Painted Buntings at Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge (BPW #42)

Birding Hilton Head Island, SC and Pinckney Island NWR

Yesterday we got back from our vacation to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The trip was way too short. We left on Thursday, June 4, and made it as far as Columbia, then drove to Savannah on Friday and spent the day there, staying at the River Inn that evening. Savannah is a beautiful, old city, and we loved it! But more about that later…right now I’ve got to tell you a little about Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge and the beautiful Painted Buntings I found living there.

A Painted Bunting on Pinckney Island National Wildlife 

Refuge near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Can you believe the colors in this beautiful bird? These neo-tropical migrants look like they flew right off of an artist’s palette of pure pigment. And there were so many on the island! At one point they were practically dripping off the trees. I saw at least 8 while birding from the parking lot. I could also hear them everywhere. The first one I saw was just off 278 as I entered the park. I saw an Ibis in the grass and quickly pulled over to photograph him, but as I climbed out of the car, I heard a song resembling an Indigo Bunting. All it took was looking up in a tree in the direction of the song, and there he was. Literally, I had my life bird within 30 seconds of pulling into the reserve. This was going to be good….






Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge is located on a series of small islands just before you cross over onto Hilton Head Island. It is definitely a destination spot for any birder. It is also a rookery with well over 1,000 Ibises. Also nesting in the rookery are many types of herons and egrets. I’ll be talking more about it every day this week and sharing all the wonderful birds I saw...truly an amazing place.

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Guess who I got to meet today?

...Betsy from Tennessee and her sweetheart, George! I also got to see all of her beautiful roses...and day lilies…and they truly are beautiful. Are you wondering how a girl from Cincinnati got all the way down to Tennessee for a visit? It's simple. We stopped at Rick's parent's new house on our drive home from our vacation on Hilton Head Island. Rick's parents moved to Betsy's neighborhood three weeks ago. How small a world is that? When Betsy and I figured out I was going to be within minutes of her house, she graciously invited us over to visit. I guess birds of a feather really do flock together, because I liked Betsy the minute I saw her. She and her husband were so kind and welcoming…just like she is on her blog Joyful Reflections. It’s so much fun to meet other bird-crazy people. Thank goodness for the Nature Blog Network! I wish we could have stayed longer, but we had to head for home...good thing we left when we did, because we narrowly missed tornadoes and severe storms along I-75 in Kentucky. While I was there I took a few photos of her beautiful roses and lilies. I don't know their names, but who needs to when "Exquisite" covers them all:

...and roses were not the only beauteous thing around. Check out George's day lilies...

George and Betsy...what a cute and happy couple!! 

For some reason, I don't have a photo of Betsy and me...

I have one of George and Rick, though...

...they are both bloggers too 

(as well as also being cute and happy). 

George dug up several clumps of Primroses for my back yard. I can’t wait to plant them tomorrow morning. Thanks, Betsy and George!! You are two of the most welcoming and gracious people I’ve ever met!! Rick, Mary and I enjoyed meeting your today.

p.s. …and for those of you who really didn’t like the bug posts, no worries! The bugfest is over. Starting tomorrow I will be posting gorgeous Hilton Head Island, South Carolina birds… Also...while we were down there (from June 4 till we returned this evening) we had really slow internet connections, so I fell behind visiting all my blogs. I hope to catch up soon!!

Beauty of the Bugs Part 4 - Little Black Bug

I don't know what kind of bug this is. He sort of looks like a lightning bug, but I found him on a stalk of grass during the day, so I don't know if he lights up or not.  This fellow isn't quite as stunning as the little red Ladybug or the beautiful Silvery Checkerspot -- nothing beats the bright red of a Ladybug or the happy orange of a butterfly against the pure white of a daisy petal. But this little guy is sweet in his own way, and if he is a lighting bug, he's pretty special too glowing and blinking on and off on warm sumer evenings, charming kids and adults alike. I like his red shield just below his head and the way he's clinging to the sagging tassel of grass. His little head is interesting too, especially when you check out his segmented antenna! 

Beauty of the Bugs Part 3 - Butterfly on Daisy

This little butterfly was on the Little Miami Bike Trail. It floated from flower to flower as I slowly walked the path until it finally lighted on a daisy. I'm not sure what this butterfly is called, but it looks a little like a Painted Lady I've seen on other sites. Perhaps someone out there can fill me in. Ruthie (of Nature Knitter) just wrote that it is probably a Silvery Checkerspot, which she said is a common butterfly in Southwest Ohio in the summer. Thanks, Ruthie!

Beauty of the Bugs Part 2 - Daddy Longlegs in Purple

I was photographing a lovely clump of fragrant red clover blossoms when this spindly little fellow climbed into view. I love his long, willowy legs. He seems to have found a beautiful place to rest. I know nothing about Daddy Longlegs, so I don't know what he was doing. Was he looking for a little nectar or just a little beauty...

Does anyone know what these long-legged beauties eat? Or any other tidbits about them...

Beauty of the Bugs Part 1 - SoloBug

I've never been a true fan of insects. Some actually scare me, but while popping around to many of the blogs on the Nature Blog Network, I’ve found a lot of macro photos of bugs--butterflies, damselflies, dragonflies, beetles, grasshoppers, you name it, and I’ve grown to see the beauty in each. So to prove my conversion, I’m going to dedicate a week to The Beauty of Bugs. (However….if a tick lands on me or somebody shouts, “there’s a bug on you,” I’ll still probably do the “get it off me, get it off me” dance, but once it’s off…and it lands on a flower….I’ll photograph it and admire its beauty.) To start the week off, here’s SoloBug!

Are these really the same baby Red-tailed Hawks from last week? (BPW #41)

After arriving at the Red-tailed Hawk's nest, I was only able to get about 10 snaps before thunder and lightning burst overhead and sent me scurrying for the car. During that short time, as I was looking through the view finder I couldn't believe my eyes. How had these babies matured so fast? Could these be the same birds? I could see tiny tufts of down on their heads in between their new feathers, so it had to be them, but boy did they loose their downey little head feathers quickly!






I really wanted to stay and take more photos, but I'm not keen on lightning--especially when surrounded by lots of really big trees. Soon, however, lighting wasn't the only problem. Rain was. Buckets of water poured down. I tucked my camera under my shirt (which I'm sure looked lovely to all the bikers racing to their cars) and walked back to the car. Totally soaked through, I was very thankful it was warm. Feeling the warm rain streaming through my hair and down my face was actually fun, and as long as I kept our camera dry I didn't care how wet I got. As I climbed in the car, my cell phone rang. It was Rick and Matty and they were stuck on the expressway in the middle of a hail storm. Yikes....at least I didn't have to dodge balls of ice!

Bonus! My niece, Maria (who just turned 14), sent me these photos earlier today. She was outside in her front yard when a huge Red-tailed Hawk swooped in and landed on her neighbor's roof. Maria, being a budding photographer (and birder too), ran in and grabbed her camera and captured this photo. Maria...your quick thinking paid off. I love that you captured his red tail feathers in the first photo!

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