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first Congaree Bluff Hawk Watch



The first day of the Congaree Bluff Hawk Watch, at the new Congaree Bluff
Heritage Preserve near Fort Motte in Calhoun County, SC, will be this coming
Saturday, 18 August 2001. Please come if you can. This site has a 5 to 15
mile view over the floodplain of the Congaree River, over about 120 degrees
of arc.

We have no idea what we will find, but it is likely that we might get a few
Mississippi Kites, Ospreys, and perhaps a Bald Eagle this early in the
season. This will not be as dramatic a hawk watch as some in the mountains,
but it should be fun, and no one really knows what we might find in the
August to December season.

There are no facilities at the site, other than a couple of observation
points and a wooden observation deck. You need to bring everything you might
need -- lawn chair, toilet paper (no pit toilets; only bushes), food, drink,
sunscreen, etc. The good news is that the view is great and the observation
points are about 30 seconds walk from the parking area. You could even watch
from your car, in an pinch. It might be extremely hot this weekend.
Yesterday the temperature at the site was about 98 F.!

If you plan to come at any time please email me, so that we can try to meet,
etc. If you plan to come when no one else might be around, please download
and print off a list from the Hawk Migration Association of North America's
web site, or email me.

Don't get your hopes up. This is not likely to be a stellar hawk watch, but
we really don't know just what is out there until we look. There are a few
records of Swallow-tailed Kite from Calhoun County. We are also likely to
get herons, egrets, anhingas, and ibis. Wood Storks are entirely possible,
but would be rare.

County listers -- the site itself is in Calhoun County, but most of the
hawks will probably be across the river in Richland County. i.e. over
Congaree Swamp National Monument.

The Friends of Congaree Swamp, of which I am a member, helped in getting
this site as a Heritage Preserve, and they support the idea of a hawk watch
here, as will many other groups, I hope. Come out just to see the site. It
is wonderful.

We have no organization as yet, but we will play it by ear. If you do any
hawk watching at this site, please send me the data, as on the NMANA form.

Directions to Congaree Bluff Heritage Preserve ---

Go to the intersection of US 601 and SC 419, between Saint Matthews and the
Congaree River. Here turn west onto SC 419 and follow this route into the
tiny village of Fort Motte. Set your odometer to zero as you cross the
railroad tracks in "downtown" Fort Motte.

Continue west on SC 419 for 1.0 mile. Here look for an unpaved road off to
the north (right). This is Turkey Track Road. Turn north onto Turkey Track
road, and follow this road north for 0.95 miles (1.95 miles from the
railroad tracks). Here turn sharply to the left (west) onto the entrance
road for the Heritage Preserve. Park near the white building. There is a
wooded observation deck just a few yards beyond the white building.

I will see you on Saturday!

Robin Carter
Columbia, SC
rcarter@sc.rr.com