| Columbia Area | Mountains and Piedmont | Midlands | Coastal Plain |
Ducks are present in great numbers, but most Wildlife Management Areas are closed to the public. The Carolina Bird Club Winter Meeting is usually the last weekend of the month. The CBC frequently obtains special access to areas otherwise closed to the public. Carolina Bird Club, P.O. Box 29555, Raleigh, NC 27626-0555. Check the feeder every morning to keep unfrozen sugar water in it. Winter is a good time to study woodpeckers and winter finches. Keep your eyes open for Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, and Evening Grosbeak. Suggested Field Trips:
Ducks will be leaving in droves with the full moon, so look for them while you can. Clean out your Bluebird boxes and put them back up by Valentine's Day. The first scout Purple Martins will arrive late this month. Broad River Waterfowl Management Area [Description] re-opens on February 1. We frequently go there the first weekend of the month. Many other Waterfowl Management Areas open in February as well. Call the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (734-3888). Suggested Field Trips:
Neotropical migrant songbirds should begin arriving around the 15th, so listen to your bird song tapes. Set your birdbath back up this month now that the danger of hard frost is gone. Clean out your hummingbird feeder by March 20. Use vinegar and warm water. Re-fill it every week with a boiled (and then cooled) water/sugar mixture of 3:1 water to sugar. The best places to bird this month are in the Low Country, especially near Charleston (Magnolia Gardens [Description]), but Congaree Swamp [Description] is good as well. Call before going to Congaree (776-4396) because it is frequently flooded in the winter and early spring. Suggested Field Trips:
The spring migration continues this month, with Neotropical migrants continuing to come in and wintering birds to leave. Look for birds just passing through, such as Rose-breasted Grosbeak, several species of warbler and thrush, and more. Evelyn Dabbs frequently invites us to her farm just east of Sumter on the Black River Swamp for a bird banding demonstration late this month. The last of the winter feeder birds leave, and American Goldfinches start to molt to bright yellow. But most leave to nest in the Piedmont and places farther north. Check pasture edges for strutting Wild Turkeys. Suggested Field Trips:
Most birds are breeding and feeding their young now, so look for hard-to-find species such as Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Bachman's Sparrow, Swainson's Warbler, Painted Bunting, and more. Continue looking for migrants, such as warblers and thrushes along river valleys. Send your mother a card, but otherwise ignore Mother's Day and bird instead (but see November). Watch for Common Nighthawks downtown. Participate in the North American Migratory Bird Count the second Saturday in May. Contact Donna Bailey for details. Bring in your homemade suet and replace it with store bought year-round suet. Suggested Field Trips:
Almost any bird seen this month (except shorebirds) is probably a breeder. Study the gulls and terns while you're at the beach. Look for wading birds in their rookeries. There are easily-accessible ones at Pinckney NWR and Old Santee Canal State Park. [Description]. Look for Painted Bunting in the Lower Coastal Plain. Beaufort, Charleston, and Georgetown Counties are great for them. A few might show up here in Columbia near the Congaree, Saluda, or Broad Rivers. Heathwood Hall Episcopal School (at the intersection of Bluff Road [Description] and S. Beltline) has a reliable pair in the back area near the Congaree River. Suggested Field Trips:
The fall migration begins this month, with shorebirds. Look for all kinds of birds at the beach. Wading birds are beginning to disperse away from their rookeries. Look for Great Egret, Wood Stork, White Ibis, and Glossy Ibis almost anywhere. Perching birds seem to disappear at the end of the month. Suggested Field Trips:
Perching birds remain difficult to find this month, and our swamps are steamy. Watch for Black Terns over inland reservoirs. The fall migration is beginning to pick up speed, with warblers that don't breed here beginning to pass through. Look for Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, and American Redstart in river bottoms. American Goldfinches are breeding now in the Piedmont. Suggested Field Trips:
