Great Backyard Bird Count - February 14-17

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds!

Participants count birds for a minimum of 15 minutes (or longer) during the four-day period. Participants can count birds for a single day or during all four days of the GBBC. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. For example, if three robins are spotted in the yard, the count for robins would be three. Later, if a single robin is spotted in the yard, the count for robins would remain at three (most seen at one time) and not increase to four. Once you finish counting, simply visit the GBBC website (http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/), create your FREE account, and submit your checklist.

As the count progresses, anyone with Internet access can explore what is being reported from their own towns or anywhere in the United States and Canada. They can also see how this year's numbers compare with those from previous years. Participants may also send in photographs of the birds they see. This is a tremendous opportunity for teachers to address science, social studies and math standards while helping scientists learn about birds in our hemisphere!

Pileated Woodpeckers - David Youngblood

By knowing where the birds are, scientists and bird enthusiasts can learn much regarding the current state of birds. Bird populations are dynamic; they are constantly in flux. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to document the complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short time.

Barred Owls - David Youngblood

The GBBC is a citizen-science project where everybody’s help, no matter how small, is valuable. Help make sure the birds from our community are well-represented in the count. It does not matter whether a report is for five species on a backyard feeder or for 25 species spotted during a day's outing to the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest.

There are plenty of ways to participate!  You do NOT need to be an expert on birds.

You can find tips here for counting birds, especially large flocks.

There is a poster of some common backyard birds here.

Facebook

Twitter using #GBBC

If you’re looking for a fun way to get involved, consider joining Audubon staff during our FREE public bird-watching walk on the Sawmill Branch Trail in Summerville, SC on Saturday, February 15th. We will meet in the parking lot for the Sawmill Branch Trail at 8 a.m. and count birds for the GBBC for about two hours. This is a free and easy way to learn more about the birds in your area AND contribute important information for the GBBC!

More details about our public bird-watching walks can be found here: http://beidlerforest.audubon.org/saturday-morning-guided-bird-walks.

Birds of Project PROTHO

The old-growth, bald cypress-tupelo swamp at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest contains some of the highest densities of breeding Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) in South Carolina.

Project PROTHO was an effort to learn more about the breeding biology of these warblers within our unique ecosystem and to support our conservation efforts, we captured and banded a number of birds.  You can read more in previous blog entries.  Each Prothonotary Warbler has a unique color-band combination that allows the identification of individual birds.

A257 with prey - Mark Musselman

Banding Color Scheme

COLOR	NUMBER
Purple/white	0
Red/white	1
Pink	2
Light Green	3
Yellow	4
Red	5
Light Blue	6
Black	7
Orange	8
Dark Blue	9
Aluminum	A

Bands are read from lower left to upper left to upper right to lower right.

Although we no longer have a permitted bird bander at the center, sightings of color-banded birds continue to provide valuable data on site fidelity, territory size, daily and seasonal movements, and nest success rates. Your recorded data (ask for a data sheet) will add to the scientific knowledge about these birds.

If you have seen or photographed banded Prothonotary Warblers and are interested in the details we have obtained regarding their bandings, territories and nesting attempts, you can use the links on the Project PROTHO page to navigate to each bird's page.

We are in the process of building the pages, so let us know if your bird is not yet shown and we will give that bird priority treatment!.

Help Find Rusty Blackbirds

You can help scientists prepare for the retooled Rusty Blackbird Winter Blitz in 2014 by identifying habitats containing Rusty Blackbirds from March through April 2013.

More details at eBird here.

We have seen Rusty Blackbirds at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest and multiple times along the nature trail at Ashley Ridge High School (ARHS).  See the blog entry here.

Male Rusty Blackbird - Mark Musselman

Female Rusty Blackbird - Mark Musselman

The Francis Beidler Forest contains 17,000 acres of cypress-tupelo swamp (1800 acres of old-growth), but the swamp at ARHS is less than 15 acres.  Therefore, do not feel that a stand of flooded forest near you is too small to warrant an investigation!

2013 Great Backyard Bird Count Day1

Did you count any birds in your yard or neighborhood in support of the Great Backyard Bird Count?  If you didn't, why not?  It's easy!  There are still two more days after today.

