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Re: Inquirey about the swallowtail kite field you reported



Dear Robin (Mr. Orangeburg Sodfarm) and birders,

I spent about an hour today at the Orangeburg Supersod farm here in SC. I
tried out my brand-new Kowa scope
(thanks to all who advised me on the purchase).
I got great looks at an Upland Sandpiper. Least and
Pectoral Sandpipers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Horned Larks,
and Barn, Bank, and a somewhat surprizing Cliff Swallow
were also there at about 6PM today after a light shower.
Not the big numbers we should get later in the summer there, but a good day.
And the Kowa! Wooooeee!

Sharper than ever,
Steve Compton
Summerville,SC
scompton@sc.rr.com

PS: Excited about trips to Cornwall,UK in August
and Denver in September (tips welcomed)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robin Carter" <rcarter@sc.rr.com>
To: "Donald Sweig" <dsweig@cox.net>
Cc: "CarolinaBirds" <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 10:25 PM
Subject: Re: Inquirey about the swallowtail kite field you reported


> Donald,
>
> I went down to the kite spot near Allendale today and found only three
> kites -- two Swallow-tailed Kites and one Mississippi Kite. I also found
two
> other Swallow-tailed Kites in the plantation country near the Savannah
River
> in southern Allendale County (Road 41, Cohens Bluff Road, east of SC 3,
see
> DeLorme Atlas , page 61, C-9). The Swallow-tailed Kites in NC are less
> reliable. You should know that most of our Swallow-tailed Kites here in SC
> leave the state in early August, since they go all the way down to Brazil.
> The stakeouts might not work. You have to be prepared to look around a
> little bit, especially near the Savannah River.
>
> If you come down for the kites you should be prepared to check out a lot
of
> the boat landings along the Savannah River in Allendale, Hampton, and
Jasper
> Counties. The best spots for the kites are those near the Webb Center in
> Hampton County, and also along the river is Jasper County north of I-95,
> such as B&C Landing, near Tillman Sand Ridge Heritage Preserve.
>
> Here are my suggestions for looking for Swallow-tailed Kites along the
> Savannah River in South Carolina.
>
> 1. Becks Ferry Landing, at the end of Road 170, near Hardeeville, Jasper
> County, SC (Delorme, p. 62, B-2). There are Bachman's Sparrows and
> Red-cockaded Woodpeckers long Road 170 (private property -- stay on the
> road).
>
> 2. B&C Landing, end of Road 201, Tillman Sand Ridge Heritage Preserve,
> Jasper County, SC (DeLorme p. 58, G-1)
>
> 3. Stokes Bluff Landing, near the Webb Center, Hampton County (DeLorme, p
> 58, F-1).
>
> 4. Along Road 20 in Hampton County, near Shirley. This is the road by the
> Webb Center, where there are Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Purple Gallinules,
> and Bachman's Sparrows. (DeLorme p. 61, F-10).
>
> 5. Cohens Bluff Landing, Allendale County (DeLorme, p. 61, C-9). There are
> Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and Bachman's Sparrows along Road 49 nearby,
> DeLorme p. 61, C-10).
>
> 6. The pastures along Road 19 south of Allendale (DeLorme, p. 52, G-4).
>
> 7. Little Hell Landing (DeLorme p. 52, F-1).
>
> Of course the landing on the Georgia side of the Savannah River are just
as
> good for Swallow-tailed Kites. At the river landings in SC you often see
> birds in GA, and visa versa.
>
> If you want a sure thing Swallow-tailed Kite go to south Florida where
they
> can be abundant in the Everglades.
>
> There are lots of cheap motels in Allendale and Hampton Counties, SC.
Check
> out Allendale, Fairfax, Estill, Hampton, and many other places. These are
> older motels, not usually chain motels, and they are very inexpensive. If
> you want a chain motel then stay on I-95, where they are abundant.
>
> I spent the day today in Allendale, Hampton, and Aiken Counties, where I
> watched Common Moorhen families At Lake Warren near Hampton, listened to
> Little Blue Herons complain, enjoyed the song of the Bachman's Sparrow (in
> the plantation county near the Savannah River). At one time today I was
> listening to Bachman's Sparrows sing while watching two Swallow-tailed
Kites
> swooping overhead. Birding does not get much better than that!
>
> Robin Carter
> Columbia, SC
> rcarter@sc.rr.com
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Donald Sweig
>   To: rcarter@sc.rr.com
>   Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 5:33 PM
>   Subject: Inquirey about the swallowtail kite field you reported
>
>
>   Mr. Carter,
>
>    I live in  Virginia, just outside D.C.    I saw the report you posted
> about the 35+ swallowtail kites in the field south of Allendale in S.C.
> I have your book,  and have used it in years past but cannot find any info
> on where to see such assemblages of kites.  I have seen kites only on the
> Santee delta before and would be interested in driving down to see the
birds
> you saw in this field.   It is, however, a LONG  drive.   So, I would want
> to be reasonably sure the birds were likely to be there before I came.  I
> could not come until at least next Thursday or Friday.   Do you know if
the
> kites are there most days or every day this time of year?.   Do you have
any
> idea how much longer they might be there.?   Can you tell me about what
time
> of day you saw the kites there?  Was it a sunny day ( I have found that I
> can only see kites on the Santee on sunny days)?    I do not have a SC
> Delorme (though I will get one if I come); but I assume from your
directions
> and what I can find on the maps on the web that it should be simple enough
> to go south from Allendale on Rt.-19 , look for the Revolutionary Trail
> intersection, and then begin to look for the kites.  Think so??   I would
> appreciate any info you could send me about seeing these birds.
>
>
>
>   Also I understand that there are often large numbers of STKT flying over
> the dykes at the Savannanh River NWR near Savannah, Georgia.  Do you know
> anything about this.  Again, I would appreciate any advice, suggestions
you
> could give me. Thank you.
>
>
>
>   Donald Sweig
>
>   Falls Church, Virginia
>
>   703-573-6607
>
>   dsweig@cox.net
>
>
>
>   P.S.:  Do you have any recommendations on a good place to stay in this
> area??
>
>