With thousands of undeveloped acres in the ACE Basin and 17 important bird areas as designated by the National Audubon Society, South Carolina’s Lowcountry is a haven for birds and birdwatchers alike.

Cypress Wetlands

Links

For mobile users

The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette enlisted help from experts and readers of the Untamed Lowcountry blog to identify the Lowcountry’s 10 Best Spots for Birding.

Hunting Island

Map

In addition to tips from our experts, you can watch videos, examine bird lists and get directions to each spot.

Lowcountry’s

Check back often because we will update photo galleries for each spot. 

10 Best Spots for Birding

Pinckney Island NWR

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Birding etiquette

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Donnelley WMA

With thousands of undeveloped acres in the ACE Basin and 17 important bird areas as designated by the National Audubon Society, South Carolina’s Lowcountry is a haven for birds and birdwatchers alike.

The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette enlisted help from experts and readers of the Untamed Lowcountry blog to identify the Lowcountry’s 10 Best Spots for Birding.

Notes for those using mobile devices

Want an app-like experience for your smartphone or iPad? You can create a direct link to the Lowcountry’s 10 Best Spots for Birding right on your mobile device's home screen by following these instructions. Note about maps: If you are using an iPhone or iPad, attempting to view the maps included here could cause your Safari browser to crash. These features are best viewed on Chrome. Click here for details.

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Intended as a guide for the masses to use and enjoy, we considered locations accessible from a highway and open to the public. So, for example, we list the Beaufort Barrier Island IBA as a site but focus on Hunting Island State Park because other areas of the IBA are in private, gated communities or on islands accessible only by boat.

With thousands of undeveloped acres in the ACE Basin and 17 important bird areas as designated by the National Audubon Society, South Carolina’s Lowcountry is a haven for birds and birdwatchers alike.

Locations for each of the 10 spots on our list of prime birding spots are marked on this interactive map. You also will find maps for each of the individual sites by clicking on their tabs at the top of this graphic. If the legend obscures a pinpoint you want to see, you can drag the map image inside its frame. (Using an iPad or iPhone? The Lowcountry’s 10 Best Spots for Birding is best viewed on the Chrome browser. Click here for details.)

The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette enlisted help from experts and readers of the Untamed Lowcountry blog to identify the Lowcountry’s 10 Best Spots for Birding.

With thousands of undeveloped acres in the ACE Basin and 17 important bird areas as designated by the National Audubon Society, South Carolina’s Lowcountry is a haven for birds and birdwatchers alike.

Find our 10 Best Spots on the map

Diana Churchill, Savannah Ogeechee Audubon: Churchill, a native of Savannah, has written a birding column in The Savannah Morning News since 2001. Her work has been compiled into a book, “Birder’s Eye View,” for which Churchill also provided most of the photos. She has twice served as president of Ogeechee Audubon, and has led birding and natural-history programs for Audubon, the Georgia Ornithological Society, and Wilderness Southeast, according to her website.

John Albert, Fripp Island Audubon Club board member: Albert spent 37 years as an educator in Ohio, including the last several instructing teachers on how to use technology in the classroom. He retired to Harbor Island, where he runs Low Country Nature Photography and frequently gives presentations to bird and photography clubs.

Buddy Campbell, Fripp Island Audubon Club: Campbell is a retired Army veteran and construction manager, who grew up in Orlando, Fla., “before the mouse invaded.” He developed his appreciation for birds as a duck hunter but traded his shotgun for a spotting scope after leaving the service. He has lived in the Beaufort area for more than a decade, leads occasional outings for the Carolina Bird Club and is a member of the Fripp Island and Savannah Ogeechee Audubon clubs.

Dean Harrigal, S.C. Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist: Harrigal is a native of Aiken. He has worked as a wildlife biologist for more than 30 years and on on the ACE Basin Project since 1992. Harrigal is responsible for overseeing multiple projects at Bear Island, Donnelley and Botany Bay Plantation WMAs — public lands owned by the state of South Carolina and managed for the benefit of its citizens.

Ken Scott, Fripp Island Audubon Club vice president: Scott and his wife moved to Lady’s Island after he retired from his job as director of the University of Florida Press. Previously, he served in a similar capacity at the University of South Carolina press. A birdwatcher for 40 years, Scott joined the Fripp Audubon Club and is now its vice president. He arranges the group’s field trips, coordinates its Christmas Bird Count and conducts bird seminars.

Our advisors and contributors

Mark Purcell, ACE Basin refuge manager: The Summerville native attended Clemson University, beginning his academic career as an engineering major before earning a degree in wildlife biology. From 1984 until 1989, he worked at the Everglades National Wildlife Refuge in Florida before returning to South Carolina. He has since worked at the Cape Romain and Santee NWRs and has been manager of the Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin NWR since 2006.

Robert Rommel, wildlife photographer, Hilton Head Island Audubon Society vice president: Rommel studied biology and ecology, first as an undergraduate at Princeton University, then as a graduate at the University of Michigan. He now makes his living as a wildlife photographer. His love of nature was developed in part on Hilton Head Island, where his family frequently spent summer vacations and where his parents later retired.

Chris Marsh, LowCountry Institute executive director

Marsh helped select the sites on this list and provided details about many of them. He has been executive director of the Lowcountry Institute since its inception in 1998, working extensively with municipal governments in the area to help improve water quality, land conservation and land management.  Marsh also conducts the institute’s master naturalist programs. Before coming to the Lowcountry, Marsh was a professor at Coastal Carolina University, where he taught ornithology, ecology and animal behavior. He also has worked with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources on coastal shorebird populations.

The Lowcountry’s 10 Best Spots for Birding project wouldn’t have been possible without a lot of help from a lot of knowledgeable people.

With thousands of undeveloped acres in the ACE Basin and 17 important bird areas as designated by the National Audubon Society, South Carolina’s Lowcountry is a haven for birds and birdwatchers alike.

When in the field, please show respect for the welfare of birds and their environment. Limit the use of photography, pishing and playback devices whenever these might stress birds or other wildlife. Keep your distance from nests and nesting colonies, and respecting private property.

How we compiled our seasonal bird lists for each site

On the top right of the right-hand rail on the page for each site, pop-up lists of birds to look for are arranged by season of the year. The lists are not exhaustive. However, they provide an accounting of birds that are particularly abundant at a particular time of year, or are uncommon or rare within the region but might be spotted at the particular location.Note, as well, that the birding year could easily be divided into six seasons. Ornithologist Chris Marsh of the LowCountry Institute provides this breakdown:Mating season — mid-May through July, birds appear in breeding plumage, mate and nest Post-breeding wandering/early-fall migration — August through mid-September, with breeding complete, some species roam and can be found in unusual places Peak fall migration — September through October, migratory birds begin massing and moving to spots where they will winter Winter — November through mid-February, migratory species make their home where food is more abundant than in their breeding grounds Late spring migration — mid-April to mid-May migratory birds begin massing and move back to their summer ranges

LowCountry Institute Fripp Island Audubon Club Hilton Head Audubon Society Fripp Island Audubon Club Sun City Bird Club Coastal Discovery Museum Carolina Bird Club Savannah Ogeechee Audubon EBird.org reports National Audubon Society Whatbird.com’s page for South Carolina Audubon’s list of important bird sites in South Carolina

Useful links

Sanderling

Cedar waxwing

Winter

Spring

What’s nearby

Hunting Island Lighthouse: There’s plenty to do besides birding inside the park. A lighthouse on the north beach is interesting and can be climbed for an additional $2. A visitors center on the road from the main gate gives an interesting glimpse into the island’s history. Penn Center in Frogmore: This site is devoted to cultural heritage of the Gullah people and Sea Island inhabitants. It was originally a school for freed slaves, and later was a retreat spot for civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. The center is 12 miles from Hunting Island, north on U.S. 21 and left at the light at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in the crossroads of Frogmore.     

Summer

Click for video introduction

Fall

Winter birds: Hunting Island

Directions

Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally, wood stork, white ibisShorebirds: American oystercatchers, semipalmated plover, willet, sanderling, least sandpiper, western sandpiper Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: brown pelicans, Wrens: marsh wrens Vultures, hawks and allies: bald eagle, osrpey, northern harrier, Waterfowl: bufflehead, lesser scaup, hooded merganser, red-breasted merganser, wood stork, white ibis Rails, gallinules and allies: clapper rail, Gulls, terns and skimmers: Bonaparte’s gull, herring gull, Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatch Warblers: palm warbler, pine warbler, Loons and grebes: common loon Kinglets: golden-crowned kinglet (late December)

Hunting Island State Park is part of an Important Bird Area along the Sea Islands at the end of U.S. 21 that also includes Capers, Pritchards, Old, Harbor and Fripp islands. Harbor is home to common ground doves and is a migratory stop-over for endangered red knots and near-threatened reddish egrets. Fripp features more than 80 species of birds, including many plovers, sandpipers and wading birds. But both of those islands are private, and Capers, Pritchards and Old islands are accessible only by boat. Since a prerequisite of appearing on the list of the 10 Best Birding Sites in the Lowcountry is easy public access, we focus here on Hunting Island State Park, which is home to colorful painted buntings, several species of gulls and terns, and great egrets.  Reddish egrets are more common to Harbor but can be spotted on Hunting Island, too, along with black skimmers, tanagers, brown pelicans, oystercatchers and wood storks. Egrets and herons abound in its lagoon and on the sand bars on the south end of the island, near the Fripp Inlet. Ospreys and bald eagles nest on the island. Places to check out include the Lighthouse Trail, which takes its name from the park’s main attraction and winds to the north end, near the campground. It’s a good spot for spring and fall migrants, and northern water thrushes congregate in swampy areas there, according to the Carolina Bird Club website. The mud flats along Johnson Creek Inlet is another good spot for shorebirds — and a peek across to the southern tip of Harbor Island to the north, where there’s always something interesting to see on the sandbars just off the beach. The lagoon and south-end flats are accessible from the fishing pier just before the bridge to Fripp, along a trail that cuts through pine and palmetto forest. Birds often are attracted to feeders near the pier entrance. Red-breasted mergansers, brown pelicans and wading birds can be found in the lagoon, and shorebirds, gulls, terns and skimmers are plentiful on the south end.

