We found a laundromat in Georgetown, The Laundry Place. The still wet clothes and a few other items were washed and dried and we now had warm and dry gear throughout Speedy.
Our second stop was the Santee Coastal Reserve. We had been here before. It is a large wildlife management area with lots of impoundments, a large unimproved wetland and many trails...and many birds. It is the former site of the Santee Gun Club, an impressive clubhouse which is now maintained by the SC Department of Natural Resources. It was closed the last time we were here, but open today. We stopped in and had a look around. It has been maintained to a high state, all the wood floors and paneling are shined, the old wooden lockers and member's gun cabinets are still in place, and there are comfortable leather sofas around the fireplace in the main hall. We didn't ask, but we'd bet that it is a great place for functions.
That wasn't the reason we were here. We came to hike the impoundments and trails and find the birds. This was the first off road hike of the trip so it was time to break out my hiking shoes—
I have two pair, an old worn-out pair that are used around the house and my newer waterproof Merrills. I must have had my eyes closed when I grabbed a pair to put in my box of shoes for Speedy. I picked one of each...at least it wasn't two left feet (or two right feet)! It was a little disconcerting walking around with one well-fitting shoe and one loose floppy one, but what can you do?
Mismatched shoes, binoculars, cameras, scopes and guides in hand we headed out to the impoundments. We were not disappointed—five species of ducks, coots, grebes, four species of herons and egrets, white ibis and the highlight, American Bittern. We flushed the bittern walking along the path and it flew completely across the pond. We were able to see where it landed and were able to pick it up clearly with Ellen's travel scope, hiding just in the reeds surrounded by an ibis, a Pied-billed Grebe and a Great Egret.
Along the impoundments we also saw two Northern Harriers and a Red-tailed Hawk, as well as lots of Red-winged Blackbirds and Tree Swallows. As we left the impoundments and walked towards the woods we started seeing woodpeckers, beginning with a juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker, only the second we'd ever seen (the first was last winter in Aransas). We also saw Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, and Downy Woodpeckers. The highlight of this part of the walk was a Bald Eagle that set down in a tree right in front of us. Along with a handful of sparrows, warblers, kinglets, etc., we had come upon a quite "birdy" spot as all of these birds we saw within about 50 feet.
It was getting near sunset so we headed back to Speedy. On the way we could hear a Great Horned Owl.
The trip to Buck Hall was uneventful and we have settled in for a cool night in the low 40's, but that seems toasty compared to Cohasset tonight in the low 20's and blowing in the 30's.
I doubt it followed us, since it is about 20 miles from the reserve to Buck Hall, but there is a Great Horned Owl hooting outside Speedy as I write this at 10pm. I take it back, there are two hooting out there. They are in the live oaks, so I cannot pick them out but could distinctly hear each of them in a different tree.
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