There have been a lot of good bird sightings this month on LSSI! First, there was an American Avocet hanging out at North Pond for several days last week. It was in non-breeding plumage, so the most colorful part of the bird was its pale blue legs! While birding up on the east tower, we noticed a Bonaparte’s Gull mixed in with a group of ducks; the diminutive gull was hanging out among Hooded Mergansers. Other ducks noted recently have been Mottled Duck, Scaup, Bufflehead, and Northern Shoveler. Bald Eagles seem to be around every corner of the island; we have determined that the pair on the north end nest have begun to incubate their eggs. Roseate Spoonbills and Glossy Ibis are still being seen regularly at Myrtle Pond. Northern Harrier are present flying over the marshes. On the beach last Saturday, we had a number of shorebird species; they included Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Royal Tern, Forster’s Tern, Black-bellied Plover, Piping Plover, Marbled Godwit, American Oystercatcher, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, and Dunlin.

The past few weeks have proven excellent for fishing, especially in Mosquito Creek. Guests have been bringing in numerous Spotted Sea Trout; a good many of the fish have measured over 20 inches. The Redfish have been few and far between, but when they are landed most are also of very nice size. A few flounder have also been reeled in recently. All the action has been on flies or artificial soft baits in a huge variety of sizes and colors. Fishing the last part of the outgoing tide or the very beginning of the incoming tide seems to be the most productive, but guests have brought in fish at practically every tidal state, including high tide.

This afternoon we set off from the Indian Middens with a large group of guests and headed south, venturing around North Pond and on to the Pond Trail for a hike south to the Lodge.  As we passed North Pond, dozens of Snowy Egrets lifted into the air, yellow feet trailing behind them, while a few White Ibis stayed in the shallow pond.  We continued on, down the Pond Trail and up to the tower. Immediately we spotted some Roseate Spoonbills along with some Great Blue Herons and more White Ibis. After a few minutes, a juvenile Bald Eagle flew past.

After we left the tower, we came upon another group of White Ibis just beyond a small line of trees; the trees gave enough cover for us to watch the birds from a close distance. Moving on, three more young eagles flew directly overhead.  Another gap in the vegetation revealed a group of about ten female Buffleheads with one drake and a lone Hooded Merganser among them as they swam and dove below the surface of the water.  The hike became even more exciting as one of the guests made a discovery in front of some palmettos off the side of the trail; there was an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake coiled up on the ground! We all gathered at a safe distance to admire the snake and take photos. After a few minutes the snake tired of our attention; it uncoiled and began to rattle as it backed away into the safe cover of Saw Palmetto. We moved on and headed off the Pond Trail to North End Road, finishing up back at the Lodge to share our tales with everyone else.

Everything in nature is connected, and last week guests got to see the food web in action in a really cool way.  We were taking a hike on the Backbone Trail and North End Road, and nearly had a fish drop right on our heads as a Bald Eagle flew away!  As we continued up the road, we found several more partial fish and piles of scales, clearly from small Tarpon.   What was going on? Why all the fish? As we continued around the north end and onto the Pond Trail we got our answer.

Juvenile Tarpon that had gotten caught in Myrtle Pond this summer thrived until the weather turned cooler.  On Friday, the temperature was in the 40s, and the water in Myrtle Pond turned much colder. As a result, we saw a lot of the young Tarpon die off, and float at the edges of the pond. At the same time, we saw the eagles taking advantage of the sudden bounty. On the next day, we noticed at least two juvenile eagles perched next to the pond along the trail, and found many more piles of scales which were evidence of the easy meal.

In other “CSI: LSSI” news, last week we also found a fresh meal that a Peregrine Falcon had eaten along the north dike of Myrtle Pond. A Forster’s Tern was the meal of choice for the falcon. The bird had left behind only the head, feet, keel, and wings and had eaten every bit of meat.

The cold front that has moved across much of the U.S. has also made its way to LSSI, with temperatures dipping into the low 40s. That has not stopped our adventurous guests however! This morning we had a cool but lovely walk with some guests, while other guests hit the beach for a bike ride to keep their blood flowing. The walkers encountered an armadillo, and enjoyed watching Turkey Vultures soar high above. As we watched the vultures, we noticed two larger birds flapping through the sky — Bald Eagles! They took off beyond the trees, and we continued our journey across the marsh towards the beach. At Norm’s Pond young Black-crowned Night Herons were perched in the trees, and flew away quickly as we approached. Yellow-rumped Warblers have arrived, and they were chipping from every tree that we passed along Beach Road. At Skimmer Pond, we flushed a group of drake and hen Hooded Mergansers and watched a group of several dozen White Ibis pass overhead. Once we reached our destination at the beach, we watched two bottlenose dolphins in the surf, and heard that the bike riders had seen more dolphins on their ride. Two other couples had been out on their own, and reported seeing two separate rattlesnakes, which was a surprise given the cool temperatures. We all warmed up by tucking in to a delicious Low Country Boil prepared to perfection by the fantastic kitchen staff and by warming our hands around a fire built on the grill. It was a great morning spent experiencing the wonders of wildlife and swapping stories.