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Re: red cockaded woodpeckers



I spent most of the day yesterday in the Sandhills State Forest, an hour
north of Camden.  Our son is newly on the advisory board there and this was
our first visit.  We saw more than 20 red cockaded woodpecker trees--they
have them well marked with white bands and many are quite close to the
roads.  The woods are very clean there, mostly wire grass or just pine straw
under large longleaf pine.  We had excellent views of two foraging rc
woodpeckers and we weren't even really birding.  We also saw wood ducks and
Canada geese all mixed together, swimming and preening on logs in close
proximity, which we thought was unusual.  There were a lot of robins and
kinglets too.
----- Original Message -----
From: Robin Carter
To: Burnetted@aol.com
Cc: CarolinaBirds
Sent: Monday, November 18, 2002 8:04 AM
Subject: Re: Birding in Horry & Georgetown Cos.


Hi Dennis and C-Birders,

Here are a few random thoughts about having fun finding birds on the
northern South Carolina coast at this time of year.

If you really want to find Red-cockaded Woodpeckers you should go down to
Charleston County, which is really not that far. There are a few places in
Horry County and lots more in Georgetown County where you might find this
species, but these are iffy. They oten have access problems, or the birds
are not that easy to find. Of course the best times of day are dawn and
dusk, as the birds are leaving or entering their roost trees. If you want a
greater chance of success then visit the Santee Coastal Reserve or Francis
Marion National Forest.

A visit to Santee Coastal might be good for ducks, etc. but I am not sure if
you can go into the marshes at this time of year. South Carolina has a great
penchant for keeping ordinary wildlife observers out of its very best duck
spots, in deference to the duck hunters. I do not know what the current
visitation policy might be for this time of year at Santee Coastal Reserve.

A couple of real sleepers are the Georgeown and Hemingway sewage treatment
ponds. Both areas are places that you can observe from outside of the fence.
The Georgetown STP is northwest of town, near the animal shelter. Turn off
of US 521 at the sign for the animal shelter or for the DMV office. Follow
this road to a junction, turn right and cross the railroad tracks.

The Hemingway STP is a good spot for ducks and Eared Grebe. It's a bit
tricky to find. From Hemingway go north towards Johnsonville on SC 41.
Exactly at the Williamsburg - Florence county line turn right (east) on
Secondary Road 40. There is a barbeque restaurant at this turn. Go east a
short way (less than a mile) to the first crossroad. Here turn right (south)
on Secondary Road 444 to the sewage lagoons on your right.

Do not underestimate the birding at Huntington Beach State Park and Myrtle
Beach State Park. Visit these spots more than once, and putz around. You
will probably turn up something good. I have a prediction to make. The thick
pine tree area along the Kerrigan Nature Trail looks to me to be a good spot
for wintering owls. I predict that someone will find a Northern Saw-whet Owl
there this winter. It might as well be you.

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


----- Original Message -----
From: <Burnetted@aol.com>
To: <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Sent: Sunday, November 17, 2002 6:06 PM
Subject: Birding in Horry & Georgetown Cos.


> Carolina Birders,
>
> Several of us from the Piedmont Bird Club in Guilford County, NC will be
> heading for Huntington Beach State Park and vicinity over Thanksgiving. We
> have gotten some ideas for local day trips from several of the nearby
folks
> (thanks again!), but it occurs to me that casting a wider net among
> Carolinabirds folks might result in more ideas for sites to fill our four
> birding days in Horry and Georgetown Counties. Specifically:
>
> There have been several postings on Carolinabirds that involve piers.
Which
> piers currently are birder friendly places for us to look for sea birds?
>
> We would like to find Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, but have failed to do so
near
> Brookgreen Gardens on the last few trips. Any other ideas?
>
> After we have checked the coastal sites, are there some inland locations
> where interesting species might be found, i.e. longspurs, pipits, horned
> larks, and so on?
>
> Other than HBSP, are there other ponds or lakes that would be worth
checking
> for waterfowl?
>
> In other words, if you were going to spend four days at the end of
November
> birding in Horry and Georgetown Counties, where would you go?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Dennis Burnette
> Greensboro, NC
> burnetted@aol.com