'24 Sea Islands CBC Results and Summary

SEA ISLANDS CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT 2023-2024 The 13th Sea Islands Christmas Bird Count occurred on 3 January 2024. The weather during the day of the count was mostly clear in the morning, becoming cloudy in the afternoon. The winds were light and temperatures ranging from 31° F in the morning to 55°F in the afternoon. Rain began just after 9:00pm but did not have any direct effect on the count.

Participation was lower this year with only 55 total participants. All sections within the count circle were covered except for Section 13C (Little Bear) on Kiawah Island. We had 15 participants in 7 parties on Kiawah Island, 11 participants in 6 parties on Seabrook Island, 9 participants in 5 parties on John’s Island, 6 participants in 3 parties on Wadmalaw Island, and 3 participants in 1 party on Deveaux Bank. In addition to field parties, we had good participation with feeder watchers too. There were 2 participants at 1 location on Kiawah, 12 participants at 11 locations on Seabrook, 1 participant at 1 location on John’s Island, and 4 participants at 2 locations on Wadmalaw Island.

The Sea Islands Christmas Bird Count team recorded 26,729 individual birds and 1153 different species.

Kiawah Island recorded 14,164 individuals of the 127 species. Seabrook Island (including the Freshfields territory) reported 3,162 individuals of 114 species. John’s Island documented 4,964 individuals of 103 species, Wadmalaw Island had 3,332 individuals of 100 species, and Deveaux Bank noted 1,107 individuals of 40 species.

Overall bird numbers were a little above average, however that number can vary wildly from year to year. The ocean off Kiawah was full of ducks and loons but most were too far to be identified. Almost 5,000 unidentified ducks and loons were counted. Species diversity has been consistent over the years ranging between 154-159 in most years. After a record year of 162 species last year, we came back down to earth this year recording our lowest number of species since 2013 (not including the 2018 count which was hampered by snow and ice). Compared to the last 5 years, we spent less time and travelled fewer miles during this year’s count. Since 2012, we have recorded 194 species.

YEAR

# PARTICIPANTS 55 68 60 68 70 74 35 73 55 45 51 47 23

2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018* 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012** *snowmageddon **unofficial - practice run

PARTY HOURS 168.9 198.8 190.9 200.8 168.3 155.7 37.8 152.6 143.5 156.1 121.0 106.8 27.0

PARTY MILES

# INDIVIDUALS

# SPECIES

270.7 314.0 288.3 312.7 304.7 274.2 84.5 324.1 384.3 363.3 335.1 321.0 73.0

26,729 22,919 18,908 44,026 23,127 16,571 17,157 38,630 21,528 41,096 24,067 22,652 19,029

153 162 158 157 156 155 144 158 158 159 154 146 132

No new species were added to the count this year.

Some species highlights this year include Greater Scaup, Whimbrel, American Woodcock, Parasitic Jaeger, Western Cattle Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, and Rusty Blackbird. The Bar-tailed Godwit that we had to fortune to include the last two years, did return to Kiawah again this fall but left several weeks prior to the count.

Notable misses: Surf Scoter, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Field Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, and Prairie Warbler.

I’d would like to thank all the participants and volunteers for continuing to make this event a success.

Not only is the bird count fun and educational for participants, but it also contributes valuable scientific data to aid in bird conservation across the country. Looking ahead to next year, the count will most likely be on Friday, January 3, 2025.

2023-2024 Sea Island Christmas Bird Count 03 January 2024 Section Species Canada Goose Wood Duck Blue-winged Teal Green-winged Teal Mallard Gadwall Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Black Scoter Bufflehead Hooded Merganser Ruddy Duck Red-breasted Merganser Wild Turkey Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Rock Pigeon Eurasian Collared-Dove Mourning Dove Ruby-throated Hummingbird Clapper Rail Virginia Rail Sora Common Gallinule American Coot American Oystercatcher Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Wilson's Plover Piping Plover Killdeer

Total 184 45 1 4 5 9 10 1 172 1242 333 314 1 61 20 85 20 9 5 123 6 54 6 5 94 21 147 102 558 8 16 288

