Becks Ferry
Robin Carter
Directions
From Exit 5 of I-95 in Hardeeville go north on US 321. At 1 mile north of the interstate bear left to continue on US 321. At 5.5 miles north of I-95 turn hard left (southwest) onto Road 169, Old Charleston Road. Follow Old Charleston Road for 0.6 miles and then turn right (west) onto Road 170, Becks Ferry Road. Follow this road for 1.7 miles to the boat launch parking lot at the Savannah River.
Birds to look for
Wood Duck, Wild Turkey, Northern Bobwhite, Anhinga, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (s), White Ibis, Wood Stork (s), Osprey, Swallow-tailed Kite (s), Mississippi Kite (s), Red-shouldered Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo (s), Common Nighthawk (s), Chuck-will's-widow (s), Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee (s), Acadian Flycatcher (s), Eastern Phoebe (w), Great Crested Flycatcher (s), Blue-headed Vireo (w), White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown-headed Nuthatch, House Wren (w), Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush (s), Orange-crowned Warbler (w), Northern Parula (s), Cape May Warbler (m), Black-throated Blue Warbler (m), Yellow-rumped Warbler (w), Yellow-throated Warbler, Pine Warbler, Prairie Warbler (s), Palm Warbler (w), Blackpoll Warbler (m), Black-and-white Warbler (w), American Redstart (m), Prothonotary Warbler (s), Worm-eating Warbler (m), Swainson's Warbler (s), Ovenbird (m), Northern Waterthrush (m), Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler (s), Yellow-breasted Chat (s), Summer Tanager (s), Eastern Towhee, Bachman's Sparrow (s), Chipping Sparrow, Rusty Blackbird (w)
Description
Becks Ferry Landing is a little-used boat launch area on the Savannah River. All of the lands described here—other than the boat landing area itself—are private and birding must be done from the roadside. This is important. Do not leave the public road or you will be trespassing.
Becks Ferry Landing has a good view of the river and adjacent floodplain forest. This is a good place to look for Swallow-tailed Kite and Mississippi Kite from April through August. The unpaved portion of Becks Ferry Road east of the landing goes through an area of longleaf pine savanna that is good for Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Bachman's Sparrow. If you backtrack to US 321 along Becks Ferry Road and Old Charleston Road you might want to drive further northeast, beyond US 321, on unpaved Old Charleston Road. This road, which might be flooded at times, leads through more pine savanna and a bit of floodplain forest, good for Bachman's Sparrow and Swainson's Warbler. Do not leave the public road. This is all private land.
The woods along the road near the landing are fairly good for migrant and wintering warblers.
Becks Ferry is an interesting companion site to nearby Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, and a place close to I-95 where you have a chance to find Swallow-tailed Kite, Mississippi Kite, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Swainson's Warbler, and Bachman's Sparrow.