Fort Moultrie
Robin Carter
Directions
From I-26: from the southern terminus of I-26 in Charleston take US 17 north, towards Mount Pleasant. Take the first exit after crossing the high bridge, SC 703, West Coleman Boulevard. At 2.5 miles from US 17 bear right (south) on Ben Sawyer Boulevard to continue on SC 703. Ben Sawyer Boulevard crosses a broad salt marsh and enters Sullivan's Island. At about 6 miles from US 17 turn right (west) onto Jasper Boulevard and go 1.5 miles to the Visitor Center.
From I-526: Go to the northeastern terminus of I-526 in Mount Pleasant. Instead of exiting onto US 17 keep going straight ahead on I-526 Business, East Coleman Boulevard. Continue on East Coleman Boulevard to its junction with SC 703. Here turn left (south) onto SC 703, Ben Sawyer Boulevard. Ben Sawyer Boulevard crosses a broad salt marsh and enters Sullivan's Island. Once on the island turn right (west) onto Jasper Boulevard and go 1.5 miles to the Visitor Center.
From US 17 southbound: Take SC 517, the Isle of Palms Connector, south, over a broad salt marsh, to the Isle of Palms. At about 4 miles from US 17 turn right (east) onto SC 703, Palm Boulevard and go 1.4 miles. Here Palm Boulevard crosses over Breach Inlet and becomes Jasper Boulevard on Sullivan's Island. Follow Jasper Boulevard for another 3 miles to the Visitor Center.
Birds to look for
Lesser Scaup (w), Surf Scoter (w), White-winged Scoter (w), Black Scoter (w), Bufflehead (w), Hooded Merganser (w), Red-breasted Merganser (w), Red-throated Loon (w), Common Loon (w), Horned Grebe (w), Red-necked Grebe (w), Northern Gannet (w), American White Pelican (w), Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Osprey, Clapper Rail, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, American Oystercatcher, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper (w), Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Laughing Gull, Bonaparte's Gull (w), Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull (w), Great Black-backed Gull (w), Caspian Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern (s), Forster's Tern, Least Tern (s), Black Skimmer, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Loggerhead Shrike, Yellow-rumped Warbler (w), Palm Warbler (w), Eastern Towhee, Clay-colored Sparrow (fall), Lark Sparrow (fall), Savannah Sparrow (w), Painted Bunting (s)
Description
Fort Moultrie has a variety of bird habitats. The deck on the top of the Visitor Center gives a good overview of the area. At the back of the main parking lot is a dock on a salt creek, where you might find birds typical of the salt marsh and salt creeks. Leaving the lawn area near the World War II vintage coastal fort you can make your way along the shore of Charleston Harbor to an extensive area of ocean beach, dunes, and scrub. This scrubby area is the last stronghold of the Common Ground-Dove in the Charleston area. This site might be hopping with migrants during fall migration, and has a fair number of wintering birds. Summers are hot and crowded, but worth a visit for a chance at finding some rare visitor, such as a Gray Kingbird or a Magnificent Frigatebird. Shiny Cowbirds have been found nearby.