KI

DB

1

2

John's Island 3

4 105 20

5

6A

6B

Wadmalaw

KI

SI

FF

7

10

11

12

8

19 17

2

9

Kiawah Island 13A 13B 13C

14A 14B

15

16

9

20

17 9 3

4

2

1

6

KI Yards

SI WI JI Yards Yards Yards

60 2

4 1

4 2

3 9 10 1 115

2 28 60

55 165 2 62

13

2

22

12 4

1060 44

8 20

2

179 48

8 33 1

2 2

10 5

8 11

1 29

14

10

4 2

39 14 16

5 11

3

2 5

21

6

1

15

3

9 4 2

5

8

3

3

7 1 1

50

11

35 45 27

36

14

4

8 1

4 1 6

36 18 32 3

2 2

3 10

7

10

2 1

1

2

16

5 2 1 8

144

38

11

31

2 5

7 4 10 2 5 7

7

11 5 4 28 2 16 16 335 6 5 6

4 10

1 5

1 4

4 31

12 4

1 170 3 1

18 4

4

5

Section Species Marbled Godwit Whimbrel Ruddy Turnstone Red Knot Sanderling Dunlin Least Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher American Woodcock Wilson's Snipe Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Parasitic Jaeger Bonaparte's Gull Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Caspian Tern Forster's Tern Royal Tern Black Skimmer Red-throated Loon Common Loon Northern Gannet Wood Stork Anhinga Double-crested Cormorant American White Pelican Brown Pelican Great Blue Heron Great Egret

Total 10 1 73 227 252 1037 137 243 297 3 19 12 14 115 4 1 34 105 403 57 1 1 3 319 55 357 372 43 559 42 30 717 34 298 150 194

KI

DB

1

2

19 1 19 25 4

John's Island 3

4

7 1 22 20 23 239 15 19 122

6A

6B

SI

FF

7

10

11

12

8

9

25 60 45

1 1

3 3

1

4 31

1 14 2

1 2

13A 13B 13C 2

11 16 50 10

1 16 13 455 12 76 160

14A 14B

2 73 5 14

16

15

3

7

1

1

2 2 9

8

6 10

16

KI Yards

SI WI JI Yards Yards Yards

12 77 81 300 64 99

1 1 1

2

9

22

7 13

18

2 7 10 1

1 67 108 47

3

6

1 2

8

5 1 40

1 3

9 73 1

Kiawah Island

1

1 24 11 1

2

1 25 3

KI

6

2 1 22

5

Wadmalaw

41 1 1

23

12

5 1 1 3 12 27 4 1

1 13 1

50 27

12

1 1

1

3

1 16

2 4

93 22 17 41 45

94 6 63 6 3

1 1

40

2 1 10

1 1

3 9 8

2 8 7

8

4

1

8

7

3 1 77

5 3 2

2

2 5 3

10 8

1

4

1 5 5

4 3 350 5 550

80 100

1 18 6

1 155 8 274 1

14 1

15 5 143

1 4 3

2 1 1 45

20

20 10 7 7 3 21

44 23 34

1 3

26 6 17

3 7

12 13 31

1

3

3

1 2 7 43 6 16 13 12

30 11 80 3

4 1 5 4 1

1 1 24 5 1 7

4 3

Section Species Snowy Egret Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Western Cattle Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Roseate Spoonbill White Ibis Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper's Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Eastern Screech-Owl Great Horned Owl Barred Owl Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-headed Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Northern Flicker American Kestrel Eastern Phoebe White-eyed Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Loggerhead Shrike Blue Jay American Crow Fish Crow Carolina Chickadee

Total 146 45 45 20 2 37 7 152 67 198 10 40 5 2 9 44 18 3 6 5 70 81 12 167 91 45 80 20 115 6 18 7 373 500 44 336

