidler Forest - 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