All month check the edges of farm ponds for shorebirds. The fall migration peaks around September 22-30, but it will continue into mid-October. Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal begin to arrive this month. Look for migrant thrushes (Veery and Swainson's, Gray-cheeked, and Bicknell's Thrush). The Carolina Bird Club usually holds its Fall Meeting during the last weekend of the month. Carolina Bird Club, P.O. Box 29555, Raleigh, NC 27626-0555. Evelyn Dabbs frequently invites the Columbia Audubon Society to return for a second bird banding demonstration. Check the newsletter for details. The SuperSod [Description] turf farm near Orangeburg should have good shorebirds this month. SuperSod is just off I-26 on US 301 Stop by the main office on the way in to ask for permission. And stay off the grass! This is a great month to plant trees and shrubs that will attract birds to your yard. Bird along rivers, but watch out for hunters! Suggested Field Trips:
October is generally a slow month for birding after the 10th, but late in the month winter birds begin arriving. Look for arriving sparrows, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and ducks. The last non-wintering birds move out by mid-month. Note the last day you saw a Chimney Swift (probably along a river). Put out your bird feeders if you took them down for the summer. Continue to look out for hunters. Suggested Field Trips:
November [Return to May]
This is the slowest month of the year for birding, but it's a fun month to keep track of arriving wintering birds. Look for arriving Winter Wren, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Blue-headed Vireo. Owls and other raptors begin courting this month and can be conspicuous. Make up for the birding you did on Mother's Day. Suggested Field Trips:
December [Return to April]
Mom's (especially if she lives in a swamp, on a farm or marsh, or at the beach). Suggest that others give you birding stuff for Christmas. Great books are Robin Carter's Finding Birds in South Carolina; Mark Simpson's Birds of the Blue Ridge Parkway; John Fussell's Birder's Guide to Coastal North Carolina; Sid Gauthreaux and Will Post's Status and Distribution of Birds of South Carolina (available from the State Museum -- it says what's rare and what's not); a county road map book from South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (734-3888); an encyclopedia on birds; a second field guide. Other ideas are the National Audubon Society's Video Guide to the Birds of North America; and a CD ROM on birding. Or, best of all, a spotting scope. Participate in one or more of the hundreds of Christmas Bird Counts throughout the country. See the December issue of the newsletter for a schedule of those in South Carolina. The counts run during the 2 or so weeks around Christmas. Watch for half-hardy birds, such as Common Yellowthroat, Gray Catbird, and White-eyed Vireo in the Piedmont and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Yellow-throated Warbler in the Low Country. If you've seen 200 species in South Carolina by now (in your life, not just this year), call the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (734-3888) for information about becoming a member of the Arthur T. Wayne Society. Suggested Field Trips:
Listen to the Carolina Bird Club Rare Bird Alert tape (704-332-BIRD) for rarities around the state.
Try out the Carolinabirds listserv for even more up-to-date rare bird reports. To subscribe, send a message to majordomo@acpub.duke.edu with no subject and with the message text "subscribe carolinabirds" (without the quotes). You will be sent instructions on what to do.
Feeling bored? Feeling like there's just got to be more to birding? To life? Then check out the web site of the County Birders of South Carolina to see how your county lists compare to those belonging to people with even less to do than you.
Bob Wood created this calendar with help from lots of friends, like Robin Carter, John Cely, Donna Bailey, Lex Glover, and Parkin Hunter. E-mail mailto:bobwood@ix.netcom.com
Columbia Area
1. Congaree Swamp National Monument [ Checklist] ] [ March , May , Sept ., Nov .]
The best birding in the Columbia area. Numerous trails are available, but some are better than others for birds. The first is the River Trail. Park your car at the little parking area where Cedar Creek crosses Old Bluff Road just before Duffie's Pond. Bird down the river access road until you come to a hunt club gate. Turn left down the river access road (crossing a metal barrier). Walk back the same way you went in. Look for the nice oxbow lake on your right just before you reach the river. Another popular birding trail is the New Road Trail. Stay on Old Bluff Road past the entrance to the park. At the end of Old Bluff Road, turn right. When the road takes a sharp left after a couple of miles, you'll note a dirt road that goes straight. Go down the road 50 yards and park. The trail goes deep into the swamp. The boardwalks in the main part of the park are fine, but you may prefer to avoid the crowds. Rest rooms are available at the Ranger Station. Prothonotary Warblers breed in the park, and woodpeckers are abundant in the winter.
