THE WOODPECKER POST

NEWSLETTER OF THE
COLUMBIA AUDUBON SOCIETY
P.O. BOX 5923 COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA 29250
Spring, 2006

Rediscover the Ivory-billed Woodpecker

Keynote Speaker: Bobby Harrison

Guest Speakers: Alex Sanders & John Cely

Host: Norm Brunswig

Bobby Harrison is an award winning nature photographer,

speaker, writer and educator based in Huntsville, Alabama.
Bobby will tell the story of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker’s near demise
and miraculous resurrection and discuss how the Grail Bird was
rediscovered in Arkansas in his program “Obsessed with the
Ivory-billed Woodpecker.”

Please Note: An advance registration is required and an admis-

sion fee of $10 per person is charged for this special Program.
If you have not already registered and would like to attend
(tickets are still available), please fill out the registration form
on page 3, and mail it in with your check as soon as possible.

Background Art by Larry Chandler http://www.sapsuckerwoods.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?

Saturday, April 8, 6:15 to 9:00 PM

S.C. Department of Archives and History

8301 Parklane Road
(between SC 277 and Farrow Road)
Columbia, SC
 Spring Field Trips

For all field trips we suggest you bring binoculars, field guide, rain gear, water, food, and insect repellent (if you have them). Non-members and
novices are always welcome. The Columbia Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society. The Columbia Audubon Society as-
sumes no responsibilities for injuries, personal or otherwise, that may occur while attending Society-sponsored events and will not be held liable
for any such injuries. Attend at your own risk. For more information, please call a Board Member whose numbers are listed on the last page.

Wannamaker Nature Preserve variety of habitats. Evelyn also maintains a large number
Saturday, April 1 @ 8:00 AM (no fooling!) of feeders. No bird banding is planned for this day. The
picnic and walks will be informal and low paced. You
Wannamaker Preserve now has a new trail!! Come out should bring your own food and chairs.
to enjoy the new trail and the Spring. There should be
some wildflowers, and the breeding birds and early spring DIRECTIONS: From Columbia take US 378 to Sumter,
arrivals should be in evidence. Dan Tufford will lead. then jog to the left to US 378 Bypass around the north side
of Sumter. After 378 Bypass and 378 Business rejoin on
Directions: From Columbia take I-26 East. Take Exit 136 the east side of Sumter, continue east on 378 for 8 miles.
and follow Hwy 6 into St. Matthews. From St. Matthews You will cross the Black River (there is a small sign) over
travel east on Hwy 6 for 4.6 miles. Park across the road three small bridges (pay attention or you’ll miss them).
from the historical marker.
Look for an open, grassy area to the left on the median of
the divided highway, and a crossover to a driveway with a
Wednesday Warblers Before Work mailbox reading “WENEE WOODS”. If you reach SC 527
Wednesdays, April 5, 12, 19, 26 and May 3 on US 378, you have gone too far—turn around. Continue
@ 7:00 AM down the long driveway (Wenee Woods Road) until you
see all the cars.
This year we will again have weekly bird walks on
Wednesday mornings during the spring migration. This
year we will move back to Granby Park. Meet at 7 AM at
Lynches Woods
the park entrance. Walks will last no more than an hour.
Saturday, April 22 @ 8:00 AM
Robin Carter will lead some of the walks and coordinate the
others; volunteer leaders are welcome! For more This 276-acre woodland area began as a project of the
information, call Robin at 803-782-8820. CCC in the 1930's. A 4.7 mile scenic road is complimented
by hiking and equestrian trails. Recent additions to the
Granby Park opened in November 1998 as a gateway park include a sheltered picnic area, restrooms and two
to the rivers of Columbia, adding another access to the primitive campsites. Lynches Woods serves as the
many river activities available to residents. Granby is part Gateway to the Upstate for the Palmetto Trail. The park is
of the Three Rivers Greenway, a system of green spaces located behind Piedmont Technical College at the
along the banks of the rivers in Columbia, adding another intersection of Hwy 76 Bypass and Hwy 34 Bypass. For
piece to the long-range plan and eventually connecting to more information: Newberry Soil And Water Conservation
the existing Riverfront Park. Granby is a 24 acre linear District, PO Box 434, Newberry, SC 29108,
park with canoe access points, fishing spots, bridges and (803) 276-0032.
1/2 mile of nature trail along the banks of the Congaree Meet at the parking lot; we should be done by lunchtime.
River. The trail is the first leg of the 12-mile greenway that
will connect the cities of Columbia, West Columbia, Cayce Congaree National Park NatureFest
and Richland and Lexington Counties. The park is at the Friday, Saturday, Sunday, April 28, 29, 30
end of Catawba Street off Huger Street and has wonderful Columbia Audubon Society will participate in
views of the river from the new overlooks. For more infor- NatureFest, Congaree National Park’s celebration of the
mation call Columbia Parks and Recreation at 545-3100. Spring season. The event is sponsored by the National
Park Service with support from several state agencies,
Spring Outing and Picnic With Evelyn and colleges, schools and volunteers. Columbia Audubon
Tommy Dabbs Society will be one of the organizations helping; we will
Saturday, June 3 @ anytime between 8 and 10 AM have a table on Saturday, April 29. Steve Dennis will

