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!
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there. This little fluff ball would have been in trouble if it wasn’t for its parents keeping it safe from the passing cars, raptors and other predators as it begins to explore the world. #happyfathersday #blackneckedstilt #fluffball #nestingseason #babybird #everglades #birdingflorida #sharetheroad #sharetheshore
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
A Fling of Sandpipers! Don`t forget to #sharetheshore if you go to the beach this holiday weekend. Tiny birds the size of cotton balls may be nesting/foraging where you lay your blanket or set off fireworks. Look at signage, stay away from conservation areas, and have fun! 🌊
NYC beaches open tomorrow! This will be a welcome relief, but please remember to keep clear of young shorebirds and off-limits nesting areas. (Yes, we`re glaring at your unleashed dog.) Our nesting shorebirds are already so vulnerable, especially the endangered piping plover, seen here in Breezy Point, and American oystercatchers. There’s plenty of room for everyone. #sharetheshore
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📷: chrisallieri
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#pipingplover #plover #oystercatcher #shorebirds
When audubon_fl shorebird coordinator Kylie Wilson (khelene94) came across Least Terns nesting on South Lido Beach in June—where they hadn’t previously been—she knew it was going to be a busy summer.
From hurricanes to fireworks, banding chicks to moving colonies, Kylie sat down to talk more about her action-packed summer monitoring sea and shorebirds as a bird biologist for Audubon Florida. Given the breadth of her experience, she has plenty of wisdom on how beachgoers can leave a smaller footprint and #ShareTheShore with nesting birds. 🏖️
To read the full interview with Kylie, tap the link in our bio.
1️⃣ - An Audubon staff member holding two banded Least Tern chicks. This photo was taken in compliance with state and federal research permits.
2️⃣ - Kylie Wilson (right) and an Audubon volunteer band Least Tern chicks. This photo was taken in compliance with state and federal research permits.
Want to be a better beach goer to shorebirds? #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.
Least Tern with chick. 📷: Jim Verhagen/Audubon Photography Awards
“My job... is just beach.” - Westken snowy plover
Western snowy plovers are all about beach! Until September, these small, sparrow-sized shorebirds are hard at work incubating eggs and caring for their chicks. You can safely share the shore with these threatened birds by:
- Give wildlife space: do not approach or chase these birds.
- Respect all posted signs and roped-off areas for the protection of wildlife.
- Avoid prolonged picnicking or sunbathing in plover nesting habitat (dry sand areas above the wrack line).
- Walk on the wet hard-packed sand below the wrack line to avoid nesting habitat.
- Camp or build fires only in designated areas.
- If you’re on a beach that allows vehicles, drive ‘low and slow’, staying on the hard-packed sand below the high tide line where plovers forage.
- Avoid driving over old vehicle or foot tracks as plovers like to rest or “loaf” in these and are extremely hard to see.
- Avoid flying kites or other hovering objects near plover nesting habitat.
- Please dispose of all trash properly and do not inadvertently or intentionally feed wildlife.
- Know beach-specific dog rules before you go. If dogs are permitted, please follow the leash rules.
Thank you in advance!
🎨 by Rebecca Fabbri/USFWS
Going to the beach this #LaborDay? Here’s why if you’re planning to bring your canine companion with you, don`t forget to #ShareTheShore!
For most of our coastal birds in North America, human disturbance is one of their biggest threats. That`s any activity that causes an individual or group of shorebirds to alter their normal behavior—and that includes bringing along our canine companions. To birds, people look like predators and our dogs even more so.
"There’s a place for everyone at the beach—including our furry friends—but we need to work together to ensure every creature stays safe out there, especially those that call the shore home," says Audubon`s Elizabeth Muñoz Huber.
Today we`re celebrating all wildlife, like our shorebirds, on #NationalWildlifeDay—so tap the link in our bio to learn how small actions like leashing our pets go a long way in protecting them.
Populations of Least Terns—like this adult and chick—are endangered in many areas because of human impacts on nesting areas, especially competition for the use of beaches. 📷: Jim Verhagen/Audubon Photography Awards
Happy birthday to Theodore Emery (wind.and.wing)- fellow Plover Lover and all-around wonderful human! 🐣
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#WesternSnowyPlover #SnowyPlover #sharetheshore #nuts_about_nature #wildlife_inspired #birds_adored #eye_spy_birds #eye_spy_birds_women #nuts_about_conservation #bird #wildlife #birdstagram #featured_wildlife #naturephotography #ig_nature #nature_perfection #nuts_about_birds #pocket_birds #bb_of_ig #bns_birds #bestoftheusa_birds #women_wildlife_photography #shorebirds_habitat
"Yeah, I coulda had a six-pack if my gym hadna been closed all spring."
Seals seem quite comfortable in their skin as they lounge, loll, sprawl, and sunbathe on sand bars.
Seals owe their plump profiles to blubber, which can be several inches thick and is critical to their survival. Proteins and fats stored in blubber sustain the seals during times when they can`t hunt for food. It also provides insulation, keeping them warm in the icy North Atlantic, and it helps seals stay buoyant. Seals haul out on sandbars to rest and get warm between feeding periods.
While seals may appear clumsy on land, they`re agile in the water, where they bottle, cruise, dive acrobatically, and can accelerate to more than 10 mph to evade a predator.
Please #RecreateResponsibly by watching seals from at least 150 feet away (4 bus lengths). For your safety, don`t boop or swim with seals. If you`d like to learn more about seals, visit the Center for Coastal Studies pop-up info tent at Head of the Meadow and Race Point beaches this summer.
Image taken with telephoto lens from appropriate viewing distance. #sharetheshore #seals
