Huntington Beach SP and Home - 26 Apr 2026

Today would be my last morning here in South Carolina. After four excellent days of birding and friendships I would have to say goodbye to Jack, Janet, Ken and Julie and head for home. With bags packed we drove to the Litchfield Restaurant for breakfast, but arriving 30 minutes too soon we decided to head to the State Park for one last birding trip.

Arriving shortly after 7 am Jack, Janet and I drove to the Visitor Center to look for Painted Bunting at the feeders. Though the feeders were empty we could hear a male Painted Bunting singing from trees obscured by the back end of the building. So we headed down to the boardwalk and the saltmarsh. 

Skies were cloudy and a (very) light rain was falling around us. Though we listened we couldn't hear any sparrows in the marsh, but did pick up distant calls of Willet and the "Ker-a-wiii" of Black-bellied Plovers in flight.

A Greater Yellowlegs flew in and landed next to the boardwalk.

A small flock of dowitchers also flew by. I suspect that they were Long-billed Dowitchers based on whitish armpits and axillary feathers that are more barred in Short-billed Dowitchers. Barring on the flanks also support LBDO.

A Snowy Egret flew in and landed on the boardwalk.

Not wanting to dally we decided we had time for a quick run to the freshwater-side of Mullet Pond to look for the Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Though we would dip on the bird a Least Bittern was finally showing enough to be seen by several of us.

I ran up ahead to see if the YCNH might be at the west edge of the pond but had to settle for several Green Herons, 

an unexpected Solitary Sandpiper,

and the continuing pair of Roseate Spoonbills.

We headed back to the car to drive back to Litchfield Restaurant for breakfast but not before grabbing a couple last-second pics of the Green Herons.

After a nice breakfast Jack and Janet drove me to the Myrtle Beach International Airport for my 12:50 pm flight back to Detroit where Robin was waiting for me. It was bittersweet to leave; I had such a great time and saw so many wonderful birds. 

New lifers included Painted Bunting, Mississippi Kite, Swainson's Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Gull-billed Tern and Seaside Sparrow. I would find 130 species for this trip (8th place in Georgetown for April 2026) and finish my 2026 Georgetown, SC list with 172 species; good for 7th place on the Georgetown, SC eBird ranking. 

Special thanks to Ken Davis for his wonderful guiding experience and company, Julie Davis for her wonderful hospitality, and to Jack and Janet (and Cocoa) for inviting me to stay with them on Pawley's Island. They made me feel like home. 

Huntington Beach State Park, Murrells Inlet US-SC 33.51357, -79.07335, Georgetown, South Carolina, US
Apr 26, 2026 7:12 AM - 8:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.514 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Cloudy drizzle 60F
30 species

Sora (Porzana carolina)  1
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  12
American Coot (Fulica americana)  4
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)  8
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)  3
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)  4
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)  1
Willet (Tringa semipalmata)  2
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  2
Least Tern (Sternula antillarum)  2
Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)  4
Least Bittern (Botaurus exilis)  1
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)  3
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)  1
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)  3
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  5
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  2
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)  1
White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)  2
Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)  1
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  1
Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla)  1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)  1
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)  2
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)  1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  1
Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S327665697

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)