I aborted a 'Shorebird Big Day' in coastal South Carolina this past Friday (August 13) but still managed to see 31 shorebird species by noon.

I began the day at the eastern tip of Kiawah Island, where a Snowy Plover (local rarity) had been recently reported.    The Snowy Plover was still present - I hope it will stay a bit.

Other shorebirds at 'Sandy Point' were: Piping Plovers, Wilson's Plovers, Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers, American Oystercatchers, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Willet, Spotted Sandpipers, Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot (none flagged), Sanderling, Semipalmated + Western + Least Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers and Dunlin.
(20 species)

A similar but shorter list of species was across a small inlet on the beach in front of the 'Ocean Course'  golf course.

But the really neat shorebird spectacle at Kiawah yesterday was the driving range at the Ocean Course (southeastern corner of Kiawah).  Despite a lack of standing water, it had good numbers and variety - even after 9am.  31 Pectoral Sandpipers, 1 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, 1 UPLAND SANDPIPER, 1 White-rumped Sandpiper, all three regular 'Peep' species, a few dozen Semipalmated Plovers, and 22 Black-bellied Plovers.  Two Ruddy Turnstones feeding on shortgrass turf was a funny sight - one was still in alternate plumage.   30+ Killdeer were the bully boys of the scene.  7 Spotted Sandpipers foraged and chased each other on the driving range turf at the far end from the golfers - right up against the shore of the small tidal cove beyond.

** If you ever get a chance to bird east Kiawah the morning after a rain during fall migration, start early at the Ocean Course driving range.  You might see an amazing shorebird spectacle - puddles on the driving range draw them from all over.

After Kiawah Island, I headed south to Bear Island Wildlife Management Area.  Although most of the waterfowl impoundments (former ricefields) there were fully flooded, there was one that was partly lowered, with some mudflats and shorebird habitat.  Friday those mudflats had dozens of Greater and a few Lesser Yellowlegs, a couple of dozen Short-billed Dowitchers, at least one Long-billed Dowitcher, 3 Stilt Sandpipers, Black-bellied Plovers, lots of Semipalmated Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers, unidentified 'Peeps', Black-necked Stilts, and Solitary Sandpiper.

Elsewhere at Bear I had American Avocets and Wilson's Snipe and more of the shorebirds already mentioned.

At this point I wish I had driven to a Sod Farm and picked up American Golden-Plover...

I might try a big day run soon that consists of Friday's route, plus a couple of Sod Farms, then a race to Cape Romain NWR to use a boat to try to see the wintering Long-billed Curlews that arrived in late July (right on schedule).

Nathan Dias - Charleston, South Carolina, USA