2015 Wildlife Archives: Incredible Findings And Photos…
Please read over our past months of great sightings. We welcome your questions about our beautiful island. We would also love to hear from you! Get outside and share your photos and stories with us.
August 23, 2015 ~ Sunset over the Kiawah River | |
|
August 21, 2015 ~ Eastern Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis carolinensis) | |
|
August 8, 2015 ~ Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) | |
|
August 8, 2015 ~ White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) | |
|
August 7, 2015 ~ Rainbow at Mingo Point | |
|
August 4, 2015 ~ Coyote (Canis latrans) | |
|
July 8, 2015 ~ Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) | |
On our Back island Birding tour from the observation tower in the Preserve, Roseate Spoonbills were spotted in Blue Heron Pond. |
July 8, 2015 ~ Manatee (Trichechus) | |
Minutes ago we received a text from John Ward, one of our Fishing Captains. He just saw a group of 7 manatees entering the Kiawah River from the Stono River….amazing! |
July 8, 2015 ~ White Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) | |
|
July 7, 2015 ~ Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) | |
There are 202 nests on Kiawah’s beach! |
July 6, 2015 ~ Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) | |
In the salt marsh adjacent to the Kiawah Island Parkway, just before the entrance to Cassique, a single spoonbill has been making a fairly regular appearance. |
July 2, 2015 ~ Bobcat (Lynx rufus) | |
|
June 1, 2015 ~ Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) | |
As of this morning, Kiawah has 48 Loggerhead Sea Turtle nests. Compared to June 1st, 2014 when we had only 18 nests. Looks like we may have a great year! |
May 29, 2015 ~ Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) | |
|
May 24, 2015 ~ Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) | |
|
May 21, 2015 ~ Crow (Corvus ssp) | |
|
May 21, 2015 ~ Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) | |
|
May 20, 2015 ~ Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) | |
Interested in joining our Naturalists on a Back Island Birding tour to learn more about Kiawah’s birds? Call the Nature Center for more information and reservations at 843.768.6001. |
May 19, 2015 ~ Bobcat (Lynx rufus) | |
Town Biologists Jim Jordan and Aaron Given found their first bobcat kitten of the season in a den near Duneside West. He is the offspring of Bobcat 450…. He is roughly 10 days old and hasn’t opened his eyes yet. To learn more about Kiawah’s 2015 Bobcat research http://wildlifeatkiawah.com/2015bobcats.html. |
May 15, 2015 ~ Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) | |
The first Loggerhead Sea Turtle nest of the season has been spotted on Kiawah as of this morning! |
May 13, 2015 ~ Parchment Tube Worm (Chaetopterus variopedatus) | |
Tonight on a Night Beach Walk, Naturalist Juliana Smith discovered an organism she’d never seen lying on the beach before: a parchment worm tube! This bioluminescent worm spends its entire adult life in a homemade, tube-like sheath located below the sand. When disturbed by a predator, the worm emits a glowing, blue mucus cloud into the water and retreats to the opposite end of its tube. If it’s lucky, the predator will be distracted by the glowing blob as it floats away from the worm’s tube and the worm will live to see another day! The picture is shown with a 12” ruler for perspective. Interested in joining our Naturalists on a Night Beach Walk or other guided tour? Call the Nature Center for more information and reservations. |
May 13, 2015 ~ American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) | |
Female American Redstart spotted today at Night Heron Park by Naturalist Juliana Smith. |
May 11, 2015 ~ White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) | |
|
May 11, 2015 ~ Broadhead skink (Plestiodon laticeps) | |
|
April 30, 2015 ~ Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) FIRST SIGHTING OF THE SEASON! |
|
Tour: Adult Twilight Paddle Today, we saw a Loggerhead Sea Turtle swimming in the Kiawah River while on the Adult Twilight Paddle! First I’ve seen in the river this year. Nesting season is upon us, so don’t forget to keep your lights out and never disturb a turtle while it nests! Here are a few simple ways to protect our Sea Turtles:
Interested in joining our Naturalists for a paddling tour? Call the Nature Center at 843.768.6001 for availability and reservations. |
April 17, 2015 ~ Feather Report: Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) FIRST OF THE SEASON! |
|
