Santee Delta Wildlife Management Area
Robin Carter
Directions
From Charleston go north on US 17. In about 44 miles you will reach the bridge over the South Santee River at the Georgetown County line. The parking lot for Santee Delta Wildlife Management Area is about 2 miles further, on the right, just before the bridge over the North Santee River.
From Georgetown go south on US 17. In about 13 miles you will cross the bridge over the North Santee River. The parking lot for Santee Delta Wildlife Management Area is on the left, just past the bridge.
Birds to look for
Mottled Duck, Anhinga, Least Bittern (s), Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Green Heron (s), Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (s), White Ibis, Wood Stork (s), Osprey, Swallow-tailed Kite, Mississippi Kite, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier (w), Red-shouldered Hawk, Merlin, King Rail, Common Moorhen, Gull-billed Tern (s), Tree Swallow (w), Bobolink (m)
Description
The parking lot of Santee Delta Wildlife Management Area is great place from which to scan the skies of Swallow-tailed Kites and other soaring birds. Kites are usually present from early April through mid September, sometimes slightly earlier or later. There is a trail into the marshes of the delta of the Santee River, but this trail is closed during the duck-hunting season (mid October through the end of January). Be warned—mosquitoes and deer flies can be bad here during the summer.
Rarities seen along the trail include Ruff, Purple Gallinule and White-crowned Sparrow.