Yesterday, we were at Middleton Place and here is some of what we saw on day #1:

American Coot - Mark Musselman

Common Gallinule - Mark Musselman

Double-crested Cormorant eating fish - Mark Musselman

Wood Stork - Mark Musselman

Middleton Place, Dorchester, US-SC

Feb 15, 2013 3:25 PM - 4:50 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.25 mile(s)
Comments:    Clear, 60s
27 species

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  2
Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)  1

Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)  26    <

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  1
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)  2
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)  1
White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)  4
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)  6
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  5
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  6

American Coot (Fulica americana)  3   

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  5
Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)  4
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  3
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)  4
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)  1
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  10
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  3
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  6

Great Backyard Bird Count 2013

The annual Great Backyard Bird Count will be held during this coming weekend (Feb. 15-18).

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes or longer, if one wishes, on a single day or on each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.

Northern Mockingbird - Mark Mussselman

Participants count birds anywhere for 15 minutes or longer during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. For example, if three robins are spotted in the yard, the count for robins would be three. Later, if a single robin is spotted in the yard, the count for robins would remain at three (most seen at one time) and not increase to four. Participants can report their counts by filling out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count website at http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/.

As the count progresses, anyone with Internet access can explore what is being reported from their own towns or anywhere in the United States and Canada. They can also see how this year's numbers compare with those from previous years. Participants may also send in photographs, including a contest, of the birds they see. This is a tremendous opportunity for teachers to address science, social studies and math standards while helping scientists learn about birds in our hemisphere!

By knowing where the birds are, scientists and bird enthusiasts can learn much regarding the current state of birds. Bird populations are dynamic; they are constantly in flux. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to document the complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short time.

The GBBC is a citizen-science project where everybody’s help, no matter how small, is valuable. Help make sure the birds from our community are well-represented in the count. It does not matter whether a report is for five species on a backyard feeder or during a walk through the neighborhood or for 25 species spotted during a day's outing to the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest.

There are plenty of ways to participate!  You do NOT need to be an expert on birds.

You can find tips here for counting birds, especially large flocks.

There is a poster of some common backyard birds here.

Facebook

Twitter using #GBBC

Christmas Bird Count in Four Holes Swamp 2012

All the data sheets for the Monday's 2012 Four Holes Swamp Christmas Bird Count have not been returned to the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest.  However, with 95 species already tallied, we have bested last year's 90 species and are within striking distance of 2010's 100 species.  The species numbers for this year are surprising as the day's weather began with temperatures fluctuating noticeably between warm and cool, continued to cool and began to lightly rain by noon, and ended the birding shortly after 3:00 p.m. with the arrival of heavy rain.

Some bird highlights included 79 Sandhill Cranes flying near Beider Forest; a pair of Bald Eagles perched in a snag overlooking the Holcim Cement quarry; multiple Sharp-shinned Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, and Northern Harriers; Loggerhead Shrikes with prey; Wild Turkey; and over 200 American Pipits.

In addition to the many birds we spotted, we also spied an alligator in a pond deep in the inactive portion of the Holcim Cement quarry.  Although the morning weather could not be classified as wintery, we all agreed it was too cool for a swim.  A few hundred meters away in the swamp, we surprised an animal better suited to be swimming in the cold water.  A large beaver with insulating fur slipped off the bank and swam down the lake away from the Holcim dock.

Thank you to the 32 participants in this year's count and to Argos and Holcim cement companies for access to their properties!  We still had some groups counting more than one section of the count circle, so we could use your help next December for the 114th annual Christmas Bird Count.  The date is tentatively set for December 16, 2013.

Due to the wet weather, we do not have any bird images to show from this year's count, so we will leave you with an image taken two days ago by one of our game cameras.

White-tailed Deer  -  self-portrait

We hope Santa's can account for all of his deer.  We will see you in 2013!

Christmas and Screech Owls

We probably will not see any Eastern Screech Owls (Otus asio) on our own during the Four Holes Swamp Christmas Bird Count on Monday, but there is a possibility we will hear one or discover one due to mobbing activity by other bird species.  Screech owls are strictly nocturnal and vary in color from bright rufous to plain gray.  Beyond being nocturnal, the intricate pattern of their feathers make screech owls difficult, if not impossible, to see against a backdrop of tree bark.

Recently, a motorist brought in a gray adult Eastern Screech Owl that was in the middle of the road.  Although they struck the owl, it may have been standing in the middle of road after having been previously struck by a vehicle.  Note the bird's coloration and size in the hand of Mike Dawson, center director.

