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| Map of the Santee National Wildlife Refuge -- Click here to see a larger version -- Image from the US Fish and Wildlife Service |
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| Close-up views of the Bluff & the Dingle Pond Units of the Santee NWR -- Image from the US Fish and Wildlife Service |
What I have labeled as "forbidden zones" are considerable areas of the different units which are closed to visitors from November 1 to March 1 for the protection of the wildlife finding refuge there. After all, our migratory species need a place to rest without human disturbance! Thankfully, we can offer these protected areas in our National Wildife Refuges, National Parks, State Parks, State Wildlife Management areas and other conserved lands to the wildlife.
As we progressed through the woods, we heard and/or saw several large flocks of Red-Winged Blackbirds, a Hermit Thrush, some Northern Cardinals, Ruby-Crowned Kinglets, Carolina Chickadees, a pair of Tufted Titmice, a few Yellow-Rumped Warblers, a Pileated Woodpecker, a couple of Downy Woodpeckers, a few Northern Flickers, American Crows, Mourning Doves, Carolina Wrens, Blue Jays, a Pine Warbler and a few Red-Bellied Woodpeckers. From the raised observation platform, we saw these Wild Turkeys and this large flock of Canada Geese grazing in the adjacent fields.
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| Wild Turkey -- Bluff Unit of the Santee NWR -- January 21, 2012 |
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| Canada Geese -- Bluff Unit of the Santee NWR -- January 21, 2012 |
Additionally, we also saw in these fields an American Kestrel, a Sharp-Shinned Hawk, a Bald Eagle and a few Eastern Meadowlarks.
Continuing from the overlook, we crossed the main road into the Bluff Unit and continued on the Wright's Bluff Trail toward the Cantey Bay overlooks. David and I were surprised by the significant increase in the water level! A month earlier we had participated in the 2011 CBC and we had walked 100+ yards out onto sandbars that were now completely underwater! Though the light was not good, this new and improved water level allowed for closer views of several species of ducks, such as Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Wood Duck, Northern Shovelers, Green-Winged Teal, Mallard, American Wigeon and Hooded Mergansers as well as more Canada Geese and some American Coot. In addition to the ducks, we saw these 4 bucks cavorting among the cypresses in the lake.
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| Deer in Cantey Bay of the Santee NWR -- Januray 21, 2012 |
We also picked up a Belted Kingfisher and some Golden-Crowned Kinglets foraging in the bare branches overhead as we progressed along the wooded shoreline.
After completing the circuit on the Nature Trail, we visited the Santee Indian Mound known also as Fort Watson. There we saw several White-Throated Sparrows, Song Sparrows, a pair of Swamp Sparrows, a Brown Thrasher, a Northern Mockingbird, and a Yellow-Throated Warbler! We saw a couple more Bald Eagles, some Turkey Vultures, a Black Vulture, several Ring-Billed Gulls, Double-Crested Cormorants. Just before we left to continue on to the Dingle Pond Unit, a Red-tailed Hawk was also spotted.
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| Charleston Audubon birders looking towards the Indian Mound at birds in the vines. |
When we arrived at the Dingle Pond Unit, we were disappointed to find that the pond was completely dry. It was not very birdy either. We saw a couple of Northern Cardinals, Downy Woodpeckers, Yellow-Rumped Warblers, and Ruby-Crowned Kinglets. So we ate lunch and then headed to the Pine Island Unit.
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| Close-up view of the Pine Island Unit of the Santee NWR -- Image from the US Fish and Wildlife Service |
The black clouds were beginning to amass in the distance but we were not deterred. As we began a circuit through the pines we found several Brown-Headed Nuthatches and more Golden Crowned Kinglets. After we left the pines, the walk became temporarily less birdy. Our first approach to the lake was along the shore of a cove where we sighted some Wood Ducks on the distant shore as well as some Great Egrets, Hooded Mergansers and a Great Blue Heron. As we continued along the road that paralleled the lake shore (which was at length blocked from view by a large expanse of woods), we hoped to call out a sora or some rails. But these birds either were not there or chose not to respond to the calls from the iPods. We did hear plenty of chips from the White-Throated Sparrows in the grasses. Eventually we came up close to the lake shore again and we could see in the distance some ducks such as Gadwall, Mallards, Ring-Necked Ducks and some Lesser Scaup as well as some Double-Crested Cormorants and a Belted Kingfisher. As we entered an area with a mix of pines and hardwoods, it suddenly became birdy again. We found an Eastern Phoebe, a pair of Eastern Towhees, some Northern Cardinals, several Carolina Chickadees, a Pine Warbler, a few Tufted Titmice, Carolina Wrens, Ruby-Crowned and Golden-Crowned Kinglets, Red-Winged Blackbirds, several Song Sparrows more Brown-Headed Nuthatches and a couple of Northern Flickers were heard calling. Most of the group also saw a Northern Creeper but I missed it! Drats! We continued along a dike where we flushed several Wood Ducks and found this delightful Black Racer (who was probably not happy to be found)!
