Birding on Mitchelville Beach

William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- Genesis 1:20 Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.”

Willet shorebird wading in a salt marsh lagoon habitat on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA. Ripples and reflection on the water. Tringa semipalmata is a large shorebird sandpiper.

Have you ever planned a nature outing only to find the park or preserve packed with people? Frustrating! While there are probably still plenty of photo opportunities, folks may wander into your landscape shot, or kids and dogs may scare the birds away. A little bit of internet research before arriving can be your best ally.
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My family and I have made several trips to Hilton Head Island on the coast of South Carolina, USA. While my wife and daughters love to enjoy the beaches, shops and restaurants, I like to get away for some photography. Yes, there are plenty of gulls and terns on the popular beaches, but there is another beach where the wild things are! 

Life Bird for me! Winter plumage Black-bellied Plover shorebird on the Atlantic ocean beach on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA; December 2019. The grey plover, Pluvialis squatarola, known as the black-bellied plover in North America. Arctic breeder and long distance migrant. Fish Haul Mitchelville Beach Park.

Another life bird on this trip! Dunlin, Calidris alpina, shorebird with long bill on the Atlantic ocean beach on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA; December 2019. Circumpolar long distant migrant. Also Semipalmated Plover on right in photograph. Fish Haul Mitchelville Beach Park.

Fish Haul Park at Mitchelville Beach on Hilton Head Island is that special place. The beach isn’t as “cleaned and well-groomed” as the shores along hotel row, and this tends to keep the sunbathers away. But the piles of seaweed and driftwood, broken shells and dead crabs make for much more natural looking landscape shots. And because the people are fewer, there tends to be a higher concentration of more skittish birds and wildlife.
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Fish Haul is an excellent place to go in the summer when the popular beaches are packed. But even in the winter it is still a bird photography hotspot, as I learned this past Christmas. There were plenty of sparrows, cormorants, egrets, plovers, sandpipers and an especially photogenic Willet.

Willet shorebird wading in a salt marsh lagoon habitat on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA. Ripples and reflection on the water. Tringa semipalmata is a large shorebird sandpiper.

Semipalmated Plover shorebird on the Atlantic ocean beach on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA. Charadrius semipalmatus is a small plover that migrate in winter to coastal areas of the southern United States. Sand dune, beach, coastal habitat. Fish Haul Mitchelville Beach Park.

​So do your homework before going on a wildlife photography trip. Look for those lesser frequented, more natural looking areas and avoid the crowds.  

-Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Northeast wind around 9 mph.
-Sunrise Today:7:22 am; Sunset Today: 5:24 pm
-Daylight Hours: 10 hours, 3 minutes (+11s)
-Moon: 0.4% Waxing Crescent
-Tide: High 08:00 AM; Low 02:17 P

Snowy Egret in salt marsh lagoon habitat on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA. Fish Haul Mitchelville Beach Park

Willet shorebird wading in a salt marsh lagoon habitat on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA. Ripples and reflection on the water. Tringa semipalmata is a large shorebird sandpiper.

Willet shorebird wading in a salt marsh lagoon habitat on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA. Ripples and reflection on the water. Tringa semipalmata is a large shorebird sandpiper.