(Continued on page 3)
The Dabbs farm is along the Black River and has a
 Ivory-billed Woodpecker Program Ticket Order Form

(Continued from page 2) SC 29061 or call (803) 776-4396.

coordinate CAS activities.
WINGED MIGRATION returns to Nickelodeon !
The public is invited to attend free of charge. There will Carolina Bird Club Spring Meeting
be special presentations on owls, canoeing, butterflies, fish, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, April 28, 29, 30
kid'sThe
stuff,Nick
nature hikes,back
brings and this
muchbreathtaking
more. The owl prowlsas a holiday treat for our patrons! This acclaimed film is a
favorite
and canoe trips require advance registration by calling
love letter
(803) to birdwatchers,
776-4396. All programs flying
begin atenthusiasts, roller-coaster The
the Harry Hampton fans,Carolina Bird Club
and anyone whowill
hashold
everitsstood
2006 Spring
still and
Meeting in Asheville, North Carolina. There will be local
watched a hawk
Visitor Center. sail in the clouds. Director Jacques Perrin’s WINGED MIGRATION looks on the world with
field trips all day and evening programs on both Friday and
an eagle’s eye and lifts us soaring over 40 countries in all 7 continents,
Saturday. as heinformation
For further and a crewseeof the
overCBC
450web site:
NatureFest will offer the opportunity for individuals
(including 17 pilots and 14 cinematographers) spent 3 years and following the journey of hundreds of birds, some
http://www.carolinabirdclub.org/
families to experience South Carolina's only national park.
migrating over 10,000 miles. Filmed from remote
The public is invited to bring a picnic lunch and spend the control gliders,
The CBC ultra-light aircraft
meeting will andathot
be held the air balloons,
Ramada Plazathe
castlearning
day includesabout
flocksandofexperiencing
pelicans, ducks, geese,
the park's bald eagles,
resources. albatrosses,
Hotel, 435 Smoky turtledoves, swans,
Park Hwy. This is arobins, macaws,
block south of I-40
and Perrinledhimself
Programs as the park
by biologists, Narrator.
rangers, other off exit #44. The guest rooms are newly remodeled and
professionals
France. 2002.and volunteers
English will give
narration. park G
Rated visitors very nice
theaudiences).
(for all with all the comforts of home. They include
89 minutes.
chance to explore the natural beauty of the park with the refrigerator, coffee maker, iron and board, data ports, two
aid of knowledgeable guides. phones, and hair dryers. All but 30 rooms in the entire
.DECEMBER 26-30 FRIDAY – TUESDAY hotel are non-smoking. The rate is $69 plus 11% tax for
Show times nightly
NatureFest is heldatto7:00 & 9:00
celebrate (+ 3:00
National matinees
Park Week Saturday
one to & Sunday)
four people. This rate is available until March 27.
and Earth Day. Indoor presentations are approximately Cancellations must be made 72 hours in advance. For
one hour in length. Outdoor programs generally last 2 reservations call 828-665-2161 or 1-800-678-2161.
hours. For further information, send e-mail to
cosw_information@nps.gov or write to Superintendent, (Continued on page 4)
Congaree National Park, 100 National Park Road, Hopkins,
 National Audubon Society
Directors & Chairs 2006 Chapter Membership Application
Volunteers are always welcome!!
Yes, I’d like to join.
Please enroll me as a member of the National Audubon
