Date and Time:26 September 2014 at 8:01 am
Name of Site: Hunting Island, South Carolina
Weather: Partly Cloudy, warm
Habitats: Palm Forest, Lagoon and beach
With: Lab Group
We woke up early and left our campsite around 8 am where we hiked along a gravel road to a lagoon near by. Along the way we saw Carolina Chickadee's (who will attack owls or larger birds by defecating on them when they feel threatened) and Northern Cardinal's (who make distinct high pitch chirps). Once we arrived at the lagoon we found an Osprey perched high up in a tree across the water. We also saw Carolina Wren, and a Blue Jay. In the Lagoon we also observed Mud crabs and a Dolphin swimming up stream.
We further ventured into the Palm Forest where we saw Brown-headed Nuthatch (they use bark as a tool to get insects out of trees), Pileated Woodpecker, a ton of Norther Mocking Birds, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and American Kestrel.
We soon made it to the beach where we observed Brown Pelican's soaring only a few feet above the ocean, Laughing Galls (adults have black wing tips in the winter), Caspian Tern's, Merlin, American Crow, and an Ibis.
We then ventured back to the road and began to fallow the lagoon again. There were also trees on both sides of the road which made for perfect habitats for edge forest birds. We saw Morning Doves and Norther Mocking Birds perched on phone wires, Snow Egret (yellow lore and black bill), Great Egret (yellow bill), Belted King Fisher, Black and White Warbler, Palm Warbler,Yellow Thoughted Vireo, Wide-eyed Vireo, Great Blue Heron, Eastern Tufted Titmouse (its call is: Peter Peter Peter), and Peregiane Falcons.
Date and Time: 26 September 2014 at 12:45 pm
Name of Site: Hunting Beach, South Carolina
Weather: Sunny, and warm
Habitats: Beach
With: with a few of my class mates
Time Trial of the Laughing Gall
Observations every 15 seconds
- Found one Laughing Gall soaring at 1250 pm
- landed on beach
- walking
- sitting
- humans fed them pop-corn
- standing
- flying
- two more landed on beach
- walking
- more landed on beach
- soared a foot off ground then landed
- running
- preening
- running after insect- did not catch
- about half of the 14 individuals flew off
- soaring over humans for food
- fighting for territory by lowering head, screeching and charging other Laughing Gall's
- standing
- standing
- walking
- gape mouth to show dominance
- one alpha Laughing Gall appears to be in the group
- alpha's head is down making the most noise, all the other galls heads are up
- annoying humans by flying at them and screeching for food
- standing
- standing
- one juvenile in group, others appear to be adults in their non- breeding plumage
- alpha male screeching
- standing
- walking, legs appear to be crossing when they walk
- standing
- walking
- standing
- standing
- scratching head
- sleeping standing up
- stretching leg and wing - juvenile
- standing
- stretching- juvenile
- running start before flying off
- 12 individuals now present
- walking
- standing
- 3 are sitting
- looking at ground and walking, maybe looking for food in the sand
- preening
- scratching
- fluffing up feathers
- running because he thought he saw food
- flying
- landing
- standing
- sitting
- standing
- flying
- soaring
- landing
- riding wind gust up off the ground a foot then landing
- fighting
- standing
- walking
- screeching and head bobbing from dominant male
Date and Time: 26 September 2014, 15 pm on the 24 hour clock
Name of Site: Hunting Island, South Carolina
Weather: Cloudy 79*F
Habitats: Marsh
With: Lab Group
Later on in the day we drove a few minutes down the island to a marsh habitat. Here we only observed a few Snowy Egrets searching for food in the marsh.
Date and Time: 26 September 2014, 15 pm on the 24 hour clock
Name of Site: South Carolina: Marsh Board Walk
Weather: Same conditions
Habitats: Marsh
With: Lab Group
We ventured down the road a little further to see if we would have more luck at the board walk. There was much more life here and we were able to see many fascinating birds and other animals. We saw more mud crabs and learned the males will rip of the claw of other males, during a fight, so the claw wont grow back as larger. For birds we observed five Wood Storks soaring over the marsh which are endangered, Brown-Headed Nuthatch, Tri-colored Hereon, Red-tailed Hawk who was flaring his red tail as he preened, Turkey Vultures, I saw two Clapper Rails fly up from the marsh and land back into the high grasses (these birds are very shy and do not like to be seen), Morning Dove, Blue Jay, Osprey, Red-Winged Blackbird, Palm Warbler, and Logerhead Shrikes (they are rare and kill their pray by stabbing them on thorns and branches).
Date and Time: 26 September 2014, 16:00 pm on the 24 hour clock
Name of Site: Nature Center on Hunting Island South Carolina
Weather: same conditions
Habitats: marsh, forest
With: Lab Group
We then went to the nature center that was near our camp site to search for birds near the swamp and bird feeders. We walked on a board walk and saw an Osprey perched on a poll and two Bald Eagle sitting in a nest high up in the trees a little ways behind the Osprey. We also found Boatailed Grakal, Laughing Galls, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Snowy Egret, Northern Cardinal, and a King Fisher. We then went on a hiking trail to get a closer look and the Eagles.They were beautiful and we were able to see that one was nesting and the other was perched on a branch outside the nest.
Date and Time: 26 Septermber 2014, 17:15 pm on the 24 hour clock
Name of Site: Light house
Weather: Same
Habitats: Swamp
With: Lab Group
By this point it was getting late and people were starting to get hungry so we did not stay long and only observed a few bird species. We saw Blue Jays and Black Vultures. We also found an alligator laying out on the grass across the swamp.