Trail Map

From downtown city of Beaufort: Take U.S. 21, Sea Island Parkway and follow it nearly to its end. The main entrance is 24 miles from the Woods Memorial Bridge in downtown Beaufort. A marsh boardwalk is a few miles down U.S. 21 from the main entrance. A pier and a trails that lead into the main park are a few miles further down U.S. 21, at the last left-hand turn before the bridge to Fripp Island. A boat landing is at the end of a dirt road on the right, just before the bridge, and is also a good place to birdwatch.

Semipalmated plovers

Great blue heron

Spring birds: Hunting Island

Kingfishers: belted kingfisherWaterfowl: black scoter Loons and grebes: common loon, Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally, white ibis, Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, bald eagle, Rails, gallinules and allies: clapper rail Shorebirds: American oystercatcher, ruddy turnstone, sanderling, western sandpiper, Gulls, terns and skimmers: herring gull, Forster’s tern Woodpeckers: pileated woodpecker Vireos: blue-headed vireo Kinglets: ruby-crowned kinglet, Warblers: black-and-white warbler, palm warbler, pine warbler Sparrows: swamp sparrow

Waxwings: cedar waxwingThrushes: American robin, hermit thrush, Rails, gallinules and allies: rails, Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally, wood stork Shorebirds: American oystercatchers, black-bellied plover, Wilson’s plover (late May to mid-June), semipalmated plover, spotted sandpiper, purple sandpiper (early March), least sandpiper, western sandpiper Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: brown pelicans Wrens: marsh wrens Vultures, hawks and allies: bald eagle, Cooper’s hawk Waterfowl: lesser scaup, bufflehead, red-breasted merganser, Loons and grebes: red-throated loon, common loon Frigatebirds, boobies and gannets: northern gannet Alcids: razorbill (mid-March) Gulls, terns and skimmers: black tern (mid-April), gull billed tern (mid-April), roseate tern (mid-April), royal tern, sandwich tern, black skimmer Cuckoos: yellow-billed cuckoo Swifts: chimney swift Woodpeckers: red-headed woodpecker, hairy woodpecker Tyrant flycatchers: great crested flycatcher Vireos: white-eyed vireo Swallows: bank swallow (mid-May) Gnatcatchers: blue-gray gnatcatcher Kinglets: golden-crowned kinglet (mid-March) Catbirds, mockingbirds and thrashers: gray catbird Warblers: ovenbird (early May), northern waterthrush (early May), black and white warbler, common yellowthroat, hooded warbler (mid-April), northern Parula, blackpoll warbler (mid-May) Sparrows: Nelson’s sparrow (early April), saltmarsh sparrow (early April), seaside sparrow (April) Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: painted bunting Blackbirds: Brewer’s blackbird (early March), orchard oriole,

Click for photo gallery

What’s hot now, according to Ebird.org Additional information Address: 2555 Sea Island Parkway, Hunting Island, SC 29920 Telephone:  843-838-2011 Hunting Island State Park website Hours: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, extended to 9 p.m. during daylight saving time; office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission: $5 for adults, $3.25 for senior citizens, $3 for children ages 6 to 15 and free for children 5 and younger Terrain: salt marsh, brackish lagoon, maritime forest, beach, mud flats, ocean Best season to go: Summer brings one of the region’s most popular passerines, painted buntings. They are common in the bushy thickets just inland from the dunes or near the feeders at the park’s wildlife center. Inside info: Don’t forget the areas of Hunting Island that are outside the park gates — the Marsh Boardwalk, the pier and the Russ Point Boat Landing, all near the island’s southern end — offer great birding opportunities, too. On the opposite end of the island, the area near Johnson Creek, which separates Hunting Island from Harbor Island, often offers a glimpse of nesting ospreys and several species of ducks and wading birds.

Click for Google map

Summer birds: Hunting Island

Hunting Island in heart of Beaufort Barrier Island IBA

Fall birds: Hunting Island

Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: painted buntings,Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally, least bitterns, wood stork Warblers: yellow-throated warblers Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, bald eagle, red-tailed hawk Shorebirds: American oystercatchers, semipalmated plover, willet, ruddy turnstone Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: brown pelicans Wrens: marsh wrens Gulls, terns and skimmers: Least tern, Caspian tern, royal tern, sandwich tern, black skimmers Kingfishers: belted kingfisher Woodpeckers: northern flicker Swallows: barn swallow

Seasonal bird lists

Carolina wren

Waterfowl: Canada goose, wood duckHerons, ibises and allies: wood stork, American bittern, great egret, snowy egret, little blue heron, great blue heron, great egret, green heron, black crowned night heron Rails, gallinules and allies: common gallinule, American coot Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: anhinga Vultures, hawks and allies: red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk Woodpeckers: red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpeckers Catbirds, mockingbirds and thrashers: gray catbird Warblers: Louisiana waterthrush, black-and-white warbler Sparrows: swamp sparrow

Hooded merganser

Spring birds: Cypress Wetlands

What’s hot now, according to Ebird.org Additional information Address: Paris Avenue, Port Royal, SCTelephone:  843-986-2211 (town of Port Royal)Port Royal Cypress Wetlands websiteHours: 24 hoursAdmission: FreeTerrain: Pine and hardwood forest, bald cypress swamp, freshwater pond, grassy edges in urbanized settingBest season to go: Spring and summer afford incredible opportunities for close-up views at egret, heron and ibis rookeries.Inside info: The rookeries in the middle of the Cypress Wetlands is surely unique, but don’t forget to look along the other side of the boardwalk. You can see many species of smaller birds, rabbits and other animals in the grass and on the bank.

Summer birds: Cypress Wetlands

Great egret

Winter birds: Cypress Wetlands

Cypress Wetlands brings the wild into urban setting

The Sands beach in Port Royal is just 1.2 miles away, on a point at the convergence of the Beaufort River and Battery Creek. It includes a sandy beach, saltwater marsh, a boardwalk and viewing tower along Battery Creek. It’s a convenient place to view shorebirds and other species. The Spanish Moss Trail, a project that includes contributions from the city of Beaufort, town of Port Royal, Beaufort County and nonprofit interests, follows an old railroad bed. Officials hope it eventually will connect the Port of Port Royal to the Whale Branch River, or perhaps beyond, to Yemassee. It includes sections of paved walking and biking trails, cuts through saltwater marsh and residential areas, and offers several access points.

Waterfowl: hooded merganser, wood duck, green-winged tealHerons, ibises and allies: great blue heron, little blue heron Rails, gallinules and allies: common gallinule Blackbirds: rusty blackbird, red-winged blackbird Warblers: Yellow-rumped warblers

Fall birds: Cypress Wetlands

All of the places in our list of the 10 Best Birding Spots in the Lowcountry are set in rural or undeveloped surroundings ... except this one. The town of Port Royal’s Cypress Wetlands is the only site in an urban setting, further enhancing its uniqueness. The area was one of several wetlands within town limits once isolated by road construction and other developments, according to the town’s website. However, many of those wetlands are now linked by pipes and integrated into the town’s stormwater drainage system, filtering runoff before it reaches Port Royal Sound. In April 2012, the town finished a project of more than $500,000 to complete a trail and boardwalk around and through the wetlands and to build an amphitheater on the Cypress Wetlands’ western edge. Geese, ducks, mergansers, scoters and other migratory waterfowl call the Cypress Wetlands home, and passerines and raptors can also be spotted there. But the main attraction, from spring through early fall, is the rookery on two islands. Wood storks, anhingas and several species of egrets and herons nest there starting in spring; followed closely by white ibises. Rookeries are not uncommon in the Lowcountry, but such close-up views inside the nests that are afforded by the boardwalk is indeed a rarity, particularly in this urban setting.

Waterfowl: wood duck,Herons, ibises and allies: wood stork, American bittern, great egret, snowy egret, little blue heron, great blue heron, great egret, black crowned night heron, white ibis, green heron Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: anhinga Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey Rails, gallinules and allies: common gallinule, Catbirds, mockingbirds and thrashers: northern mockingbird, brown thrasher Woodpeckers: red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpecker Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: northern cardinal Blackbirds: red-winged blackbird

Herons, ibises and allies: wood stork (September), American bittern, great egret, snowy egret, little blue heron, great blue heron, great egret, black crowned night heron, white ibisAnhingas, cormorants and pelicans: anhinga Woodpeckers: red-bellied woodpecker Wrens: house wren, Warblers: common yellowthroat, palm warbler

Directions from downtown city of Beaufort: Take Ribaut Road toward Parris Island. At the traffic light past the grounds of the U.S. Naval Hospital Beaufort, turn left on to Paris Avenue. The wetlands are on the left, past the police station. Park on Paris Avenue.Directions from southern Beaufort County: Take S.C. 170 over the Broad River Bridge. Take the first right, at the traffic signal, onto Savannah Highway. At end of road, turn right onto Parris Island Gateway. Cross the Russell Bell Bridge. The highway becomes Ribaut Road. Go 2 miles and turn right on to Paris Avenue. The wetlands are on the left, past the police station. Park on Paris Avenue.

Snowy egret.

Waterfowl: mute swan (early May), wood duck, buffleheadLoons and grebes: common loon, pied-billed grebe Herons, ibises and allies: American bittern (mid-April), great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, little blue heron, tri-colored heron, cattle egret, green heron, black crowned night heron, yellow crowned night heron, white ibis Vultures, hawks and allies: Mississippi kite (mid-May), Cooper’s hawk, bald eagle Rails, gallinules and allies: sora Shorebirds: semipalmated plover, greater yellowlegs, spotted sandpiper, solitary sandpiper (late April), willet, whimbrel, dunlin Gulls, terns and skimmers: least tern, black skimmer Pigeons and doves: Eurasian collard dove Woodpeckers: red-headed woodpecker, northern flicker Tyrant flycatchers: great crested flycatcher, eastern kingbird Vireos: white-eyed vireo, red-eyed vireo Swallows: northern rough-winged swallow (May), barn swallow Wrens: sedge wren (mid-April), marsh wren Warblers: worm-eating warbler (mid-May), Swainson’s warbler (mid-May), northern parula, blackpoll warbler, Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: summer tanager, indigo bunting, painted bunting Sparrows: swamp sparrow Blackbirds: bobolink (late April to mid-May), orchard oriole

Fall birds: Pinckney Island

Chipping sparrow

Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge is part of the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex that also includes the Savannah NWR. It was established in 1975.  The property, located just off U.S. 278 between the bridges to Hilton Head Island, was once a plantation owned by prominent South Carolina politician Major Gen. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. Few vestiges of the 1800s plantation still exist, but wildlife has been a prominent feature — it was privately owned and managed as a game preserve before it was donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to the refuge website. The 4,053-acre refuge includes Pinckney Island, Corn Island, Big and Little Harry islands. Pinckney is the largest of the islands and the only one open to public use.  Salt marsh and tidal creeks are the most prominent features of the island, but it also includes salt marsh, forestland, brushland, fallow field and freshwater ponds.  Wildlife commonly observed on Pinckney Island include waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, raptors, neo-tropical migrants, white-tailed deer and American alligators, with large concentrations of white ibis, herons and egrets. Active rookeries of wading birds are a major draw during spring, and painted buntings and other passerines are the main attraction during summertime.

