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)
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! 🌊
It`s #worldshorebirdsday, I took this photo the other day to show a #sharetheshore situation. This group of Sandpipers rests on the beach,while busy beachgoers hustle and bustle in the background. In a lot of locations there is a struggle to provide shorebirds with enough space on beaches for people and birds. The thing is with a little self awareness of your surroundings you can share the shore with them equally, they need all the help they can get. Shorebirds are facing shrinking habitats, pollution, and the effects of climate changes on a daily basis. audubonsociety
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
.
📷: chrisallieri
.
.
.
#pipingplover #plover #oystercatcher #shorebirds
These white fronted plovers do not have it easy. When they aren`t contending with us and our dogs, gulls and crows they have the wild seas that wash up the dunes and destroy their nests. Against all odds these little ones keep trying.
#smallisbeautiful #sharetheshore #whitefrontedplover #shorebirds #clayjourney #drawingonclay #illustratedplate #inspiredbynature #slowdesign #southafricanart #ceramicdesign #contemporaryceramics #handbuiltceramics #birds #slipware
“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
Plover Pause™
#plover #pipo #pipingplover #shorebirds #sharetheshore
The ocean asks for nothing but those who stand by her shores gradually attune themselves to her rhythm.
- Charles Dickens
.
.
09.09.20
American oystercatchers on the beaches of the Rockaways in Queens #NewYorkCity
.
Last Sunday was #WorldShorebirdsDay so on this #WildlifeWednesday I’ll spotlight the American oystercatcher, a boldly patterned shorebird w red-yellow eyes and a vivid red-orange bill, it survives almost exclusively on shellfish.
.
Every summer, a lot of these oystercatchers and other shorebirds nest on the Rockaways. Was excited to see an oystercatcher chick during one of my visits! Swipe to see it!
.
I also came across the eggs of 6U and 7U, two banded oystercatchers that has returned to nest in the Rockaways for several years now. This year they have three eggs which haven’t hatch yet when I was there last July.
.
To protect nesting shorebirds, everyone is encouraged to #sharetheshore 🐣
.
#SeeYourCity
"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
