Date: 6/23/25 6:02 am From: Peter Stangel (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: New Protection for SC's 2nd Largest Least Tern Colony
Thanks to great work by the staff at the Coastal Birds Project of the SC Department of Natural Resources, the state's second largest Least Tern Colony has received protection. The colony is at the southern tip of South Litchfield, just across the inlet from the north end of Pawleys Island, and about five miles south of the tern colony at Huntington Beach State Park. This spring, DNR, with an assist from S.C.U.T.E. Sea Turtle Volunteers and Huntington Beach State Park interns, installed symbolic fencing and education signage. Volunteers from the Audubon South Carolina Shorebird Stewards program are helping monitor the site, which is heavily used by beach- and dog-walkers. Recent surveys revealed about 113 Least Tern nests and 3 Wilson's Plovers (no nest detected).
Noteworthy: A local birder alerted DNR staff to the presence of this colony. DNR responded quickly, and now, for the first time, the terns here have protection. Birders, working with public conservation agencies and private conservation groups, can make a big difference for our birds and their habitats.
I vacationed at Litchfield last week and visited the colony twice a day. Recently fledged Least Terns were everywhere. I noted many beach walkers reading the signs and did not see anyone go past the fencing. As education work continues here the results for the terns and plovers should get better and better. Thanks to DNR and Audubon South Carolina for this outstanding achievement.
