On the ferry ride to Bulls Island we were told that the eleven of us on the boat would be the only humans on the island, at least until they returned with a second group at noon. The public dock was damaged by Hurricane Matthew and the private service dock wasn’t open to other users.

It was very quiet as I watched this Cooper’s Hawk for several minutes after two of my companions walked right underneath him not glancing up.

He looked right at me as I became aware of  noise, sounding like a crowd of people approaching. How could that be? The Hawk remained unfazed as 50 or 60 teenagers and a few chaperones came charging along the path, some quieting and interested in having a look when I pointed him out and some just intent on getting to the beach. I never did find out how they got to the island.

The Hawk moved about 10 feet to an adjacent tree and watched as the group turned the corner and disappeared. I had to move on as the mosquito crowd grew.

Bulls Island, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, Awendaw, SC.

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