Directions from Hilton Head Island: Take U.S. 278 off the island. At the foot of the first bridge off Hilton Head, turn right into the refuge. (Use caution; bridge traffic tends to travel fast, and the turn can be abrupt.)Directions from northern Beaufort County: Take S.C. 170 to U.S. 278 east, toward Hilton Head Island. Go about 12 miles. After crossing the first bridge to Hilton Head Island, take the left-hand turn just before the foot of the second bridge into the refuge.

Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: painted buntingsWarblers: yellow-throated warblers, northern parula, yellow-throated warbler Waterfowl: wood duck Herons, ibises and allies: wood stork, great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, little blue heron, tri-colored heron, cattle egret, green heron, black crowned night heron, yellow crowned night heron, reddish egret (late August), white ibis, roseate spoonbill Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, bald eagle Shorebirds: black-bellied plover, Wilson’s plover (late July), spotted sandpiper Woodpeckers: red-headed woodpecker, hairy woodpecker Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatch Gnatcatchers: blue-gray gnatcatcher Thrushes: eastern bluebird Blackbirds: boattail grackle Sparrows: Lark sparrow (late August)

Painted bunting

Summer birds: Pinckney Island

Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: painted buntingsWarblers: yellow-throated warblers, northern parula, yellow-throated warbler Waterfowl: wood duck Herons, ibises and allies: wood stork, great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, little blue heron, tri-colored heron, cattle egret, green heron, black crowned night heron, yellow crowned night heron, reddish egret (late August), white ibis, roseate spoonbill Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, bald eagle Shorebirds: black-bellied plover, Wilson’s plover (late July), spotted sandpiper Woodpeckers: red-headed woodpecker, hairy woodpecker Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatch Gnatcatchers: blue-gray gnatcatcher Thrushes: eastern bluebird Blackbirds: boattail grackle Sparrows: Lark sparrow (late August)

Spring birds: Pinckney Island

What’s hot now, according to Ebird.org Additional information Address: Office for Savannah Coastal Refuge Complex, which includes Pinckney Island, is 694 Beech Hill Lane, Hardeeville, SC 29927Telephone:  843-784-2468 (Savannah Complex office)Pinckney Island NWR websiteHours: Sunrise to sunsetAdmission: FreeTerrain: salt marsh, forest, brushland, fields, freshwater pond, Intracoastal WaterwayBest season to go: Summer. In addition to the wading-bird rookery in the Ibis Pond, a short walk from the main parking area, the park is renowned for attracting the spectacular painted bunting this time of year.Inside info: Be prepared to walk or bike. Although there is an extensive road system through the refuge, most of it is closed to public vehicular traffic. The main parking lot is a good jaunt from the refuge’s farther reaches, so those looking to cover a wide expanse in a single day are well-advised to consider biking.

Winter birds:Pinckney Island

Outlet malls and other retail establishments line U.S. 278 in greater Bluffton. For birders, Fish Haul Creek/Mitchelville Beach, which are also included on this list, are a few miles away on Hilton Head Island. In the other direction is Victoria Bluff Heritage Preserve/WMA. Only about 5 miles away, from the Pinckney entrance head west on U.S. 278 and turn right at Sawmill Creek Road. Nearly 1,000 acres of preserved forest land is accessible by a trail system. The preserve begins at U.S. 278 and down the right side of Sawmill Creek Road to the Waddell Mariculture Center. A parking area with access to the trails is about halfway in between.

Rookery, painted buntings call birders to Pinckney

Waterfowl: wood duck, mallard, blue-winged teal, bufflehead, hooded merganser, red-breasted merganserLoons and grebes: common loon, pied-billed grebe, horned grebe Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally, reddish egret (mid-February) Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, bald eagle, red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk Rails, gallinules and allies: sora Shorebirds: American oystercatcher, killdeer, willet, lesser yellowlegs, red knot (mid-January), sanderling (early January) Gulls, terns and skimmers: ringed-billed gull, Forster’s tern (January), Caspian tern (mid-January) Kingfishers: belted kingfisher, Woodpeckers: hairy woodpecker Tyrant flycatchers: eastern phoebe Kinglets: ruby-crowned kinglet Thrushes: hermit thrush, American robin Catbirds, mockingbirds and thrashers: gray catbird Waxwings: cedar waxwing Warblers: yellow-rumped warbler Sparrows: fox sparrow (mid-January) Blackbirds: boat-tailed grackle Finches: American goldfinch

What’s hot now, according to Ebird.org Additional information Address: Office for Savannah Coastal Refuge Complex, which includes Pinckney Island, is 694 Beech Hill Lane, Hardeeville, SC 29927Telephone:  843-784-2468 (Savannah Complex office)Pinckney Island NWR websiteHours: Sunrise to sunsetAdmission: FreeTerrain: salt marsh, forest, brushland, fields, freshwater pond, Intracoastal WaterwayBest season to go: Summer. In addition to the wading-bird rookery in the Ibis Pond, a short walk from the main parking area, the park is renowned for attracting the spectacular painted bunting this time of year.Inside info: Be prepared to walk or bike. Although there is an extensive road system through the refuge, most of it is closed to public vehicular traffic. The main parking lot is a good jaunt from the refuge’s farther reaches, so those looking to cover a wide expanse in a single day are well-advised to consider biking.

What’s nearby

These two Town of Hilton Head Island parks allow access to the Port Royal flats and nearby marshes. By road, there is some separation, but along the beach, the parks are contiguous. At the northernmost end, a boardwalk — technically part of adjacent Barker Field Park, but accessible from the Mitchelville Beach parking area — takes visitors into brackish marsh, and another boardwalk crosses a fresh water marsh and links Mitchelville to Barker. Rails and other marsh species inhabit the area around these boardwalks. They can be difficult to spot but are easier to hear. On the southernmost end, a trail winding through forest and along a marshy edge connects the parking area to the beach at Fish Haul Creek. It’s worth a slow walk to the sound to check out songbirds. But the real highlight of the site is the beach and mud flats. With only a brief slow time iin early summer, this area provides feeding habitat for most of every variety of heron, shorebird, gull and tern that one might find on the South Carolina coast, according to the Carolina Bird Club website. A telescope or spotting scope will be helpful if you prefer to stick to the sand, but if you’re willing to don boots or old shoes for a romp across a flat, you can get sneak fairly close. Black skimmers can be viewed year round, and the area is a particularly good spot for wintering marbled godwits.

Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: double-crested cormorantHerons, ibises and allies: great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, tri-colored heron, white ibis Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, bald eagle Rails, gallinules and allies: clapper rail Shorebirds: American oystercatcher, red knots (May), short-billed dowitchers, dunlins, semipalmated plovers, semipalmated sandpipers, black-bellied plovers, marbled godwits Gulls, terns and skimmers: laughing gull, Caspian tern, royal tern, Forster’s tern, black skimmer Owls: great horned owl Sparrows: seaside sparrow Blackbirds: boat-tailed grackle

Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: double-crested cormorantHerons, ibises and allies: great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, tri-colored heron, white ibis, reddish egrets, yellow-crowned night heron, little blue heron Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, bald eagle Rails, gallinules and allies: clapper rail Gulls, terns and skimmers: gull-billed tern, royal tern, sandwich tern, Forster’s tern, least tern, black skimmer Shorebirds: willet Owls: great horned owl, barred owl Sparrows: seaside sparrow Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: painted bunting Blackbirds: boat-tailed grackle, red-winged blackbird Goatsuckers: Chuck-will’s widow

Sea Pines Forest Preserve is a 572-acre private wildlife preserve, with more than 5 miles of trails, inside Sea Pines Plantation. Follow U.S. 278 to its end at a traffic circle. From the circle take Greenwood Drive to the Sea Pines Plantation gate. (Visitors must pay an entry fee here.) Continue 1 mile to the main parking lot for the preserve. A trail map is available at the parking lot. The preserve contains a mix of swamp, woods, marshes, ponds, cultivated fields and pine stands. The Newhall Audubon Preserve, also on the island’s southern tip, offers 2 miles of trails, is free and open to the public, and open during daylight hours.

Directions from off Hilton Head Island: Take U.S. 278 on to Hilton Head Island. Once on the island, go about 4 miles, then turn left on to Beach City Road. Go 1.9 miles to a four-way stop. To go to Fish Haul Creek Park keep going straight ahead to the park entrance, on the right. To go to Mitchelville Beach Park, turn left at the four-way stop onto Fish Haul Road. Follow Fish Haul Road for 0.4 miles to Baygall Road. Here turn right  onto Baygall Road for 0.3 miles to Mitchelville Road. Turn right onto Mitchelville Road for 0.2 miles to the park entrance, on your left.