KI

DB

1

2

7

12

2

3

John's Island 3

4

5

6A

5 3

10 3 5

5 4 2

6B

Wadmalaw

KI

SI

FF

7

8

9

10

11

12

1 5 5

1 5

4 2 1

26 9 4

Kiawah Island

KI Yards

SI WI JI Yards Yards Yards

13A 13B 13C

14A 14B

15

16

49 10 15

13 2 7

1

5

1 1

1

1 1 2 8

6 2 6

23

6 1 1

20 1 4 4 1 2

1 5

12 6 13

4

5 9 1 1 3

25 6 13

1 16

1

16 41 1 1

2 11 1 1

11 44 1 5

1 1

1 2 1

1 1 2 1

8

8

1 2 10 4 1 4 2

4 1 1 2 10 4

1 7 8

11 2 3 7 6 6

14 2 3 6 1 9

1

4

12 8 8 41

1 3 1

1 62 102 4

4 1

2 3

2 3 1

1

10 5 16 6 37 2 3 1 1 7 4

23 1 3

2 1

2 1

51 1 2 7 1

1

1 4

1 3

5 1

2

1 1 1

3 3 2 1

1

4

1 7 2

1

1

1

2 3

2 1 103 22 2 49

7 4 6 16 4 6 9 2 9 1 2 1 26 30 2 11

1 8 10 3 6 11 2 14 4 2 16 5 17

7 2 2 11 11 6 8 3 14 3 58 42 5 18

3 1 1 1 7 4 4 3 1 1 12 18 1 6

2 2 2 6 4 2 1 2 3 1 10 21 2 15

9 17 4 33 14 6 9

1 1 1

3 1 2 5 1 2

5 6

9

4

1

1 2 1 1 1 6 1 1

28 142 1 46

8 6 1 3

13

1 1 4 22 1 12

7 7

1

1 5

1 17

11 5 4 7

14 8

11

8

1

1

7 15 8 16

8 20 7 35

4

2

1 3

9 5 1

1 4

7 8

1

1

8 3

11 9 5 10

2 1

3 2

6 19

1 1

1

30

2

5

2

7 1 5

4

Section Species Tufted Titmouse Tree Swallow Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet White-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Winter Wren House Wren Sedge Wren Marsh Wren Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Northern Mockingbird Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing American Pipit House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Chipping Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Seaside Sparrow Saltmarsh Sparrow Nelson's Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Towhee Eastern Meadowlark Baltimore Oriole Red-winged Blackbird

Total 230 233 169 26 27 12 7 3 42 15 21 236 84 41 7 102 293 40 472 223 102 32 69 91 344 134 13 7 6 132 97 91 37 111 7 1510

KI

DB

1

2

John's Island

Wadmalaw

KI

SI

FF

10

11

12

13A 13B 13C

14A 14B

15

16

KI Yards

38 3 33 3 2

4

5 7 6

17 1 12 2

10

17

2

1

14 1 3 2

4 1 2 1

3

4

5

6A

6B

7

8

9

12

10

16

12

13

4 2

8 3 1

6 20 12 3

8 30 7 1 9

12 1 6 1 2

17 150 7

21

3

1

15 26

5 6 1 3 17 5 5 13 7

1 2

1 3

8 1

11 1 2

8 38 2 7 4

18

5 7

1 2 97 14

30 6 1 1

3 1

3

16 9 7

55

11

11

5 6

7

2

11

14 11 3

20

1 3 25 2 11 65

11 30 5

3 8 2 3

7 16 38

5 12 1

6 11 2 14

87

1

2

SI WI JI Yards Yards Yards 26

3

5

3

2 1

3

2 1

1

6

1

1

35 25

8

1 3 1

3

7

1 4 55 2 2 15 20

1 7 4

6 5 1 6

405

20

12 17 55 11

2 14 24 4

1 1 3 7

12 1 3 8 33

178

4 46 16 6 1 28 46 5 270 77

80 1 20 11 3

1

5 4 2

2 2

Kiawah Island

10

18 3 11 1 9 5 4 125 12 2

24 4 15 14 2

2 1 4 9

6 5

32 11 13 6 4

4 15 145

11

1 142

7 5 10 8 1 5 1 8 14

4 2

9 2

1

4 2 6 5 63 28 42 4 3

1 4 3 27 19 4 2 7 18 10 27 4

1

21 6

5 12 2 7

1 2 8 2

3 1 2

5

1

2

9

4 2

5

1

6 17 1 15 28

4 2 10 3

4 1 1

1

1 2 1

93

4

12

2

1 1 24 2 1

1 1 2

1

5

2 2 2 8 6 1 1 4 9 2 1

12 3 39

141

1 1 4 1

14 1 1 6

1

1 150

10

4

2 9

3 8

Section Species

Total

Rusty Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Boat-tailed Grackle Black-and-white Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Common Yellowthroat Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Northern Cardinal Painted Bunting scaup sp. scoter sp. duck sp. peep sp. gull sp. loon sp. hawk sp. crow spp. swallow sp.

Nelson's/Saltmarsh Sparrow blackbird sp.

18 809 456 94 5 19 3 59 71 1803 10 315 11 1011 2550 353 4 8 1003 1 56 1 7 2

Total Species Totals Observers

26729 153 55

KI

DB

1

2

John's Island 3

4

5

6A

6B

Wadmalaw

KI

SI

FF

7

8

10

11

12

50

750 50

1

1

1 2

9

Kiawah Island 13A 13B 13C

14A 14B

15

16

KI Yards

SI WI JI Yards Yards Yards

18 6 14

26

2 25

2 1

1

60

150

150

2 1

6 36

1 3 24

508

18

12

34

2

3

5 170

3 1 115

11 6 84

10

8

17

32

3

2 7 2 3

1 13 5 166 1 58

3 1 30 1 7

11

7 21 12 1

2 8 1 3 1 13

1

2 3

2 1 1

1 1 124

117

2 80

1 3 4 108

19

7

2

22

12 81 20

1

4 7 30 1 14

2

1

1 1 106

6 15 11 7 25 6

8

2 2

1 3

1

3

4 3

1000 2550 3

350 4 8 1000

3 1

7

15

30

2

2

1 5

2 2

558 1115 375

756 1666 1372 802 1123 1351 893 6953 2118 788 2770 180

0

1378 550

430 1498

15

348

41

61

37 7

65 1(1)

