Chicks hatching at celebrated Port Royal rookery. That means it’s time to party
It’s time to party, bird lovers.
Birthday for the Birds at Port Royal’s celebrated Cypress Wetlands — a rookery that draws thousands of birds to the heart of the town along with visitors who enjoy the spectacle — returns from 2-4 p.m. Sunday. The annual celebration of the beloved rookery in an urban landscape coincides with nesting and chicks hatching.
“We have several of the nests visible from the boardwalk where you can see baby birds,” said Scot Clark with Friends of Port Royal Cypress Wetlands, the not-for-profit that throws the party.
Last year, 250 people showed up including 150 kids who sang, “Happy birthday, Cypress wetlands birds.”
“The big thing the kids love is singing happy birthday to the birds,” Clark says.
Don’t be late. The singing starts promptly at 2 p.m.
Each spring, Cypress Wetlands explodes with a variety of herons and other wading birds that nest in the trees on the islands where they are protected from predators. A boardwalk runs through the heart of the wetlands, providing a front-row seat for bird watchers and photographers who travel from near and far to witness Mother Nature’s show.
Among the most common nesting birds are great and snowy egrets, and little blue, green, tricolored and black crested night herons. White ibis, wood stork, roseate spoonbill, yellow crowned night heron, cattle egret, glossy ibis, green blue heron and other birds also visit the rookery, located off of Paris Avenue in the heart of the old village.
The birthday party, which began in 2012, has become a popular spring ritual in Port Royal, especially for kids who chow down on cupcakes and see alligators, turtles and snakes provided by the Edisto Island Serpentarium.
But there’s also a good chance attendees will see some of those critters in the wild, especially gators and turtles.
There’s also a scavenger hunt.
Friends of Cypress Wetlands recently received more than $4,000 in donations — $1,800 raised from a silent auction held during its recent speaker series, $1,121 from Shellring Ale Works, and $1,000 from Safe Harbor Marinas. With that money, 24 new directional signs were installed at the wetlands, Clark said. The funds will also pay for replacing five wildlife education signs and adding three more.
This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 12:17 PM.