Spring birds: Fish Haul/Mitchelville

Black skimmers

American oystercatchers

Parks Map

Summer birds: Fish Haul/Mitchelville

Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: double-crested cormorantHerons, ibises and allies: great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, tri-colored heron, white ibis Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, bald eagle, merlin, peregrine falcon Shorebirds: black-bellied plover, semipalmated plover, piping plover, American oystercatchers, marbled godwit, ruddy turnstone, red knot, western sandpiper, least sandpiper, dunlin, short-billed dowitcher, willet Gulls, terns and skimmers: laughing gull, Caspian tern, royal tern, Forster’s tern, black skimmer, common tern, sandwich tern, least tern Owls: great horned owl, barred owl Sparrows: seaside sparrow Blackbirds: boat-tailed grackle

Fall birds: Fish Haul/Mitchelville

Winter birds:Fish Haul/Mitchelville

Waterfowl: red-breasted mergansersFrigatebirds, boobies and gannets: northern gannet Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: brown pelican, double crested cormorant Herons, ibises and allies: great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, tri-colored heron, white ibis Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, bald eagle, merlin, peregrine falcon, northern harriers Rails, gallinules and allies: clapper rail, Virginia rail Shorebirds: black-bellied plover, semipalmated plover, piping plover, American oystercatchers, marbled godwit, ruddy turnstone, red knot, western sandpiper, least sandpiper, dunlin, short-billed dowitcher Gulls, terns and skimmers: laughing gull, Bonaparte’s gull, ring-billed gull, herring gull, lesser black-backed gull, great black-backed gull, Caspian tern, royal tern, Forster’s tern, black skimmer Owls: great horned owl, barred owls Kingfishers: belted kingfisher Wrens: sedge wren, marsh wren Sparrows: Nelson’s sparrow, saltmarsh sparrow, seaside sparrow, yellow-throated sparrows Blackbirds: boat-tailed grackle

Northern cardinal

What’s hot now, according to Ebird.org Additional information Hours: Sunrise to sunsetAdmission: FreeMitchelville Beach Park website Fish Haul Creek Park websiteInside info: Low tide will afford the best birding opportunities, but that will require walking across mud flats, some of which conceal oyster rakes just below the surface. As a result, a trip here can be messy and a bit hazardous. Make sure you wear shoes or boots that can get muddy and that will protect your feet from sharp shells.Best season to go: Winter is a good time to see birds that winter in the area. Mid-May to early June is not to be missed, either. This is when horseshoe crabs deposit their eggs along the beaches. Thousands of red knots and other species follow behind, congregating on flats and the beach to feast on the eggs.Terrain: oak forest, salt marsh, open athletics fields, tidal flats, tidal creek, beach, ocean

Fish Haul, Mitchelville Beach haven for gulls, shorebirds

What’s hot now, according to Ebird.org Additional information Hours: Sunrise to sunsetAdmission: FreeMitchelville Beach Park website Fish Haul Creek Park websiteInside info: Low tide will afford the best birding opportunities, but that will require walking across mud flats, some of which conceal oyster rakes just below the surface. As a result, a trip here can be messy and a bit hazardous. Make sure you wear shoes or boots that can get muddy and that will protect your feet from sharp shells.Best season to go: Winter is a good time to see migrating birds that winter in the area, but mid-May to early June is not to be missed. This is when horseshoe crabs deposit their eggs along the beaches, and red knots and several other species of birds follow behind to feast on the eggs. Thousands of birds will congregate on the flats and beach during this time.Terrain: oak forest, salt marsh, open athletics fields, tidal flats, tidal creek, beach, ocean

Waterfowl highlights diverse bird population at Savannah

Established April 6, 1927, the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge consists of more than 29,000 acres of freshwater marshes, tidal rivers and creeks and bottomland hardwoods, according to its website. Known for its flora during humid summers, the region also supports an abundance of wildlife. Its birdlife is particularly diverse because the NWR is along the Atlantic Flyway. During the winter months, thousands of ring-necked, teal, pintails, and as many as 10 other species of ducks migrate there, joining resident wood ducks on the refuge, according to the refuge website. In the spring and fall, transient songbirds stop briefly on their journey to and from northern nesting grounds. Most of the images in the accompanying photo gallery and video were captured along the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive, off of S.C. 170, which covers four miles of earthen dikes through the managed freshwater pools and hardwood hammocks. The hammocks are a good place to spot smaller birds, particularly during the spring and fall migrations, according to the Carolina Bird Club website. During that season, an assortment of wading birds is visible along the drive, as well, both in the freshwater impoundments once part of a rice plantation, and on the marsh side nearest the Savannah River. Across S.C. 170 from the wildlife drive is a 2-mile connector to the Tupelo Trail, which follows the Vernazobre Creek along a dike shaded by tupelos, bald cypress and live oaks. In season, there are opportunities to see horned owls and bobolinks here. Some of the rare birds that have been found on the refuge include red-necked grebe, tundra swan, Eurasian wigeon, cinnamon teal, long-tailed duck, ruff, groove-billed ani and short-eared owl, according to the Carolina Bird Club website. Savannah NWR is one of seven refuges administered by the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex, which also includes the Pinckney Island, Wolf Island, Wassaw, Tybee, Harris Neck and Blackbeard Island refuges. Together they span a 100-mile coastline and total more than 56,000 acres.

Summer birds: Savannah NWR

Loons and grebes: pied-billed grebeAnhingas, cormorants and pelicans: brown pelican, double crested cormorant, anhinga Herons, ibises and allies: great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, little blue heron, tri-colored heron, caggle egret, black-crowned night heron, yellow-crowned night heron, white ibis, glossy ibis Waterfowl: wood duck, blue-winged teal, mottled duck, American black duck Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper’s hawk, red-shouldered hawk red-tailed hawk Grouse, quail and allies: wild turkey Rails, gallinule and allies: king rail, common gallinule, American coot Shorebirds: semipalmated plover, killdeer, western sandpiper, least sandpiper, American avocet, upland sandpiper, white-rumped sandpiper, pectoral sandpiper, stilt sandpiper, buff-breasted sandpiper, short-billed dowitcher, Wilson’s phalarope Gulls, terns and skimmers: laughing gull, ring-billed gull, herring gull, royal tern, Forster’s tern, black skimmer, common tern, black tern Pigeons and doves: rock dove, mourning dove, common ground dove Owls: barn owl, eastern screech owl, great horned owl, barred owl Nightjars: chuck-will’s widow, whipporwill Kingfishers: belted kingfisher Woodpeckers: red-headed woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, northern flicker, pileated woodpecker Swallows: tree swallow, bank swallow, barn swallow Catbirds, mockingbirds and thrashers: gray catbird, northern mockingbird, brown thrasher Shrikes: loggerhead shrike Vireos: white-eyed vireo, Philadelphia vireo Warblers: yellow-throated warbler, pine warbler, black-and-white warbler, common yellowthroatyellow-breasted chat, blue-winged warbler, golden-winged warbler, Nashville warbler, yellow warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, magnolia warbler, Cape May warbler, black-throated warbler, blackpoll warbler, prothonotary warbler, ovenbird, northern waterthrush, Louisiana waterthrush, Wilson’ warbler Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: scarlet tanager, rose-breated grosbeak, northern cardinal, blue grosbeak Sparrows: Bachman’s sparrow Blackbirds: red-winged blackbird, eastern meadowlark, boat-tailed grackle, brown-headed cowbird

Loons and grebes: pied-billed grebeAnhingas, cormorants and pelicans: brown pelican, double crested cormorant, anhinga Herons, ibises and allies: great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, little blue heron, tri-colored heron, caggle egret, black-crowned night heron, yellow-crowned night heron, green heron, white ibis, glossy ibis, wood stork Waterfowl: wood duck, blue-winged teal, mottled duck, American black duck, black-bellied whistling duck Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper’s hawk, red-shouldered hawk red-tailed hawk, swallow-tailed kite, Mississippi kite Grouse, quail and allies: wild turkey Rails, gallinule and allies: king rail, common gallinule, American coot, black rail, purple gallinule Shorebirds: semipalmated plover, killdeer, western sandpiper, least sandpiper,Wilson’s plover, black-necked stilt Gulls, terns and skimmers: laughing gull, ring-billed gull, herring gull, royal tern, Forster’s tern, black skimmer, gull-billed tern, Caspian tern, sandwich tern, least tern Pigeons and doves: rock dove, mourning dove, common ground dove Cuckoos: yellow-billed cuckoo Owls: barn owl, eastern screech owl, great horned owl, barred owl Nightjars: chuck-will’s widow, common nighthawk Swifts: chimney swift Kingfishers: belted kingfisher Woodpeckers: red-headed woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, northern flicker, pileated woodpecker Tyrant flycatchers: eastern wood pewee, Acadeian flycatcher, great crested flycatcher, eastern kingbird, gray kingbird Swallows: purple martin, tree swallow, northern rough-winged swallow, barn swallow Thrushes: eastern bluebird, wood thrush Catbirds, mockingbirds and thrashers: gray catbird, northern mockingbird, brown thrasher Shrikes: loggerhead shrike Vireos: white-eyed vireo, yellow-throated vireo, red-eyed vireo Warblers: yellow-throated warbler, pine warbler, black-and-white warbler, common yellowthroatyellow-breasted chat, prothonotary warbler, Kentucky warbler, hooded warbler Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: summer tanager, northern cardinal, indigo bunting, painted bunting Sparrows: Bachman’s sparrow Blackbirds: red-winged blackbird, eastern meadowlark, boat-tailed grackle, brown-headed cowbird

Fall birds: Savannah NWR

Winter birds:Savannah NWR

The city of Savannah offers loads of historical, dining and entertainment opportunities. Check the city chamber of commerce website for more.Sergeant Jasper County Park at 1458 Red Dam Road in Hardeeville offers a picnic area and shelter, observation deck, playground, fishing ponds, nature trails, an 18-hole disc golf course, canoe/kayak rental, and an activity center. If you’re looking for more birds, take U.S. 17 South toward Savannah. On either side of the road, but particularly to the east, there are marshy areas that often contain ducks, shorebirds, herons and other birds. But be careful -- U.S. 17 is a busy, two-lane road. Park safely, stay away from the road’s shoulder and make sure not to venture onto private property without permission.

