113th CBC South Carolina Regional Summary

By Dennis M. Forsythe, PhD

This summary is dedicated to the memory of Edwin L. Blitch III (1938-2012) long time compiler of the Charleston, SC Christmas Bird Count.   A record 27 counts were conducted in South Carolina during the 113th Christmas Count Season.  This included two  new counts: Sea Island on Kiawah, Seabrook and Johns islands between the Charleston and Ace Basin counts; and Keowee on Lake Keowee between the Clemson and North Greenville counts.  This is the only South Carolina count which covers any of the mountains.

Hilton Head with 150 and Sun City-Okatie with 139 had the most participants.   Eighteen counts had 15 to 47 participants; while seven counts (Columbia, Carolina Sandhills, York-Rock Hill, Rocky River, Long Cane, Pinewood, and Lake Wateree) had seven or fewer counters.  Next year please check with the compilers of these counts to see if they would like your help.

Five  counts were adversely affected by the weather this season.  Litchfield-Pawley's Island had to reschedule the count because of adverse weather on the original count date. Aiken's results were depressed because of heavy afternoon rains. Heavy rain washed out birding after 4 PM on the Four-hole count, and 45 + mph winds greatly reduced the count on the Lower Saluda count precluding any boats on the lake.  Pee Dee had fog and cool rain.

This was a good season for winter irruptive species with Red-breasted Nuthatches found on 96% of counts, Purple Finches on 70%, and Pine Siskins on 52% .  There was one record of Common Redpoll and one of Red Crossbill, but sadly no Evening Grosbeaks.

The top South Carolina count was the coastal McClellanville with 171 species, the top coastal plains count was Santee N.W.R. with 126, and the top Piedmont count was Clemson with 97 species.

There were nine coastal counts.  Ace Basin (151) had four new species including an adult male Magnolia Warbler and both Grasshopper and LeConte's sparrows.  Twelve record counts of Bald Eagle and Common Ground-Dove were especially encouraging, but 13 new lows with American Kestrel and Loggerhead Shrikes were especially troubling.  A Western Kingbird was new for Charleston (153).  There were six new highs including Bald Eagle, four of Peregrines and a remarkable six for Red-necked Grebes.  Charleston also had 14 new lows including American Black Duck and only one Rusty Blackbird.  Only eight  Red-cockaded Woodpeckers there was also troubling.  Hilton Head (151) had amazing counts of Anhingas, Spotted Sandpipers, and Carolina Chickadees, plus two Summer Tanagers at feeders. They had low counts of Red-throated Loons, and sadly also Rusty Blackbirds among others.  Litchfield-Pawley's Island (150) had a unique 19  Razorbills plus over 1200 Red-throated Loons,  four  Red-necked Grebes, and 600 Red Knots!  There were continued low counts of Canada Geese, Purple Sandpipers, Rock Pigeons, and Loggerhead Shrikes.  The Low Country (119) count experienced cloudy weather with showers, very high tides, and a lack of feeder watchers yet they had a remarkable 16 Piping Plovers and eight new species including six Rusty Blackbirds,  Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, and Purple Finch.  McClellanville (171) had a unique Buff-bellied Hummingbird which has been banded and seen by many people as well as a Ruby-throated Hummingbird at the same feeder.  Also new was a Summer Tanager and a White-crowned Sparrow.  Six record high counts were achieved including a count of over 4000 Dunlin, four Barn Owls and 19 Red-breasted Nuthatches.  But there were also over 30 new lows and incredibly no Barred Owl.  The Sea Island (146) count is off to a good start with a Wilson's Plover and a Roseate Spoonbill, 31 Bald Eagles, 17 Piping Plovers, 23 Red-breasted Nuthatches and the only Ipswich race of Savannah Sparrow.  Winyah Bay (150) had four new species: White-winged Scoter, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Skimmers, and two Cave Swallows.  Also this count had record numbers for 14 species including Red-throated Loon, American Oystercatcher, Red Knot, and Barn Owl! But the count also had 14 new lows including Wood Duck, Mallard, and Mottled Ducks.

