Birding/Migration Vacations in SE coastal resorts

[Carol C Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Carol C]

It's that time of year when birds are migrating south for the winter. Some stop and stay in the coastal regions of the Southeast...some move on to Florida and Mexico. There is great birding this time of year on Edisto Island SC and to some extent on Hilton Head (on the undeveloped parts and the marshlands).

Does anyone else enjoy birding and have fave timeshares in the Southeast where birds abound this time of year?

[Laurie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Laurie]

Hey Carol,

Welcome home from your Hawaii trip, hope you had a great trip, look forward to hearing about it!

A couple years ago we went to Outer Banks in November for parts of the Wings Over Water Festival:
Wings Over Water Birding Festival on the Outer Banks of North Carolina 2007
We stayed up at BIS-Duck because we needed a Sunday checkout, and there weren't many Sun-Sun choices. Duck was a bit further from some of their events and locations but it turned out to be just fine. Maybe you want to check out this festival for next year or a future year.

And we've been to Ibis Pond and Pinckney Refuge at HH a couple times, as I'm sure you have.

I'm not really much of a birder, as in I can't tell most of them apart from afar - but I'd go to Ding Darling at Sanibel anytime - the one time we exchanged into Sanibel, we ended up going there every single day except the one day it was closed.

And we love when we can get to our humble little home resort the Beach House in Myrtle Beach during the winter, because usually there are hundreds of birds right out front. A couple years ago we exchanged back in over the summer, and there were no birds - we hadn't thought about migration - but it just wasn't the same.

[gophish Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close gophish]

In the Myrtle Beach area there is also Huntington Beach State Park where in winter there should be quite a few migrants to see.
On the same lines I have a question about birding Florida. I know that there is good access to migrant shore birds in Sanibel and lots of good birding in Everglades. I am looking to find out if there are any opportunities for decent winter birding in Orlando area?? I will be there Feb 1-8. Any suggestions? I want to find some opportunities for bird photography if there are any. I have heard that Orland Wetlands Park may provide some good birding that time of year.

[nicklinneh Member Find all posts View Profile Close nicklinneh]

I googled winter birding orlando and got many hits. The Orlando Camera Club looked interesting; I'd get in touch with them. (another) ken H.