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VOLUME 18 ISSUE 3
For the Sake of Seabirds
MAY 3, 2024
SEABIRD SANCTUARY I S T E M P O R A R I LY CLOSED BY SCDNR
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For The Island Connection
he S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) has temporarily closed parts of Deveaux Bank Seabird Sanctuary to protect coastal birds during the nesting season. This closure occurs annually and is based on bird activity and suitable nesting habitat at the site. Thousands of brown pelicans have already begun nesting on the island, which sits at the mouth of the North Edisto River. In 2023, Deveaux Bank hosted more than 3,000 pelican nests, which accounted for three-quarters of South Carolina’s nesting pelican population and made it the largest pelican colony on the Atlantic coast. In April 2024, SCDNR biologists observed royal, sandwich, least and gull-billed terns and black skimmers flying low over the island, scouting for a stretch of sand to form their nesting colonies. Deveaux Bank often supports (continued on page 2) more nesting terns and
Symbols of a Summer Sky
BLUEBIRD NESTING SEASON IS HERE FOR KIAWAH
PHOTO PROVIDED: TOWN OF KIAWAH
Protecting the Island Wild Cats
K I AWA H S C I E N T I S T S C O L L A R S I X B O B C AT S IN 2024 SEASON
BY THERESA STRATFORD
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For The Island Connection
n literature, the bluebird has often been associated with happiness, joy and contentment. Henry David Thoreau once said, “the bluebird carries the sky on his back.” Male Eastern Bluebirds are a brilliant royal blue on the back and head with warm red-brown on the breast. Blue tinges in the wings and tail of the females give their gray tone an elegant look. There is something to be said about experiencing the beauty of a bluebird in person. Interestingly, they prefer expansive and open areas that are densely vegetated. For example, golf courses provide a great habitat for a bluebird. Imagine seeing a vibrant bluebird against the brilliant green background of a golf course. On Kiawah Island, seeing such a radiant image isn’t particularly far-fetched. Working to protect and sustain these native birds, the Town (continued on page 2) developed the Bluebird
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BY THERESA STRATFORD For The Island Connection
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very year from January through April, the Kiawah Conservancy traps and collars bobcats on the island for the purpose of identifying habitat patterns, denning sites, travel corridors, behaviors, survival characteristics and more. This information is used to pinpoint specific areas or habitat types on the island that are of vital importance to bobcats and to update the Bobcat Management Guidelines for the Town. Studying the bobcats allows the Kiawah Conservancy to make educated suggestions and recommendations to all island entities and residents regarding the creation and preservation of bobcat habitats. For the 2024 season, Town biologists trapped and collared six bobcats altogether: four females and two males. Kiawah’s Wildlife Biologist Jim Jordan said, “We have been trapping and fitting bobcats with GPS collars each
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winter since 2007. We typically try to put GPS collars on six bobcats each year. The collars will collect a location every four hours and the battery typically lasts a little over a year.” Once the battery dies, the collars fall off automatically. When it comes to what an average day might look like for the life of a bobcat on Kiawah Island, Jordan said, “Kiawah bobcats spend most of their time resting during the day in patches of thick scrub-shrub habitat primarily in the dunes and along marsh edges. During nighttime hours, our bobcats can be found throughout Kiawah hunting in backyards and along roads and leisure trails.” Bobcats are important to Kiawah Island because they are the top predator and provide vital natural control for the island’s deer and rodent populations. Fewer bobcats (continued on page 4) means more deer and more rodents
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