Fourteen counts were held in the Sandhills and Coastal Plains. Aiken (77) hampered by heavy afternoon rains, had 10  new lows.  New was a Rufus Hummingbird and there was a record number of Fish Crows.  Carolina Sandhills N.W.R. (78) had a remarkable 66 Red-breasted Nuthatches, and record numbers of Bald Eagle, Northern Pintail, American Woodcock, Red-headed Woodpecker and Gray Catbird.  The count also had  nine new lows including Pine Siskins.  A record two Bald Eagles and 335  Rusty  Blackbirds were encouraging on the Columbia (84) count, as was the first  Anhinga. However there were also 16 new lows on that count.  Congaree Swamp had a unique Common Redpoll and 16 new highs including: five Red-breasted Nuthatches, 155 Pine Siskins , 410 American Goldfinches, and an amazing 113,557 Common Grackles.  Also two Bald Eagles, 47 Wild Turkeys, four Common Ground-Doves and 150 Pileated Woodpeckers.  Four Hole Swamp (97) had a remarkable 79 Sandhill Cranes as well as 2020 Yellow-rumped Warblers.  Other record numbers were tallied for Red-breasted Nuthatch, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin.  New were Little Blue Heron, Merlin, and Yellow-throated Warbler, while low was Rusty Blackbird.  Despite the poor weather, Lower Saluda (80)  had record numbers for eight species including Bald Eagle.  New were Rufous Hummingbird, Gray Catbird, and Yellow-throated Warbler.  Common Loon, Canada Goose,  Hooded Merganser, Great Blue Heron, and Turkey Vulture were low.  Snow Goose was new for the Pee Dee (81) and they had record counts of Eurasian Collared-Doves proving that Cooper’s Hawks have not eaten them all; also record numbers of Wood Ducks and Baltimore Orioles.  Pinewood (100) had seven new species: Canvasback, Bufflehead, Blue-winged Teal, Merlin, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Bachman’s and Grasshopper sparrows.  Record counts of Northern Bobwhite, Bald Eagle,  Loggerhead Shrike, Rusty Blackbird, and House Sparrow were encouraging.  The 30th anniversary Santee N.W.R. (126) count had an average count and one new species, Short-eared Owl. Wood Duck, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Turkey Vulture, Red-headed Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Winter Wren, and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers  had all-time highs, while Redhead, Forster's Tern, Eastern Screech-Owl, House Wren, Gray Catbird, and American Pipit had all-time lows. The Savannah River Site (103)  experienced colder weather but  higher participation from site employees. A  Bachman's Sparrow and two Henslow's Sparrows were good finds as was a Common Loon. Good numbers of  Pine Siskins were also found there; two Rusty Blackbirds and two Red-breasted Mergansers were also good finds. The Savannah River swamp area produced good numbers of King Rails and some Soras. 

Eight Piedmont counts were conducted this season.   Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Yellow Warbler were new for the Clemson (97) count, which also had record counts of Common Loon, Red-headed, Red-bellied and Pileated woodpeckers, Eastern Phoebe, Winter Wren, and a remarkable 342 Rock Pigeons.  The count also had several new lows including the declining American Black Duck and Rusty Blackbird but also the irruptive species: Red-breasted Nuthatch and Purple Finch. Unique tallies of Common Raven and 21 Red Crossbills reflects the new Keowee (83) count’s proximity to the Mountains.  Other irruptive winter species were represented with 21 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 28 Pine Siskins, and eight Purple Finches.  A Merlin, 98 Horned Grebes, and seven Hairy Woodpeckers were noteworthy.   For once the Lake Wateree (64) count experienced mild temperatures, but a low number of participants reduced the count’s totals.   There were 15 low counts and five high counts including 288 Mallard; Baltimore Oriole was new there.   Long Cane (74) had record counts of Mourning Dove, Hairy Woodpecker, Loggerhead Shrike and unfortunately Brown-headed Cowbird; 16 new lows included mainly waterfowl and  hawks.  Interestingly they also had a low count of Purple Finches.  Common Loon and Bald Eagle were new for North Greenville (82) which also had record counts of 10 species including Savannah, Swamp and Song sparrows all from one productive field.  Four immature/female Rufous/Allen Hummingbirds were also notable. Although the restarted Rocky River (60) count had few participants, a Merlin was new, 280 Double-crested Cormorants was high, as was a notable 12 Vesper Sparrows.  But there were 10 new lows including woodpeckers and again surprisingly Purple Finches.  Sparanburg (90) had one of its best counts.  American Bittern, Bald Eagle, Redhead, Rufous Hummingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, and Black-and-white Warbler were noteworthy.  Wild Turkey numbers were down.  Pine Siskin was observed at only one  feeder.  Red-breasted Nuthatches were present in good numbers.  York-Rock Hill (54) with only three participants had six new lows including Loggerhead Shrike, but added  Red-breasted Nuthatch as a new species.  Two Cooper's Hawks  and  720 Bonaparte's Gulls were new high counts there.