Northern Parula, Tufted Titmouse, Osprey, Double-crested Cormorant, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Carolina Wren, Yellow-throated Warbler, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, American Crow, Fish Crow, Wild Turkey, Eastern Meadowlark, Eastern Bluebird, Blue Grosbeak, Painted Bunting, Northern Mockingbird, Northern Cardinal, Barn Swallow, Tree Swallow, Great Egret, Blue Jay, Laughing Gull, Cattle Egret, Great-crested Flycatcher, Gray Catbird, Bald Eagle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Snowy Egret, Willet, Black Skimmer, Marsh Wren, Pine Warbler, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, House Finch, Whimbrel, Brown Pelican, Royal Tern, Carolina Chickadee, Pied-billed Grebe, Common Gallinule, American Coot, Boat-tailed Grackle, Great Blue Heron, Tri-colored Heron, Purple Gallinule, Blue-winged Teal, Clapper Rail, Red-winged Blackbird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black-necked Stilt, Forester’s Tern, Red-shouldered Hawk, Green Heron, Glossy Ibis, Eastern Towee, Belted Kingfisher, European Starling, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Cedar Waxwings. Interested in joining our Naturalists for a birding tour? Call the Nature Center at 843.768.6001 for availability and reservations. Photo by Joe Voicheck |
April 16, 2015 ~ Swamp Darner (Epiaeschna heros) | |
|
March 25, 2015 ~ Portuguese man o’ war (Physalia physalis) | |
Photo by Nick Reynolds
|
March 24, 2015 ~ Feather Report | |
Species list from Back Island Birding tour with Naturalist Juliana Smith: |
March 19, 2015 ~ Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) | |
Interested in learning more about the birds of Kiawah? Join our Naturalists for a Back Island Birding or Birding for Beginners Tour! Call the Nature Center for availability and reservations: 843.768.6001 Photo by Michael Haley |
March 10, 2015 ~ Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) | |
Interested in learning more about the birds of Kiawah? Join our Naturalists for a Back Island Birding or Birding for Beginners Tour! Call the Nature Center for availability and reservations: 843.768.6001 Photo by Pam Cohen |
February 21, 2015 ~ White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) | |
![]() The answer is…it’s all about testosterone levels. After the breeding season, testosterone levels begin to drop causing antlers start to shed. Antlers are shed from early December through March. On Kiawah, female fawns that come into estrous their first year often do so in late winter. Consequently, our bucks can still be breeding during February. The drop can also depend on the amount of stress on the buck after the rut, heredity and nutrition. Deer that are in the best physical condition will lose their antlers later in the winter. |
February 18, 2015 ~ Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) | |
![]() |
February 12, 2015 ~ Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) | |
![]() |
February 13, 2015 ~ Feather Report | |
Tour: Birding for Beginners Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Double-crested Cormorant, Pied-billed grebe, American Coot, Common Gallinule, American Crow, Fish Crow, Black Vulture, American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Wood Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-throated Sparrow, Yellow-throated Warbler, Black & White Warbler, Bald Eagle, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Phoebe, Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren, House Finch, Belted Kingfisher, Great Blue Heron, Laughing Gull, Turkey Vulture Join our Naturalists on a birding tour to learn about Kiawah’s native birds. Call the Nature Center for more information and reservations: 843.768.6001 |
February 12, 2015 ~ Red Knot (Calidris canutus) | |
![]() Interested in learning more about the birds of Kiawah? Join our Naturalists for a Back Island Birding or Birding for Beginners Tour! Call the Nature Center for availability and reservations: 843.768.6001 |
January 21, 2015 ~ Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus) | |
Interested in learning more about the birds of Kiawah? Join our Naturalists for a Back Island Birding or Birding for Beginners Tour! Call the Nature Center for availability and reservations: 843.768.6001 Photos by Jake Zadik |
January 14, 2015 ~ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) | |
![]() Interested in learning more about the birds of Kiawah? Join our Naturalists for a Back Island Birding or Birding for Beginners Tour! Call the Nature Center for availability and reservations: 843.768.6001 |
January 5, 2015 ~ 115th Audubon Christmas Bird Count | |
![]() The Sea Islands Christmas Bird Count is hosted by the Town of Kiawah Island and organized by Town Biologist, Aaron Given. The count encompasses 17 territories that include Seabrook Island, Kiawah Island, Wadmalaw Island, John’s Island, and Deveaux Bank. Forty-five participants enjoyed pleasant weather as they counted over 40,000 birds and 159 different species. Some species highlights: Northern Bobwhite, Snow Goose, Glossy Ibis, American Woodcock, and Roseate Spoonbills. Most of the naturalists were observing from the motorboat on the Kiawah River, while others observed different parts of the island. Two of our naturalists, Juliana Smith and Matt Arnold, woke up in the wee hours of the morning to go owling for the count and heard an Eastern Screech Owl. Join a naturalist for a birding tour to learn more about the different bird species and various habitats on Kiawah. |