2. Bluff Road [June ]
Bluff Road (S.C. 48) is the main road to Congaree Swamp. It is surrounded by agricultural fields and swamps. Numerous country roads lead off of it. All are outstanding for birds of open farmlands and hardwood forests. The road into Heathwood Hall Episcopal School is good, as are nearby White House Road and Beckham Swamp Road. Look for roads with few houses. Old Bluff Road (on the way to Congaree Swamp) is good, as are Martin Luther King Blvd. (catfish ponds), Lost John Road, and a host of others. Don't overlook the many swampy areas on both sides of Bluff Road and Old Bluff Road. Consider the Smile Exxon convenience store near Beckham Swamp Road to be the last sign of civilization until you reach Congaree Swamp. Stay on the shoulders of the roads. Everything down here is private property. The Columbia Audubon Society concentrates in this area for its Christmas Bird Count.
For easy birding, Columbia Riverfront Park is hard to beat. Enter off Huger Street near the BellSouth Bell Building. The paved sidewalk parallels the Old Columbia Canal. Look for migrants, wading birds, and many more. Rest room facilities are available.
The new nature trail leading to the Botanical Gardens is excellent for spring and fall migration. Also, from the picnic area near the Saluda River is an old fisherman's trail that leads downstream. Keep your eyes open for spring and fall migrants and other birds of hardwood forests. Look out for poison ivy.
Who would ever think that you could find spring migrants in downtown Columbia? But they're here, if you don't mind walking near dormitories with your binoculars. It is off Sumter Street at Pendleton. Parking is difficult.
6. . Sesquicentennial State Park
Off Two Notch Road (U.S. 1) in northeast Columbia near Spring Valley, the walk around the lake is easy and can be productive. A nature center is frequently open. The naturalist can help you find the best spots. There is a small parking fee.
7. Old State Road, Cayce
Leaving Columbia, turn left off Knox Abbott Road at State Street in Cayce near Parkland Plaza. The road crosses a railroad yard. Turn left after the yard at a convenience store. Park near the little church at the beginning of Old State Road. You can bird as far as you want on this lonely road that seems to go nowhere. There is a colony of Red-headed Woodpeckers where the road crosses a creek just past the water plant. The water plant has good sparrows and sometimes shorebirds. You may want to visit the fairly new Congraree Creek Heritage Preserve located towards the Cayce end of Old State Road.
8. Congaree Bluffs Heritage Preserve [More Details] [Ongoing Hawkwatch Results]
Congaree Bluffs Heritage Preserve, near Fort Motte, Calhoun County, South Carolina, protects about 200 acres along the south side of the Congaree River, directly across the river from Congaree Swamp National Monument. This wonderful preserve was opened to the public in August 2001. The most striking feature of this site is the view from the top of the bluff, some 140 feet above the Congaree River. This view encompasses about 120 degrees of arc, from north to south east, with a vista over the flood plain forest of Congaree Swamp National Monument and beyond. On a clear day you can see at least 20 miles in some directions. Members of Columbia Audubon and Friends of Congaree Swamp immediately recognized the value of this site as a hawk watch, since it is only about 40 miles from downtown Columbia and started the watch within a week of the opening of the preserve. This watch is in its infancy, and will be staffed on a catch-as-catch-can can basis for now. If you plan to go, please contact Robin Carter to see if anyone else will be watching on the day of your visit. Or please print a copy of the HMANA Daily Report Form from the Hawk Migration Association of North America web site and use this to record your results. Then send email to Robin Carter with your results. See the Congaree Swamp National Monument checklist.
