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RFI: Columbia area birding; Lake Michie; water levels
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: RFI: Columbia area birding; Lake Michie; water levels
- From: Joshua Stuart Rose <jsr6@duke.edu>
- Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2000 15:42:47 -0400 (EDT)
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Hi Carolinabirders,
I'm planning to spend Duke's fall break, Saturday October 14 through
Tuesday October 17, on the shores of Lake Murray near Columbia, SC (at my
girlfriend's mother's house). Are there any organized nature hikes or
birding trips going out in that neighborhood this coming weekend? Or any
individual birders who might be interested in showing us the more diverse
spots of the area?
Just for background, my girlfriend and her mother are both members of
SCAN (South Carolina Association of Naturalists); neither are birders. My
girlfriend loves being outdoors but is often more into salamanders and
insects than birds. Her mother has probably spent more time at the zoo
and reading about nature than actually outside observing it, but does
keep her bird feeders full and count the loons, geese, Ospreys, etc. on
the water through her back windows.
If noone else is doing anything in that area, I'll probably drag them out
to the Congaree Swamp again; can't go wrong there!
I was helping coordinate a wedding this weekend, thus no explicit
birding. I did discover a beautiful little spot which was new to me, and
which is not featured in the Triangle Birder's Guide: Lake Michie
Recreation Area. I discovered it because the wedding was held there, in
Spruce Pine Lodge. A couple of nature trails run from the lodge down
along the lake. I had too little time available to bird the area
seriously, but I did hear at least two mixed-species flocks pass nearby.
At least two Barred Owls were hooting it in the late afternoon out over
some patch of territory on the far side of the lake A Great Egret flew
along the edge of the woods near the lake. The water level was
surprisingly low, with much more exposed mud than at either Falls or
Jordan Lake; did anyone think to visit this spot during shorebird season?
Alas, too late now, only 3-4 Killdeer left... The woods seemed
botanically interesting, with plants like Hearts-a-bustin' and Beech
Drops that I don't often see around Durham. Seems worth some further
investigation...
Speaking of the high water levels in Falls and Jordan Lakes, will this
have any impact on the wintering birdlife of these spots? I suppose most
of the ducks that winter on these are divers, the dabblers use smaller
ponds like 1010 and Greenview. Have there been previous winters with
water this high? Did it make any difference in bird numbers or location?
Good birding,
Josh
Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Biology (Zoology, R.I.P.)
jsr6@acpub.duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/