Bull's Island, part of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, is a 5,000
acre barrier island in mid-coastal South Carolina.  Bull's has been hot as a
firecracker for shorebirds this week.  The cause for the abundant shorebird
numbers and variety is largely due to draining of a huge waterfowl impoundment
complex named Jack's Creek (in preparation for work on dikes, trunks and other
water-control infrastructure).

I surveyed north Bull's Island for shorebirds on March 18, but I was only able
to cover ~60% of the drained impoundment areas.  Time also limited my ability
to cover beachfront areas; I was only able to survey the beach around the area
known as "Northeast Point".   Thus, my numbers are significantly lower than
the 6,000+ individual shorebirds that refuge Biologist Sarah Dawsey observed
in Jack's Creek on March 16.

Totals I observed are below - note that precise counts of certain species were
impossible due to the constant flushing and milling about of shorebird flocks.

-- Note: The Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) I observed on 3-18 was the second I
have observed in SC during the past 3 weeks.  See the following web page for
photos of the February 25 bird:
http://www.crbo.net/media/still-images.html

Shorebirds on/near Bull's Island, SC on 3-18-2006:

Dunlin - 1100+
Short-billed Dowitcher - 3300+
Long-billed Dowitcher - 23
RUFF (1 male)
Black-bellied Plover (40+)
WILSON'S PLOVER (7)
Semipalmated Plover (300+)
PIPING PLOVER (2)
Killdeer (7)
American Oystercatcher (47)
STILT SANDPIPER - 4
Greater Yellowlegs (60+)
Lesser Yellowlegs (150+)
Willet (90+)
Spotted Sandpiper (5)
Whimbrel - 3
MARBLED GODWIT - 4
Ruddy Turnstone - 43
Red Knot - 113
Sanderling - 34
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 40+
Western Sandpiper - 350+
Least Sandpiper - 220+
Wilson's Snipe - 4

---
Nathan Dias
Executive Director
Cape Romain Bird Observatory
http://www.crbo.net/
[log in to unmask]
P.O. Box 362
McClellanville, SC 29458