Here are some more images from our boat trip to Bird Key – Stono. Following up on my previous post, we didn’t see any chicks, but did see some amazing activity, including this Brown Pelican poised for a dive.
Brown Pelican In Flight
Landing on the island is not allowed during nesting season. In addition to the Brown Pelicans, numerous shore birds including Laughing Gulls and Oyster Catchers nest here.
Closed for Nesting Season
Dogs are never welcome.
Nesting Brown Pelicans
The shape of the island is constantly changing, with Pelicans hanging around on all sides, resting or grooming.
Brown Pelicans
This expanse of sand that faces the open ocean has recently expanded but is extremely vulnerable to storm surge as well as the normal accreting and depletion that all ocean facing beaches experience.
Brown Pelicans
June 14, 2025
Bird Key – Stono, a barrier island that sits in the mouth of South Carolina’s Stono River, between Kiawah and Folly Islands.
We didn’t just see Brown Pelicans on the Pelican Cruise. A wide variety of other shore birds are using Bird Key this summer, including American Oyster Catchers.
American Oyster Catcher
Our guide could see Black Skimmers nesting in the interior of the island with his binoculars.
Black Skimmers Nesting
The bobbing boat prevented any meaningful photographs, but several were resting at the edge of the surf mixed with some Laughing Gulls.
Black Skimmers and Laughing Gulls
I was disappointed to not get a clearer image of this juvenile Dolphin, but it was such a joy to pass by a Dolphin pod on our way out to Bird Key.
Adult and Juvenile Dolphin
June 14, 2025
Bird Key – Stono, a barrier island that sits in the mouth of South Carolina’s Stono River, between Kiawah and Folly Islands.
Ted and I had the opportunity in June to take a guided boat adventure to see juvenile Pelicans. This year we were back at Bird Key – Stono Seabird Sanctuary which failed as a breeding colony last year due to predator activity.
A number of Brown Pelicans were sitting on nests at the top of a dune and unfortunately chicks were not visible, and may not have hatched yet.
Brown Pelicans Nesting
We did get some nice in-flight sightings on the boat trip out.
Brown Pelican
And some Pelicans that weren’t on nest duty were standing around on the beach.
Brown Pelicans and Laughing Gull
This beauty glided by us as we were making the return trip to land.
Brown Pelican In Flight
June 14, 2025
Bird Key – Stono, a barrier island that sits in the mouth of South Carolina’s Stono River, between Kiawah and Folly Islands.
Again this year I went on the Baby Pelican Cruise with Coastal Expeditions. We left from their HQ on Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant. All the pictures in this series were taken from a moving boat as we went from Shem Creek, to the refurbished Crab Bank just off Shem Creek and then around Shutes Folly/Castle Pinkney in Charleston Harbor.
One of the unexpected things I saw was Royal Tern chicks. These terns were one of at least five species that had active nests on the Castle Pinkney property: Brown Pelicans, Snowy Egrets, Tricolored Herons, Laughing Gulls, Royal Tern.
Royal Terns, Adults and Chicks
The edge of the island was covered in blanket flower.
Royal Terns, Adults and Chicks, Brown Pelicans to the left
That red thing is trash, probably washed up by the tide as there is no human activity allowed on the island. The Snowy Egret popping out of the brush made me laugh.
Royal Terns, Adults and Chicks
The adult Royal Terns were looking around while the chicks were either laying or standing in place in the couple of minutes I had to watch them. It was hot and had been raining.
Royal Terns, Adults and Chicks
Baby Pelican Cruise with Coastal Expeditions, from Shem Creek, to the refurbished Crab Bank just off Shem Creek and then around Shutes Folly/Castle Pinkney in Charleston Harbor.
Light pollution keeps us from seeing much of the sky’s offerings at night anywhere around Charleston. We had a fabulous opportunity to go out to Bulls Island last night at the new moon with the milky way fully extended above us.
I read up all sorts of tips and tutorials; in the end just doing it was the best teacher.
On the negative side I could not get sharp focus on the stars so my images are all soft and I didn’t get to a place with a good foreground element. On the plus side, it was a fabulous experience seeing the milky way, listening to the ocean, and taking it all in. I definitely want to do it again.
Milky Way Over North End of Bulls Island
Some swaying sea oats lend some visual interest:
Milky Way Over North End of Bulls Island
Canon 7D Mark II
Canon 24mm, F2.8, ISO 3200, 20 seconds
Bulls Island, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, SC
September 24, 2022
Ted and I went on a fundraising / educational trip to Bulls Island to promote the Loggerhead Turtle nesting spearheaded by the Coastal Expeditions Foundation. Money and citizen knowledge are two things that are helping these turtles successfully nest in Cape Romain.
We were treated to an amazing and unexpected experience when one of the wildlife technicians that monitors the nests released five hatchlings that had fallen behind their nest mates. I waded into the water for a unique view, but not standing still as the sand shifted beneath my feet.
Loggerhead Turtle Hatchling Going Into Ocean – about 2 inches (5 cm) long
Loggerhead Turtle Hatchling Going Into Ocean
Loggerhead Turtle Hatchling Going Into Ocean
The next wave swept him away and I got one shot of him paddling off.
Loggerhead Turtle Hatchling In Ocean
Bulls Island, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, SC
July 24, 2022
Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge is the most significant nesting site north of Florida on the Eastern seaboard. Over 3000 nests are laid on the barrier island beaches of this refuge each summer, and it takes a legion of volunteers and two wildlife technicians to handle the task of protecting and categorizing every loggerhead nest.
Every year, this program needs to be fully funded from outside donations and grants to pay for the seasonal salaries of two wildlife technicians and two interns. The Coastal Expeditions Foundation handles this $50,000 commitment through fundraisers and grass roots donations.
Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, extending 22 miles along the South Carolina Coast, is a rich mosaic of barrier islands with forest and ponds, vast salt marshes and intricate waterways. This diverse and dynamic system supports over 293 bird species and a myriad of other wildlife. Over fifty percent of refuge lands are designated a Class I National Wilderness Area.
In early May I went on a combo boat – hiking trip with fifteen enthusiastic adventurers into the Congaree National Park, about 18 miles southeast of Columbia, the SC state capital.
Congaree River
After traveling up the winding Congaree River from the Bates Bridge Landing we went into the forest to see some amazingly large, and old, trees.
Congaree National Park
Very big trees!
Congaree National Park
Photography in the forest that shows the relative size is hampered by–the forest.
Congaree National Park, Cypress Knees Everywhere
We ate our lunch with a couple of the biggest, including this one.
Congaree National Park, Cypress Knees that were several feet tall
Much of the forest floor was muddy, and slippery. And yes I fell. Holding my camera high
Working with images that have sparkly water is a challenge and I don’t take nearly as many as I used to, knowing they’ll likely get deleted.
Ruddy Turnstones on Sand Bar
This day on our water trip to see the baby pelicans our captain commented how he always liked to see the sparkles, and how the light dance on the water appealed to him.
Ruddy Turnstones on Sand Bar
A pair of Ruddy Turnstones on a just exposed sandbar gave me a bit of a subject so I took a few shots.
Ruddy Turnstones on Sand Bar
A little further on a clump of grass growing from another sandbar caught my eye.
