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Low Country birding and late migrants



Hi CarolinaBirders,

Yesterday (Sunday, 14 May 2000) Caroline Eastman and I went on a little
birding trip to the Savannah NWR, looking for typical South Carolina Low
Country breeders.  We hit the pine woods along Black Creek Road in Colleton
County, the floodplain forsest at Rumbluff Road in the ACE Basin NWR,
Buckfield Reserve near Yemasee in Hampton County, B&C Landing on the
Savannah River, a pine savannah near Hardeeville, and the marshes of
Savannah NWR in Jasper County.

We had 90 species in all, including a few late migrants (American Redstarts
along the Combahee River, and a few Bobolinks feasting on wild rice at the
Savannah NWR).  Good birds observed included numerous Wood Storks, hundreds
of White Ibis breeding at Buckfield Reserve, five Purple Gallinules at
Savannah NWR, Mottled Ducks, Least Bitterns, two Swallow-tailed Kites,
several Mississippi Kites, Painted Buntings, two Swainson's Warblers (heard
only at Rumbluff Road), a Red-cockaded Woodpecker, and several Bachman's
Sparrows.

This is a very birdy area, and visitors can find most of these species
without too much effort -- a great Deep South birding experience, all within
a few minutes' drive of I-95.

Robin Carter
Columbia, SC
803-782-8820
rcarter@sc.rr.com