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Swallow-tailed Kites in Allendale Co., SC



Hi C-Birders,

Today Caroline Eastman and I visited Sliver Bluff Audubon Center on the
Savannah River in Aiken Co., SC. We were hoping to admire a nice assemblage
of Wood Storks. We saw just one stork. Dan Connelly, an Audubon staff
member, told us that about 75 storks were using the ponds at Silver Bluff,
but they mostly feed at night. Rather than wait around all day for the
storks to arrive Caroline and I decided to look for kites, Dan told us about
a pasture just south of Allendale where Swallow-tailed Kites congregate at
this time of year.

On the way to Allendale we stopped off at Little Hell Landing, on the
Savannah River near Millet, SC (see DeLorme Atlas, page 52, F-1). Here we
found a nice collection of Mississippi Kites. We counted about 16
Mississippi Kites within an hour.

Then we went over to the spot that Dan had told us about, along Barton Road
(Road 19) about two miles south of Allendale (Allendale Co., SC), just south
of the intersection with Revolutionary Trail (Road 47). (See DeLorme Atlas,
page 52, G-4, right where the golf course symbol is on the map, although the
golf course is actually about a mile south of this point).

The habitat is a cow pasture. Kiting over the pasture we counted 34
Swallow-tailed Kites, the largest aggregation of Swallow-tailed Kites that I
have ever seen outside of Florida. It was fantastic, since some of the birds
swooped within 100 yards of us. What a show!

This spot is less than 100 miles from Columbia, SC. There is a nice, paved
pull off right beside the pasture. I highly recommend  this spot as an easy,
bug-free place to watch this marvelous animal. Apparently this pasture
attracts Swallow-tailed Kites every summer. What a treat!

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