President: Dan Tufford 782-6848
Vice-President: Available! Society and of my local chapter. Please send AUDUBON
Secretary: Marcia Watkins magazine and my membership card to the address below.
Treasurer: Marcia Watkins 779-7570 My check for $20 (introductory rate) is enclosed.
marcia.watkins@earthlink.net name__________________________________________
Conservation: T. Parkin Hunter t.hunter@scbar.org address________________________________________
Programs: Available! city___________________________________________
Field Trips: Caroline Eastman 782-8820 Please make checks payable to the National Audubon Society
ceastman@sc.rr.com Send this application and your check to:
Membership: Available! National Audubon Society
Education: Paula Feldman 787-5818 Chapter Membership Data Center
Publicity: Available! P.O. Box 51001 Boulder, CO 80322-1001
Newsletter: Steve C. Dennis 788-1854 ---------------------------LOCAL CHAPTER------------------------
stevecdennis@sc.rr.com Columbia Audubon Society U52
Webmaster: T. Parkin Hunter t.hunter@scbar.org P.O. Box 5923 Local Chapter Code
CAS WEBSITE: Columbia, SC 29250 7XCHA
www.columbiaaudubon.org
(or use the link from www.audubon.org)
Park has been named a Globally Important Bird Area by
Discussion Group: the American Bird Conservancy and Birdlife International.
http://groups.msn.com/ColumbiaAudubon An excellent way to help this dry fact become a
personal experience is to be out in the park at dawn during
the main breeding season (late April through early June)
(Continued from page 3) and listen to the dawn chorus of bird song. The one draw-
Dawn Chorus at Congaree back is that you have to be in the park at dawn. Unless
Saturday, May 20 @ 5:00 AM you are camping out this requires a bit of effort. We will
gather at the Visitors Center at 5:00 AM (ouch!). This
Some things are worth missing a little sleep for! will let give us a chance to listen to the pre-dawn chorus of
Friends of Congaree Swamp has again invited us to join Barred Owls, Whip-poor-wills, and Chuck-will's-widows
with them for a dawn chorus bird walk at Congaree before the main event, which begins about a half hour be-
National Park. The event will be a couple of weeks earlier fore sunrise, give or take a few minutes. We can reasona-
than last year, so the dawn chorus should be more bly expect to hear as many as forty species of birds call-
impressive (assuming good weather). One of the most ing-hundreds of individual birds. Last year included an
important features of Congaree National Park is that it is impressive amphibian chorus as well. We will have bird
the home and breeding area of large numbers of birds, song experts on hand to help you identify what you hear,
including many so-called “Neotropical migrants”, species or you can just listen and take in the experience.
which breed in North America but go south in the winter to The Dawn Chorus hike will be followed by a gourmet
Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, or South America. breakfast at 7:30 AM. Breakfast participants must reg-
This is one of the main reasons why Congaree National ister in advance by calling Robin Carter @ 782-8820.

SOUTH CAROLINIANS COMMITTED TO CONSERVATION

Columbia, S.C.
PERMIT No. 1371
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA 29250
P-A-I-D
P.O. BOX 5923
U.S. Postage
Non-Profit Org. COLUMBIA AUDUBON SOCIETY