Eastern Screech Owl - Mark Musselman

Eastern Screech Owl - Mark Musselman

Eastern Screech Owl - Mark Musselman

Mike Dawson with Eastern Screech Owl - Mark Musselman

Two years ago, we found a rufous adult Eastern Screech Owl in the middle of Beidler Forest Road.

Eastern Screech Owl - Mark Musselman

Six years ago, we took a picture of a Barred Owl (Strix varia) in the road.  Unfortunately, we see many vehicle-struck Barred Owls along the roads in and around the swamp.

Barred Owl - Mark Musselman

It is not only owls in danger of being hit by vehicles, but other avian predators like the Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) shown below.

Red-shouldered Hawk - Mark Musselman

Red-shouldered Hawk - Mark Musselman

Red-shouldered Hawk - Mark Musselman

All of these predators perch near open areas like power line corridors and roadways.  Humans throwing food items or trash out of the window of a vehicle attracts prey animals to the road's edge.  Avian predators fixated on their prey will glide from their perch and risk getting hit by a vehicle as they fly low across the road.

Please keep you trash in your vehicle, so we can count all the owls and hawks during Monday's Christmas Bird Count!

2012 Christmas Bird Count

Christmas Bird Counters!

On Monday the 17th of December 2012, we will be conducting the Four Holes Swamp Christmas Bird Count and participating in the 113th Christmas Bird Count!

Yellow-rumped Warbler - Mark Musselman

The general plan is as follows - teams will meet on the morning of the 17th at Audubon’s Francis Beidler Forest visitor center. We will meet at 8am and go out and count for 8 hours with our respective teams. Everyone will return to the visitor center by 4:30pm to turn in their lists. At that time, everyone is welcome to enjoy some hot beverages (coffee, tea, hot chocolate) and snacks (cookies, cake, etc), which we will provide at the center as a thank you for volunteering!

Please note that there is no longer a $5 per person participation fee, which was used to pay for the compilation of the data and for the CBC results summary book that was mailed out each year. The data summary will no longer be mailed to individuals, but all data will be available via the web site http://birds.audubon.org/american-birds-annual-summary-christmas-bird-count.  Therefore, voluntary donations are now even more crucial to the Christmas Bird Count. You can donate online at the secure CBC link: https://give.audubon.org:557/giving/Page/62/1/62.

Count sections

There are still some open territories (#7, #8 and #10) and some territories light on participants, so please share this with anyone you think may be interested!

Mark Musselman
(843) 462-2150

Homegrown National Park

 Have you ever wondered how you can make a difference in the world?  News of the world can be overwhelming and as individuals our efforts can appear insignificant or fruitless.  However, take a cue from nature.  An individual ant cannot move a large grasshopper or traverse a wide gap in the terrain, but working together by the thousands, ants can move the insect and create a bridge of ant bodies to span the gap.

Below is a citizen-science project where anyone of any means can become involved to help wildlife and plant communities across our country.  Efforts can range from the size of a flower box to entire tracts of varied habitat.  Here at the Francis Beidler Forest, we protect the old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp, but we are also restoring grasslands and longleaf pine forests.  Your efforts might not match our scale, but they will be no less important!  See Richard Louv's proposal below for ideas on how you can become involved and create a Homegrown National Park.

Excerpts from:

The New Nature Movement

Field Notes from the Future: Tracking the Movement to Connect People and Nature

by Richard Louv

How to Create a Neighborhood Butterfly Zone — and a Homegrown National Park

Our goal was to revive our struggling yard by planting part of it with species native to the San Diego bioregion, and support native birds, butterflies and bees (especially the California species; honeybees are, in fact, not native) and other insects essential to pollination and migration routes. These, in turn, nurture and grow wild populations of animals and plants.
...

Gulf Fritillary - Ricky Covey

Tallamy, chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware and author of “Bringing Nature Home,” makes the case that everyday gardeners are the key to reviving urban biodiversity – maybe global biodiversity.

As I quoted him in “The Nature Principle,” Tallamy argues convincingly that it “is now in the power of individual gardeners to do something that we all dream of doing: to ‘make a difference.’ In this case, the ‘difference’ will be to the future of biodiversity, to the native plants and animals of North America and the ecosystems that sustain them.”

He’s not only referring to our gardens, but to your yards — a massive replacement of traditional lawns with attractive and productive native species.
...

