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SUN CITY HILTON HEAD, BLUFFTON, SC 29909   


Beidler Forest Outing

The following report and pictures come from Martha Spencer:

On April 28, 12 SCBirdClub members left early in the morning for the 100 mile trip to Beidler Forest. As we arrived, the birds were in full voice. Beidler Forest is a pristine area put aside and managed by the Audubon Society, with a nice welcome area with a visitors' center, picnic facilities, and a 1.75 mile board walk through the swamp. Our weather was perfect for birding....slightly overcast and cool with little or no bugs. The 28 species of birds we counted for the morning included wonderfully close looks at prothonotary warblers, northern parulas, yellow crowed night herons, summer tanagers, and barred owls. As we left, it began to rain lightly, as if it had been waiting for us to finish.

         

         





Parris Island Field Trip, March 18

Thanks to Martha Spencer for the following report:

On Tuesday, March 18, 21 SCHH Bird Club members spent over 4 hours at Parris Island on our latest field trip.  The day alternated between windy/cloudy and sunny/pleasant.  Blue Jays, Yellow Throated Warblers and Grackles seemed to be the birds of the day.  We were able to ID 52 different species of birds.  In no particular order, our list included the following:
>
>Blue Jay, Mockingbird, American Robin, Red-Winged Blackbird,
>Bluebird, Brown Thrasher, Double-Crested Cormorant, Mourning Dove,
>Rock Dove, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Boat-Tailed Grackle, Horned
>Grebe, Laughing Gull, Ring Billed Gull, Kestrel, Green-Backed Heron,
>Little Blue Heron, Tri-Colored Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Ruby
>Crowned Kinglet, Northern Shrike, Common Loon, Osprey, Brown
>Pelican, House Finch, Titmouse, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow,
>European Starling, Towhee, Forster's Tern, Hermit Thrush, Turkey
>Vulture, Pine Warbler, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Yellow-Throated
>Warbler, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Red-Bellied Woodpecker,
>Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, Carolina Wren, Chickadee, Cardinal, Cedar
>Waxwing, Red Breasted Merganser, White Breasted Nuthatch, Willet,
>Whimbrell, Short Billed Dowitcher, Brown Headed Nuthatch.



SNWR OUTING, February 15
Martha Spencer sent the following report from the field trip:
On the cold morning of Feb 15, 17 hardy birders spent 4 hours birding at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge.  Even though the day was chilly and windy, we had unusual luck spotting birds.  We saw almost all the hawks possible, two eagles, an American Bittern, Eastern Meadowlarks, and much more.  We drove in five cars, used walkie talkies liberally to let each other know what we were seeing, and where.  Following is a list of the over 50 species spotted.
 
Anhinga                                              Red Tailed Hawk
Red Winged Blackbird                        Black Crowned Night Heron
Bluejay                                                Great Blue Heron
Northern Cardinal                                Little Blue Heron (adult & immature)
American Coot                                    Tri-colored Heron
Double-crested Cormorant                  White Ibis         
Mourning Dove                                    Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Ducks:                                                 Eastern Meadowlark             
  Blue-winged Teal                               Mockingbird    
  Green-winged Teal                             Common Morehen            
  Mallard                                                Eastern Phoebe
  Northern Shoveler                                Kildeer
  Ring-necked                                        Clapper Rail
Eagle                                                    American Robin
  Adult                                                    Loggerhead Shrike
  Immature                                            Song Sparrow
Great Egret                                            White-throated Sparrow
Snowy Egret                                           Tree Swallow        
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher                            Blue-headed Vireo
Boat-tailed Grackle                                 Turkey Vulture      
Pied-billed Grebe                                    Black-and-white Warbler
Herring Gull                                            Yellow-rumped Warbler       
Kestrel                                                    Red-bellied Woodpecker
Cooper's Hawk                                        Caroline Wren
Northern Harrier                                        House Wren
Red-shouldered Hawk                            American Bittern       
 
 
     




Taken by the Spencers at SNWR, 1/15



         
                             

           
          
    





Outing to SNWR, December 7

The group reports a great outing to Savannah National Wildlife Refuge:

              

Thanks to Betty Vance for the group pictures!



MEADOWLARKS at SNWR

Three pictures of meadowlarks...great birding!:

              

Pictures from Martha and Olvis Spencer.


 



Outing Report - Savannah National Wildlife Refuge
December  7, 2007  Friday Look at the Hawks!
8 members, 1 guest Cloudy, cold weather
x Pied-billed Grebe x American Coot
x Double-crested Cormorant x Wilson's Snipe
x Anhinga x gull spp.
x Great Blue Heron x Mourning Dove
x Great Egret x Belted Kingfisher
x Snowy Egret x Red-bellied Woodpecker
x Little Blue Heron x Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
x Tri-colored Heron x Northern Flicker
x White Ibis x Eastern Phoebe
x Wood Duck x Tree Swallow
x Green-winged Teal x Blue Jay
x Mottled Duck x Crow
x Blue-winged Teal x Carolina Chickadee
x Gadwall x Carolina Wren
x Ring-necked Duck x Ruby-crowned Kinglet
x Lesser Scaup x Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
x Vulture x American Robin
x Osprey x Gray Catbird
x Bald Eagle x Northern Mockingbird
x Northern Harrier x Brown Thrasher
x Sharp-shinned Hawk x White-eyed Vireo
x Cooper's Hawk x Yellow-rumped Warbler
x Red-shouldered Hawk x Northern Cardinal
x Red-tailed Hawk x Eastern Towhee
x American Kestrel x Song Sparrow
x Clapper Rail x Swamp Sparrow
x Common Moorhen x White-throated Sparrow
x Red-winged Blackbird
x Eastern Meadowlark
x Boat-tailed Grackle




