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orangeburg super sod farms



this past weekend a small group of four made the pilgrimage to the super
sod farms.  

sat evening yielded numerous killdeer and pectorals and doves too
numerous to count and a small no. of peeps which we never identified.

a harrier kept buzzing the field and a kestral made an appearance.  in
the trees behind the fields (we were in the very back ones) was a lone
pine warbler and blue grosbeak.  we didn't spot any buff-breasted or
uplands or any plovers on sat. as we left to check out other spots 
the swallows filled the sky.  it was amazing.

sun morn was more productive. at a field not far from the sod farm were
swallows by the hundreds.  saw tree, rough-winged, bank and barn. at the
sod farms numerous horned larks (we got great looks) and a small band of
uplands flew in (8-10).  the uplands moved around several times and we
ultimately got really good looks.  there was a pair of harriers in
attendance who were on the ground eating surrounded by doves and
killdeer. a snipe flew in and was barely 10 feet away.  talk about a
good look.  a small group of western sandpipers was spotted.  never did
see the buff-breasted or golden plovers. a loggerhead shrike was on the
wires.

left there and headed to santee refuge-bluff unit. no warblers in the
trees.  heard a pileated.  at the overlook on the trail spotted
dowitchers, caspian and forster's terns, ring billed gull, anhinga,
snowy and great egrets, and great blues. osprey over lake marion and
spotted sandpiper along the water's edge (along with a decomposing
beaver carcas).

further along the trail over the fields where the geese are in winter
were several different raptors taking advantage of the thermals. drove
the cuddo auto route but never figured out how to get to the water.

as bennettsville was on our route back, stopped at lake wallace and saw
the western grebe along with royal terns, coromorants, anhinga and
pied-billed grebe.  no kites.

a wonderful weekend although didn't see all of our target birds.


for cynthia fox and group
lee van malssen
chapel hill, nc
leescats@earthlink.net