But if we want to build our continent’s biodiversity, that information should be readily available to everyone, and part of a larger campaign to create, say, a Homegrown National Park made up of tens of thousands of miles of back yards that would serve as a new kind of wildlife corridor. That’s what Tallamy would like to see happen.

“The single most effective thing we can do is build biological corridors that connect isolated habitat fragments,” Tallamy wrote in his email. “That will take the collective effort of all the landowners in between any two fragments. At the level of the individual, if each person manages his or her property as a living entity instead of an ornament, we would be there.”

The suburbs have more lawns, but the goal could be pursued in urban neighborhoods, too, through portions of community gardens and public parks, window boxes and rooftop gardens.
 ...
But the act of creating a backyard wildlife habitat (as the National Wildlife Federation and Audubon have suggested for years) does capture my imagination, especially if our yard is part of a new nature movement that not only conserves but “creates” nature.

NestWatch - Citizen Science

Wondering how you can get involved in bird conservation?  The Christmas Bird Count, the Great Backyard Bird Count, and Project FeederWatch not enough for you?  Well, you have some time before the next nesting season to become better acquainted with the birds in your local habitat in order to participate in NestWatch from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

After reading the Code of Conduct designed to protect both you and the birds and taking a brief quiz, you will be certified to record your nest sightings and observations. Observations include the location of the nest, the habitat around the nest, the birds species, the date of the first egg, the clutch size, the date of the first hatching, the date of the the fledgling, whether or not the nest was a success, what led to a failed nest, and any other data you may wish to add in the comments section.  The nests you observe in your area may seem "ornithologically" insignificant, but when compiled with all other sightings across North America, a clearer picture emerges for the bird breeding season.

Here at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest, we just entered the Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) nest in the cigarette disposal container as our first observation.  Even though the nest did not succeed, the data are useful for those studying birds throughout North America.

Carolina Wren nest - Mark Musselman

Edisto River Prothonotary Warbler Survey

Over the last two weeks, volunteers and Audubon South Carolina have been conducting a survey of Prothonotary Warblers along the Edisto River for consideration of the river as an Important Bird Area (IBA).

male Prothonotary Warbler - Mark Musselman

Last year's results for the entire stretch, Kill Kare to US Hwy 17, were 358 Prothonotary Warblers.

Yesterday, staff from the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest conducted the survey along the 14-mile stretch from Stokes Bridge to Givhans Ferry State Park.  We saw or heard a total of 56 Prothonotary Warbler.  Geographic Information System (GIS) data for this stretch can be downloaded on our webpage. We will post the data for the entire river once it has been received.

You can see an interactive map HERE of our trip including our Prothonotary Warbler sightings data.  Click on the data points to see the number and sex of the birds and whether or not the birds were seen or heard.

Stokes Bridge to Givhans Ferry State Park

Stokes Bridge to Givhans Ferry State Park

Along the way, we also saw and heard 36 other species of birds.  Some, like the wild turkey, were individual birds seen at one location, while others, like the Northern Parula, were ubiquitous along the entire 14-mile stretch of river.  We saw a Belted Kingfisher catch a fish while another chattered angrily at a Barred Owl (only reason we saw it).  Elsewhere, a crow chased off a Red-shouldered Hawk, a Great Blue Heron glared at us for the intrusion, and a Barred Owl begged mightily for its parents to bring something to eat.  Note: You can see images for some of the following species on our webpage.

CICONIIFORMES

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Great Egret (Ardea albus)

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) 

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

FALCONIFORMES

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis)

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

GALLIFORMES

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

COLUMBIFORMES

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)

CUCULIFORMES

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)

STRIGIFORMES

Barred Owl (Strix varia)

APODIFORMES

Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

CORACIIFORMES

Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)

PICIFORMES

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

PASSERIFORMES

Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens)

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)

White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)

Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)

Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)

Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)

Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) 

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscala)

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)

37 species, and one sad looking Muscovy Duck

2012 Great Backyard Bird Count Results

It was a record-breaking year for the Great Backyard Bird Count!  Thank you to all who participated.  If you didn't participate in the citizen-science project this year, mark your calendars for Feb. 15-18, 2013.

