September Birding at Patriots Point Nature Trail & Mystery Birds

         On the Mount Pleasant side of the Cooper River, across from the Charleston peninsula, one can visit the Patriots Point Naval Museum with the USS Yorktown and the College of Charleston sports complex.  Also, located on this tip of land is a golf course, the Patriots Point Links.  And then, squeezed in-between the links and the sports complex in a narrow strip of woods containing the Patriots Point Nature Trail, a great birding location for fall migrants.  Luckily for us birders, this last strip of wooded area on this point of land that juts out into Charleston Harbor still serves as a bird-thick migrant trap in the Fall -- a resting and feeding place  -- for many migrating warblers, vireos, flycatchers, sparrows and raptors, before they continue their trip southward.  Carolina Bird Club has posted a description and directions to the trail and the SC State Trails Program site shows a detailed and printable map of the trail itself.  By clicking on the caption of the Google map that I created below, you can see highlights to areas to visit along the trail for good birds.


View Patriots Point Nature Trail in a larger map


         Having read multiple reports on the Carolina Bird Listserv of sightings of a pair of Clay-Colored Sparrows, I visited the area three times (September 11, September 25 and October 1) within a month.  Though I never did see the Clay-Colored Sparrows, I saw many different migrants and I was able to add several birds to my Charleston County list.  Each time, I went solo but I soon was not birding alone.  Many birding acquaintances and buddies also came and we helped each other to spot different species.  I also spotted and photographed several Mystery Birds.  Various birding friends have helped me to solve the puzzle on most of them and I thank them wholeheartedly for their expertise.  I learn so much from each mystery bird puzzle solved!  But there is a pair of birds that I photographed about which I never asked.  The photos were such that I was not sure they could be identified and so I put them aside, until now, as I write this blog.  My curiousity has been re-awakened.  You will find the story of these 2 birds at the end of this post on my  description of my outing for October 1.

          On September 11, 2011, I spent much of my morning in the area north of the driving range (see the map above) at the woodpile.  A slew of yellow warblers had arrived and were feasting on the sugar berries.

Yellow Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

Yellow Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

Yellow Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

             Some interesting and colorful dragonflies were also abundant.

Dragonfly -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

              I was able to see some female and juvenile American Redstarts as well as some males.  But, as usual, the male American Redstarts are not very cooperative subjects and so I was not able to acquire a good shot of an adult male Redstart this time.

American Redstart (female or juvenile) -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

            Along the tree line along the north end of the driving range and in the tall grasses, I spotted several Bobolinks.

Bobolink -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

Bobolink -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

Bobolink -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

              While birding the wooded edge, I watched a Great Egret hunting along the wooded edge.  This Great Egret is not very people shy and apparently devours a number of dragonflies and grasshoppers.  Another birder told me that he is a regular along this wooded edge.

Great Egret -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

Great Egret -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

        
             My good birding buddy, Andy Harrison, showed up and we decided to bird the trail, but not together, with a promise though to call each other if we found a not-to-miss bird.  It was thus that I helped Andy to see a Veery and that he helped me to locate an Ovenbird!  Unfortunately, the photographic effort on the Ovenbird was a miss.  The Veery, on the other hand, was rather cooperative.

Veery -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

Veery -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

          There seemed to be no shortage of Northern Waterthrushes along the wooded trail on this visit and on the other 2 later visits as well.

Northern Waterthrush -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

            A little spur off to the side of the trail leads you out to an area overlooking a retention pond with the College of Charleston practice fields just beyond.  I found several painted buntings here and a horde of bobolinks in the tall ferns around the retention pond.

Bobolinks -- How many do YOU see in this photo? -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC  -- September 11, 2011

Bobolinks -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

Bobolinks -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

Bobolinks -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

          Finally, for my last shot of the morning, I was able to capture this juvenile Red-Eyed Vireo.

Red-Eyed Vireo -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 11, 2011

             On September 25, I returned to Patriots Point, still hoping to catch the Clay-colored Sparrows that continued to elude me.  Yet, plenty of other species of wildlife were there to entertain me, including the aforementioned  bug-eating Great Egret, the Northern Waterthrush, Painted Buntings, American Redstarts, etc.  The Indigo Buntings in various plumage were everywhere this time as were the Common Yellowthroats and Palm Warblers.