Mountains and Piedmont
1. Caesars Head State Park [Sept .] [Checklist]
On U.S. 276 above Greenville on the North Carolina border. Beautiful scenery and rare birds. The little community up there is full of birds and bird feeders. Look over toward Table Rock for Ravens and Peregrine Falcons. The woods are full of Black-throated Blue Warblers in the spring. Rest rooms, a grill, and a gift shop are available. A trail to Raven Cliff Falls is nice.
2. Sassafras Mountain [May ]
From Pickens, go north on U.S. 178 and turn right at Rocky Bottom. The road takes you almost to the top of the 3548' mountain, the highest in the state. Keep your eyes open for Ruffed Grouse and other birds of the higher elevations. Sassafras Mountain is privately owned by a power company, so there are no facilities.
3. Table Rock State Park [May ] [Checklist].
Comparable to Caesars Head. It's off S.C. 11. Excellent facilities.
4. Walhalla State Fish Hatchery [May ]
Take S.C. 107 north of Walhalla. Soon you'll find yourself in the heart of Sumter National Forest. Take the turnoff to the fish hatchery a few miles south of the North Carolina state line and bird the road down to the fish hatchery. The birding at the bottom is good, but the road itself is the star of this show. Great for spring warblers and breeding birds of hardwood forests. Also, just a downright pretty place. Unauthorized tip: When you've seen enough, continue up S.C. 107 and take the last paved right before you cross the state line. It's a cutover to S.C. 281. Turn left onto S.C. 281. Just across the state line on N.C. 281 is Whitewater Falls. Cerulean Warblers (tough to find anymore) breed there, and the view-for-the-effort ratio is the best around for waterfalls.
1. Broad River Waterfowl Management Area [Feb., March ]
Off S.C. Highway 34 on the Fairfield County side of the Broad River Bridge. You turn down the dirt road and take the second right. Park your car near the radio tower and walk on in, through the closed gate. (Access by foot is allowed except during the winter.) Awesome in the spring. Chats and Indigo Buntings seem to be everywhere, and migrating shorebirds pass through. If you can get permission to get in during the winter (like on an Audubon Society field trip), you'll see lots of ducks. A good day at Broad river can yield over 45 species. No rest rooms or other facilities.
2. Dreher Island State Park [Checklist].
On Lake Murray off the Chapin exit on I-26 northwest of Columbia. Good for shorebirds in the spring and fall and for ducks and gulls in the winter. Otherwise, its pinewoods attract average numbers and varieties of birds the rest of the year.
3. Landsford Canal State Park [Sept.]
Off U.S. 521 in eastern Chester County. Pleasant walk along an old canal, but not on the top of many lists unless you hit the migration just right. Beautiful and rare wildflowers in the spring and early summer.
4. Orangeburg Sod Farms [April , July , Aug ., Sept .]
Take I-26 from Columbia toward Charleston. Turn toward Orangeburg at U.S. 301. You'll see SuperSod on your left about 1/4 mile from the interstate. Tell the folks at the office that you'd like to see their birds. Unless they're unusually busy, they'll be glad to let you go look, but stay on the roads. (You've heard it before, Please don't walk on the grass.) Carry a spotting scope if you have one, and don't go without your field guide. This is the best place in the Midlands for shorebirds from March to June and August through October. Facilities at two convenience stores at the exit. There's another sod farm you can bird from public roads. To get there, instead of turning toward Orangeburg on U.S. 301, go to the other side of the interstate and take the first right. The road turns into sort of a frontage road. The farm is within 1/4 mile of where the pavement ends. Not as good as SuperSod, but always open. If you strike out, there's another sod farm a little farther down U.S. 301 toward Santee. And if there's nothing there, go on to Santee National Wildlife Refuge. If there's nothing there, call the Infoline: It would be a first!
Off S.C. 261 between Pinewood and U.S. 76/378, this park has a wonderful diversity of habitats. Though hit hard by Hurricane Hugo, it remains a jewel of the Midlands for trees and wildflowers as well as birds. There's a dirt road between S.C. 261 and the Wateree River that's fun to take back to U.S. 76/378. To find it, follow the signs to the Manchester State Forest Headquarters. Facilities. Parking fee.