Great Backyard Bird Count Highlights

By Marshall Iliff, Christopher Wood, Brian Sullivan, Dick Cannings, and Pat Leonard

March 19, 2012

Bird watcher by Brenda Chmiel, New Jersey,   2012 GBBC

Overview

The 2012 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) was one of stark contrasts. Arctic-dwelling Snowy Owls and redpolls irrupted into the Great Plains and the West in the largest numbers ever recorded in the 15-year history of the Great Backyard Bird Count. Participants reported Eurasian Collared-Doves and Great-tailed Grackles in northerly locations, a sign of the species' continuing range expansion. And spring migration was already underway for several species including Red-winged Blackbirds, Sandhill Cranes, and Snow Geese. Even the Blue Jay, a species often thought to be resident, showed unusual patterns with low numbers recorded in much of the East.

By the Numbers

First, let’s look at the raw numbers. GBBC participants submitted a record-smashing 104,151 checklists with 17.4 million individual bird observations! Participants set new checklist records in 22 states and in 6 Canadian provinces. Across the continent and in Hawaii, participants identified 623 species. Read more...

______________________________________________________________________________

You can see the results from the United States and Canada here.  South Carolina ranked seventh in species reported for all the states, provinces and the District of Columbia.  You can check here to see how your community ranked within South Carolina.  Note that the coastal communities had the advantage with regard to number of species, but Spartanburg had far and away the greatest number of checklists submitted!

GBBC - Day 4

Monday was the last day of the Great Backyard Bird Count.  Even though Monday was also a holiday (Presidents' Day), we came to the swamp to count birds!  We tweeted the action from Beidler Forest, which included several close passes by an otter, a beautiful pair of Hooded Mergansers swimming behind the beaver dam, and several Wood Ducks moving stealthily through the cattails under the power lines.

29448, Harleyville, Dorchester County, SC Observation Date : FEB 20, 2012 Start Time: 1:30 PM Total Birding Time: 3 hours 30 minutes Party Size: 1
Skill: good
Weather: excellent
Habitat(s):
    deciduous woods
    coniferous woods
    scrub
    grassland
    agricultural
    rural
    freshwater
Number of Species: 31
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
    Canada Goose - 2
    Wood Duck - 4
    Hooded Merganser - 2
    Black Vulture - 1
    Turkey Vulture - 3
    Red-shouldered Hawk - 2
    Mourning Dove - 5
    Barred Owl - 4
    Belted Kingfisher - 1
    Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
    Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1
    Downy Woodpecker - 2
    Northern Flicker - 2
    Pileated Woodpecker - 4
    Eastern Phoebe - 1
    American Crow - 7
    Fish Crow - 20
    Carolina Chickadee - 1
    Tufted Titmouse - 2
    White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
    Carolina Wren - 2
    Winter Wren - 1
    Golden-crowned Kinglet - 2
    Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2
    American Robin - 2
    Northern Mockingbird - 1
    Pine Warbler - 1
    Yellow-rumped Warbler - 2
    Chipping Sparrow - 4
    Northern Cardinal - 4
    American Goldfinch - 2
Comments----------------------------------------
Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest http://beidlerforest.org; clear, 50Fs

We updated the map to include the routes we walked and the area we were able to view during our count.  You can view the GIS map here.  In the menu at the left, the center icon "Show Contents of Map" allows one to check on or off the various layers of data.  Zoom out to see the sites (Summerville area) from the first day of the count.

 Mark you maps to participate in the 2013 GBBC!

Great Backyard Bird Count - Feb. 17th

Although the weather is less than perfect today, you still have a day and a half to help with the Great Backyard Bird Count!  Look at the map of South Carolina and it is not difficult to identify the population centers for our state.

Even if you do not participate in the count, the maps and data are certainly interesting resources for use in the classroom.  Why is it that folks in the rural areas are less likely to participate?  Why are the population centers located where they are?  What is the story with the Greater White-fronted Goose in North Charleston?  Why in 2003-2004 were American Robins reported throughout the eastern United States, while in 2008 the birds were packed along the Gulf Coast and in Florida?

Tufted Titmouse -Mark Musselman

On Friday, the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest education department spent the day counting birds in and around Summerville, SC.  We made our own map, which you can view here.  We began our count early at Azalea Park in the center of Summerville.

