Birding at Pinckney Island
The Coastal Discovery Museum has announced a spring bird watching program at Pinckney Island led by experienced bird watchers from the Museum, starting March 1 at 7:30 am. The program continues every Wednesday through May. The walk will include the combination of habitats at Pinckney Island Wildlife Refuge. These varying areas allow participants to see many different species of birds. Several species of shore birds can usually be seen in the mud flats in the salt marsh, while many species of wading birds could potentially be seen around the marsh and freshwater lagoons.
The outing is on Wednesdays, from 7:30- 9:30 a.m. from 2 March 2022 until 25 May 2022. Limit 6 participants (ages 12 and older). Bring your own binoculars. Program canceled if raining. The program is $12.00 per person (12 and older please). Reservations required. Call 843-689-6767, ext 223.
About Pinckney Island:
Pinckney Island NWR, established December 4, 1975, was once included in the plantation of Major General Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, a prominent lawyer active in South Carolina politics from 1801 to 1815. Few traces of the island’s plantation in the 1800’s exist today. From 1937 to 1975, Pinckney Island was privately owned and managed as a game preserve.
The 4,053 acre refuge includes Pinckney Island, Corn Island, Big and Little Harry Islands, Buzzard Island and numerous small hammocks. Pinckney is the largest of the islands and the only one open to public use. Nearly 67% of the refuge consists of salt marsh and tidal creeks. In combination, these habitats support a diversity of bird and plant life. Wildlife commonly observed on Pinckney Island include waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, raptors, neo-tropical migrants, white-tailed deer and American alligators, with large concentrations of white ibis, herons, and egrets.
Article Sources: https://southcarolinalowcountry.com/ and https://fws.gov/refuge/pinckney-island
