Bird Key Stono Beach Sweep

We had read the South Carolina Audubon was intending on having a beach clean up in February on the Folly River at Bird Key Stono  Seabird Sanctuary.  This was right down our alley, plus we do not need much of a reason to spend the weekend in Charleston, so we called and volunteered to help.

Bird Key Stono is a 35 acre spit of sand located on the Folly River between Folly Beach and Kiawah Island.  This area is recognized as a IBA (Important Bird Area) by Audubon.  IBAs are recognized internationally.  During nesting season, this island hosts thousands of nesting seabirds.  For this reason, the sanctuary is closed to public use from March 15 thru October 15. The area may be viewed from boats during these months and is accessible to the public below the high water tidal line from October 16 thru March 14. Dogs are prohibited year round and camping is not allowed.

We arrived early and met our Audubon Rep. Nolan.   Coastal Expeditions volunteered a boat and a Captain to ferry us to and from the island.  Our Captain, Gates was a very good Naturalist, and made to ride out even more interesting.

Capt. Gates

Making our way.

Approaching the island, we noted how beautiful it was.  It appeared untouched by humans. On shore we found we were wrong.  We broke up into teams of two and made our way around the island.  One of the first things Lisa and I found was an old crab basket that had washed ashore, which something like this you expect.  Our next find however, we didn't expect.

What the heck?

You've got mail.

The mail basket ending up being helpful to haul the rest of our finds.

There was plenty of beauty along the way as well.

After about three hours we called it quits.  The below photo is a picture of the groups findings.

This jewel made its way home with us....

We loaded our findings on the boat and returned to the landing with a feeling we had made a difference for the up coming nesting season.

After cleaning ourselves up, we went into Charleston for some excellent seafood at the Fleet Landing, and to toast (with a local brew) a day well lived.

Geocaching a Fire Rd. in Pisgah Forest.

One of many vistas along the rd.

  

We spent the morning Saturday geocaching with friends along a fire road inside the Pisgah Forest near Old Fort.   It is always interesting at the items you see when either out for a hike, or out for a day of geocaching.  Below, are a few of our finds..

 

A makeshift water bottle with explicit instructions

 

A vandalized safe!

 

 

Mother nature also offers up many jewels for wayward hikers to enjoy...

 

 

A seed pod of a Mountain Magnolia

 

A Carolina Lily. North Carolina's State Flower

 

A fleeing Copperhead Snake

 

 

A great day on the trail.

 



 

 







Botany Bay

In early July, while vacationing at Edisto Island, we had to opportunity to spend some time at Botany Bay Plantation.  The 4600 plus acres in Botany Bay include a true maritime forest beachfront, saltwater marshes, and mixed hardwoods.

Roadway into Botany Bay

The  plantation on Edisto Island was a gift from the Margaret Pepper family. It was given to the state in 1977 by Mr. Pepper, but was only able to be used after his wife passed away. Mr. Pepper wanted his wife to have the opportunity to continue her years on the land she loved.
In July 2008, the land - now a Wildlife Management Area operated by South Carolina's Department of Natural Resources - was made open to the public.

 

Food tracts are planted and managed for wildlife.

What a grand gift South Carolina this land was.  Birding is fantastic.  There are opportunities for Kayaking on Ocella Creek.  There are opportunities for both inland and surf fishing.



Botany Bay Plantation is also host to hundreds of Loggerhead Turtle Nests each year during nesting season.

 

 

 

 

In my opinion, no trip to the South Carolina Lowcountry would be complete without a visit to this South Carolina jewel. 

Brown Pelican



Atlantic Puffins

In early July, while vacationing in Maine, we took a Audubon guided boat excursion out to Eastern Egg Rock to the Atlantic Puffins that breed there.



Seas were choppy, making it a challenge for quality photos, but we were able to get a few shots in.

Add caption

Black Guillemot

Eastern Egg Rock
(Audubon Field researchers in foreground)

Eastern Egg Rock is the southern most point these birds breed.    The story of the Atlantic Puffins on Eastern Egg Rock is a amazing one.  Through the tireless efforts of scientists and the National Audubon Society, the birds are again thriving here. 

You can read about this wonderful success story here: Project Puffin

Cape Romain NWR

We recently spent a weekend camping in the lowcountry of South Carolina.  We set up camp in the Buck Hall Recreation area adjacent to the inter coastal waterway.  Buck Hall is just a beautiful small campground.  It is very clean, and has large paved sites.  The campground only has 14 RV sites, which makes for a very quite  peaceful camping experience.  

Buck Hall Campground 

 

On Saturday we took the Bulls Island Ferry over to the Cape Romain NWR and spent about five hours exploring the island.  This island in a mixture of natural beach, lush maritime forests, and impoundments.  The island is home to abundant wildlife,  and is recognized as one of the best birding sites in America.

 

 

Here are a few of our photos.

 

 American Alligator

 

 Cedar Waxwing

 

 Kingfisher

 

Estuary

 

Chanterelle

It is wet here in South Carolina. This has got to be one of the, if not the wettest July on record for our state.  As a result, our woods are just full of mushrooms.  We took a short walk in the woods around our house after dinner this evening and found so many Chanterelles, I stopped counting.

