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Big Sit at Columbia, SC



On Sunday, October 15, 2000 birders from the Columbia Audubon Society and
guests sat the Big Sit at the observation deck at Granby Park on the
Congaree River in Columbia, SC. This location, though less than two miles
from the State House, is in a nice area of tall Piedmont floodplain forest,
overlooking the river.  The principal counter (Robin Carter) was on site
from 6:40 AM until 6:50 PM. The weather was nearly perfect -- 45 to 80
degree F., mostly clear, mostly calm.

Participants included Robin Carter, Steve Dennis, Caroline Eastman, Jerry
Griggs, and Joshua Rose.

We observed 48 species of birds, plus a few turtles and butterflies.
Highlights included a Bald Eagle, which perched in a tree about 20 yards
from the observation deck for about 20 minutes, a young Yellow-billed Cuckoo
who was carefully examining each nearby sycamore leaf for big caterpillars
and who was under observation on and off for over two hours, and a singing
Winter Wren, which certainly has one of the best of bird songs, and which is
seldom heard in South Carolina.

Here is our bird list for the day.  All species were seen or heard from
within a 17 foot diameter circle, which took up most of the observation
deck:

Double-crested Cormorant -- 6
Great Blue Heron -- 2
Osprey -- 1
Bald Eagle -- 1 (adult)
Northern Harrier -- 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk -- 1
Red-tailed Hawk -- 2
Spotted Sandpiper -- 2
Mourning Dove -- 10
Yellow-billed Cuckoo -- 1
Barred Owl -- 1
Chimney Swift -- 5
Belted Kingfisher -- 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker -- 4
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker -- 1
Downy Woodpecker -- 2
Northern Flicker -- 3
Pileated Woodpecker -- 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee -- 3
Eastern Phoebe -- 2
Blue-headed Vireo -- 1
Blue Jay -- 20
American Crow -- 10
Fish Crow -- 5
Northern Rough-winged Swallow -- 1
Carolina Chickadee -- 8
Tufted Titmouse -- 10
Carolina Wren -- 15
House Wren -- 1
Winter Wren -- 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet -- 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet -- 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher -- 1
Eastern Bluebird -- 1
Swainson's Thrush -- 3
American Robin -- 10
Northern Mockingbird -- 8
Brown Thrasher -- 1
European Starling -- 250
"Myrtle" Warbler -- 10
Black-and-white Warbler -- 1
Eastern Towhee -- 1
White-throated Sparrow -- 2
Northern Cardinal -- 50
Red-winged Blackbird -- 50
Common Grackle -- 500
House Finch -- 25
American Goldfinch -- 1


Robin Carter
4165 East Buchanan Drive
Columbia, SC 29206
rcarter@sc.rr.com