Charleston Vacation Pictures

This is a collection of photographs from our birding vacation to Charleston, South Carolina.

There are alligators in the swamps.

Baby alligator

Alligator sunning itself on the path

View out over the bog

Berry looking for birds

Limestone sinkhole

Maple Syrup Flounder

Atlantic Ocean

Lighthouse

Berry on a sea wall

Some tourists on the beach

We really enjoyed our time in the low country. We hope you enjoy our blog.

Robert and Berry

Photos courtesy of rfowler

James Island County Park

   We were nearing the end of our birding vacation to Charleston. This is coastal habitat, with swamps everywhere. The “palm trees” here are called Palmettos, a subgroup of the palm tree. Robert looked at a map and found a large park in Charleston called James Island County Park. It has a lake with a large Dog Park, where we watched several large dogs plunge happily into the water to fetch things. As we continued around the park, we saw birds and lots of squirrels. There is a Fishing Pier. One whole side of this park is a large swamp.

   Most of the time we are searching left, right, up and down for birds. As happens so often while birding, we stopped walking to discuss our plans. Robert simply looked up and noticed that we were standing underneath three roosting Wood Storks high in the trees. They did not notice us, far below on the path.

   For dinner, we visited Chef Jeremiah Bacon at the Macintosh. This is a very nice gourmet restaurant in Charleston. Berry ordered with an Expresso coffee. Robert prefers unsweetened iced tea with lemon. Next we shared a slice of the Bone Marrow Bread Pudding. This was a savory bread pudding made from pan drippings. It was savory, not sweet, and very tasty.

   For entree, Berry had the Barrel Fish, and Kale with Bagna Cauda. Robert tried a little of everything. First, a pasta salad with Caramelle cheese-filled noodles with red cabbage and bacon. As an entree, Robert chose the Veal Ossa Buca, with grits and broccolini.

   To finish a fine gourmet dinner in Charleston, we shared a piece of the Blueberry tart served with lemongrass ice cream. Wow!

Robert and Berry

Photo courtesy of animal kingdom

Very Cool Caw Caw Swamp

   We drove 52 miles south to the Donnelly Wildlife Management Area. There were signs on the gate announcing a Special Hunt. Berry noted that there was nothing on the website announcing a Special Hunt. We made a decision to bird our way back to Charleston.

   We found a really well managed swamp along highway 17 near Ravenel called the Caw Caw Swamp. This was very impressive. Robert got his trekker’s walking stick out of the car and we set off to investigate the avian content of this park. There were huge reed beds divided by large sloughs and beautiful boardwalks through shallow cypress swamps. We saw several alligators, a little one sunning itself on the grassy path. We wondered where mama was, so we did not bother said baby alligator.

• White Ibis
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Red Bellied Woodpecker
• Carolina Wren
• Carolina Chickadee
• Snowy Egret
• Eastern Bluebird

   After a nap, we watched part of a baseball game, then drove to a restaurant, Laura Albert’s on Daniel Island. http://lauraalberts.com/

   We shared some fried Brie with raspberry sauce. Berry had the Panko encrusted Flounder. Robert had a Beef Filet smothered in blue cheese. Tremendously yum.

Robert and Berry

Photo courtesy of jedison

Into the Countryside

   Today we went up-country, into the sticks, where there were beautiful butterflies, alligators and the ubiquitous mosquitoes which all serve to remind you who was here first. We drove past Lake Moultrie to Lake Marion and then drove up and down small country roads, looking for birds.

   On the map, it looked like a green forested area. In the deepest part of the forest was one field completely denuded of trees. The land was entirely bulldozed and logs and sticks were piled up in no particular pattern at all. We found what we call a “Honey Pot”, where birds constantly percolate up like popcorn. We had a great time just using the car as a bird blind and using binoculars to study the different species of birds playing there.

• Swainson’s Warbler
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Red Tailed Hawk
• Wood Stork
• Tricolored Heron
• Caspian Tern
• Laughing Gull

   Back in Charleston we found the Long Point Grill, where Berry had the scallops again. She will soon turn into a plate of scallops. Robert had a large salad and two very light crab cakes with homemade tartar sauce. We toted a large piece of Hummingbird Cake back to the hotel and split it while we watched the Astros clinch a place in the Semi Finals. Great pitching and a roster full of big bats. Berry prefers the St Louis Cardinals who did not make the playoffs. Robert will not gloat, because the playoffs are dangerous.

Robert and Berry

Baby Alligator and Goats

   On Friday October 6, we drove through part of the Francis-Marion National Forest. Then had coffee in Georgetown. We walked along a boardwalk and saw a little baby alligator in the water. Berry wondered aloud where its mother was located. We had lunch at Murrell’s Inlet at the Drunken Jack restaurant. There were a family of goats placed on an island across from the restaurant in order to nibble the tall grass there.

   At the Drunken Jack, Berry had fried Catfish and Robert ate the blackened Flounder with a blue cheese salad and a basket of hushpuppies.

   On the way back to Charleston, we stopped off at Huntington Beach. There Berry spotted a beautiful white Osprey (Pandion Haliaetus) in the top branches of a cypress tree.

• Fish Crow
• Franklin’s Gull
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
• North Flicker
• Palm Warbler

Robert and Berry

Photo courtesy of karin

Charleston

   We landed in Chicago and had a five hour lag, so we ate airport food. Not yum. This birding trip is happening during the playoffs for Major League baseball. We can watch games on my IPhone, which frees us up to travel.

   The second leg of our journey ended in Charleston, South Carolina. Our baggage came off the carousel first, before anyone else’s bag. That had never happened to me before. That may portend a delightful birding trip to come. We found our Hampton in Daniel Island and crashed for a while.

   We ate dinner that night at a very nice Mediterranean place called Sermet’s Courtyard. Berry had the seared scallops and Robert had the Eggplant Remoulade with a Beet Salad. Very yum.

Robert and Berry

Photo courtesy of jlyons