4/15 Wed
8:10-10:21 (Delta, JFK-CHS flight 2189)
12:00 - Cypress Garden
Northern Nature Trail. - saw MANY vultures -- both Black and Turkey.
Main Trail and we were very pleased with the general "birdiness" of this area -- Carolina Chickadees, American Robins, Yellow-Rumped Warblers, Ruby-Crowned Kinglets, Golden Crowned Kinglets, Pine Warblers, Brown Thrashers, Northern Mockingbirds, Northern Flickers, Downy Woodpeckers, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Wood Ducks (very shy), Song Sparrows, White-Throated Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows, Tufted Titmice, Gray Catbird, Northern Cardinals, etc. Carl captured these 2 wonderful images of the 2 morphs of the White-Throated Sparrows: Tan-Striped and White-Striped.
After exploring the Main Path, we ventured off down the Perimeter Trail where we saw Brown-Headed Nuthatches, White-Breasted Nuthatches, many American Robins, Yellow-Rumped Warblers, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, more Wood Ducks, of course and this Pileated Woodpecker.
Here, you’ll find a beautiful butterfly garden, three miles of walking paths and nature trails, a Nature Center & Children’s Garden, a Swamparium, a Heritage Museum, three HUGE alligators (fenced in, of course), and a plethora of beautiful sites. Much of the area’s 170 acres can be explored by foot or via canoe.
6:00 - City Market
7:00 - Water Front Park - from Vendue Range south to Water St. along the Cooper River. The Wharf at Vendue Range offers views of the cruise ship terminal and the Ravenel Bridge.
Sleep: 2066 Saint Lukes Drive, James island, SC 29412
4/16 Thur
8:30 - James Island County Park
871 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC 29412 843-795-7275
Seriously, what more could you ask for from your county park? Miles of paved
trails for running/biking/walking/dog walking, beautiful marsh views, a dock for
crabbing/fishing, a rock climbing wall, the most epic dog park you've ever seen
(it goes into a pond for crying out loud!), a campsite and cabins, huge grassy
meadows for ultimate frisbee/flag football/running around like a maniac, grills
for your dining enjoyment, a water park, and a sand volleyball court...all of
that and more is held within the confines of James Island County Park. Sounds
too good to be true, right?
Oh, did I mention they hold regular events like the Festival for Lights (which
is so big it regularly causes traffic jams on all of Riverland/Camp/Folly Roads
and has its own sign on Folly), the Lowcountry Cajun Festival, Reggae Nights,
Yappy Hour, sprint triathlons, local 5K's, and a Paddlesports and Outdoor
Festival? Well, the park most certainly does!
Top it off with the friendliest employees imaginable and you've got yourself a
true gem of a county park.
Keep in mind that there is a $1 (cash) entrance fee unless of course you have a
County Park Gold Pass in which case admission is free!
9:30 - Folly Beach
- referred to by locals as the "Edge of America". From painted sunrises and sunsets, to rich history, good food and expansive beaches, FollyBeach.com provides essentials to give residents and visitors alike a new awareness of this unique and charming island town.
Sleep: 2066 Saint Lukes Drive, James island, SC 29412
4/17 Fri
Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, 3550 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414
Sleep: 2066 Saint Lukes Drive, James island, SC 29412
4/18 Sat
10:00 Beaufort
Hunting Island State Park
2555 Sea Island PKWY | Hunting Island, SC 29920 | Phone: 843-838-2011 | Fax: 843-838-4263 | huntingisland@scprt.com
Sleep: Sleep Inn, 2523 Boundary St
2523 Boundary St. , Beaufort, SC, US, 29906
4/19 Sun
9:15 Community Bible Church in Beaufort - 638 Parris Island Gateway • P.O. Box 119 • Beaufort, SC 29901
noon arriving Hilton Head for lunch
Spend about 2 hrs in Pinckney Island National Wildlife
Refuge
GPS:
Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge, Bluffton, SC 29910 or
700 Pinckney Wildlife Refuge, Bluffton, SC 29910 or
2 William Hilton Pkwy
Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 or
1640 Fording Island Rd
Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
Suggested Hiking/Biking Trips:
All trips begin and end at the parking area half a mile from the refuge entrance; distances are round-trip, and estimated times are based on a leisurely walking pace, allowing for periodic stops to observe wildlife.
- Ibis
Pond: 1.2 miles; 1 hour, 30 minutes.
- Shell
Point: 4.6 miles; 4 hours, 15 minutes.
- Starr
Pond: 2.0 miles; 2 hours, 30 minutes.
- Osprey
Pond: 3.0 miles; 3 hours.
- Nini
Chapin and Barker Ponds: 3.6 miles; 3 hours, 30 minutes.
- Bull
Point: 5.0 miles; 5 hours.
- Dick
Point: 7.4 miles; 6 hours, 30 minutes.
- Clubhouse
Pond: 6.2 miles; 5 hours, 30 minutes.
- White
Point: 7.8 miles; 7 hours.
Safety Reminders:
Drinking water and restrooms are not available on the island.
There are no shelters for visitor protection from the sun or inclement weather.
The graveled road from the parking area to Clubhouse Pond is well maintained, but in the summer, overgrowth on the grass trails may conceal snakes, poison ivy, or stinging insects. An occasional alligator may be encountered near any pond or on the adjacent trails.
Arrive Savannah in late afternoon
Sleep: 705 Whitaker St., Forsyth Park, GA 31401
4/20 Mon
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge OverviewAndMap (pdf) mirror
(before Pt 7. Turn Left SC-170W, is the Visitor Center. Find parking around there, no need to all the way to 694 Beech Hill Ln.)
Suggestion:
US-17N
Turn Left SC-170W
At the Maintenance Area intersection, turn left to Wildlife Drive (4 miles).
At the end, park at Tupelo Trail Parking.
The easiest way to bird Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is to drive along the four-mile Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive, stopping frequently. The route follows dikes through numerous freshwater impoundments, and along the edge of tidal freshwater marsh (part of the delta of the Savannah River).
Here and there along the tour road are small islands in the marsh, called hammocks, heavily forested with live oaks, hackberries, red maples, and other trees. These hammocks concentrate small birds, and are especially good to bird during spring and fall migrations.
You can sometimes find good birds along the dike trail around Impoundment 18, at the southern edge of the refuge. To reach this area take the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive for about 2.5 miles. Here the drive takes a sharp turn to the left. Just before this turn is a side road, which crosses the main diversion canal of the refuge and dead-ends in about 250 yards. Turn right onto this side road, cross the canal, and immediately park. Walk the dike trail on the south side of the diversion canal. Go west for about a quarter mile, to a hammock. Here take the left fork, and follow this trail (Raccoon Island Trail) as it loops about a mile around Impoundments 18 and 17.
A good spot for Purple Gallinule (April–October) is along SC 170 east of the beginning of the wildlife drive. Look for a gravel fishermen's parking area on the north side of SC 170, next to a small grove of willows. Look over the marshy impoundment and down the canals.
The hammocks are good for migrant warblers, Scarlet Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak in April-May or September-October. Some of the rare birds that have been found on the refuge include Red-necked Grebe, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Tundra Swan, Eurasian Wigeon, Cinnamon Teal, Long-tailed Duck, White-faced Ibis, Limpkin, Yellow Rail, Black Rail, Upland Sandpiper, Ruff, Groove-billed Ani, Short-eared Owl and Cave Swallow. src
City walk
Sleep: 705 Whitaker St., Forsyth Park, GA 31401
4/21 Tue
12:43-2:59 (Delta, SAV-LGA,flight 4883)
