Ships and Shorebirds at Sullivan’s Island

I posted a few weeks ago about photographing Sandwich Terns for the first time. That was at Folly Beach. Well, Sunday at Sullivan’s Island I saw some more. 

This type of Tern certainly has two distinctive traits. The partially black head reminds me of a balding man. And the yellow tip on the bill is the mustard on the sandwich. That’s a memorable line I read in a guide somewhere. 

This smaller beach bird is a Sanderling,
a species of Sandpiper. 

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.