Monthly Archives: August 2021

Birds, Marsh, Spoonbill, Swamp, What I Saw, Wildlife

Roseate Spoonbill, ACE Basin

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One of a few found in a large marsh the other day. A true ‘rock star’ of the bird world… everyone loves this guy.

Roseate Spoonbill, ACE Basin
Roseate Spoonbill, ACE Basin

A little known factoid here; Around 10% of young Spoonbills are adventurers.

When they are old enough to fledge and feed themselves they join the adult population, small flocks, and follow them to known feeding areas.

But not all. A small number branch out on their own. This has saved them from extinction. An Audubon naturalist keep written notebooks for many years. The main Spoonbill population died out with the changes to Florida’s water flows. However, that 10% moved off, found new locations, and keep the species alive in North America.

Now, they live in South Carolina and Georgia. This year a few are in Virginia, and way out of place… Long Island, New York. Every year some are spotted around the US. Tropical birds blown off course, probably. Still they were far away to start with.

Birds, Charleston, Marsh, What I Saw, Wildlife

Vulture Restaurant

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And yes, it really is.

Vulture Restaurant
Vulture Restaurant

The Avian Center can have a large number of raptors being rehabilitated at any time. They are fed chicken, and leftovers are not wasted.

Vulture Restaurant
Vulture Restaurant

A back field always contains Vultures nearby, the leftover parts, and some road kill provided by the state is given to the local population.

Vulture Restaurant
Vulture Restaurant

On this day two wounded Vultures were returned to the wild, right with this bunch. They were brought out and promptly placed with the others that had stopped by for a meal.

Vulture Restaurant
Vulture Restaurant

Vultures are critical to the environment. Without their ‘services’ disease spreads quickly. Vultures are immune to most known disease.

How critical ? India had a chemical in use that almost wiped out their entire Vulture population. Diseases ran rampant. Finally they banned the chemical and imported wild Vultures to help solve the problem.

A strange bird, graceful in flight, and very important to the environment.