Coastal Plain
1. Bear Island Wildlife Management Area [March , May , Sept ., Oct.]
Truly a must-see place. From Walterboro, take S.C. 303 to Green Pond and turn north toward Charleston on U.S. 17. The first major right (just past Wood Brothers Store) is Bennett's Point Road. Bear Island is about 15 miles down the road. This is in the heart of the ACE Basin. Look for Bald Eagle, Great Horned Owl, Wood Stork, and Black-necked Stilt. Ducks are plentiful in the winter, but it's closed in December and January. Check with the Department of Natural Resources before going. Be sure to bird Bennett's Point Road (before and after Bear Island) for Barred Owl, Hairy Woodpecker, and rails. A good day at Bear Island can yield over 80 species. Primitive rest room and picnic facilities are available near the entrance.
2. Brookgreen Gardens [Jan ., Feb ., March ]
Better known to most folks than Huntington Beach State Park, we birders, however, think of it as being that place across the street from Huntington Beach. You should certainly send your non-birding spouse over there while you're at Huntington Beach, but if he or she insists that you spend the day with him or her, go on anyway. It's full of owls, rails, and small land birds.
3. Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge [Checklist ] [ Jan ., Feb ., March]
Between the Isle of Palms and McClellanville on U.S. 17. This is where Hurricane Hugo hit the coastline, so the scenery isn't what it used to be. Boat trips are available to Bull's Island from Moore's Landing. You really need a boat to get the most out of this place, which is a lot.
4. Francis Beidler Forest (Four Holes Swamp) [ March ]
Follow the signs off I-26 heading toward Charleston. It's near Harleyville at the I-95 intersection. The mile-long boardwalk is good, but Hurricane Hugo did serious damage here. Great for Prothonotary Warblers. Rest rooms and a gift shop are in the office. $3.75 entrance fee for adults and a lower fee for children. Plan on hitting Santee National Wildlife Refuge or the Orangeburg sod farms on the way home.
5. Francis Marion National Forest
It isn't what it used to be since Hurricane Hugo in 1989, but Red-cockaded Woodpecker (year round) and Swallow-tailed Kite (summer only) can still be found here in relative abundance.
6. Huntington Beach State Park [Dec ., Jan ., June] [Checklist].
Widely regarded as the best birding spot in South Carolina. Across the street from Brookgreen Gardens on U.S. 17 between Georgetown and Myrtle Beach. Plan to spend all day. Accommodations are available on U.S. 17 just north of Georgetown. First check out the hardwood forest on both sides of the entrance drive. Then spend an hour looking over the freshwater pond on the right and the saltwater marsh on the left. Then bird the road out to the north beach (the left fork as you leave the causeway), looking out especially for Painted Bunting in the spring and summer. The boardwalk out to the marsh is nice for wading birds, and the trail across the street from the parking area for the boardwalk is great in migration. Then check out the pond on the right as you pull up to the beach. Then walk out with your scope to the jetty. It's a long walk, but the birding is good all the way. Be sure to look at all the birds in the surf (terns, gulls, loons, etc.) as well as those on the beach. Just before you get to the jetty, on the left you'll seen Least Tern nesting sites and a saltwater pond/mud flats where unusual shorebirds show up. Then walk down the famous jetty, looking across the inlet for birds that only belong up north. Wilson's Storm Petrel can be seen in the summer with a scope pointed out to sea. Walk back on the road inside the dune line (unless it's closed), looking for sparrows and surprises in general. After a late lunch near the campground on the south end of the park, walk down the old entrance road and look for a Redheaded Woodpecker colony just past the flooded fields. Then hit the pond down a nature trail just north of the nature center (near the park store) for more shorebirds and wintering ducks. Then hit the beach one more time before you start the 2½ hour trip back to Columbia. Rest rooms and a gift shop. Parking fee.