Loons and grebes: red-throated loon, common loon, horned grebe, red-necked grebe, pied-billed grebeHerons, ibises and allies: American bittern, great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, little blue heron, tri-colored heron, caggle egret, black-crowned night heron, yellow-crowned night heron, white ibis, glossy ibis Waterfowl: fulvous whistling duck, tundra swan, great white-fronted goose, snow goose, brant, Canada goose, wood duck, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, mottled duck, American black duck, mallard, northern pintail, cinnamon teal, northern shoveler, gadwall, Eurasian wigeon, American wigeon, canvasback, redhead, ring-necked duck, greater scaup, lesser scaup, common goldeneye, bufflehead, hooded merganser, common merganser, ruddy duck Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper’s hawk, red-shouldered hawk red-tailed hawk, bald eagle, golden eagle, northern harrier, American kestrel, merlin, peregrine falcon Grouse, quail and allies: wild turkey Rails, gallinule and allies: king rail, common gallinule, American coot, yellow rail, Virginia rail, sora Shorebirds: semipalmated plover, killdeer, western sandpiper, least sandpiper, black-bellied plover, piping plover, greater yellowlegs, lesser yellowlegs, dunlin, common snipe, American woodcock Gulls, terns and skimmers: laughing gull, ring-billed gull, herring gull, royal tern, Forster’s tern, black skimmer, Bonaparte’s gull, great black-backed gull Owls: barn owl, eastern screech owl, great horned owl, barred owl, long-eared owl, short-eared owl Nightjars: chuck-will’s widow Kingfishers: belted kingfisher Tyrant flycatchers: eastern phoebe Wrens: house wren, winter wren, sedge wren, marsh wren, Carolina wren Kinglets: golden-crowned kinglet, ruby-crowned kinglet Thrushes: eastern bluebird, hermit thrush, American robin Catbirds, mockingbirds and thrashers: gray catbird, northern mockingbird, brown thrasher Waxwings: cedar waxwings Shrikes: loggerhead shrike Vireos: white-eyed vireo, solitary vireo Warblers: yellow-throated warbler, pine warbler, black-and-white warbler, common yellowthroatyellow-breasted chat, orange-crowned warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, palm warbler Sparrows: Bachman’s sparrow, chipping sparrow, field sparrow, vesper sparrow, Savannah sparrow, Henslow’s sparrow, fox sparrow, song sparrow, swamp sparrow, white-throated sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, dark-eyed junco Blackbirds: red-winged blackbird, eastern meadowlark, boat-tailed grackle, brown-headed cowbird, western meadowlark, rusty blackbird, Brewer’s blackbird Finches: house sparrow, purple finch, evening grosbeak, American goldfinch

Loons and grebes: red-throated loon, common loon, horned grebe, red-necked grebe, pied-billed grebeAnhingas, cormorants and pelicans: brown pelican, double crested cormorant, anhinga Herons, ibises and allies: American bittern, great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, little blue heron, tri-colored heron, caggle egret, black-crowned night heron, yellow-crowned night heron, white ibis, glossy ibis Waterfowl: fulvous whistling duck, tundra swan, great white-fronted goose, snow goose, brant, Canada goose, wood duck, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, mottled duck, American black duck, mallard, northern pintail, cinnamon teal, northern shoveler, gadwall, Eurasian wigeon, American wigeon, canvasback, redhead, ring-necked duck, greater scaup, lesser scaup, common goldeneye, bufflehead, hooded merganser, common merganser, ruddy duck Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper’s hawk, red-shouldered hawk red-tailed hawk, bald eagle, golden eagle, northern harrier, American kestrel, merlin, peregrine falcon Grouse, quail and allies: wild turkey Rails, gallinule and allies: king rail, common gallinule, American coot, yellow rail, Virginia rail, sora Shorebirds: semipalmated plover, killdeer, western sandpiper, least sandpiper, black-bellied plover, piping plover, greater yellowlegs, lesser yellowlegs, dunlin, common snipe, American woodcock Gulls, terns and skimmers: laughing gull, ring-billed gull, herring gull, royal tern, Forster’s tern, black skimmer, Bonaparte’s gull, great black-backed gull Pigeons and doves: rock dove, mourning dove, common ground dove Owls: barn owl, eastern screech owl, great horned owl, barred owl, long-eared owl, short-eared owl Nightjars: chuck-will’s widow Kingfishers: belted kingfisher Woodpeckers: red-headed woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, northern flicker, pileated woodpecker, yellow-bellied sapsucker Tyrant flycatchers: eastern phoebe Wrens: house wren, winter wren, sedge wren, marsh wren, Carolina wren Kinglets: golden-crowned kinglet, ruby-crowned kinglet Thrushes: eastern bluebird, hermit thrush, American robin Catbirds, mockingbirds and thrashers: gray catbird, northern mockingbird, brown thrasher Waxwings: cedar waxwings Shrikes: loggerhead shrike Vireos: white-eyed vireo, solitary vireo Warblers: yellow-throated warbler, pine warbler, black-and-white warbler, common yellowthroatyellow-breasted chat, orange-crowned warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, palm warbler Sparrows: Bachman’s sparrow, chipping sparrow, field sparrow, vesper sparrow, Savannah sparrow, Henslow’s sparrow, fox sparrow, song sparrow, swamp sparrow, white-throated sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, dark-eyed junco Blackbirds: red-winged blackbird, eastern meadowlark, boat-tailed grackle, brown-headed cowbird, western meadowlark, rusty blackbird, Brewer’s blackbird Finches: house sparrow, purple finch, evening grosbeak, American goldfinch

Directions from the Hilton Head Island area: Take S.C. 170 West toward Hardeeville. The Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive is on S.C. 170, 2.5 miles west of the junction with U.S. 17 and 2 miles east of the city of Port Wentworth, Ga.

What’s hot now, according to Ebird.org Additional information Address: 694 Beech Hill Lane, Hardeeville, SC 29927Telephone: 843-784-2468Savannah NWR website Hours: Sunrise to sunsetAdmission: FreeBest season to go: There really is no bad time to enjoy the wildlife loop. Winter brings migrating ducks en masse, along with northern harriers and American bitterns. In summer, there are scores of songbirds, as well as kites and least bitterns.Inside info: Arrive early. Birds and some wildlife will be present all day long, but if you’re the first to traverse the loop after the gates open, you might see bobcats and other mammals that run for cover in the heat of the day or at the first sight of humans or vehicles.Terrain: tidal freshwater wetlands and rice fields, saltwater marsh, pine and hardwood hummocks

Spring birds: Savannah NWR

Designated by the Audubon Society as a globally important bird area, the Webb Wildlife Center is owned by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and flanked by two other wildlife management areas. It’s topography is a bit different than the other sites on this list. It is the farthest inland and contains longleaf pine forest, along with tupelo swamp and bottomland found at other sites. This makes it perfect habitat for the endangered red-cockacded woodpecker, as well as the Bachman’s sparrow. Don’t speed through the oak lined allee on the entrance into the property — beyond the live oaks are longleaf pines that are home to endangered red-cockaded woopeckers, dripping sap and white painted stripes at the bases mark trees that host the birds’ nests. These woodpeckers need pines infected with a fungus that only invades older trees and softens the interior wood, making it easier for woodpeckers to hollow out their nests. Even with the softer timber, it can take red-cockaded woodpeckers several years to complete a nest, which is usually passed from one male to another male in the same family. You can follow the main road the gravel road to Bluff Lake, along the way passing fields where you could spot wild turkeys, particularly early in the day. Birding around the lake is excellent. Also make sure to check out the rookery down Nate’s Road, as well as the Savannah River Nature Trail. Depending on the time of year, you might see barred owls, prothonotary warblers and Louisiana water thrushes in the tupelo-cypress swamp beyond the lake.

Kinglets: ruby crowned kinglet, golden crowned kingletGnatcatchers: blue-gray gnatcatcher Tyrant flycatchers: Eastern phoebe Waterfowl: hooded merganser Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: anhingas Vultures, hawks and allies: red-shouldered hawks Grouse, quail and allies: northern bobwhites Woodpeckers: red-cockaded woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, red-headed woodpeckers Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatches Sparrows: Bachman’s sparrow Warblers: Yellow-rumped warblers, Louisiana waterthrush, yellow-throated warbelr Thrushes: hermit thrush

Hairy woodpecker

Anhinga

Vultures, hawks and allies: red-shouldered hawksAnhingas, cormorants and pelicans: anhingas Grouse, quails and allies: northern bobwhites Woodpeckers: red-cockaded woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, red-headed woodpeckers Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatches Sparrows: Bachman’s sparrow

From U.S. 278 in southern Beaufort County: Take U.S. 278 west and turn right onto John Smith Road. Go 2 miles to end of road, passing Interstate 95, and take a left on North Whyte Hardee Boulevard. Go a little more than a half mile and turn right onto S.C. 46. Go a little less than half a mile and turn right onto Deerfield Road/U.S. 321. Go 25 miles. In Garnet, turn left onto Augusta Stage Coach Road. Go 2.8 miles and turn left into the center on Webb Avenue.

Eastern phoebe

Vultures, hawks and allies: swallow-tailed kite, Mississippi kite, red-shouldered hawksHerons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally, least bittern Rails, gallinules and allies: purple gallinule Warblers: prothonotary warbler, Kentucky warbler, yellow-breasted chat, yellow-throated warbler, Swainson’s warbler Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: anhingas Grouse, quails and allies: northern bobwhites Woodpeckers: red-cockaded woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, red-headed woodpeckers Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatches Sparrows: Bachman’s sparrow Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: summer tanager, blue grosbeak, indigo bunting, painted bunting, northern cardinal Tyrant flycatchers: Acadian flycatcher

Fall birds: Webb Wildlife Center

What’s hot now, according to Ebird.org Additional information Address: 1282 Webb Ave., Garnett, SC 29922 Telephone: 803-625-3569 Webb Wildlife Center website Hours: Property open sunrise to sunset but closes for special hunts. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission: Free Terrain: pine forest, maritime forest, field, freshwater marsh, swamp, maintained farmland Best time to go: Early spring offers a look at many woodpecker species, and the Bachman sparrows also are quite active. Inside info: When out on the trails, it’s usually a good idea to stick to the main paths. The area is noted for eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, which like to huddle underneath cover.

The Webb Wildlife Center is flanked by the Hamilton Ridge WMA and the Palachucola WMA, which also are open during daylight hours. The Tillman Sand Ridge Heritage Preserve is about 13 miles southeast, on the road from Webb to Beaufort County. The preserve protects endangered species, such as the gopher tortoise, and offers hiking trails. It also is a good place to see swallow-tailed kites, which are present from  early March to mid-August. The B&C Landing allows you to launch small boats onto a canal which leads to the Savannah River, although it it can be difficult to pass when water levels are low.

