Went to Huntington Beach State Park between Myrtle Beach and Georgetown. The dune system was beautiful, the beach itself looked as if it had been renourished, so there was not but a handful of creatures in the sand, but the marsh was busy and wonderful! Above is a very long boardwalk going through the salt marsh.
A pair of wood storks came in. They are one of the highest soaring birds [pilots at cruising altitude have seen them, I've been told] and their black wingtips help preserve their feathers from damage. [Melanin is tough stuff!] They are the only stork species that breeds in the United States, in FL, GA, SC, and a small colony in NC. Locally we have a couple rookeries, but this year one was vacant. Water levels often determine whether they will nest in a certain swamp or not.
Click on the smaller photos to enlarge if you like. They are so elegant looking in flight–until you get a good look at their head!
Wikipedia: Wood Storks
Huntington Beach State Park is a great place to take the family if visiting in the area. The campground was full when we went, so maybe book early. There are tons of activities do to, the usual park-setting things like hiking, fishing, swimming at the beach, bike riding, wildlife watching, and birding but the most impressive is the number of programs they offer. They do everything from seining [pulling a net] in the marsh and surf to sea turtle and alligator talks. They offer a kayaking tour and tours the historic [and very bizarre] historic house/castle.