0 0

83 2

59 1 (2)

6 1 (1)

46 11 (1)

22 1

15 2 (2)

40 3

45 2

71 2

73 2

52 1

75 1

68 2

70 3

22 2

101 9

66 2

100 2

22 4

58 1

74 2

Section Effot

Total

John's Island

KI

DB

1

2

3

4

5

6A

835

910

640

750

645

Wadmalaw

KI

SI

FF

Kiawah Island

6B

7

8

9

10

11

12

13A 13B 13C

14A 14B

15

825

730

720

800 1215 645

700

345 1400

700

820 1015

16

Start Time

345

845

End Time

1745

1050 1330 1230 1430 1400 1640 1345 1530 1745 1600 1345 1555 940 1645 1700

Hours on foot

82.3

3.5

1.7

5.2

1.2

5.1

5.3

5.5

9.7

5.5

15.8

2.5

5.3

3

3.6

1.6

3.1

4.7

Miles on foot

62.4

1.75

2.7

4.6

0.5

1.5

6.5

2.9

6.6

2.5

11.5

2.3

4.7

2

3.25

1.8

3.7

3.6

Hours by car

23.65

0.3

7.5

5

0.2

1.5

0.9

2.5

1.5

1.75

0.7

0.9

0.5

0.4

Miles by car

135.1

1.3

26

26.1

2.6

13.6 14.8 20.6

7.2

3.3

5

8.6

5

1

Hours on boat

3.1

2.1

1

Miles on boat

14.8

9.8

5

Hours by golf cart

25.9

4.5

7

3

3.7

4.5

miles by golf cart

45.35

3.2

13.9

7.1

6.6

12.8 1.75

Hours by bike

0

Miles by bike

0

Hours spent owling

2.7

0.1

2.6

Miles driven for owling

13

0

13

Hours by feeders

31.2

730

KI Yards

SI WI JI Yards Yards Yards

1440 1540 1510 1600

3.2

1

25.4

0.8

4

Participants

Territory 1 (Kiawah River)

Bradley Schmoll, Kristin Lococo, Stephen Dey, Cheyenne Golden, Luke Petit, Christian Carter, Kat Carrow

2 (Deveaux Bank)

Felicia Sanders, Janet Thibault, Cami Duquet

3 (John's Island North)

Kathy Woolsey, Bill Woolsey

4 (John's Island East)

Pete Laurie, Dennis Forsythe

5 (John's Island West)

Jim Jordan, Mat Hill

6A (John's Island South)

Andy Harrison, Ann Truesdale

6B (John's Island South)

Tom Austin

7 (Wadmalaw North)

Dave Eslinger

8 (Wadmalaw East) 9 (Wadmalaw South) 10 (Kiawah Beach/Ocean) 11 (Seabrook Island) 12 (Freshfields Village) 13A (Ocean Course) 13B (Ocean Park) 13C (Little Bear) 14A(Kiawah Central) 14B (Kiawah Central) 15 (Kiawah West) 16 (Kiawah - Capt. Sam's Spit) Kiawah Backyards

David McLean, John Horlbeck Debbie Seabrook, Patrick Markham, Melissa Hughes Aaron Given, Keith McCullough Judy Morr, Nancy Brown, Bob and Eileen Mercer, Joleen Ardaiolo, Melanie Jerome, Tori Langen, Mark Andrews, Gina Sanders Michael Gamble, Nancy Raginski Aaron Given, Kith McCullough Stephen Dey, Cheyenne Golden, Luke Petit, Kat Carrow

Seabrook Backyards

Joleen Ardaiolo, Patricia Schaefer, Dean Morr, Jenni Hesterman, Valerie Doane, Nancy Chomel, Lesley Gore, Walter & Jackie Brooks, Melodie Murphy, Lynn Miner, Melanie Jerome

John's Island Backyards Wadmalaw Backyards

Jennifer Jerome Melinda and Joe Kelley, Bob and April Long

Elizabeth Anderegg, Cheerie Sneed Jennifer Tyrrell Jennifer Jerome, Jim Jordan and Matt Hill (Water Treatment Plant) Michael Gamble, Nancy Raginski Charlen Cathcart, jamie Chathcart