 

 

 Although I can't say that I have tasted one, Chanterelles, are known for their culinary value.  Through Internet research, I have found that records of chanterelles being eaten date back to the 1500s, they first gained widespread recognition as a culinary delicacy with the spreading influence of French cuisine in the 1700s, where they began appearing in palace kitchens. For many years, they remained notable for being served at the tables of nobility. Nowadays, the usage of chanterelles in the kitchen is common throughout Europe and North America.

 

 

 

 

Southern Flying Squirrels

The other day I was out checking the nine Bluebird boxes we have on our property.  We have had  great success this year, with Eastern Bluebirds, Tufted Titmouse,  taking residence and have their young fledge this year.

I was startled just a bit when checking this box in the backyard.  I was greeted by two curious baby Southern Flying Squirrels.  The showed no fear of me at all, and posed for a few pics.

peek



Kayaking with Manatees.

We spent a couple of days birding and kayaking in Crystal River Fla. over the Memorial Day weekend.   We did not bring our yaks, so after renting a couple from the Plantation Adventure Center, we were off in search of the Manatees.   We paddled Kings Bay, out to Three Sisters Springs National Wildlife Refuge.

 While there were no Manatees in the springs, we really enjoyed the springs.  I have never seen water so clear.  The water temp here stays at a constant 72 degrees.
 We were rewarded on the paddle back by seeing a mother and calf, and a solitary manatee near the end of our paddle. 

(Mother and calf)

(Note, nose of the Manatee breaking the surface for air)

(The entire Kings Bay area is a no wake zone for Manatee protection)

The Manatee is a aquatic relative of the Elephant. Manatees are Herbivores, they are slow moving and gentle.    Many Manatees are injured yearly by boat propellers.  We learned on this trip however, that most Manatee deaths occur from trauma from being struck by boats, resulting in collapsed lungs etc.

Awaiting fate..

We recently spent a few days camping on the coast at Hunting Island State Park here in SC.  This is a place of simple beauty and a haven for wildlife.  During our stay, we were fortunate enough to see numerous bird species including several Osprey, Brown Pelicans, and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers.  While geocaching along the lagoon, we also witnessed two Bottle nosed Dolphins break the surface. It is truly a rich environment for nature lovers.
 
The beach of Hunting Island is almost four miles long.  My favorite section of the beach is a section called the "Bone yard".   This section is all natural, meaning the maritime forest is untouched except by nature and the trees that have fallen victim to erosion are left as they lay.  Its hauntingly beautiful.  I read on the Friends of Hunting Island web page that this beach loses about 15 ft. of sand a year, just amazing.  Barrier Islands are our mainlands first defense against hurricanes and other severe weather, and they bear true witness to the force of mother nature.

Here are a couple of photos taken on the beach.  One shows the bone yard, another shows a tree awaiting its fate.

Good times...

I just re-discovered this video.  I put together a group of photos I had taken during a Master Naturalist class Lisa and I took together back in 2010.  I added the photos to music.  We were fortunate enough to have my lifelong friend Dianne as a classmate as well.   Along the way, we met a few like minded souls that we still call friends today, Cynthia, Melissa and Jeff.  



Not all who wander are lost.



Red Fox Den

On 5.11.11 we discovered that we had a Red Fox den on our land, down by the lake. There are six baby foxes (kits). We have not seen the mother fox except for a couple of shots on the camera trap at night. This is pretty darn cool to have in your backyard, however I am concerned as we have a small dog and a abundance of wildlife around I do not care to loose. After all, no matter how cute these little guys are, they are still predators

Abandoned nest / Owl pellet

While walking around in the woods behind the house today I found these two jewels.

An abandoned bird nest, layered with grasses, straw & feathers.

A owl pellet. When a owl or other raptors eat their prey, they are not able to digest bones, feathers or fur. The raptor will regurgitate what it can not digest. The regurgitated waste is called a pellet. This pellet appears to contain the bones and fur of some type of rodent.

Backyard visitor : Downy Woodpecker (F)

This little female Downy Woodpecker sure was enjoying what the backyard trees had to offer today.

Ghost Bird

I had recently read a article on a new documentary on the Ivory Billed Woodpecker. The name of the film is Ghost Bird. I ordered the DVD, and was able to finally sit down and watch it Sunday night. It is a very good film, both sad and informative, and yes even funny at times. Its storyline is around the supposed sighting of the extinct bird, and the hype that ensued. It stresses the importance of habitat, and how the loss of it has resulted in the birds extinction. It also notes some other now extinct birds. A great little film.
Here is a link: Ghost Bird

Mining Bee / Digger Bee

Mason Bees

Every year, these bees nest beside our driveway. It used to really bother me, not that they were nesting here, but the location they picked. Most folks are scared of bees, but these bees are not aggressive, and they are great pollinators. So that said, our human visitors will just have to side step our guests until they decide to move on.