7. Magnolia Gardens [Jan. , Feb ., March]
On S.C. 61 west of Charleston. Enjoyable even if you left your binoculars at home. Lots of owls, ducks, and small birds here in this 350-acre preserve. Three distinct habitats are found here: old rice fields, upland hardwood forests and fields, and a cypress swamp. If you go to Charleston and don't go birding at Magnolia Gardens, you're not serious about birding. Rest rooms and a snack bar. Bird walks have been offered on Saturday mornings the last few years.
8. Old Santee Canal State Park [May , June]
Just outside Monks Corner, this park is centered around a cypress swamp that was once a part of the Old Santee Canal. The state and FEMA spent a fortune building an elaborate boardwalk around the swamp, and then it spent another fortune on the visitor's center. There's a parking fee, but it's worth every nickel. Comparable to Francis Beidler before Hurricane Hugo hit. Take the whole family. Fully accessible to the handicapped. Canoes are available. Once you've seen it, you'll wonder why nobody told you about it before. See this sites for additional canoeing information.
9. Pitt Street Bridge, Mt. Pleasant (near Charleston) [Jan. , Feb.]
Just past Patriot's Point. A little hard to find, but as easy to bird as Columbia Riverfront Park. Take US 17 across the Cooper River Bridge from Charleston. Bear right on Business 17 through Mt. Pleasant and across Shem Creek to S.C. 703. At the next light, turn right on McCants Dr. and go about 12 blocks. Then turn left on Pitt St. Pitt St. ends at a paved and blocked-off causeway (now a city park), which is where you bird. Look for Marbled Godwit among the many other shorebirds. Rails are abundant in this mixture of open water, mud flats, and salt marsh. Before going back to Charleston, head over to Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island to look for beach birds and birds out from the dock. The marsh between Mount Pleasant and Sullivans Island is often productive, so keep your eyes open while driving. No facilities at the bridge, but Fort Moultrie is well equipped.
10. Santee Coastal Reserve and Washo Reserve [March]
Going north on U.S. 17 from the Isle of Palms and Charleston, take the last right before you get to the Santee River. It's okay if you cross the bridge and turn around; it's quite a sight. The entrance is on your left where the road takes a hard right. Look for Swallow-tailed Kite in the spring and ducks in the winter. Some early summer trips here have been great, but the University of South Carolina studies mosquitoes here, so be prepared. Other good information is found here.
11. Santee National Wildlife Refuge [Checklist ] [ Jan., Feb., Sept ., Oct .]
The headquarters is on the northern side of the I-95 bridge over Lake Marion. Ducks, raptors, wading birds, and much more in the fields and open water. The Cuddo Unit is my personal favorite, but Pine Island is popular, as is the Bluff Unit (surrounding the headquarters building). Cuddo now has a nature drive, but it's better to walk past the chained-off roads toward the impoundments. This gives you a long, if easy, walk. All tracts are open to vehicles through special arrangement with bird groups, so keep your eyes open for such trips and take advantage of them. Maps are at the headquarters. Facilities are available only during the week.
12. Savannah National Wildlife Refuge [Checklist ] [ Dec ., Jan. , Feb.]
Near Hardeeville in the extreme southern tip of the state, it's great. Take the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive off U.S. Alt. 17. This is a 5-mile loop open year-round. Look for ducks, wading birds, alligators, and much more in the old rice fields and canals across the river from Savannah. Plan to spend half a day or more walking through this 12,000 tract. Primitive rest rooms at the entrance to Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive. On the way home, stop by Webb Wildlife Center near the town of Garnett, up U.S. 321. It has a wonderful pond and a trail through the Savannah River swamp.
13. Webb Wildlife Management Area [April]
On U.S. 321 halfway between Savannah and Allendale. [ Map] This is near Plantation Row. Developed as a hunting preserve for the rich and powerful, it is now home to turkeys, deer, ducks, migrating warblers, Bachman's Sparrow, and Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Not worth a trip by itself, but a must on the way back from Savannah. On the way home from Webb, drive the back roads that lead to boat ramps on the Savannah River and look for Swallow-tailed Kite and Wood Stork in the summer. Area management map of the Webb Center.
