WOB - Hunting Island Shorebirds Tour - Sept. 23, 2023 @ 8:30 a.m.

Dr. Andy Jones is a lifelong naturalist, with a passion for the biodiversity of the southeastern United States. He came to the Spring Island Trust as Executive Director in May 2022. Andy originally hails from Kingsport, TN, and Raleigh, NC, where his natural history interests began at an early age (his first field notes counting toads in the front yard were written when he was 5 years old). He studied biological sciences at the University of Tennessee, and completed his PhD on the evolutionary history of Philippine birds at the University of Minnesota.

From 2006 until early 2022, he worked as curator of ornithology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. There, he continued research on birds using genetic tools, spanning topics such as the taxonomy of terns of the world, identifying newly discovered hybrid combinations in the wild, and the evolutionary history of boreal bird species. He also became one of the team leads on Lights Out Cleveland, a group working with building managers to turn lights off during migration as well as coordinating volunteers to recover injured and dead birds that collided with buildings.

Along the way, Dr. Jones has been active in nonprofit leadership. He has served as a board member and on the research committee of Black Swamp Bird Observatory, as a board member of Winous Point Marsh Conservancy, and as Secretary of the American Ornithological Society. He has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society for his contributions to ornithology.

Dr. Al Segars (retired veterinarian & wildlife biologist with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources) is a Lowcountry treasure. His knowledge & passion pertaining to birds, mammals, wildlife and ecosystem in the ACE Basin & Lowcountry are unmatched.

Hunting Island’s Northern Point where the Johnson Creek, Saint Helena Sound and Atlantic Ocean merge is home to several migrating shorebirds and seabirds throughout the year. You may see Piping Plovers, Red Knots, Whimbrel, American Oystercatchers, several Tern Species, Sanderlings and American Brown Pelicans. Shorebirds and Seabirds use this point and Harbor Island’s southern beach as a go between for feeding, resting and nesting. There is always a chance for a rare bird sighting!

Hunting Island is South Carolina’s single most popular state park, attracting more than a million visitors a year, as well as a vast array of land and marine wildlife. Five miles of pristine South Carolina beaches, thousands of acres of marsh and maritime forest, a saltwater lagoon and ocean inlet are all part of the park’s natural allure. Hunting Island is home to the historic Hunting Island lighthouse, built in 1859 and rebuilt in 1875 after it was destroyed during the Civil War. A unique feature of the lighthouse is that it was constructed of interchangeable cast-iron sections so it could be dismantled should it ever need to be moved. Severe beach erosion made it necessary to relocate the lighthouse 1.3 miles inland in 1889.

Your fee includes a day pass to Hunting Island State Park. We will gather in the parking lot for the lighthouse. The walk is approximately 2.5 miles roundtrip. Please wear comfortable shoes, clothing, bring water, sunscreen and bug spray.