When Coastal Expeditions announced a tour to see the Whimbrel land in large flocks, I was so excited I bought tickets immediately. (If you’re not on their mailing list, you can subscribe here.) Every trip I’ve taken with them has been worth it, with knowledgeable guides and captains who know how to observe nature without disturbing it. They were offering a first-of-a-kind tour to see the Whimbrel come in to roost at Deveaux Bank. This small uninhabited spit of land is off limits to people during nesting season, but this journey had the support and supervision of SCDNR. We didn’t have to go far before we saw a dock literally covered in birds: Whimbrel, American Oystercatchers, Dowitchers, Ruddy Turnstones, Sandwich Terns, Forsters Terns, Laughing Gulls, Least Terns, Blackbellied Plovers and more.