[TN-Bird] Robin Carter & South Carolina in winter

TN-birders:
***Delete this email if you are not interested in this information about Robin 
Carter and South Carolina in winter.


    The birding community lost a high ranking total ticker in late 2008, Robin 
Carter, and I decided I would take one of my short winter trips this year to 
coastal South Carolina and report on it as a kind of dedication.  Robin had a 
Ph.D. in anthropology from Duke, taught at LSU and Sweet Briar College, spent 
most of his career as a computer analyst and was an active birder in South 
Carolina.  His 1993, Finding Birds in South Carolina, some think the foundation 
of modern birding in South Carolina, is still more than useful.  The last ABA 
total ticks record (2007) for Robin was 10,138, a rank of 10.  In recent years 
he was one of the most active total tickers in the country.

    I began on Hilton Head Island at the Sea Pines Resort.  Some years ago my 
wife and I rented a condominium (2342 Racquet Club Villa) when my daughter was 
attending Stan Smith's tennis camp.  Tha master bedroom overlooked a loose 
stand of oak trees surrounding a small pond and was a magnet for a surprising 
variety of summer birds.  It was one of my best armchair birding experiences 
and so I rented the same condominium for this trip.  And I was not 
disappointed.  While the birds were much more scarce in winter I did get a few 
target birds before I ventured out.

    Of course, the condominium was not the only reason to go to Hilton Head 
Island.  The forest Preserve, just a few blocks from my rental, is an excellent 
place in winter (in summer you will lose a pint of blood).  Virtually all of 
the land birds are regular in winter.  (The Preserve is on Greenwood Dr. and if 
you are not staying at Sea Pines you will need to pay a small fee at the gate.) 
 A map that is essential is available at the Preserve near the Greenwood 
entrance.  One strategy is to bird on foot for the northwest (or "top") part, 
and then bird mainly by car (Fish Island Trail) for the other southeast 
"bottom" part.  Note that both Virginia Rail and Sora are good in winter at the 
Preserve.

    For a look at the beach and open water, Fish Haul Creek Park is also 
excellent for winter birds at the northern end of the island at the end of 
Beach City Rd.   Especially in winter look for Hooded & Red-breasted Merganser, 
N. Gannet, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Virginia Rail, Sora, the regular plovers, 
Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Sanderling, W. & Least Sandpiper, 
Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Bonaparte's, Lesser & Great Black-backed Gull, 
Sedge Wren, both sharp-tailed & Seaside Sparrow.  The beach with extensive mud 
flats are a fairly short walk from the parking lot and note that a scope is 
helpful.

    Close to Hilton Head Island is Savannah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).  
Leaving Hilton Head Island take 278 to 46 past Blufton and Pritchardville to 
170 toward Limehouse and then 17 south to 170 that goes through the NWR, about 
20 miles from Hilton Head Island.  The opportunities in winter are geese and 
ducks, Amer. Bittern, Virginia Rail, Sora, Greater & Lesser Yellowlegs, 
Wilson's Snipe, Sedge Wren and Savannah Sparrow--one bird I did did see there.  
I was happy to find that one of the rare birds I had been told was at Savannah 
before I left was still there-a Black-bellied Whistling Duck.

    Perhaps the very best birding in South Carolina in winter is at Huntington 
Beach State Park (just a short 15 mile drive north of Georgetown on 17).  Among 
the better birds to consider are Common Eider, Harlequin Duck, all three 
scoters, Long-tailed Duck, Hooded & Red-breasted Merganser, Red-throated & 
Common Loon, N. Gannet, Great Cormorant, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Purple 
Sandpiper, and more rarely, alcids.  Of course, the best place at Huntington is 
the jetty, about 2.5 miles round-trip from the closest parking lot on Jetty 
Drive.  The jetty itself is easily walkable with an asphalt path.  Having a 
scope is very useful and note that Huntington requires a fee of $5.00.  This 
year the CBC for the overall area had a total of 160 species.

    If you have some energy after Huntington, a short trip north to Myrtle 
Beach and the adjacent shoreline can yield birds similar to that at Huntington. 
 The 2nd Ave pier is what birders usually use but seabirds can be seen all 
along the shoreline.  Recently, all three scoters have been seen there.

    On the way back to Hilton Head a good stop is Bear Island Wildlife 
Management Area for some winter water birds you may have missed (find the 
management area sign for Bennetts Point Rd. off 17 near the town of Green Pond).

    Two other locations In South Carolina I would recommend in winter are 
Santee NWR, for your best chance for all of the unusual geese and Tundra Swan, 
and Pinckney Island NWR which is very close to Hilton Head (on 278 just prior 
to Hilton Head Island).  Note that you will probably have already seen the 
birds at Pinckney and the NWR almost requires a bicycle ride for the six 
round-trip miles.  With these and all locations your best bet is to contact 
local birders prior to your trip.

    South Carolina is not only close to Tennessee but for total tickers is one 
of the easiest places to achieve ABA's 50% listing threshold (211 in 2007).  
Unlike many states, a good list in South Carolina is possible in a small 
geographic area and in a small amount of time.  And South Carolina became my 
6th state/province at 50%, getting me to a total that is still south on 8,000.  
The bird of the trip was the Black-bellied Whistling Duck which I had seen only 
twice before in Arizona and Texas.  The two outstanding locations of the trip 
were Huntington Beach State Park and Savannah NWR, the former for seabirds 
including N. Gannet, a quite common bird surely but one I never tire of seeing, 
and the latter for the hundreds of ducks easily seen from the Laurel Hill 
Wildlife Drive (I had all the regular suspects but Redhead and Common 
Goldeneye).  For Robin, who ended up with 371 South Carolina birds, he is 
probably looking down on that Pine Flycatcher in Texas (or is it a vocally 
challenged Least!), and planning his next trip.  God speed, Dr. Carter.

Please feel free to email me for details and other info.

Good birding and good totaling,

Kevin Breault
Brentwood, TN          
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