Magical Birding, May 18–20, 2018 Orange Audubon Society’s fun fund-raising trip in mid May is to the Columbia, South Carolina, area, 6 hours from Orlando.

On Friday, May 18th, we will drive 4 hours from Orlando to Savannah for a lunch break and then 2 hours more on to South Carolina. If your starting point is other than Orlando, you can meet us at our Friday destination at approximately 4:30 p.m.

Our destination is Congaree , formerly Congaree National Monument, 15 miles southeast of Columbia, South Carolina. is 26,276 acres and contains the largest remaining area of old growth bottomland hardwood forest in the . It is one of the 3 newest national parks, upgraded from a national monument by President Bush in 2003. It is a unique and wonderful place with enormous trees and long boardwalks. Address: Congaree National Park, 100 National Park Rd–Hopkins, SC 29061.

Southeastern breeding birds and lingering spring migrants will be singing up a storm at that time of year. Arriving around 4:30 p.m., we will bird before and after a picnic dinner at the park. Then we will stay in the park and walk to the best spot to see the once-a-year amazing event of synchronous fireflies!

The most convenient place to stay is in Orangeburg, S.C., 45 minutes from Congaree. More on the hotel below.

Saturday, May 19th includes guided birding at the Audubon Center & Sanctuary at (Beidler Forest, 336 Sanctuary Rd., Harleyville, SC 29448), about 45 minutes from the hotel in Orangeburg. Frequented by photographers and nature lovers from all over the world, Beidler Swamp's 18,000-acre bird and wildlife sanctuary offers a beauty unsurpassed in the South Carolina lowcountry. Beidler is the world’s largest virgin cypress-tupelo swamp forest. Enjoy thousand-year-old trees, a range of wildlife, and the quiet flow of blackwater, all from the safety of our 1.75-mile boardwalk. http://sc.audubon.org/visit/ beidler

The bird that many of us may not have seen (or if seen, only fleetingly) is the Swainson’s Warbler (photo from the ). Swainson’s Warblers breed at Beidler, and our guide will take us to a place where they are easy to see. Prothonotary Warblers (as in this photo by Frank Salmon) and Acadian Flycatchers are common and we will hear songs from species that are quiet in Florida. Plumage will be brighter than the drab winter plumage we see.

After spending the morning at Beidler, we will stop on the way for lunch and head in the direction of Charleston to Francis Marion National Forest. The Francis Marion spans nearly 259,000 acres and is home to a variety of wildlife, including the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. Our itinerary there will be worked out with our guide according to participants’ interests.

Saturday night will stay in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

On Sunday, May 20th we will visit the ACE Basin, another birding hotspot, about an hour and a half from the hotel on the way home. The Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto Basin (abbreviated as ACE Basin, spoken as ) is 350,000 acres, one of the largest undeveloped estuaries along the Atlantic Coast. Between Charleston and Beaufort, South Carolina, the Ashepoo, Combahee and South Edisto rivers combine into the larger St. Helena Sound and drain a significant portion of the Lowcountry region. The Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge comprises about 12,000 acres. Here’s a link to the official birdlist https://www.fws.gov/ uploadedFiles/Acebirds.pdf

Cost of the three-day trip is $60 Audubon members/$75 non-members, which includes honoraria for local expert guides, field trip fees, and picnic supper Friday at Congaree. Lodging, other meals, transportation and incidentals are not included. Tips for guides are always appreciated.

The Hampton Inn and Suites in nearby Orangeburg is the nicest hotel with a central location where we can stay Friday night. (Hampton Inn & Suites Orangeburg, 749 Citadel Rd, Orangeburg, SC 29118). It is a remodeled attractive hotel, with various types of rooms, including king bed suites with sofa bed in adjoining room. We have been working toward a group rate but we need a minimum number of participants ready to book. Through Hotels.com one can currently book for about $130. There are other cheaper hotels in Orangeburg, but this one will be sure to satisfy the more fussy among us. Once you have registered with us for the trip, feel free to book this hotel on your own.

To plan your budget, survey hotels in Mount Pleasant, SC, hotel not yet designated. We will select the optimal hotel and send it those registering so we can all stay together, if possible. Those who want to drive into Charleston for dinner can (it is Saturday night, so parking may be challenging, but if you have never been to Charleston, you should take the opportunity).

Mid May seems a long way away, but it’s already time to make plans. We would like all reservations by mid April, although we will accept them later. Help the organizers with logistics by registering early, if interested.

This trip may work out for you as part of a larger driving trip and we are happy to meet up with you at any of the fixed points.

South Carolina is very interesting in the spring with breeding birds and full of new areas to explore. We hope you join us!

For more information, contact Deborah: (407) 637-2525 or [email protected]. To reserve your spot, contact Teresa: (407) 644-0796 or mwilliams@cfl.rr.com.