Of all the wildlife in the Lowcountry, birds are the easiest to see and enjoy – especially around your home. Whereas rabbits, snakes, alligators, and frogs use camouflage, silence, or nocturnal activity in order to avoid people, birds can be seen and heard all around us every day. Whether you live in the heart of the island, on the marsh, or out in the woods, bird-watching is a great way to relax and connect with nature.
On Hilton Head Island, bird-watching is one of the most non-discriminating outdoor activities there is. People of all ages and backgrounds can participate even if they are simply sitting on the back porch. With the right set-up and food, you can attract multiple species of birds to your backyard. That’s where Sean Ryan and the Wild Birds Unlimited store can help.
Sean Ryan takes a stroll near Fish Haul Park, the site of numerous bird walks held yearly by the folks at Wild Birds Unlimited. Visit the store online at hiltonhead.wbu.com/bird-walks for schedule.
“Nesting season has begun,” Ryan said. “Lots of birds just find regular places to build their nests and lay eggs, like bushes and trees, even old hanging baskets left over from summer. I even found a nest in my grill, which obviously I hadn’t used in a while, and another one in the top of one of our stand-up heaters. So, you have to be aware that birds will pretty much just show up anywhere.”
Ryan advises that we stay aware. You might have to wait a bit to throw away that used up hanging basket or avoid using your outdoor grill until the babies have left the nest, but it’s worth it.
Some birds do need boxes in which to nest, though, such as the Eastern bluebird, who needs more of a cavity, as opposed to going and finding their own spaces, so it is helpful to put structures out for them to find.
Stock Up
“Wild Birds Unlimited is a hobby store,” Ryan said. “We help people get set up and maximize backyard bird feeding and bird-watching. We sell food, feeders, houses, and hardware for birds, along with a few specialty items for the humans who look out for the birds. Our mission is to help you put out the feeders and quality food to make sure the birds you want to see show up at your yard.”
At Wild Birds Unlimited, the bird feed leaves a positive impact. One of the best-sellers is the No-Mess seed – composed of pure seed, with no shells. Typically, birdseed includes the shells, which birds will spit out. This can lead to debris and weeds under the feeder.
The Wild Birds Unlimited No-Mess Blends are great near flower beds, patios, and decks. No hulls on the seeds makes for tidier feeding, since there’s no debris on the ground to clean up. Pound for pound, the No-Mess Blend birdseed offers the best value because the birds eat everything.
When those pesky squirrels and other critters put a damper on things by stealing your bird feed, try the hot pepper bird foods, including Fiery Feast and SunFire Chips, exclusive to Wild Birds Unlimited. Both are a mix of hot pepper and shell-less seeds. Birds are unable to sense the heat of capsaicin (the ingredient that makes peppers taste hot), but mammals like squirrels, raccoons, and deer sure can. These, too, are shelled sunflower seeds and perfect for your backyard besties such as chickadees, titmice, cardinals, and more.
“A lot of our feeders and houses are made from recycled milk jugs,” Ryan said. “We use, reuse, and recycle. The bird food and supplies we sell are the very best on the market and impact nature in the best way possible.”
Sean Ryan, owner of Wild BirdsUnlimited on Hilton Head Island, tries to catch a glimpse of sea birds at Fish Haul Beach Park.
Ask the Experts
Part of cultivating a hobby includes access to the experts in the field. At Wild Birds Unlimited, customers have opportunities to get advice from the Master Birders on staff. While every employee who works with Ryan has been through base-level training, there are others who are certified above and beyond the base level. These experts can guide you to the right products to ensure that you are attracting the birds you want to attract and repelling the wildlife you don’t want around.
“If birding is your hobby, then we want to help you enjoy it more,” said Ryan, who also owns Wild Bird Unlimited stores in Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. “If you are having problems with pests, we help you fix those problems. If you’ve got squirrels, we’ve got decoys to deter them; if you have crows, we have ways to scare them humanely without harming them. Our practices are not simply to benefit birds. We do what we do to better the world and have positive impact, so even our approach dealing with pests is for the best interest of the human, the birds, and that particular animal.”
With the coming of spring, Ryan and his team can help you certify your backyard as “wildlife friendly,” a program from the National Wildlife Foundation (NWF). A backyard certified bird habitat is a yard that meets certain requirements to support birds and other wildlife.
The NWF certifies yards that provide at least three food sources, such as berries, nuts, pollen, and fruits. You can use native plants, bird feeders, or suet; provide a clean water source for drinking and bathing, such as a birdbath, pond, or stream; provide at least two places for wildlife to shelter, such as shrubs, thickets, or manmade shelters like birdhouses; provide at least two places for wildlife to mate and raise their young, such as mature trees, meadows, or dense shrubs; and use sustainable gardening practices, such as using native plants, reducing lawn areas, composting, and capturing rainwater.
“Spring is great time to reset your yard and get your feeders, nesting boxes, and bird baths up so that you can enjoy the coming season with your feathered friends,” Ryan said.
Bird Walks
Wild Birds Unlimited also offers services outside the store – where the birds live and where the birders practice their hobby. One of the most popular, especially this time of year when the temperatures are more moderate, are the bird walks.
“On a Wild Birds Unlimited bird walk, our expert guides will lead you through one of our many island birding destinations,” Ryan said. “They can help you understand what specific birds look like and sound like, so that you can identify them on your own, whether in your backyard or out watching on your own time.”
For the past 30 years, Bob Speare, naturalist and Audubon Society member, has been leading birding tours, beginning with a career with the Massachusetts Audubon Society. When he first approached Wild Birds Unlimited about leading tours, the idea was inspired by their customers, who are bird enthusiasts who enjoy looking at birds, seeing them at their feeders, and are eager to learn how to bring more birds to their backyards.
“Birds walks are another way that people can enjoy their hobby,” Speare said. “Plus, there is a social side to it. You’re out on a nice, easy walk with like-minded people.”
The 60-minute bird walks are entry-level events and even those who are new to birding or who’ve never done anything like this before feel welcomed and not overwhelmed. The guides take folks around to local places that they might not have visited before, like Pinckney Island, Fish Haul Park, the old golf course near Port Royal Plantation, Jarvis Creek, and even Shelter Cove. All of these places offer good opportunities to see local birds with an experienced leader who can point out a variety of things about the birds, including the species history, different things to watch and listen for, and maybe even ways that you can attract them to your yard.
When you’re ready to get to know the Lowcountry’s feathered friends a little better or to create a bird haven in your backyard, Wild Birds Unlimited is the place to begin. For better birding, visit online at HiltonHead.WBU.com, in the store at 45 Pembroke Dr., Suite 130, or call (843) 802-2010.