29483, Summerville, Dorchester County, SC
Observation Date : FEB 17, 2012
Start Time: 8:00 AM
Total Birding Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Weather: excellent
Habitat(s):
        deciduous woods
        suburban
        freshwater
Number of Species: 24
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
        Turkey Vulture - 1
        Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
        Downy Woodpecker - 1
        Blue Jay - 4
        American Crow - 5
        Fish Crow - 6
        Carolina Chickadee - 4
        Tufted Titmouse - 3
        White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
        Carolina Wren - 2
        Golden-crowned Kinglet - 2
        Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 3
        Eastern Bluebird - 2
        American Robin - 2
        Northern Mockingbird - 1
        Brown Thrasher - 1
        Cedar Waxwing - 15
        Pine Warbler - 2
        Yellow-rumped Warbler - 8
        White-throated Sparrow - 4
        Northern Cardinal - 14
        blackbird sp. - 2
        House Finch - 2
        American Goldfinch - 1
Comments----------------------------------------
overcast, 50Fs

Next, we moved to The Ponds community west of Summerville on US Hwy 17-A.  We only made it to the tree line before we were busy counting vireos, nuthatches, kinglets, cardinals, titmouse, chickadees, and woodpeckers.  Walking east to one of the ponds, we located coots, grebes, egrets, osprey, an anhinga, a kingfisher and a cormorant.  The threat of precipitation kept our camera in the car.

29485, Summerville, Dorchester County, SC
Observation Date : FEB 17, 2012
Start Time: 9:30 AM
Total Birding Time: 2 hours
Weather: excellent
Habitat(s):
        deciduous woods
        coniferous woods
        scrub
        grassland
        agricultural
        rural
        freshwater
Number of Species: 34
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
        Mallard - 2
        Pied-billed Grebe - 7
        Double-crested Cormorant - 1
        Anhinga - 1
        Great Egret - 1
        Black Vulture - 3
        Turkey Vulture - 1
        Osprey - 2
        Red-shouldered Hawk - 2
        American Coot - 5
        Killdeer - 2
        Belted Kingfisher - 1
        Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
        Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 3
        Downy Woodpecker - 1
        Pileated Woodpecker - 1
        Eastern Phoebe - 1
        White-eyed Vireo - 1
        Blue-headed Vireo - 1
        American Crow - 8
        Carolina Chickadee - 4
        Tufted Titmouse - 5
        White-breasted Nuthatch - 2
        Carolina Wren - 1
        Golden-crowned Kinglet - 2
        Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 3
        Eastern Bluebird - 3
        Hermit Thrush - 2
        Pine Warbler - 2
        Yellow-rumped Warbler - 3
        Eastern Towhee - 2
        Chipping Sparrow - 15
        Northern Cardinal - 2
        House Finch - 1
Comments----------------------------------------
The Ponds community, mostly cloudy, breezy, 60Fs 
 
On our way to Ashley Ridge High School, we spotted a plethora of wading birds in the shallow water of an old sand pit.  The Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, and the solitary Wood Stork flushed before we could even cross the road to the tree line that we thought would screen us from diners in the water-filled pit.  Our approach was not unproductive.  We caught a brief glimpse of a Common Yellowthroat in the dried aquatic plants at the water's edge and then spotted the movement of Rusty Blackbirds foraging through the organic litter in the water below the same dried plants.  Unfortunately, there were enough grasses and branches between us and the birds to prevent a focused image.

female Rusty Blackbird - Mark Musselman

29485, Summerville, Dorchester County, SC
Observation Date : FEB 17, 2012
Start Time: 11:30 AM
Total Birding Time: 30 minutes
Party Size: 1
Skill: good
Weather: excellent
Habitat(s):
        deciduous woods
        coniferous woods
        grassland
        rural
        freshwater
Number of Species: 20
All Reported: no
Checklist:
        Wood Stork - 1 Confirmed
        Great Blue Heron - 5
        Great Egret - 2
        Little Blue Heron - 1
        White Ibis - 8
        Black Vulture - 2
        Turkey Vulture - 3
        Osprey - 1
        Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
        Belted Kingfisher - 1
        Pileated Woodpecker - 1
        American Crow - 3
        Carolina Chickadee - 3
        Eastern Bluebird - 3
        Common Yellowthroat - 1
        Pine Warbler - 1
        Northern Cardinal - 2
        Red-winged Blackbird - 1
        Rusty Blackbird - 20
        American Goldfinch - 2
Comments----------------------------------------
old sand pits off of US 78, overcast, 60Fs

Totally unrelated to birding, there was a bison across the street!

