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10 Jan 2020
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Trip Planning

If you’re a birder, you’re in good company.

Millions participate in the activity each year, including nearly 18 million people who take vacations centered around birding. The South Carolina coast is a prime destination for birdwatching.

Kiawah Island Resort offers Back Island Birding tours. With more than 220 species of birds, Kiawah is a Mecca for those binocular-toting tourists who love to explore.

If you choose to explore on your own, there is no shortage of places abundant in southern coastal birds. Night Heron Park is one such spot.

The beach at Isle of Palms County Park offers an awesome birdwatching adventure with species like the Yellow-rumped Warblers and Painted Buntings, along with the Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loons, Bonaparte’s Gull, Least Terns. Of course, you’re likely to spot Egrets, Herons, Brown Pelicans, Osprey, Black-bellied Plovers, and Laughing Gulls all year ‘round.

Pitt Street Bridge in Mt. Pleasant overlooks Charleston, Harbor, marshes and Sullivan’s Island. It’s a great spot for wasting birds, oystercatchers, and marbled godwits. Kingfishers are spotted here as well. Use this handy checklist to mark your sightings.

Seabrook Island is home to more than 80 species of birds, including the federally threatened bald eagle and piping plover. Hook up with the Seabrook Island Birders Group to go on a group outing.

If you’re new to birding, here are a few tips:

  • Print out the bird list. You think you’ll remember those who spot, but you won’t. Check them off.
  • Dress for comfort and warmth.
  • Wear sunscreen, even in the winter. When you’re around water or on the beach, it’s easy to get a little too much sun.
  • Bring the basics: Binoculars, chargers for your camera and phone, a rain jacket and warm socks.
  • Check the weather. Along the coast, conditions can change rapidly. Just because it starts our a clear day, doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way.

Plan Your Kiawah Island Vacation Rental

Now that you know where to start, book a sweet nesting spot like Sparrow Pond on Kiawah Island or a condo at Pelican Watch on Seabrook Island.