Spring birds: Webb Wildlife Center

Endangered woodpeckers highlight species at Webb

Yellow-bellied sapsucker

Summer birds: Webb Wildlife Center

Vultures, hawks and allies: swallow-tailed kite, Mississippi kite, red-shouldered hawksRails, gallinules and allies: purple gallinule Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally, least bittern Warblers: prothonotary warbler, yellow throated warbler Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: anhingas Grouse, quails and allies: northern bobwhites Woodpeckers: red-cockaded woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, red-headed woodpeckers Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatches Sparrows: Bachman’s sparrow Warblers: Kentucky warbler, yellow-breasted chat

Winter birds:Webb Wildlife Center

From Beaufort County: Travel north toward Charleston on U.S. 17. In Charleston County, turn right on to S.C. 174, where signs read "Edisto Beach" and "ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge". Stay on S.C. 174 through Adams Run. At the intersection with the flashing light, where signs read "ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge,” turn right on to Willtown Road. Go about 2 miles. Entrance road will be on the left. The plantation house and office is about 2 miles down a gravel road.

Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatch,Warblers: pine warbler, Rails, gallinules and allies: king rails, sora Kingfishers: belted kingfisher, Owls: barred owl, Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally Vultures, hawks and allies: red-tailed hawk, northern harrier

Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: painted buntings, summer tanagersTyrant flycatchers: acadian flycatchers, great crested flycatcher Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatch Warblers: prothonotary warblers, yellow-throated warblers, pine warbler, Rails, gallinules and allies: king rails, Owls: barred owl, Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally Hummingbirds: ruby-throated hummingbird Goatsuckers: common nighthawk Gulls, terns and skimmers: laughing gull, Vultures, hawks and allies: Mississippi kite

Fall birds: Grove Plantation

Belted kingfisher

Eastern bluebird

Northern shovelers

Antebellum mansion center of Hollings ACE Basin NWR

Vultures, hawks and allies: northern harriersWrens: sedge wrens Sparrows: chipping sparrow, song sparrow, savannah sparrow, swamp sparrow Thurshes: hermit thrush Swallows: tree swallow Rails, gallinules, and allies: Virginia rail, sora, king rails, American coot, common gallinule Herons, ibises and allies: American bittern, most common herons and egret found locally, wood storks Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatch Warblers: pine warbler Owls: barred owl Kingfishers: belted kingfisher Woodpeckers: downy woodpecker Gulls, terns and skimmers: Forster’s tern, Caspian tern, ringed-billed gull Shorebirds: Wilson’s snipe, American coot, common gallinule Waterfowl: wood duck, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, mottled duck, American black duck, mallard, northern pintail, northern shoveler, ring-necked duck, greater scaup, lesser scaup, bufflehead, hooded merganser, common merganser, ruddy duck

Vireos: white-eyed vireo,Tyrant flycatchers: eastern kingbird, Gnatcatchers: blue-gray gnatcatcher Thurshes: wood thrush Warblers: ovenbird, prothonotary warbler, yellow-throated warbler, common yellowthroat, pine warbler Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: blue grosbeak, indigo bunting Blackbirds: bobolink, orchard oriole Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatch Rails, gallinules and allies: king rails Owls: barred owl Herons, ibises and allies: most common herons and egrets found locally, wood storks Kingfishers: belted kingfisher Woodpeckers: downy woodpecker, red-headed woodpecker Nightjars: chuck will’s widow, eastern whipoorwill Cuckoos: yellow-billed cuckoo Gulls, terns and skimmers: Forster’s tern Vultures, hawks and allies: red-tailed hawk, osprey Grouse, quail and allies: northern bobwhite

The Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto rivers — collectively forming the region known as the ACE Basin — encompasses more than 350,000 acres and the largest undeveloped estuary along the Atlantic Coast. The Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge helps protect 12,000 of those acres, and Grove Plantation serves as the NWR’s administrative office and centerpiece. The area includes bottomland hardwoods, freshwater and saltwater marshes, and food and cover to a variety of wildlife. All of these features can be accessed from the grounds around Grove, a former rice plantation built in 1828. It is one of only three major antebellum mansions in the ACE Basin that survived the Civil War. A trip there conveys a sense of history, but wildlife is the real calling card. Raccoons, bobcats, deer, opossums, foxes and feral hogs can be seen there. And the birding is excellent — the area around the plantation is a stopover for migrating waterfowl and a destination for wintering birds.  The forest trails lead past a bald eagle’s nest and to opportunities to see anything from northern bobwhites to prothonotary warblers.

Continuing down S.C. 174, Edisto Island State Park is just a few minutes away. It is one of four oceanfront state parks in South Carolina and offers trails for hiking and biking, an environmental education. About 20 miles north, up U.S. 17, is the Caw Caw Interpretive Center, a Charleston County park. The center was once part of several plantations; today, the park features 6 miles of trails through diverse terrain that is managed for wildlife, including waterfowl, otters and deer. It also is home to alligators, swallow-tailed kites, bald eagles and thousands of naturalized tea plants from a 20th century tea farm. On Edisto Island, DNR manages Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve/ Wildlife Management Area, an important sea turtle nesting area and preserve for state-threatened least terns.

Osprey

Winter birds:Grove Plantation

Spring birds: Grove Plantation

Summer birds: Grove Plantation

What’s hot now, according to Ebird.org Additional information Address: 8675 Willtown Road; Hollywood, SC 29449Telephone: 843-889-3084; 843-889-3282 (fax)ACE Basin website Hours: The administration office and visitor center are open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The grounds are open sunrise to sunset.Admission charge: NoneTerrain: Pine forest, hardwood swamp, ponds, old rice fields, freshwater marshBest season to go: The site can be a bit slow for birdwatchers in the summer, but late winter and early spring brings great variety.Inside info: Don’t miss other areas of the Hollings ACE Basin NWR. The refuge lands are not all contiguous, and its upper reaches around the Combahee River offer great paddling and birdwatching opportunities in tupelo-cypress swamp.

Summer birds: Fort Pulaski

White winged scoter

Fort Pulaski signficant site for history, birdwatching

Laughing gull

With so many great birding spots to our south, it only felt right to include a Georgia site on our list. Fort Pulaski National Monument is located in Chatham County, along the Savannah River and only a few miles from its junction with the Atlantic Ocean. It was the site of the Civl War’s Battle of Fort Pulaski, in which Union forces on Tybee Island and naval operations conducted a 112-day siege, then captured the Confederate-held Fort Pulaski after a 30-hour bombardment. In addition to its historical significance, Fort Pulaski National Monument, run by the National Park Service, is home to about 200 species of birds, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources website. With the exception of about 250 acres on Cockspur Island and 200 acres on McQueens Island, the 5,400-acre park consists of tidal marshes and mud flats.   Clapper rails, several species of sparrows and marsh wrens can be seen in the marshes around the fort throughout the year. Shorebirds can best be seen along the shoreline at low tide on Cockspur Island. The grounds include three walking trails, one of which is easily wheelchair accessible.

Herons, ibises and allies: great blu eheron, great egret, snowy egret, little blue heron, cattle egret, great-backed heron, white ibisAnhingas, cormorants and pelicans: brown pelican, double-crested cormorant Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, turkey vulture Swallows: barn swallow Shorebirds: killdeer, willet Rails, gallinules and allies: clapper rail Wrens: marsh wren Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatch Gulls, terns and skimmers: laughing gull, ring-billed gull, royal tern, common tern, Forster’s tern Owl: barn owl

Spring birds: Fort Pulaski

Winter birds:Fort Pulaski

Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, turkey vultureHerons, ibises and allies: great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, little blue heron, cattle egret, great-backed heron Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: brown pelican, double-crested cormorant Thrushes: American robins Waxwings: cedar waxwings Rails, gallinules and allies: clapper rail Wrens: marsh wren Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatch Warblers: pine warblers, American redstart Shorebirds: killdeer, willet Gulls, terns and skimmers: laughing gull, ring-billed gull, royal tern, common tern, Forster’s tern Owl: barn owl

What’s hot now, according to Ebird.org Additional information Address: U.S. 80 East, Savannah, GA 31410Telephone: 912-786-5787Fort Pulaski National Monument websiteHours: The visitor center and fort are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The property must be cleared and the bridge gate closes by 5:15 p.m. During special summer hours, the fort and center are open until 6 p.m. and the gate closes at 6:15 p.m.Admission: $5 per person for all visitors 16 and older. Visitors 15 and under are free. Receipt is valid for an additional six days of visitation. Many areas of the grounds are open for birding 24 hours a day. If arriving before gates open, park beside the closed gate.Terrain: fields, freshwater ponds, tidal creeks, salt marsh, river, coastal scrubInside info: Look for painted buntings from spring through summer along the edges of woodlands on Cockspur Island.Best season to go: October to February is a good time to see coastal birds and sparrows. Don’t overlook the trail near the main entrance: It’s a good place to pish for sparrows from late fall to early spring.

Sparrows: saltmarsh sparrow, song sparrow, chipping sparrow, Savannah sparrow, swamp sparrow, white-throated sparrowBlackbirds: eastern meadowlarks Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, turkey vulture, American kestrel Warblers: yellow-rumped warblers, pine warblers Finches: American goldfinch Wrens: sedge wrens, marsh wrens, Carolina wrens Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatches Gulls, terns and skimmers: Forster’s terns Creepers: brown creepers Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally Waterfowl: lesser scaup, hooded merganser, black scoter, long-tailed duck Shorebirds: American oystercatcher, black-bellied plover, semipalmated plover, willet, short-billed dowitcher, common snipe Gulls, terns and skimmers: laughing gull, ring-billed gull, royal tern, common tern, Forster’s tern Owl: barn owl

Brown pelican

Loggerhead shrikes

Fall birds: Fort Pulaski

Tybee Island is just across the bridge, east on U.S. 80. The entire island offers great birdwatching, but the area on the north end of the island, near the famed lighthouse is not to be missed. The beach there is a year-round home to black simmers. Winter is particularly productive, with an array of shorebirds, ducks, raptors, loons, and northern gannets. It also is one of the few places to see wintering purple sandpipers. Oatland Island Wildlife Center is a conservation and education center just off U.S. 80, at 711 Sandtown Road, about 11 miles from Fort Pulaski. It features zoo-like displays of many native animals, including birds of prey.

