Pritchards Island
Amazing Uninhabited Island
Pritchards Island is just southwest of Fripp and is only accessible by boat. This uninhabited island is owned by the University of South Carolina which conducts research on the island and welcomes daily visitors who enjoy strolling along the beaches and enjoying the barrier island's wildlife and tranquility.
Atlanta businessman Philip Rhodes donated the 1,600 acre island to the University of South Carolina in 1983 with the condition it not be developed commercially but rather used for coastal research. Students would stay in the "old stilt house", the Rhodes Research Center, while studying the ecosystems on the island and managing the preservation of the loggerhead sea turtles that nest on the island. The island is still managed by USCB and is used for education, conservation and research purposes by the University, other state institutions, and the general public.
In October of 2022, the abandoned research lab was removed, section by section, and hauled off on a barge.
For several years, the Beaufort County Arts Council collaborated with USCB to hold an annual artist retreat on Pritchards. Each artist was required to provide a piece of art that became the Pritchards Island Collection.
That collection now hangs in the library at the Hilton Head Gateway campus. (Source: Island Packet 2015)
If you're looking for an adventure, visit Pritchards by kayak or canoe. The Fripp Island Resort offers guided canoe trips that launch off the beach behind the Cabana Club. It's a great way to safely navigate the swift current that runs through Skull Inlet and learn more about the barrier islands. Contact the Activity Center for more information and reservations.
If you're ready to head out on your own, you can check tides and head over in your kayak or canoe. Single and tandem kayaks are also available to rent at Island Excursions. Once you get to Pritchards, you'll enjoy the peace and quiet of the island while strolling, shelling and exploring.
One of Beaufort County's most nested beaches, Pritchards Island is host to Loggerhead Sea Turtles between May and October. A group of dedicated volunteers patrol the island during nesting season to protect, mark and even relocate nests when necessary. Learn more about loggerheads - they're truly amazing!
Pritchards Island is host to both shorebirds and seabirds throughout most of the year - in the summer for nesting, and as a rest and refuel layover during their epic spring and fall migrations.
Nests are laid in shallow scrapes in the sand that blend in very well to their surroundings. While raising their young in the summer, it is imperative that adult birds keep eggs and chicks shaded to prevent predation and overheating in the summer sun, like the Least Tern is doing in this photo.
With North American shorebird and seabird populations in steep decline from habitat loss, predation and human disturbance, every piece of natural habitat remaining is critical for their survival. Help us protect these birds while enjoying the beach by keeping these actions in mind:
- Walk around flocks of birds, not through them, so they can rest and feed
- Respect signage on the beach indicating where birds are nesting and/or resting
- Leash your dog near birds, because even friendly dogs look like predators to them
There's lots to learn about birds in the Lowcountry - there are hundreds of different species to be found. Thank you for helping to protect our local wildlife!
Wilson`s Plovers are slightly larger than several of the small plovers in the family, and they have a more southerly distribution, living on beaches along the southern Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.
Don’t forget to #ShareTheShore with this adorable plover and our other beloved coastal birds if you’re heading to the beach this summer! You can help keep them safe by giving them at least 100 feet of space so they can nest and rest. 💖
A Wilson`s Plover parent stays close to its chick on the beach. 📷: Jean Hall/Audubon Photography Awards
Heading to the beach this summer? 🏖️ Birds that nest on beaches and other coastal habitats face many challenges, like human development, storms, and sea-level rise.
That`s why it`s so important to help protect coastal birds by giving them the space they need to nest, rest, and feed. And now you can inspire others to #ShareTheShore with our merch, available for a limited time only.
Tap the link in our bio to choose your favorite product—from tote bags to towels and more—and all purchases will support Audubon’s conservation work.
1️⃣ A Laughing Gull peers at a Share the Shore tote bag.
2️⃣ A Share the Shore beach towel on the sand.
3️⃣ A Share the Shore tote bag hanging on rocks on the beach
All 📷: Nancy Borowick (nancyborowick)
We`re calling on beachgoers everywhere to make beaches safer for birds by avoiding their nesting areas this #MemorialDay weekend and throughout the summer. 🏖️
If you spent the weekend along Florida`s beaches, you might have seen Audubon_FL’s bird stewards out in full force at certain locations where people and beach-nesting birds commingle. These important ambassadors for nature help visitors learn about coastal birds to better understand what`s happening inside posted areas.
What else can you do to help #ShareTheShore with these nesting birds at the beach? Tap the link in our bio to find out!
