Birdathon Results!

I finally got my Birdathon blog ready! Jen's group the Bloggerhead Shrikes invited any who wanted to join in on a virtual Birdathon, so I took the count I had on June 5th, at the Santee National Wildlife Refuge, which is around Lake Marion in the low Piedmont part of SC.   Its about an hour and a half south of me...you could take I-95 but I drove local roads.

It was boiling hot that day the hottest day so far this year, 96 degrees, but the lake is huge and there is always a stiff lake breeze blowing.  There is a state park by the same name where you can camp, take lake tours to see nesting ospreys and bald eagles, so its really a nice spot to enjoy nature...did I say its HUGE?  I mean its not Lake Michigan, but i ts pretty darn big!

I got photos of some of the birds I saw on that day...I picked up a Bird Check list in the Visitors Center had a nice chat with the staff who were very helpful on directing me to some good spots!  The Bluff
Unit had a mile nature trail with some boardwalks through a swamp, then it comes to a view of the lake, and a large open field area, then back through swamp!

A Northern Parula  found me in front of a tree near the parking area, it was not a good photo but enough so I could ID the bird...

Saw a coon making off with something dead he snatched it and ran for the bushes!

Two birds in this area allowed some good photos...the Summer Tanager

and a Yellow Crowned Night Heron!

Both were very curious as to what I was!  Also saw lots of these...

An outrageous green color!!  And Egrets, I saw Cattle, and Great egrets, and the white form of the Little Blue Heron

Then the hike loop in the Bluff Unit was over so I drove to the Cuddo Unit, its about 10 miles away...

notice the clear no cracks windshield!! $209.00  One of the first birds to jump out onto the road was the Wild Turkey..

Then a little farther down the drive was the Anhinga! I think he was trying to look like a stick!

And the Carolina Wren looked over his shoulder at me...

And at the spot where I stopped for a break..I found this!

                        

And right away this guy came to check me out... the Green Heron!

Back on the scenic drive I found a nice spot to park in the shade, saw a Wood duck jump out of a box, but didn't get her photo....but I got these 2 lovebirds! The male n female Blue Grosbeak!

And the Blue Gray Gnat-catcher



 I saw the Little Blue Heron here too...got a couple of bad photos of it...after lunch I drove to Santee State Park to find Ospreys and I did find some..

as well as Eastern Bluebirds and of course I cut her out of the photo...because I didn't see her in time..her head is just barely visible.



the Blue Jay stopped for a moment..

And an entire family of mallards

I had one super day, I racked up 60 species all together for the day counting all the birds I saw along the way too! Below is my checklist card for the day...

                                  a bobolink was just leaving the open field as I walked out got it via my bins for the ID but dratt...NO photo.

ooops put my check by Black crowned strike that...yellow

PEACE!

Last Day Trippin'

Next morning the girlz ran down to the water for a drink and I took my coffee and the camera...and this lady glided by with 5 behind her...

We decided to stay put and not leave the campground today.... just hang out and relax...so we spotted a few birds...you can almost hear this Eastern Kingbird saying "wth"?

And this park gets the blue ribbon for the most grackles in one spot..used the rule of thirds here...for interest~

actually he had just bathed which I didn't get cause I left my camera on a stump nearby  he did preen in the tree and let me photo him...

...and lots of swallows swooping all over the place, got this one resting, I may be wrong but I think its a northern roughwing female?

And a few herons were about...I had to up the saturation on this shot to see him...he was along that far bank wayyy over there.

and here's the girlz hanging out to dry after the bath I promised...they had to get off the sheet I put down to keep them clean...why are dogs so hell bent to get dirty? 

They did enjoy their baths, and they enjoyed the trip! But that same afternoon, the wind picked up the black clouds rolled in and at 4:30 I broke camp and drove home we were only 98 miles away...would rather not suffer a storm if I dont have to--was scheduled to check out the next morning anyways...so I figure may as well take my leave!! We had a great time....and now we are ready to go again! ASA the kitty is refilled.

the END

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

Heritage Corridor to Hamilton Branch SP

Okay let me see I left off just after the Charlie Manson look alike served me ice cream...in a waffle cone and charged me $5 for it! I COULD HAVE PURCHASED MY OWN COW I'm sure on a good day at the slaughter house..

Back at site 59 it was our last night there I took another whack at the picnic table it was still in horrid condition so I left it be...Another night of cool down I watched a movie on my little 7" DVD player...an old Australian movie about some kids on ponies out witting a gang of horse thieves it was adorable!  Listened to the sounds of the night deer crashing in the woods nearby, owls gliding overhead so stealthy...but the girls always let me know when anything moves...

okay actually they are a couple of cowards! Here is Annie hiding in the van when ONE thunder clap sounded off...I had to put both fans in there for her...ughh..

                                                              Explorer Annie

...morning broke and this time I had pan seared hash browns, more of my everything Bagel, and some pineapple juice! Broke camp pretty fast just haphazardly tossed in in any ole where cause I had to set up camp in our next stop in a few hrs.  The Plan for the day was to add another waterfall to the list...this one over in GA.

  I did put u-p a quick post of this spot but I'll fill in a few blanks now...and some photos may be repeated...

 We were about 30 miles from Toccoa Ga, and Toccoa Falls.  The falls is on a campus of the Toccoa Falls college, a college with a Christian based philosophy and everyone there was super nice to me...including the two young guys who allowed me to take the grilz right through the gift shop to the falls viewing area! Not to mention there was some very cool gifts and chatzkies too!

this lady is probably wondering why I left my dogs sitting under the sign that says "dogs on leash only"...well they did have on their leashes, the sign didn't say "owner must be holding onto said leash," now did it?

Flossie ignored me...and wouldn't smile for the camera...

The falls is awesome at 186 feet of free falling water, the mist is super cooling! In 1977 there was a flood when an Upstream dam broke and 30 people lost their lives, many in the same family it was an awful tragedy!

Well worth a visit....We headed out and off to our next camp at Hamilton Branch Sp back in SC.  It's on the Strom Thurmond Lake which is fed by the Savannah River.  

We took the Heritage Corridor which loosely follows the river, but not close enough that you can see it, it weaves and meanders through some interesting spots along the way this corridor travels from the foothills to the coast if you go the entire length! We covered about half of it..One interesting stop was this interpretive center about the old way of life and being self sufficient...

all sorts of cool buildings of waybegone times...

I spent many an hour ensconced in rubber such as this when I was a kid...wonder if they can make a digital version of this?

So at our site it was pretty nice right by the water....a big warm on this day and a storm did circle around...the dogs took to the van and left me in the shelter to die alone if the case need be....yellow bellies!

Notice this picnic table has all legs and seats attached! This is site #12..nice and shady and the water is right there...

I wish I had my own Kayak this was the perfect put in spot...IF I could lift one..

We had a good night  it was again cool, and this night I watched (after the sun set) 

the movie Contagion, Matt Damon and others, pretty good! I can prop my small DVD player up at the foot of my bed and watch movies in comfort! Not a whole lot to do when the sun sets and  you're camping alone! I stay up till about 10 then I'm ready to sleep! I heard some barred owls in the night....cooking for y'all

TBC...

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.