A Quick Getaway...

I took a chance while the weather was good for a midweek trip.   I made a plan for the dogs to be fed, and left at 6 am the following morning...I drove to Santee Coastal Reserve, the same place I grabbed my lifer Hudsonian Godwit a couple years ago.  They have a free FCFS campground and I scored a great spot. 

Also a couple years back I purchased this little easy to pitch tent as a place holder for just such an occasion, when  I want to drive my van to a trail head, so need something to show the spot is occupied...so this worked out really well...took 5 mins to set up!

This is the first trip with my raised ceiling and it is really nice to be standing up in the van...I had a really good stay...After I got settled in I took off for my first hike, on the Marshland Trail and  boardwalk...

I began to hear warblers....AND realized I have to relearn their calls this happens nearly every spring now...my memory just isn't as good as it once was...

It was still early I arrived at the campground at 9 am so birds were singing, and I didn't get my eyes on a lot but sure enjoyed the experience.  The White Breasted Nuthatch once again...made an appearance. 

And there was a lot of Red Headed Woodpecker..

I am a little early for most of the shorebirds to arrive which I had hoped to see more of...The Carolina Wren sang for me...

 I'm hoping  that spring is arriving and I can get in some camp/bird adventures before the onset of heat and bugs...

Then back at my campsite to shed a couple layers of clothing before my next hike  I had the Brown Thrasher and the White Throated Sparrow in my camp site...hunting together...

I dumped my extra coat, and changed into my waterproof boots, and prepared to move the van to the Big Wells Trailhead.  Well, come to find out they had the road closed to the trail head, you can park at the HG building and walk in so that's what I did..

Tri colored Heron

I found some Blue Winged Teal, and Common Gallinule together behind the reeds in the open water.  

And this Little Blue Heron was sneaking around in the edges looking for minnows and snails etc...

This place if very similar to most of the Low Country Wildlife management areas, and used to be old rice fields, impounds where they can manipulate the water level by using a series of rice trunks which have been in operation for 250 years, take a look at this video if you want to know about these.  

Big Wells Trail with Santee River to the right

Unfortunately for me, they were busy cutting the brush and doing scheduled burns it was mid week and so I should have thought of that but then on a weekend I may not get a campspot and it could be crowded with hunters....so either way it's a crapshoot. 

 with so much activity going on the birds were few...

Saw a lot  of Yellow Legs in the shallow areas and some Wilson Snipes took off...

got this far away look as the snipe circled me...then landed in the reeds again...

It's easier to see Red Winged Blackbird  and Killdeer. 

I needed a drink and reached around to get my water bottle from my backpack pocket, Wasn't there...dang.  I was pretty thirsty but not a lot I could do about that, I must of lost it.

Overhead 3 White Pelican gave me a flyby,,

Here is the work going on at the boat dock...this is why the road is closed to the trail head....they are using the trailhead parking for a staging area.

So I circled around and headed back to the HQ parking lot making a loop by using the road that runs behind the HQ building, by now it  was after 1 pm so I was getting tired and hungry and thristy!  Back at the van, look at this....on the ground.

I lost my water bottle ONE step from the van, LOL I had to laugh and was also happy to find  it, but really?? I never knew it had fallen.   So then I went back to my campsite and made a sandwich and sat in my chair for an hour, drank up some liquid..and watched the birds move around in the bushes...

I forgot to pack a PLATE so I put my sandwich on the lid of my Thermos, I really did a poor job of packing.  I normally make a list and pack from that...any veer off course can be a disaster these days, I also forgot to bring any paper towel, all my toiletries including my toothbrush!  

campsite  Mockingbird

I decided to go in an lay down for a little foot rest, as it had gotten warm so I figured to let the sun move a little then head out again when there was more shade.  I met the man in the  site down from me, there was only 3 of us camping...he had a cute dog with him made me miss my girls.  

So after a rest I put my regular shoes back on for the drier road-walk toward the other ponds...along the Cape Trail ..

 

Turns out this is where the burns are happening...

Last time I was here this area was full of shorebirds...but this time I saw lots of this...

And no birds...nary a one,....so I turned around.... the moon was up by then and 3 Double Crested Cormorants flew over..

I did a little edit to combine the moment.

Back near the road to Big Wells, 

 Belted Kingfisher came out to hunt from the power line...

A Lesser Yellowlegs was out wading knee high...

I eventually arrived back at camp about 4:30 pm and the sun was moving behind the trees and the  air cooled off so I heated up some canned soup for a hot meal and took it inside out the chilled air  

Had to eat right out of the pan, forgot to bring a bowl either!! It was good to have a warm meal...I brought my chair in for siting with my dinner and to  check my photos, I plan to try and do a swivel on my passenger seat some day.  I see others do it, so figure I can as well. 

After eating, took the tent down,  stowed my stuff for the evening, I was ready to call it a day by 5:30ish.  My camp neighbor and his dog made a big fire for the night so I closed up the van not wanting to get the smoky smell in my upholstery...I also forgot to bring any books for reading and didn't bring my DVD player, I dumped  my camera SD card, and turned in  as it was dark by 6 pm.   I threw up the blind by one of the big windows and lay there looking up at the starry night.  It was a good day!!

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to be continued....

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.