Outdoors column: Wildlife sightings highlight early morning boat trip

It was early for the river, especially on a summertime Sunday, save for a few bream anglers.

My wife, Terri, and I launched our 15-foot Key West center console on the Waccamaw River at Wacca Wache Landing in Murrells Inlet about 8 a.m., well before the weekend party and boogie (board) crowd shows up to head for the sandy beaches of, well, Sandy Island.

It was Father’s Day, in the midst of the most intense heat wave the area has seen in a good while, thus this was more of a quick, beat-the-heat and beat-the-crowd leisurely cruise down the river, not a fishing excursion.

Of course, the lower Waccamaw is well-known as a fantastic birding area, and only a little more than 10 miles downstream, the river turns brackish and is one of five rivers that flows into Winyah Bay. In short, there’s no telling what wildlife you will see on the river by air or water, freshwater or saltwater species.

With the Bimini top providing much-needed shade from the already scorching sun, we eased south along the scenic blackwater river, bordered by Spanish moss-draped tupelo and cypress trees.

A few miles downriver, we took the right turn into Thoroughfare Creek, a deepwater creek that connects the Waccamaw to the Pee Dee River and creates the southern end of Sandy Island.

Less than a mile later, we turned a curve and there it was, the sprawling, white-sand hill and beach that has long been a favorite for boaters. Later, the beach would be packed with boats but at this hour it was undisturbed, pristine if you will.

When we pulled up on it at low tide, we had the beach to ourselves. There was even a little shade from the rising sun, thanks to the trees atop the hill.

We glanced up and realized we really weren’t alone. A foursome of Swallow-tailed Kites were soaring overhead with the blue sky serving as a perfect backdrop for their black-and-white plumage.

The birds of prey, listed as an endangered species in South Carolina, would soar high above the beach and move out of sight behind the hill. The next moment they would reappear over the hill, swooping along the beach just above the tree line, a mere 20-30 feet overhead – an awe-inspiring sight.

Later, we left the beach and headed back through Thoroughfare Creek toward the main river. Along the way, we spotted, only about 25 yards away, an osprey standing on a muddy bank at low tide, foraging in the shallow water.

Soon, we were back on the Waccamaw, heading north. In the distance I thought I saw a splash out of the corner of my eye and a few minutes later my vision was confirmed. Again, a sizable Atlantic sturgeon splashed down less than 50 yards in front of the boat.

Just moments later, while we were realizing what we had just seen, a bottle-nose dolphin rolled no more than 20 yards away.

As the temperature began to soar into the 90s at about 11 a.m., we arrived back at Wacca Wache Landing, richer for the variety of wildlife we had encountered on a quick two-hour tour.

Swallow-tailed Kites

The kites are one of the more striking, graceful birds of prey, and the undeveloped, swampy river lands of Georgetown County are perfect habitat for them.

Kites have been on the decline in recent years, but have a stronghold in areas such as the lower Waccamaw River.

Previously, Swallow-tailed Kites nested in 20 states but due to habitat loss that has now dwindled to only seven states, all along the Southeast coast.

“They like blackwater rivers, essentially,” said Stephen Schabel, Director of Education at the Center For Birds of Prey in Awendaw. “That’s one of the most dense areas they are found, the Pee Dee River, the Santee River Delta. The highest density historically has been between Georgetown and Myrtle Beach.”

After spotting the kites on our excursion, I reported them on the Center For Birds of Prey website at www.centerforbirdsofprey.org.

Reporting kite sightings helps the S.C. Working Group for Swallow-tailed Kites and the national Swallow-tailed Kite Conservation Alliance monitor distribution, identify important nesting and foraging areas and promote conservation of the species.

The reported information is compiled in the Citizen-Science for Swallow-tailed Kite database.

For more information about the study call 1-866-971-7474.

This story was originally published July 2, 2015 at 8:27 PM with the headline "Outdoors column: Wildlife sightings highlight early morning boat trip."