Female Indigo Bunting -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011

Female Common Yellowthroat -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011

Palm Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011

    
          I also was able to find this Downy Woodpecker checking out this nest hole.

Downy Woodpecker at a nest hole -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011

              Though I was not having much luck photographing the birds this particular day, I was doing fairly well with the bug populations and with this juvenile Southeastern Five-lined Skink. 

Juvenile Southeastern Five-Lined Skink -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011

Juvenile Southeastern Five-Lined Skink -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011

             The Dragonflies were again quite beautiful and varied on this visit.

Dragonflies -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011

Dragonfly -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011

Dragonfly -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011

              And finally, for this second visit to Patriots Point, I was quite happy to see many sulphar butterflies feeding on these red tubular flowers that were blooming in abundance.

Orange-Barred Sulphur Butterfly (?)  -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- September 25, 2011

           My final visit for the season occurred one week later on October 1, 2012.  I arrived very early.  The first birds that I spotted were the Gray Catbirds and the Palm Warblers.

Gray Catbird -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Palm Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

          I also had some good looks in the early light of an Acadia Flycatcher.

Acadian Flycatcher -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Acadian Flycatcher -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Acadian Flycatcher -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

           Early on, I also found this lovely Painted Bunting (juvenile or female).

Painted Bunting (either a female or a juvenile) -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Like the previous visits, the Indigo Buntings were there in abundance, particularly the females and the juveniles.

Indigo Bunting -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

           I enjoyed seeing this Prairie Warbler and this Yellow-Billed Cuckoo.

Prairie Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Yellow-Billed Cuckoo -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Yellow-Billed Cuckoo -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

            The majority of the Bobolinks seemed to have moved on as I only found this one individual bird this time.  The Common Yellowthroats, Palm Warblers, Gray Catbirds and American Redstarts though were there in force.

Bobolink -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Common Yellowthroat -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Common Yellowthroat -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

          Additionally, I found this delightful female Yellow Warbler foraging for food in the tall shrubby plants around the woodpile.
            

Female Yellow Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Female Yellow Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Female Yellow Warbler -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

            In the woodpile, I found this lively House Wren.

House Wren -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

House Wren -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

      
            In the earlier part of the morning, I spotted one raptor chasing another.  I took some photos hoping that they would help me to identify the birds later.  I confess, though, I am still stumped and am looking for assistance.  Due to the poor light, all we have to go on is general silhouette, eye size and beak size.  My guess is that the chasing bird is a Sharp-Shinned Hawk or perhaps, even a Merlin, and the smaller chased bird is in the nighthawk or the nightjar family.  The smaller bird has a tiny beak and a huge eye.  It does not appear to have the telltale wing markings of a nighthawk.  I hope my birding buddy experts (you know who you are ;-) ) will respond either in the comments or via e-mail.  Below, you will see 2 sets of three photos each.  Each set includes, first, the original picture followed by a close-up of the smaller, chased bird and then the larger bird, chasing bird. 

First set:

Mystery birds -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Mystery Bird Chased -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Mystery Bird chasing -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Second set:

Mystery Birds -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Mystery Bird Chased -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Mystery Bird Chasing -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

OK, so if anyone has a clue as to the possible identity of these birds, please let me know!  At least, there is no mistaking this Red-Tailed Hawk!

Red-Tailed Hawk -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

            On this final birding outing to Patriots Point in my series of 3, I was able to bird briefly with my good birding buddies, David McLean and Paul Nolan.  Unfortunately, they missed the above raptor chase which occurred earlier in the morning.  While birding in the late morning together, we enjoyed these views of a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird feeding on these red tubular flowers.  If anyone knows the identity of the flowers, I would also love to know that as well.  I could not find them in Richard Porcher's A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina.  I originally thought they might be Cypress-vine but I have since changed my mind.  Can anyone enlighten me here?

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird -- -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird -- -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird -- -- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, SC -- October 1, 2011

            And thus concludes the adventure of my Fall birding at Patriots Point!  Though I missed my target birds -- those elusive Clay-Colored Sparrows, I enjoyed so many other species in abundance and I learned a great deal about how to identify certain species, such as Indigo Buntings and Yellow Warblers, in less obvious plumage.  Perhaps I will learn something still as I hear back from my expert birding friends on their thoughts about my final two Mystery Birds!