Folly Beach “Lifer” Bird!

 I wasn’t expecting to add a “lifer” bird during Sunday’s Folly Beach outing. But that’s a neat part of the birding hobby- expect the unexpected! 

Meet the Sandwich Tern. What’s with the sandwich you ask? This shore bird was “discovered” and documented in Sandwich, England in 1787 by ornithologist John Latham. 

The species has a distinctive yellow tip on its bill. That’s the mustard on the sandwich (I read somewhere). 

This tern type is a lifer bird for me, an unexpected bonus to our first visit to Folly Beach since August 2021. 

The Folly Beach Fishing Pier re-do is featured in my two years ago post. It has been completed but we were not close enough to see it in this August's visit. 

I saw this mixed group of shorebirds as we walked toward the inlet so we could see the venerable Morris Island Lighthouse. 

I’m a longtime member of the “Save the Light” organization that has helped repair and preserve the tall brick light that dates to 1876. 

This is a Ring-billed Gull that may have been also feeling the hot, humid temperatures. 

Long-legged Willets are common sights on our area beaches. 

To follow are other Folly Beach scenes.

Folly Beach- Fun on the Edge of America

Nicknamed “The Edge of America,” Folly Beach is friendly, fun and a little funky. The Charleston area has so many special places and this is certainly one of them.

And to be able to catch some rays in early October was pretty special too.

We parked near what is still often called the old Coast Guard station off the main road where parking is still free.

Temperatures were in the low 80s with winds light to heavy at times.