From Beaufort and Jasper counties: Follow U.S. 17 south over the Talmadge Bridge. Get off at the Oglethorpe Street exit and follow Oglethorpe. At the sixth stop light, make a left onto East Broad Street. Make an immediate right on President Street. Drive about 5 miles on President Street, which becomes Islands Expressway. The entrance to the monument will be on the left, just before reaching Tybee Island.

Summer birds: Donnelley WMA

Bear Island WMA, another site in our list of the Lowcountry’s best birding places, is about 15 miles away, down Bennett’s Point Road. The Westvaco Edisto Nature Trail is a 18 miles north on U.S. 17, just past the town of Jacksonboro on the right. The Edisto Nature Trail loops through a forest maintained by the Westvaco Corporation, a paper and packaging manufacturer, according to the trail website. The main loop is one mile, and an inner loop adds a half mile through slightly different terrain. Both sections cut through a forest of mature pines, hardwoods and bald cypress. The plant life along the trail is well marked with indicator signs. A spur along the trail leads to a platform that looks out over the Edisto River. The trail can easily be covered in an hour or so, but birdwatchers could easily spend a half day or more of careful observation. Dungannon Plantation Heritage Preserve/WMA is a bit of a haul — 28 miles from Donnelley, north on U.S. 17 — but it’s an Important Bird Area maintained by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and worth noting. It is one of the top nesting areas for wood storks, although a boardwalk there is closed during nesting season, February to September. Take U.S. 17 to Rantowles, then go southeast on County Road 162 for about six miles. The entrance to the preserve is on the right.

Woodpeckers: red-headed woodpecker, yellow-bellied sapsuckerNuthatches: brown-headed nuthatch Warblers: pine warbler Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally, wood stork, white ibis Waterfowl: wood duck, mottled duck, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, ringed-necked duck, Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: anhinga Loons and grebes: pied-billed grebe Vultures, hawks and allies: northern harrier, bald eagle, red-shouldered hawk Shorebirds: killdeer, greater yellowlegs, lesser yellowlegs, Gulls, terns and skimmers: ringed-billed gull, Caspian tern, Vireos: white-eyed vireo Kinglets: golden-crowned kinglet, orange-crowned kinglet Thrushes: hermit thrush, American Robin Blackbirds: eastern meadowlark, rusty blackbird, Finches: American goldfinch

What’s hot now, according to Ebird.org Additional information Address: 585 Donnelley Drive, Green Pond, SC  29446Telephone:  843-844-8957Donnelley Wildlife Management Area website Hours: Open daylight hours, except during special hunts. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visitors are required to register at the kiosk at the main gate near U.S. 17. Boynton Nature Trail is closed Nov. 1 to Feb. 9 Admission charge: NoneBest season to go: There really isn’t a bad time to go to Donnelley, but definitely catch the WMA in winter, to see the ducks, and the spring and fall migrations for a chance to see a whooping crane en transit.Inside info: Don’t skip the first stop on the driving-tour brochure, available at the kiosk near the main office a Donnelley. Take a left off the main road just past the office and walk along the dike across an old rice field reserve, commonly called a backwater. Rails, wading birds and ducks can be seen here, and in spring, a wood stork rookery can be viewed from afar.Terrain: salt marsh, managed rice fields, freshwater marsh, swamp, river, mud flats, mixed hardwood/pine forest, farmland

Winter birds:Donnelley WMA

The Donnelley Wildlife Management Area is perhaps the most diverse of the 10 Best Lowcountry Birding Spots. It features upland hardwood forests, pine forests, hardwood swamp forests, agricultural land, tidal marsh, managed rice fields, and freshwater marshes and swamps. Audubon also has been designated it as a state important bird area. Like nearby Bear Island WMA, Donnelley is managed to attract waterfowl, and its impoundments sometimes attract common goldeneye and Eurasian wigeon ducks, along with more common northern shovelers, gadwalls, blue-winged teals and green-winged teals. Some species, such as warblers, black-bellied whistling ducks and purple gallinule, are much more likely at Donnelley than at Bear Island, according to the popular Carolina Bird Club website. Donnelley also provides an occasional glimpse of the difficult-to-find common ground dove and can be a stopover for migrating sandhill cranes. Donnelley is easy to negotiate, with two designated nature trails and miles of dirt roads for hikers and cyclists. The road system through Donnelley can make for a great driving tour for the mobility-impaired.

Donnelley WMA provides diverse, accessible birding

Fall birds: Donnelley WMA

Warblers: prothonotary warbler, northern parula, pine warbler, Louisiana waterthrush (late July), common yellowthroat, American redstart, northern parula, Wilson’s warbler (mid-September)Waterfowl: black-bellied whistling duck, wood duck Rails, gallinules and allies: purple gallinule, clapper rail Woodpeckers: red-headed woodpecker Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatch, Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally, wood storks, roseate spoonbill, cattle egret, least bittern, black crowned night heron, yellow crowned night heron, white ibis, glossy ibis Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: anhinga, double-crested cormorant Grouse, quail and allies: wild turkey, Vultures, hawks and allies: swallow-tailed kite, Mississippi kite, Cooper’s hawk, red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk, Shorebirds: greater yellowlegs, lesser yellowlegs, least sandpiper, pectoral sandpiper, western sandpiper, peep Gulls, terns and skimmers: least tern (mid-July), royal tern, Cuckoos: yellow-billed cuckoo, Tyrant flycatchers: eastern wood pewee, acadian flycatcher, great crested flycatcher, eastern kingbird, Vireos: white-eyed vireo, yellow-throated vireo, Thurshes: wood thrush (mid-July and early September), Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: blue grosbeak, indigo bunting, painted buntingFinches: house finch

Vireos: blue-headed vireoWarblers: orange-crowned warbler, pine warbler Sparrows: fox sparrow, chipping sparrow, vesper sparrow, swamp sparrow, song sparrow, white-throated sparrow Woodpeckers: red-headed woodpecker Nuthatches: brown-headed nuthatch Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally, wood storks, black crowned night heron, white ibis, glossy ibis Waterfowl: wood duck, gadwall, Eurasian wigeon, American black duck, American wigeon, mallard, mottled duck, blue-winged teal, northern shoveler, green-winged teal, redhead duck, lesser scaup, bufflehead, common goldeneye, hooded merganser, red-breasted merganser, pied-billed grebe Grouse, quail and allies: wild turkey Anhingas, comorants and pelicans: anhinga, double-crested cormorant, American white pelican Cranes: whooping crane (mid-January to mid-February) Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper’s hawk, bald eagle, red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk, American kestrel, merlin Rails, gallinules and allies: clapper rail, virginia rail, sora, common gallinule, American coot Shorebirds: American avocet, killdeer, greater yellowlegs, lesser yellowlegs, short-billed dowitcher, Wilson’s snipe Gulls, terns and skimmers: Bonaparte’s gull, ringed-billed gull, Forster’s tern, Caspian tern, Owls: great horned owl, barred owl Kingfishers: belted kingfisher Woodpeckers: yellow-bellied sapsucker, red-bellied woodpecker, northern flicker Tyrant flycatchers: eastern phoebe Swallows: tree swallow Tree creepers: brown creeper Kinglets: ruby-crowned kinglet Thrushes: hermit thrush, American robin Warblers: yellow-rumped warbler Wagtails and pipits: American pipit Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: northern cardinal, Blackbirds: eastern meadowlark, red-winged blackbird, Finches: house finch, American goldfinch

Directions from Beaufort County: Travel north toward Charleston on U.S. 17. In Colleton County, near a fork with Green Pond Highway, look for the entrance gate on the right-hand side of the road. If you miss it, don’t worry. There is a side entrance to Donnelley WMA, as well, down Bennett’s Point Road, which also will be on the right.

Woodpeckers: red-headed woodpecker, hairy woodpeckerNuthatches: brown-headed nuthatch Warblers: pine warbler, worm-eating warbler (April), Louisiana waterthrush (late March), prothonotary warbler, common yellowthroat, hooded warbler, northern parula, palm warbler, yellow-throated warbler Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally, wood storks,  least bittern, cattle egret, black crowned night heron, white ibis, glossy ibis Waterfowl:  black-bellied whistling duck, wood duck, mottled duck, blue-winged teal, northern shoveler Anhingas, comorants and pelicans: anhinga, double-crested cormorant, American white pelican Cranes: sandhill crane (first week of April) Grouse, qualis and allies: northern bobwhite, wild turkey Frigatebirds, boobies and gannets: northern gannet Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, Mississippi kite, swallow-tailed kite, northern harrier, bald eagle, red shouldered hawk, broad-winged hawk (mid-April) Rails, gallinules and allies: black rail (mid-April), purple gallinule Shorebirds: black-necked stilt, black-bellied plover, semipalmated plover, killdeer, spotted sandpiper, solitary sandpiper, greater yellowlegs, lesser yellowlegs, least sandpiper, white-rumped sandpiper (late May), pectoral sandpiper, semipalmated sandpiper, short-billed dowitcher, long-billed dowitcher, Wilson’s snipe Owls: barred owl Swifts: chimney swift Tyrant flycatchers: eastern wood pewee, acadian flycatcher, eastern kingbird, great crested flycatcher Vireos: white-eyed vireo, yellow-throated vireo, red-eyed vireo, blue-headed vireo Larks: horned lark (late February to mid-March) Swallows: northern rough-winged swallow, purple martin, tree swallow, barn swallow Nuthatches: red-breasted nuthatch Wrens: sedge wren, marsh wren Gnatcatchers: blue-gray gnatcatcher Thrushes: gray-cheeked thrush (mid-May), veery (early May), hermit thrush Starlings and mynas: European starling Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: scarlet tanager (mid-April, late May), blue grosbeak, indigo bunting, painted bunting Blackbirds: eastern meadowlark, orchard oriole, bobolink

Spring birds: Donnelley WMA

The Donnelley Wildlife Management Area is perhaps the most diverse of the 10 Best Lowcountry Birding Spots. It features upland hardwood forests, pine forests, hardwood swamp forests, agricultural land, tidal marsh, managed rice fields, and freshwater marshes and swamps. Audubon also has been designated it as a state important bird area. Like nearby Bear Island WMA, Donnelley is managed to attract waterfowl, and its impoundments sometimes attract common goldeneye and Eurasian wigeon ducks, along with more common northern shovelers, gadwalls, blue-winged teals and green-winged teals. Some species, such as warblers, black-bellied whistling ducks and purple gallinule, are much more likely at Donnelley than at Bear Island, according to the popular Carolina Bird Club website. Donnelley also provides an occasional glimpse of the difficult-to-find common ground dove and can be a stopover for migrating sandhill cranes. And although rare, there have been reported sightings of the endangered red cockaded woodpecker on the grounds. Donnelley is easy to negotiate, with two designated nature trails and miles of dirt roads for hikers and cyclists. The road system through Donnelley can make for a great driving tour for the mobility-impaired.

