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CAROLINA BIRD CLUB (CBC) On 31 January we had the privilege of traveling to Beaufort SC to address the annual meeting of the Carolina Bird Club, a bi-state organization made up of professional ornithologists, first-time bird watchers, and just about everything in between. The Carolina Bird Club--abbreviated hereafter as CBC (but not to be confused with the Christmas Bird Count)--is open to folks interested in the study and conservation of wildlife, especially birds. Hilton Pond Center has supported the efforts of the CBC for many years; we're proud, for example, to be life members, to publish papers in The Chat (the CBC's quarterly journal), and to contribute occasional reports through the group's Rare Bird Alert. The CBC gathers thrice a year for a meeting that includes lectures such as ours about "Hummingbirds and Hamburgers: the Tropical Connection," but the real fun of a CBC conclave comes when nearly 200 participants from the Carolinas and elsewhere fan out for two full days of field trips and bird finding.
All text & photos © Hilton Pond Center One reason for holding a CBC meeting and its excursions in Beaufort is the great diversity of local habitats--saltwater marshes and estuaries, freshwater impoundments, coastal woodland, agricultural fields, barrier islands, and the ocean itself, just to name a few. Diverse habitats are bound to produce a variety of bird species, and the recent weekend was no exception. Following our Saturday night hummingbird lecture, CBC past president and meeting organizer Van Atkins asked Robin Carter--one of the Southeast's preeminent birders and author of Where to Find Birds in South Carolina--to read down a "Checklist of Birds" as participants called out whether or not each species had been seen.
Double-crested Cormorants on a Fripp island SC sandbar. Adults are completely dark. A single Brown Pelican and an unidentified gull also appear in this photo. Amazingly, during two days the 186 bird enthusiasts collectively spotted 183 species--almost one for each person at the CBC meeting! (See unofficial, undocumented list at bottom of page.) In Robin Carter's words, the group saw just about every species of bird that might reasonably be expected in the area around Beaufort during winter, but there were also a few surprises. If the reported California Gull was indeed that--rather than something like a still relatively uncommon juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull--then it would have to be the most unusual species seen. Aside from the possible California Gull, Robin Carter said he thought the most surprising local finds for the end of January might have been Yellow Warbler and American Redstart. These two Neotropical migrants typically winter from Mexico south to Peru and return each spring beginning in April. Although they have been reported out-of-season in the Carolinas, the two insect-eating warblers are still quite rare during colder months this far north. Some of the more common birds spotted during the weekend include species illustrated on this page, all of which actually were photographed in heavy overcast light on Fripp Island early on the For information on joining the Carolina Bird Club and participating in its many activities, please visit the organization's Web site. Annual membership includes a subscription to The Chat and the bimonthly CBC Newsletter, plus opportunities to learn from bird experts with many years of field experience. Dues also go to support the conservation activities of the CBC. The club administers a research grant program in avian biology for up to four undergrad or graduate students each year.
A small raft of Hooded Mergansers on a creek at Fripp Island SC. The male has a crest that, when erected, reveals a large white ear patch. The female's crest is solid and light reddish-brown.
All text & photos © Hilton Pond Center UNOFFICIAL (UNDOCUMENTED) LIST Red-throated Loon All text & photos © Hilton Pond Center NOTE: Be sure to scroll down for an account of all birds banded or recaptured during the week, as well as some other interesting nature notes. "This Week at Hilton Pond" is written and photographed by Bill Hilton Jr., executive director of Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History. |
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SPECIES BANDED THIS WEEK: * = New species for 2004 WEEKLY BANDING TOTAL 2 species 39 individuals
YEARLY BANDING TOTAL (2004) 13 species 500 individuals
BANDING GRAND TOTAL (since 28 June 1982) 123 species 43,803 individuals This Week at Hilton Pond
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NOTABLE RECAPTURES THIS WEEK
(with original banding date, sex, and current age) None this week OTHER SIGHTINGS OF INTEREST
VAGRANT HUMMINGBIRDS None this week All text & photos © Hilton Pond Center |
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After all, California Gulls hail from the state that gives them their name and are seldom seen in the eastern U.S. In fact, they do not even appear on the official checklist of South Carolina birds. In subsequent days, local birders from Beaufort may try to relocate the bird in question to photograph it and try to verify the species for the state record books.
morning of 1 February. The bird above left is a Great Egret, identifiable by its white plumage, long yellow bill, and black legs and feet. (Interestingly, one of the CBC field trips out of Beaufort saw and photographed what appeared to be a Great White Heron, a white morph of the common Great Blue Heron that is typically restricted to Florida.) The single bird on the sand bar (above right) is an adult Herring Gull, which has a large red spot near the tip of its lower bill. 
Oct 15 to Mar 15
Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History is a non-profit research & education organization in York, South Carolina USA; phone (803) 684-5852. Directed by