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SC Cave Swallows



Hey Carolina Birders,

There were at least two Cave Swallows on Garden City Beach in the extreme
northeastern section of Georgetown County, SC this afternoon.  The first was
approximately one-quarter mile south of the Horry/Georgetown County line on
South Waccamaw Drive.  This bird was with two other square-tailed swallows
that were only seen for an instant.  They too may have been Caves but I can'
t say for certain.  The other bird was seen further south on South Waccamaw
Drive just before the gated community at the end of Garden City Beach.  I
watched an American Kestrel make two quick passes at this bird.  The swallow
quickly climbed well above the kestrel and headed north.  (I later saw a
kestrel in the same area with some prized nugget. hope it wasn't a Cave
Swallow.)

I then headed down the beach toward the southernmost portion of Garden City
Beach.  No additional swallows were seen along the way.  Just as I was
starting back, four swallows that I couldn't identify flew overhead toward
Huntington Beach State Park (HBSP).  I scoped the area across the inlet and
could make out a few birds whose flight appeared "swallowish".  (I knew
"spell check" would catch that one!)

Hoping to find additional Cave Swallows at HBSP, I drove around the inlet to
the park.  As I crossed the causeway, several hundred swallows were working
the area over Mullet Pond (the freshwater side).  I could see that many were
Tree Swallows.  However, knowing that the Cave Swallows that have been seen
recently have not, for the most part, been seen over water, I decided to
check the area between the north parking lot and the jetty instead.  I only
saw six swallows on that end of the park and all were Tree Swallows.  In
hindsight, I probably should have checked the hundreds over Mullet Pond
instead.  Maybe tomorrow.

Good Birding!
Ritch Lilly
Myrtle Beach, SC
scbeachbums@hotmail.com