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A Day Birding Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve (Folly Beach, SC) – eBird Hotspot #5
- Charles Donnelly
- Jan 8, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 21
Located at the north end of Folly Beach, Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve is one of the top birding hotspots in Charleston, South Carolina. Ranked #5 on eBird with over 267 species recorded, this coastal preserve offers incredible habitat diversity including beach, dunes, jetty rocks, open ocean, salt marsh, sandbars, mudflats, and maritime forest.
This is one of the best places for birding on Folly Beach year-round, with winter bringing excellent opportunities for waterfowl and shorebirds.
I headed out on a calm, sunny January morning with high tide approaching, creating ideal conditions for birds gathering along the shoreline.
The first bird of the day was a Willet foraging along the shoreline, soon joined by a trio of Sanderlings moving rhythmically with the breaking waves. The beach was quiet, with high tide about half an hour away.
I continued toward the jetty, where a flock of ducks flew low along the shoreline. I counted 10 Lesser Scaup. As I rounded the jetty, the Morris Island Lighthouse came into view, standing offshore since 1876.
As I was enjoying the view, an adult Bald Eagle entered my line of sight carrying a recent kill. I watched the massive eagle land on a distant sandbar, its prey held firmly in bright yellow talons. From a distance I could make out wings and dark feathers, leading me to believe the prey may have been a Black Skimmer.
I continued further down the beach on the inlet side. By now, the rising tide had covered much of the shoreline, so I cut through a portion of the maritime forest. The scrubby vegetation was alive with Yellow-rumped Warblers, along with a few Northern Cardinals and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
As I passed through the forest, I entered a wide-open stretch of grass and salt marsh, with tidal creeks winding through the landscape in the distance. Low-flying Tree Swallows filled the air, flashing beautiful metallic blue-green colors as they maneuvered in the morning sunlight.
I walked out to the beach and set up my Vortex spotting scope for a closer look at the Bald Eagle and the resting birds in the distance. The eagle was still enjoying its fresh catch on the sandbar.
Scanning the shoreline, I counted hundreds of birds including 4 gull species, 3 tern species, 16 Black-bellied Plovers, over 100 Black Skimmers, and more than 400 Dunlin.
As I continued counting, a flock of sandpipers suddenly moved closer, settling about 20 yards away. I slowly turned to observe my new neighbors and spotted 5 Piping Plovers among them. The majority of the flock were Dunlin, along with a couple of Sanderlings, a Least Sandpiper, and a Willet.
Moments later, the flock flushed and swept across my position in a tight formation. I could clearly pick out the mostly white Sanderlings and one small peep with black legs, a Western Sandpiper.
By this time the tide had begun to fall, lowering the water just enough for me to work my way into the salt marsh in search of the elusive Saltmarsh, Nelson’s, and Seaside Sparrows.
After checking a few spots with little success, I finally found the right area. I made a few “phishing” calls and suddenly the grass came alive with movement, about 20+ sparrows emerging all around me. The group consisted mostly of darker Seaside Sparrows, with a few Nelson’s and Saltmarsh Sparrows mixed in.
It was a special treat to see all three species together in one place.
As I tried to photograph these secretive little birds, a Cooper’s Hawk suddenly flew in and landed right in front of me. The hawk made an attempt but was unsuccessful, and after a brief moment, moved on. I decided to leave the sparrows to their preferred habitat and made my way back toward the maritime forest.
I made my way back along the main road, a paved stretch lined with colorful graffiti and thick maritime vegetation on both sides, providing excellent cover for a variety of wildlife. Yellow-rumped Warblers were scattered throughout the bushes and trees, along with Song Sparrows and Northern Cardinals. I could hear the harsh mews of nearby Gray Catbirds and the soft “vee” calls of a Hermit Thrush.
At the end of the road, I took one last look out over the open ocean. Scanning the calm water, I spotted a small loon. After a closer look, I confirmed it was a Red-throated Loon. Beyond it, large birds were diving into the water in the distance. These powerful hunters turned out to be Northern Gannets, a great way to finish the day.
I recorded 52 species and counted over 1,300 individual birds. The walk covered 2.46 miles over 2 hours and 15 minutes.
eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S125704087
Happy Birding!
Charles
