6/3/11 – Pinckney Island NWR

We went to Hilton Head Island today.  There must be more golf courses per capital on that chunk of land than anywhere else on earth!  We stopped at Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge on the way back.  You cross Pinckney Island getting on and off Hilton Head, so we didn’t even have to detour.

We stopped to read the historical markers—there were two.  Well, actually, there were four…each one had something different on the reverse side.  I’ve never seen that before (or maybe I’ve just never checked the backs of any other markers before!)

There was no Visitors Center, but a big information sign about the refuge identified the trails.  I talked George into taking the shortest one (1.2 miles round trip) out to Ibis Pond. The trail at least to that point is actually a dirt road.  The lower end of the island where we were seems to be all salt marshes, dried out in the summer.

There were tiny little crabs anywhere there was water, scurrying either into their little holes in the sand or out to deeper water when we got close.

There were lots of ibis in the marsh grasses across from the pond.  A few would get nervous and take flight, but there would be more.  Then a few more would take off, but there always seemed to be more. 

It was in the high 90s, so we didn’t stay to watch very long. 

Pics of Pinckney Island NWR