Birdwatching Along The Hammock Coast

There are plenty of beachgoers who flock to South Carolina’s Hammock Coast®, but there are other visitors – birds of a different feather, perhaps – who are just as keen to discover the wonders and beauty of this unspoiled area. Indeed, birdwatchers know that along the beaches, marshes and tidal creeks of the Hammock Coast® hundreds of bird species can be spotted.

From eagles and woodstorks soaring overhead to egrets and herons making their way along the shores, the Hammock Coast® is a birder’s paradise. In fact, it’s considered the best birding area in South Carolina and one of the best in the Southeast. Huntington Beach State Park boasts a 330-bird checklist with an impressive rarities roster, including roseate spoonbill and piping plover.

Beyond the park, the six Hammock Coast® communities offer additional opportunities for birders, who can spot bald eagles, egrets, herons, ruddy turnstones, purple sandpipers and so many more. World-famous Brookgreen Gardens offers birders even more opportunities for sightings and offers daily shows about raptors and owls at its Lowcountry Zoo.

And Audubon notes that birders should not miss Hobcaw Barony, due to its important location at the mouth of Winyah Bay. Hobcaw Barony, near Georgetown, is home to thousands of pristine acres. This large, undisturbed tract has extensive longleaf pine forests with Red-cockaded Woodpecker colonies and excellent Bachman’s Sparrow habitat.