Happy 2021 to each of you – I hope your new year is off to a great start.

 ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌
Audubon Center at Beidler Forest
Beidler Forest Center & Sanctuary Newsletter February 2021
Two large Bald Cypress trees surrounded by dark water. New leaf growth, brightly green, cascades across the background
Message from Matt Johnson, Center Director
Greetings from the Beidler Forest Audubon Center!

Happy 2021 to each of you – I hope your new year is off to a great start. It has been a remarkable winter for us at Beidler. We’ve seen the water levels fluctuate from high to low and back up again in the swamp. We’ve had huge flocks of blackbirds, including the declining Rusty Blackbird, roosting in the swamp at night and foraging in nearby agricultural fields during the day. Our bird feeders, sponsored by our friends at Wild Birds Unlimited, have been descended upon by large numbers of finches, including dozens of Pine Siskins (check out our “Species Spotlight” below).

And perhaps most importantly, we’ve welcomed back hundreds of visitors to the boardwalk. We’ve been heartened by all of our Beidler visitors, some longtime and others new, who’ve made their way to the swamp over the last few months. We’ve missed seeing your faces and hearing your voices, and we feel so glad to once again share this special place with those that love it as much as we do!

This spring, we are hoping to expand our open hours and offer some socially-distant programs, including canoe trips. Please continue to check our website for details on how to plan your next visit to the swamp!

Matt Johnson
Center Director

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Photo: Mac Stone
Bright yellow swamp canary belting "sweet, sweet, sweet" from the top of an ashy-brown cypress knee
Prothonotary Warblers: FAQs and First Sighting Contest
With the spring season right around the corner, migration is fast approaching. And with spring migration, comes the return of Prothonotary Warblers to the swamp! Find out more
Photo: Mac Stone
Maggie smiling with the beach behind her. She has long brown hair and brown eyes. Sky is turquoise blue behind her.
Staff Spotlight: Maggie Kalergis
Welcome Audubon South Carolina’s new Development Manager, Maggie Kalergis! Maggie is a skilled fundraiser and communicator with a passion for connecting donors to programming that protects birds and the places they need. Read more about Maggie
Photo: Maggie Kalergis
Winter, bare Tupelos stand. Mirror-like reflection of the trees against still water. Dwarf palmettos, green, cover the base of the image almost as if you were going to step on them.
Berkeley County is home to some of the Lowcountry's most magnificent natural resources
Together with partners including the Coastal Conservation League, Audubon is working on a proposed vision for Berkeley County. Learn more
Photo: Robby Maynor
Blue jay, showing off the contrasting hues of blue. The photograph was taken with a flash, so the aviary background is dark, the stone gravel and perches are dark as the jay is brightly shown.
Microwaves, dogs, and American Crows - another John Jay blog!
Mimicking, or imitating the sound of other birds, is a natural Blue Jay behavior. John Jay can mimic Carolina Wrens, Red-shouldered Hawks, and American Crows very well. The crow is an interesting one; it’s muffled, like hearing a crow from inside your house. Read more
Photo: Emily Davis
Two pine siskins, streaky with flashes of yellow, lift off, facing each other with wings fully extended upwards toward the sky. Behind the siskins, the background is a soft blurred variety of green foliage bringing the birds forward, so close you feel like you could touch them.
Species Spotlight: Pine Siskin
This winter has been an exceptional one for finches in South Carolina, and that has been on display at Beidler Forest in recent weeks. The bird feeders, sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited, located in the parking area for our grassland trails have been very active – in fact, we’ve been refilling them every 2-3 days! 

One of the species consuming much of the seed is the Pine Siskin. This finch, a relative of the more easily-recognizable American Goldfinch, only visits us every few winters. Pine Siskins nest across the northern United States and Canada and usually spend their winters in places north of South Carolina.
Photo: Judith Roan
Other Audubon South Carolina Highlights
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Audubon Center at Beidler Forest
336 Sanctuary Rd, Harleyville, SC 29448
843-487-9988 | beidler.audubon.org

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