Black Skimmers, including chicks, gather on the beach. 📷: Douglas DeFelice/Audubon Photography Awards
• #ShareTheShore • this Piping Plover chick, pictured at 4 days old, is beating the odds. Its three siblings were taken by predators within a few days, but this little one has become adept at avoiding the plentiful ghost crabs that tip toe on their claws across the beach hoping to steal prey into their sandy tunnels. It responds to alarm calls from its parents, freezing and flattening to the ground, as an e-bike races across the beach at low tide. The fuzzy chick, smaller than a surf clam, remains motionless as the fat tires speed by just feet away from leaving the parents chick-less. Overhead, gulls and crows listen for the plover calls and search for flightless prey. On a busy weekend beach day, the chick navigates beach chairs, walkers and unleashed dogs, as it makes its way to the intertidal zone to eat. It’s not easy being a plover.
hello, world 🥹
#pipingplover #chicagopipingplovers chicagopipingplovers #greatlakespipingplover #glpipl #plover #plovers #endangeredspecies #conservation #sharetheshore #saveshorebirds #shorebird #wader #bird #birds #birdphotography #birding #birdwatching #audubon #audubonsociety #chicagobirdalliance #illinoisbirdingnetwork #chicagobirder #urbanbirding
Iconic kind of guy.
#sharetheshore #pipingplover #conservationphotography #wildlifephotography #wildlife #nature #naturephotography #yankeemagazine #mynewengland #natgeo #optoutside #massachusetts #ignewengland #igersnewengland #westernmass #igers413 #pioneervalley #413 #scenesofnewengland #igersmass #birds #birdsofinstagram #ocean
Heading to the beach this #LaborDay? Remember to give birds the space they need to safely nest and rest. 🏖️
You can #ShareTheShore by respecting posted signs about nesting and other off-limits areas and keep your pet leashed whenever you’re near birds. Playful dogs want everyone involved in the fun, but their antics can wreak havoc on shorebird colonies in a matter of seconds. Birds like these Least Terns perceive dogs as predators, even if the dogs aren’t chasing them.
Tap the link in our bio to find more ways to become a #BirdFriendly beachgoer.
A Least Tern with its chick near an egg on the beach. 📷: Jim Verhagen/Audubon Photography Awards
✨ The birds are back in town! ✨ In North Carolina, that is.
Spring migration and early nesting birds are starting to ramp up on the state`s coast, with Brown Pelicans, Great Egrets, and others, beginning their courting and nesting rituals on the Cape Fear River and beyond. 🐣
Tap the link in our bio to learn from audubon_nc what this season will look like and how you can help nesting shorebirds by finding ways to #ShareTheShore.
A Great Egret building a nest. 📷: Mary Giraulo/Audubon Photography Awards
Where do weanlings (elephant seal pups who are no longer nursing) go on their first trip at sea?
Without any teaching, or any help from their fellow weanlings, these brave young voyagers venture to sea and learn how to navigate the North Pacific and find food. How do they find their way? Do the males and females instinctively follow the same routes as the adults?
Researchers at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are trying to answer these questions. Among the 15 weanlings tracked over the past 2 years, scientists have found a lot of individual variation. Many weanlings headed northward along the coast or just off the continental shelf near the Pacific northwest. But one weanling stayed near the Channel Islands off southern California, and another spent most of her time off the coast of Alaska!
We are just beginning to understand where the weanlings go. Join us in April to start #WatchingThoseWeanlings and follow this year’s 10 intrepid explorers on their journeys: https://www.calpoly-viplab.com/satellite-tags
That’s a wrap for #WinterWildlifeWonders! Thank you for following along these past 8 weeks as we shared fun facts about elephant seals and ways to be a steward in their protection.
•
📷: Kathleen Curtis
Image Description: A close-up shot of a group of weanlings with silver fur laying next to one another.
#AñoNuevoStatePark #WinterWildlifeWonders #ElephantSeal #WatchingThoseWeanlings #HelpMeStayWild #RespectWildlife #ShareTheShore #StewardshipSunday #CAStateParks
Beach-nesting and other coastal birds have begun laying eggs along Florida`s coasts and on rooftops in coastal areas. Spring and summer mark critical times of year for these vulnerable species, as they must try to find safe habitats away from human disturbance, storms, and predators to successfully raise their chicks.
Sea and shorebirds lay their eggs right on the sand. If they can’t find suitable beach habitat, some birds resort to nesting on large, gravel rooftops. Tampa Bay area threatened species, like the American Oystercatcher, Least Tern, and Black Skimmer, perceive people as a threat and will take flight whenever they get too close.
Want to learn how you can #ShareTheShore and help birds raise their next generation of chicks to adulthood? Tap the link in our bio to brush up on guidance from Audubon_FL.
An American Oystercatchers adult and chick on the beach. 📷 : Holley Short/Audubon (Note: This photo was taken as part of a monitoring program—please remember to give nesting shorebirds their space at the beach.)
