As a rule of thumb, my family is required to keep the Christmas tree up until January 6. Or, at least, this is what my Grandpa required. He jokingly said that January 6 was the true end of the holidays, as it was his birthday. While he is no longer here, his influence and love for birding are always present. With my sister in town, it felt like a fitting tribute to him last week to do our own birding challenge on Kiawah to see how many species we could find in a week.
It takes a sharp eye and plenty of patience (as well as some technological assistance) to reach a sizable number. Herons and egrets were the first to be ticked off the list. When we reached the smaller species, our cameras came in handy as we could identify them later. If you have ever stared out of binoculars for several hours of the day, you can imagine the less than classy words that were uttered when the yellow blob we were looking at ended up being ‘just another yellow-rumped warbler.’ Through several days of careful observance and lots of driving, we were able to amass just short of 100 birds. While I wish there was some secret spot to view a ton of birds, here are a few tips that helped us reach that number.
1 Visit a variety of different habitat types. By switching from a marsh edge, lagoon, and maritime forest setting, you are able to see a greater variety of species.
2 It is often easier to take a picture of a bird and identify it later than when out in the field. Your ears are your best asset.
3 With smaller birds, you are more likely to hear the bird before you see it.
4 Your phone has better ears than you. With the Merlin app, you can use your phone’s microphone to give you a list of birds that are in the area.
5 Sometimes your back porch and a cup of coffee are the best recipe for success. Birds come and go, and staying in one spot can sometimes lead to success.
6 Shorebirds, Vulture species, Gulls, and common backyard birds are often glanced over. These inconspicuous birds add a large bulk to a species count.
7 The best times to view birds are early in the morning and close to dusk.
Yellow-throated warbler (left), hermit thrush (middle), bufflehead (right)
