Birds I Hoped To See
Reddish Egret
Tri-colored Heron
Brown Pelican
Boat-tailed Grackle
Bald Eagle
Osprey
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Purple Martin
Painted Bunting
Glossy Ibis
October 19th 2012
9:10am : McClellanville, SC. Service Rd 211
We began our journey looking for woodpeckers off of a road nearby our campsite at Francis-Marion National Forest. We trudged through tall grasses, searching for trunks of trees with a white mark. The mark signifies an active woodpecker nest. The first bird spotted was a Red Cockaded Woodpecker, and three more appeared during our visit. Two Brown-headed Nuthatches were next to be found, which was particularly exciting for me because I had been hoping to spot one on the trip. Deb was also very pleased with seeing these birds, especially since they're "so cute". Other birds spotted include the Red Bellied Woodpecker, Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and a Cooper's Hawk. A Carolina Wren was heard by Dr. Miles, who pointed it out to the rest of us.
10:20am
South Tibwin, a hiking site, was our next destination. We spotted birds in the trees along the pathway as we were walking to the lookout spot. These included a Carolina Chickadee, Sparrows, Hooded Warbler, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and three Turkey Vultures. These are distinct from Black Vultures by a red head and a lack of white on the wings. We saw one more woodpecker, but had trouble identifying it due to lack of visibility. It looked like a Hairy Woodpecker to me, based on the contrasted black and white with red on the back of the head and large bill.
Once we got to the lookout, we immediately noticed a Great Blue Heron and a Little Blue Heron. A male Kingfisher was spotted (females have a rusty brown coloration on the chest). A Double-crested cormorant was spotted perching on a sign. It didn't seem to mind us moving up very close to it. After perching for about ten minutes, it started going swimming and fishing, which was great to watch. From our new viewing spot, I noticed a Tri-colored Heron in the distance, which was one of the major highlights of the trip. These birds are mostly found along the coast, so I was really hoping to see one. It was joined by a couple of Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets. Snowy Egrets are smaller, with a bill bill and yellow feet while the Great Egret has a yellow bill and black feet. An immature Bald Eagle was spotted, which was lacking the characteristic white head and tail of the adults. A Falcon and a Willet were spotted shortly after.
2:54
After a short lunch break, we departed for the Seewee Visitor Center. There we saw two Black Vultures, two more immature Bald Eagles, and Red Cardinals. We watched a Pied-Billed Grebe for awhile, which was diving for fish. We were hoping to see a Painted Bunting near the Visitor Center, but were unsuccessful.
4:20 Cape Romaine
At Garris Landing, I identified a Laughing Gull, named for its distinctive call. Its nonbreeding field marks are a pale head and black beak, along with black wing tips. I also identified a Forster's Tern by the black mask, black beak, and white wing tips. A Boat-tailed Grackle was spotted, which is a very large blackbird with beautiful purple coloration on the chest. This bird is localized on the East Coast, so it was a notable find. The loud dry rattle of a Belted Kingfisher was heard coming from the dense trees. Red-winged Blackbirds, Wood Storks, and Snowy/Great Egrets were spotted. A Cormorant was seen flying above, and then perching on a stick in the water. At Sea Palm Island, we saw more Boat-tailed Grackles and Laughing Gulls, along with Sanderlings scavenging at the water's edge
October 20th, 2012
Huntington State Park
9:40am: The Cosway
From the edge of the street, we had a great view of the pond area surrounding us. The first birds spotted were the obvious Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons, Wood Storks, and Egrets. A group of White Ibises were spotted wading through the shallow water. An Anhinga was spotted perching on a branch in the water, to the delight of all of us. This was a bird that was on most of our lists of birds we hoped to see. We got a great view of it basking through the scope. I spotted a tern with a reddish beak, which meant it had to either be a Royal Tern or a Caspian. The bird in question had a greyish head and lacked the black mask, so I determined it was a Capsian Tern. A Purple Martin and Green-winged Teals were also seen. There were plenty of swallows around, so I had some practice distinguishing between species. I determined that Bank Swallows, Rough Winged Swallows, and Nelson Swallows were present. Many Song Sparrows were also flying above. An osprey flew past us and into the trees to perch, which we got a great view of through the scope. During this, we also noticed an immature Bald Eagle perching a few trees over. Later, we saw an immature Bald Eagle flying with an adult, which was our first view of the characteristic adult Bald Eagle plumage. It flew very close, so we all got a great view.
10:30: The Boardwalk
This was one of my favorite destinations. From our view on the boardwalk, we were able to see ground birds close up while also getting great views of large soaring birds. Dr. Miles pointed out a Clapper Rail walking in the grass line just a couple feet away from us. As usual, we noticed Egrets, Herons, and Turkey Vultures. The Cormorant that we spotted on the Cosway was still perching on the branch in the water. Another Cormorant was perched a few feet away from us on a sign in the water, apparently taking a nap in the sun. One of the best birding moments of the trip occurred here; a Peregrine Falcon, Bald Eagle, and Red-tailed Hawk were flying around together right above our heads. We also spent some time watching an Osprey attempting to fish. It soared overhead and then plunged down toward the water, but was not successful any of the 7 times. Another Tri-colored Heron was spotted, nearby a male Belted Kingfisher perching on a sign.
12:35 Kerrigan Nature Trail
The Nature Trail brought us to a covered overlook spot. I spent the majority of the time searching the sky for large soaring birds. An Osprey showed up, attempting to fish. We got some great views of the Osprey diving, but yet again, it was never successful. A male Belted Kingfisher was also seen hovering and fishing. More Pied-billed Grebes were seen doing their characteristic bobbing and fishing. A large group of Wood Storks were seen on the other side of the water.
1:20 Sandpiper Pond
This was a lookout spot over a small pond near the beach. A Common Moor Hen, Belted Kingfisher, Great Egret, Tree Swallows, TUVUs, and a sneaky Pied-billed Grebe were spotted.
3:00 Jetti
This was a long stretch of concrete along the coast, leading to a more private beach area. Along the way, we noticed TUVUs and Caspian Terns. We spotted Brown Pelicans from afar, and started heading their way. Once we got to the destination, we joined a group of birdwatchers. One of them immediately informed us that there was a Reddish Egret, which was extremely exciting. It was about 100 feet away, walking through tall grasses on the beach. We all got the chance to see a fantastic view of it through the scope. This is a beautiful bird with a pinkish beak with a black tip, loose-feathered purplish plumage with red towards the chest and head. After checking out some Black Skimmers, we headed back to the main beach to practice our basking and Grebe-ing behaviors.
This was an extremely successful trip in many ways. I saw nearly all of the birds that I wanted to, with the exception of a Glossy Ibis and a Painted Bunting. I had two full days of practicing using field marks and my field guide to identify birds. Having trips and experiences like this are essential for this this kind of class; simply looking at models and pictures in class leaves out so much of what Ornithology and bird watching are all about. Great company, beautiful surroundings, and some radical aves added up to a wonderful weekend.
