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Rosy report, Hilton Head




I took my family from Columbia down to Hilton Head Is., SC, yesterday
in hopes of seeing my first Roseate Spoonbill outside of South Florida
or the zoo.  We arrived at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant on 278, the 
reported location, about 10am.  The tide appeared to be high, but falling.  
There is a dead tree across a small channel from the restaurant's deck, 
not far away, where some White Ibises and a Snowy Egret were perched.  
I scanned the marshes, but could not locate a Spoonbill.  The birds on 
the tree flew off and were replaced by some smaller birds (red-winged 
blackbirds, I believe).

We tried again after lunch, and were treated with a close-up view of an
Osprey on the same tree.  It seemed best to return as late before sunset
as possible, in hopes of catching the Spoonbill as it approached the
next high tide.  Perhaps the Spoonbill would roost on the same tree?

Time spent at the beach produced a nice shark's tooth and a complete
sand dollar for my daughter and a shark's tooth for my wife (but only 
small shell fragments for me!).  There appeared to be hundreds of 
small hermit crabs in the wet spots left by the falling tide.  We had a 
nice (though mosquito-intensive) stroll in the Sea Pines Forest Preserve, 
especially along the Boggy Gut (or whatever it was called).  A quick peek 
at Harbortown produced a dolphin.  We then rushed back up to the Cracker 
Barrel by 6:45.  This time, the tree had 4 Wood Storks plus...a Roseate 
Spoonbill!  Glorious bird.

After about 5 minutes, the birds all took flight.  The Spoonbill circled 
around directly overhead before taking off into the marsh.  A Hawk,
which I believe was Red-Tailed (immature?) landed on the tree.
Perhaps it had spooked the other birds?  We spent another 25 minutes there, 
until the light got dim, and the Spoonbill did not return.  14 Wood Storks,
each a bit larger than the Hawk, had joined it by the time we left.  

That is quite a tree!  It is a spot worth checking regularly.

Jerry Griggs    j@sc.edu
Columbia, SC