South Carolina

We're on our way once more. We left Pennsylvania on January 3rd and made it to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on the 4th. Myrtle Beach is OK. I think the best thing about it was Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Restaurant. And the beach. It really wasn't beach weather, but we went to the beach with the dogs every day.

From there, we headed south to Beaufort and Hunting Island State Park. The park was great. It even had a lighthouse! But the best part was that the campground had electric and water hookups. It reminded us of the state parks in Oregon. And we had to have had one of the best sites. It was only 100 feet or so from the ocean. You could sit and listen to the ocean all night long. Very relaxing after a whole month of family and visiting.

Speaking of visiting, we did that too. Bill's Aunt Maureen and Uncle Bob live in Beaufort. Coincidence that we went there? I think not. They invited us to dinner and made a Low Country Boil. If you've never had one, you have got to try it. It has sausage (kielbasa), shrimp (local, fresh shrimp, I might add), potatoes, and corn on the cob all boiled with Old Bay Seasoning. It's fabulous!

On the birding front, I didn't really actively go birding, but got quite a list while there:
Great Blue Heron
Hooded Merganser
Ring-Billed Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Eastern Bluebird
Red-Winged Blackbird
American Goldfinch
House Finch
Brown Pelican
Black Vulture (a LOT of them)
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Sanderling
Downy Woodpecker
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Northern Mockingbird
Song Sparrow
Anhinga (lifer # 318!)
Greater Yellowlegs
Dunlin (?)
Western Sandpiper
Black-Bellied Plover
Forster's Tern
Bufflehead
Red-Breasted Merganser
Double-Crested Cormorant

Just think what I could have found if I would have crawled out of bed at a decent time and went out with the binoculars! I kept telling myself I'm waiting for Florida and the Space Coast Birding Festival. Bah! I should be birding now.

Next stop, St. Augustine, FL. (Maybe I'll even take a picture or 2.)