OUTING/TRIP INFO FROM DIANE
SAVE THE DATE:
 
January 5 - Savannah NWR Christmas Bird Count - Please consider participating in these two excellent bird counts which are organized by our good friends at Ogeechee Audubon.  It's a great way to meet other local birders and improve your birding skills by being paired up with local experts such as Diana Churchill, Dot Bombach and Mark Wellford.
 
February 1-3 Carolina Bird Club winter meeting will take place in Georgetown SC.  Three members of our Bird Club attended the CBC Fall meeting in Santee, SC and were treated to 2 days of excellent field trips led by expert leaders and interesting evening programs.  More details as soon as they become available.
 
 
Happy Birding!
Diane



NEARBY BIRDING LOCATIONS
While it is always great fun to learn about and enjoy birds with other club members during our field trips, sometimes you just want to "go it alone".  With that in mind, we have compiled the attached list of some of our favorite birding locations. 
 
So, if you are new to the area, don't have time to participate in club outings or just prefer to explore on your own we hope you will find this list helpful.  It is organized by approximate driving time to help you find places to go in the amount of time you have available.  By no means it this an exhaustive list but it will get you started on some places that we have visited often and have proven to be good reliable birding locations.
 
Where noted, we recommend that you always check the web for the latest information on operating hours, admission prices and driving directions.
 
I hope you will enjoy trying some of these places.  Please contact me if you have questions about any of them before planning your visit.
Diane
 
 
SUN CITY BIRD CLUB
NEARBY BIRDING LOCATIONS
 
The following locations provide good year-round birding opportunities and seasonal highlights as noted.  They are great places to go on your own for a day outing where you can enjoy beautiful surroundings and a variety of birds, nature and wildlife.
 
HALF HOUR DRIVING TIME
Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge (NRW) - located between bridges to Hilton Head Island
Spring: Ibis Pond Rookery; migrating warblers; Summer – resident Painted Buntings, songbirds, waders; Winter: Yellow-rumped warblers
 
Savannah NWR – Hwy 170 to 46 to 170 then left on 17 to 1st exit back onto 170 – follow signs or  check www.fws.gov/savannah for more info
Winter: waterfowl; Spring: bobolinks, least bittern, migrants; Summer: purple gallinule, songbirds,
Year-round: songbirds, waders, woodpeckers, owls
 
45 MINUTE DRIVING TIME
Fish Haul Creek Park (Port Royal Mud Flats) – follow signs to Hilton Head Regional Hospital.  Park is  ¼ mile from end of Beach City Rd (past the airport) on Hilton Head Island.
Winter: shorebirds; Year-round: songbirds and waders, eagles, osprey, pelicans
 
Sea Pines Forest Preserve ($5 per car entry fee) – Greenwood Drive exit on Sea Pines circle, follow signs for Vistor Passes and then ask at Security Gate for directions.  Preserve will be on your left, look carefully for sign.
Spring: migrating warblers, rookery, wildflowers and butterflies; Year-round: Songbirds and waders
 
Hunting Island State Park ($4 per person fee) check www.huntingisland.com for directions
Nature Center, lighthouse, beach (go at low tide if you want to walk) and various wooded trails and boardwalks.  Spring: migrating warblers and songbirds, shorebirds from Nature Center pier, waders from Marshland boardwalk.  Year-round: songbirds and waders
 
HOUR AND ½ DRIVING TIME
Harris Neck NWR – I95 South to Georgia exit 67. Check www.fws.gov/harrisneck for more info
Spring: wood storks, night herons, large rookery, wood ducks, songbirds; Fall: migrants, waders
 
Beidler Forest (Four Hole Swamp Audubon Preserve) – Harleyville, SC - Check website for hours and directions - www.audubon.org/local/sanctuary/beidler
Spring: migrating and resident warblers, nesting Prothonotary Warblers, woodland songbirds, owls
Check www.audubon.org/local/sanctuary/beidler/where.html for driving directions
 
Magnolia Plantation and Audubon Swamp Gardens – check www.magnoliaplantation.com for info and directions.  Year-round beautiful gardens, cypress swamp, waders, songbirds, nesting prothonotary warblers
 
Santee NWR – I95 North to exit 102 (north side of Lake Marion) follow signs to Visitor Center (closed Mondays)
Winter: waterfowl; Spring: songbirds, waders
 
TWO HOUR DRIVING TIME
Congaree National Park – I95 North to I-26 West to I-77 North Exit 5 or follow sign on I-26 for rural route
Spring: migrating and resident warblers and other songbirds (best before leaves emerge due to high canopy)
 
Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens – I95 North to I-26 West exit 108, follow I-126 to Greystone Blvd exit and follow signs to Zoo;  for Gardens - I-26 to Hwy 378 exit and follow signs to Riverbanks.
Exotic bird collections from several continents; Year-round:  songbirds and woodpeckers