Bison - Mark Musselman

At Ashley Ridge High School, the count began with Killdeer calling from the grassy areas, Northern Mockingbirds battling in the parking lot, and someone getting their Jeep shrink wrapped.

29485, Summerville, Dorchester County, SC
Observation Date : FEB 17, 2012
Start Time: 12:15 PM
Total Birding Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Party Size: 1
Skill: good
Weather: excellent
Habitat(s):
        deciduous woods
        coniferous woods
        scrub
        grassland
        rural
        freshwater
Number of Species: 28
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
        Great Egret - 1
        Turkey Vulture - 3
        Killdeer - 7
        Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
        Downy Woodpecker - 1
        Northern Flicker - 1
        Pileated Woodpecker - 1
        Eastern Phoebe - 1
        Loggerhead Shrike - 1
        American Crow - 1
        Fish Crow - 2
        crow sp. - 3
        Carolina Chickadee - 6
        Tufted Titmouse - 5
        Carolina Wren - 1
        Golden-crowned Kinglet - 2
        Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
        Hermit Thrush - 1
        Northern Mockingbird - 4
        Palm Warbler - 1
        Pine Warbler - 1
        Yellow-rumped Warbler - 7
        Chipping Sparrow - 1
        Song Sparrow - 2
        White-throated Sparrow - 8
        Northern Cardinal - 2
        Red-winged Blackbird - 20
        Common Grackle - 10
Comments----------------------------------------
nature trail in small swamp at Ashley Ridge HS, overcast, 60Fs, flushed bobcat during walk

Ditch along trail - Mark Musselman

Swamp along trail - Mark Musselman

Although we did not capture images of any wildlife along the nature trail, we did flush a Bobcat from off in the swamp.  We had stopped to observe the foraging of a Golden-crowned Kinglet and obviously loitered too long for the cat's comfort.  If not for the brief splashing as it crossed the flooded areas, we would never had know of its presence.

Finally, we ended the day at Middleton Place along the Ashley River.  Although the old rice field was drained and not full of duck species like last year, there were plenty of wading bird species clearing out the remaining puddles of water.

White Ibis and Snowy Egret - Mark Musselman

Little Blue Heron - Mark Musselman

Tri-colored Heron - Mark Musselman

Great Egret and Tri-colored Heron - Mark Musselman

29414, Charleston, Charleston County, SC
Observation Date : FEB 17, 2012
Start Time: 1:45 PM
Total Birding Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Party Size: 1
Skill: good
Weather: excellent
Habitat(s):
        deciduous woods
        coniferous woods
        scrub
        grassland
        rural
        freshwater
        salt water
Number of Species: 35
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
        Mute Swan - 2
        Mallard - 2
        Double-crested Cormorant - 9
        Anhinga - 1
        Brown Pelican - 1
        Great Blue Heron - 2
        Great Egret - 3
        Snowy Egret - 11
        Little Blue Heron - 2
        Tricolored Heron - 2
        White Ibis - 9
        Black Vulture - 2
        Turkey Vulture - 7
        Osprey - 1
        Mourning Dove - 1
        Belted Kingfisher - 1
        Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
        Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 4
        American Crow - 4
        Fish Crow - 2
        Carolina Chickadee - 5
        Tufted Titmouse - 1
        Carolina Wren - 1
        Winter Wren - 1
        Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
        Eastern Bluebird - 1
        Gray Catbird - 2
        Northern Mockingbird - 1
        Pine Warbler - 1
        Yellow-rumped Warbler - 5
        Eastern Towhee - 1
        Chipping Sparrow - 2
        Savannah Sparrow - 6
        White-throated Sparrow - 10
        Northern Cardinal - 8
Comments----------------------------------------
Middleton Place along Ashley River, overcast to partly cloudy, 60Fs

Throughout the gardens, birds foraged and called from within the dense foliage, but a few popped up long enough to pose for a picture.

White-throated Sparrow - Mark Musselman

White-throated Sparrow - Mark Musselman

Gray Catbird - Mark Musselman

Around the various freshwater ponds, we spied plenty of bird life and even some reptiles taking advantage of the warming day!

White Ibis - Mark Musselman

Mallards - Mark Musselman

American Alligators - Mark Musselman

Remember, there is still time to get out in your yard or somewhere nearby and see what birds you can find!

Peacock at Middleton Place - Mark Musselman