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| Black Racer found in the Pine Unit of the Santee NWR -- January 21, 2012 |
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| Black Racer found in the Pine Unit of the Santee NWR -- January 21, 2012 |
Yes, those are rain drops on his head. By this time, it was a sort of spitting rain and not much to contend with really. And yet, those black clouds were approaching. But we had arrived at a wonderful little intersection that was rather birdy. We began spotting Field Sparrows, more Song Sparrows and some Savannah Sparrows. We also saw several Wilson's Snipe, a few Eastern Meadowlarks, a couple more Great Egrets, another Great Blue Heron, several Eastern Bluebirds, an American Kestrel, and a Northern Harrier. Most of the group heeded the warning from the menacing clouds. But David McLean, Jeff Kline, Cornelia Carrier and I were perhaps more foolhardy, perhaps one would say greedy. The adjective that I prefer would be "determined." We wanted more birds such as the LeConte's Sparrow that had been reported by others on the 2011 CBC the previous month. And we were in the right spot!
We decided to continue birding. David preceded to make a loop out into a field with Jeff following. They were hoping to flush some sparrows back towards us and they succeeded in bringing a few more Savannah and Song Sparrows our way. I also sighted a Palm Warbler. Suddenly, Cornelia and I heard a strange clicking in the grass behind us. It sounded like 5 clicks of an old-fashioned typewriter. I was wondering what kind of bizarre insect would make that noise. Jeff turned and asked us if we heard it. We asked what to make sure that we were indeed talking about the same noise. He identified the clicking noise. So he had heard it too! Cornelia and I heard the sound 2 more times over the space of 10 minutes. When Jeff came back to us, we pointed to the area where we had heard the sound. He played the call of the Yellow Rail. What we had heard earlier sounded like the recording! We heard the clicking sound again once in response to the recording but it was from a distance. Either the bird we had heard had moved away or did not respond to the recording. David, who did not hear the call, stated he did not believe that Yellow Rails called in the winter. When I returned home, I confirmed with a Peterson's Guide that infrequent calls may be heard in the winter. It turns out that after describing in some detail what we heard, that our eBird report of the Yellow Rail was accepted! Yellow Rails had been reported on a couple of occasions over the years from that same area in the winter! Yea! Another life bird! Even though I never saw the bird, I did put it on my life list. A bird as secretive as that may never physically appear before my eyes. But my ears will certainly recognize that call again.
Now we were in trouble as lightning was beginning to descend jaggedly from the black clouds and the thunder was rumbling. This storm was no longer distant -- it was nearly upon us! So we had to scurry. Thankfully we all had some sort of rain gear as it did pour down on us before we could reach the cars. Once the rain began, the thunder and lightening abated somewhat, thankfully. Still, on our "run" to the cars, we spotted a very nice Loggerhead Shrike nicely perched at the top of a bare stick as in defiance of the storm. By the time we reached the pine woods again, the rain had mostly stopped and we heard a Pileated Woodpecker call!
In the parking lot, we found our wonderful field trip leader, Don Jones, waiting for us (dry in his car) and hoping he was not going to have to send out a search party for our charred, lightening-struck remains.
We plied off the wet rain gear and loaded ourselves and birding gear into the cars as the brief lull in the rain was just that -- brief! The field trip was over and we were wet and a bit chilled. And yet we were also thrilled -- a Yellow Rail! What a way to cap a fabulous birding outing! Additionally, I am sure that I added rather significant numbers to my new 2012 bird list! And I was certainly happy to add certain hard to get duck species -- such as Northern Pintails! -- which are difficult to find in our area after January. I thank my birding buddies, Jeff, David and Cornelia for being great birding buddies prior to and as we escaped from the storm! Foolhardy, yes! Yellow Rail, YES!
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