What’s hot now, according to Ebird.org Additional information Address: 585 Donnelley Drive, Green Pond, SC  29446Telephone:  843-844-8957Donnelley Wildlife Management Area website Hours: Open daylight hours, except during special hunts. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visitors are required to register at the kiosk at the main gate near U.S.17. Boynton Nature Trail is closed Nov. 1 to Feb. 9.Admission charge: NoneBest season to go: There really isn’t a bad time to go to Donnelley, but definitely catch the WMA in winter, to see the ducks, and the spring and fall migrations for a chance to see a whooping crane en transit.Inside info: Don’t skip the first stop on the driving-tour brochure, available at the kiosk near the main office a Donnelley. Take a left off the main road just past the office and walk along the dike across an old rice field reserve, commonly called a backwater. Rails, wading birds and ducks can be seen here, and in spring, a wood stork rookery can be viewed from afar.Terrain: salt marsh, managed rice fields, freshwater marsh, swamp, river, mud flats, mixed hardwood/pine forest, farmland and fields

Summer birds: Bear Island

Bennett’s Point is just three miles to the end of Bennett’s Point Road but is worth a short jaunt for birdwatchers. White-winged doves and Eurasian collared doves can be seen here and are more abundant than at Bear Island. The Donnelley Wildlife Management Area is just up Bennett’s Point Road. Although both areas are worthy of a full day of exploration, it would be a shame to drive all the way to Bear Island without at least driving through Donnelley on the way back to U.S. 17. The Donnelley site also is among our list of the Lowcountry’s 10 Best Birding Spots.

Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally, wood storksWaterfowl: mottled ducks Rails, gallinules and allies: king rails Grouse, quail and allies: wild turkey Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: anhinga Vultures, hawks and allies: osprey, northern harrier Shorebirds: American oystercatcher, blackbellied plover, dunlin Gulls, terns and skimmers: laughing gull, ringed-billed gull, herring gull, Forster’s tern Kingfishers: belted kingfisher Woodpeckers: red-bellied woodpecker Tyrant flycatchers: eastern phoebe Blackbirds: American crow, red-winged blackbird, common grackle Swallows: tree swallow Warblers: ruby-crowned warbler

Bonaparte’s gull

Boat-tailed grackle

What’s hot now, according to Ebird.org Additional information Address: TiTi Road; Green Pond, SC, 29446 Telephone: 843-844-8957 Bear Island websiteHours: Open during daylight hours in designated areas from Feb. 9 to Oct. 31. The area is closed for special hunts and from November through early February. Admission charge: None Terrain: pond, river, salt marsh, freshwater marsh, mud flats, maritime forest, fields Best season to go: Late winter and early spring Inside info: Automobiles are not allowed on many of Bear Island’s aging dikes, so access to the area’s farthest reaches can be difficult. Consider riding a bike instead to cover a lot of ground quickly.

Winter birds:Bear Island

Bear Island Wildlife Management Area includes 12,000 acres to explore, but visitors often need go no farther than the large pond at the property’s entrance to be enthralled. In fact, the causeway separating the freshwater impoundment from salt marsh on the opposite side is a popular spot for birdwatchers, particularly during the winter. That’s when tundra swans and American white pelicans — much different from the brown pelicans so abundant elsewhere in the Lowcountry — virtually spill from the pond. The refuge, owned by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, is managed to provide habitat for wintering waterfowl and other wetland wildlife, including threatened and endangered species such as wood storks and bald eagles, according to the DNR website. With its large pines and abundant water sources, Bear Island is located in the center of the most important eagle-nesting region in South Carolina, according to the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. Raptors and passerines are also commonly associated with marsh impoundments near Bear Island, according to the reserve’s website. Painted buntings and eastern kingbirds are among the species feeding on insects and seeds from the grasses that grow along the dikes there. Shrubs provide nesting and perching sites, as well as cover. Wading birds include herons, egrets, ibises and storks, which are particularly abundant when water is drawn down in the impoundments, concentrating the fish, crustaceans and insects upon which they feed. Roseate spoonbills, black-bellied whistling ducks, common goldeneye, eared grebes, American avocets, Hudsonian godwits, short-eared owls, western tanagers and LeConte’s sparrows are among the other species that can be seen at Bear Island. Note, however, the area is not open year round — it is accessible Feb. 9 through Oct. 31. It also is occasionally closed for special hunts.

Uncommon species quite common at Bear Island

Fall birds: Bear Island

Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally, least bittern, roseate spoonbillsBlackbirds: orchard orioles Gulls, terns and skimmers: black terns Rails, gallinules and allies: black rails, king rails, purple gallinule, common gallinule Storks: wood storks Waterfowl: mottled ducks, black bellied whistling ducks Cormorants, anhingas and pelicans: anhinga Vultures, hawks and allies: Mississippi kite Shorebirds: killdeer Gulls, terns and skimmers: laughing gull Pigeons and doves: mourning dove Cuckoos: yellow-billed cuckoo Owls: great horned owl Goatsuckers: common nighthawk Hummingbirds: ruby-throated hummingbird Woodpeckers: red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpecker, pileated woodpeckerTyrant flycatchers: great crested flycatcher Vireos: white-eyed vireo Gnatcatchers: blue-gray gnatcatcher Cardinals, grosbeaks and allies: northern cardinal, blue grosbeak Swallows: northern rough-winged swallow

Waterfowl: tundra swans, snow goose, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, wood duck, American wigeon, Eurasian wigeon, gadwall, northern shoveler, mottled duck, ringed-necked duck, redhead duck, hooded merganserLoons and grebes: pied billed grebe, double crested cormorants Anhingas, cormorants and grebes: American white pelicans Vultures, hawks and allies: bald eagles, northern harrier, red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk, American kestrel Rails, gallinules and allies: common gallinule, king rails Shorebirds: killdeer, semipalmated plover, greater yellowlegs, lesser yellow legs Gulls, terns and skimmers: ringed-billed gull, Forster’s tern, Bonaparte’s gull Owls: great horned owl Kingfishers: belted kingfisher Woodpeckers: downy woodpecker, northern flicker, pileated woodpecker Tyrant flycatchers: eastern phoebe Herons, ibises and allies: American bittern, common herons and egrets found locally, wood storks Wrens: sedge wren, Carolina wren Gnatcatchers: blue-gray gnatcatcher Kinglets: golden-crowned kinglet, ruby-crowned kinglet Thurshes: hermit thrush Sparrows: field sparrow, vesper sparrow Blackbirds: common grackle, boat-tailed grackle Finches: American goldfinch

Directions from Beaufort County: Travel north toward Charleston on U.S. 17. In Colleton County — near Green Pond, after crossing the Combahee River but before crossing the Ashepoo River — turn right on Bennett’s Point Road. Travel 12.8 miles to the Bear Island WMA entrance on the left-hand side of the road, at TiTi Road, about 1 mile after crossing the Ashepoo River.

Waterfowl: mottled ducks, wood duckRails, gallinules and allies: king rails, clapper rail, common gallinule, American coot Herons, ibises and allies: common herons and egrets found locally, least bittern, wood stork Vireos: white-eyed vireo, red-eyed vireo, blue-headed vireo, yellow-throated vireo Wrens: Carolina wren Gnatcatchers: blue-gray gnatcatcher Thrushes: hermit thrush, eastern bluebird Grouse, quail and allies: northern bobwhite Anhingas, cormorants and pelicans: double-crested cormorant Vultures hawks and allies: northern harrier, bald eagle, Cooper’s hawk Shorebirds: semipalmated plover, killdeer, black-necked stilt, spotted sandpiper, solitary sandpiper, greater yellow legs, least sandpiper, Wilson’s snipe Owls: barred owl Goatsuckers: common nighthawk, chuck will’s widow, eastern whipoorwill Woodpeckers: red bellied woodpecker Tyrant flycatchers: eastern wood pewee, great crested flycatcher Blackbirds: American crow, red-winged blackbirds, orchard oriole, boat-tailed grackle Swallows: purple martin, tree swallow Nuthatches: red-breasted nuthatch Warblers: prothonotary warbler, common yellowthroat, yellow-throated warbler Sparrows: eastern towhee, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, chipping sparrow

Spring birds: Bear Island

Bear Island Wildlife Management Area includes 12,000 acres to explore, but visitors often need go no farther than the large pond at the property’s entrance to be enthralled. In fact, the causeway separating the freshwater impoundment from salt marsh on the opposite side is a popular spot for birdwatchers, particularly during the winter. That’s when tundra swans and American white pelicans — much different from the brown pelicans so abundant elsewhere in the Lowcountry — virtually spill from the pond. The refuge, owned by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, is managed to provide habitat for wintering waterfowl and other wetland wildlife, including threatened and endangered species such as wood storks and bald eagles, according to the DNR website. With its large pines and abundant water sources, Bear Island is located in the center of the most important eagle nesting region in South Carolina, according to the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. Raptors and passerines are also commonly associated with marsh impoundments on Bear Island, according to the reserve’s website. Passerine species, such as the painted bunting and eastern kingbird, feed on insects and seeds from the grasses that grow along the dikes there. Shrubs provide nesting and perching sites, as well as cover. Wading birds include herons, egrets, ibises and storks, which are particularly abundant when water is drawn down in the impoundments, concentrating the fish, crustaceans and insects upon which they feed. Roseate spoonbills, black-bellied whistling ducks, common goldeneye, eared grebes, American avocets, Hudsonian godwits, short-eared owls, western tanagers and LeConte’s sparrows are among the other species that can be seen at Bear Island. Note, however, the area is not open year round — it is accessible Feb. 9 through Oct. 31. It also is occasionally closed for special hunts.