Keep South Carolina Wild

Month: April 2025

Fun Birding Challenge with Birds & Beans Coffee

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Join the challenge! The first person to spot each species below before June 30th and email SCWF at mail@scwf.org wins a free 12 oz. bag of coffee, shipped straight from Birds & Beans. This migratory bird spotting challenge invites guests to try and spot one of the 6 migratory birds that are featured on the Birds & Beans packaging. Each bird is listed below with some tips & tricks about where you can spot them. 

 

 

Scarlet tanagers can be found in mature forests and even park-like settings in places like Saluda Shoals Park, golf courses, and even yards with large native hardwood trees. Listen for their raspy song to help you locate them high in the canopy.

Image Credit: Scarlet Tanager by Ryan Sanderson.

 

Chestnut-sided warblers can often be found in and around trees where the forest meets an opening. They’re usually found in the mid-levels of trees, as well as low shrubs, so you don’t have to look to high to find them (usually)! Park settings can also be good for this bird. 14 Mile Creek and Archers Lake in Lexington county could prove to be a good spot for these birds.

Image Credit: Chesnut-sided warbler by Keenan Yakola.

 

 

Wood thrush like mature healthy forests. Lynch’s Woods in Newberry and Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve should produce some of these birds in the Midlands. Wood thrush are usually on the ground or up to mid-level on trees. Listen for their song, which is one of the most beautiful of our woods during the breeding season!

Image Credit: Wood thrush by Fernando Burgalin Sequeria.

 

 

Baltimore orioles are brilliantly orange birds easily seen from a distance due to the male’s color. Once again, any park-like setting could produce one of these birds for you. Look mid to upper canopy for them. These birds are so beautiful, they can be life changing!

Image Credit: Baltimore oriole by Fernando Burgalin Sequeria.

 

 

American Redstarts are somewhat easy to find because of their erratic feeding behavior and constant movement. Look around the mid-canopy of hardwood trees in almost any setting in SC, besides open fields. Nature parks, city and town parks, and yards filled with native trees and shrubs should produce an abundance of these birds.

Image Credit: American redstart by Evan Lipton.

 

 

 

An open field is where you’ll find Eastern Kingbirds! Look for birds sitting on powerlines and in trees at the edge of a clearing, pond, or field. The dark tail with a bright white tail tip is diagnostic for this bird, but don’t get it confused with an Eastern Phoebe! Lakes, ponds, and any farm field could produce this bird for you!

Image Caption: Eastern kingbird by Frank Lehman.

Legislative Update

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The South Carolina Legislature convened on January 14, 2025 for the first session of the two-year session of the 126th General Assembly. The General Assembly will adjourn sine die on Thursday, May 8 at 5:00 pm.

The House has passed a budget, and sent it over to the Senate for review.  SCWF is strongly supporting more funding for land protection and acquisition in the Conservation Bank’s and the Department of Natural Resources’ budget requests. Additionally, SCWF is supporting the Forestry Commission budget request for more personnel and equipment.

Outside of state budget issues, most of our efforts this early in the session pick up familiar issues that we have supported in the past as well as some new areas of focus.  A few of those issues are listed below – check the links for detailed descriptions and current status of the bills.

Our website HERE has a complete list of wildlife-related bills, updated daily. 

 

Current Legislation:

  • S.0363 Joint Resolution on Shorebird Habitat Protection – PASSED!!Brown Pelican by Jennifer Plunket.
    The SC Department of Natural Resources submitted these regulations that would close Deveaux Bank to all human traffic from March 15 through October 15.  The closure timeframe is significant for successful seabird nesting as disturbances from human interaction has proven to be detrimental to this important resting and nesting period.
  • S.0339/H.3991 SC Lights Out Program – PASSED!! This resolution declares the nights of March through May and August through October as “Lights Out Nights in South Carolina Season” and urges South Carolina residents to turn out non-essential lights at night during these critical periods in the spring and fall for the protection of birds in South Carolina.
  • H.3872 Hunting Heritage Protect Act – ensures that there is no net loss of Department-managed land for hunting and fishing (excludes leased land). This bill has passed the House and now in the Senate.
  • H.4211 SC Native Plants – encourages State agencies, local governments, and private landowners to use native plants for landscaping, erosion control, and vegetation management whenever possible to promote the viability of migratory and nonmigratory pollinators and to help to preserve South Carolina’s unique flora and fauna. This bill passed the House unanimously and is now in the Senate.
  • H.3409/S.0252 Conservation Tax Credit – amends South Carolina’s tax code to increase the tax credit available for qualified conservation contributions of real property. The per-acre tax credit cap remains at $251,000 per acre, which applies to various types of land including uplands, wetlands, ponds, hardwood bottomlands, and Carolina Bays, but would exclude property within the intertidal zone.  The bill also increases the total credit a taxpayer may use in a single tax year from $52,500 to $105,000.
  • S.0288 Transfer of Development Rights – these tools for local governments can be customized to local needs — protecting areas that are of local value and promoting development where local governments see the best prospects for smart and efficient growth. This promotes efficient land use, which protects natural resources and can lead to savings on public expenditures like infrastructure.
  • H.4050/S.0227 Concurrency bills – Concurrency is a policy tool that empowers local governments to synchronize development and population growth. Concurrency can promote more efficient land use by optimizing the use of existing infrastructure and preventing sprawl.
  • S.0165 Conservation Education Act – establishes the South Carolina Conservation Education Fund to support youth environmental and natural resource education programs.
  • S.0383 State Migratory Bird – This bill would designate the Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) as the official state migratory bird of South Carolina, recognizing the species’ significant ecological and cultural importance.

 

Stay tuned to our website HERE for updates on these bills and others!

 

Photo credits: SC State House by Sara Green, Brown Pelican by Jennifer Plunket, and Native Plants by Savannah Jordan.

WAIT Partner Update: Michelin US1

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Michelin’s US1 facility is proud to be the latest addition to the WAIT (Wildlife And Industry Together) program, joining other certified Michelin sites across South Carolina. With a strong commitment to protecting biodiversity, including at its operational sites, Michelin’s team launched a rigorous process in 2023 to ensure that all innovations are properly suited to the specific location.

Collaborating with Furman University, they developed a comprehensive biodiversity management plan for Michelin sites across the U.S. and Canada, including at the company’s Greenville Passenger Car Tire Manufacturing site, US1. Utilizing insights from Furman University and the SC Wildlife Federation, Michelin has made significant strides in creating and maintaining diverse ecosystems.

 



The saddleback caterpillar moth will likely be supported by the blueberry plants installed on the property.



The caterpillar skiff moth will likely be supported by the blueberry plants installed on the property.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Efforts include the planting of 30 blueberry bushes, which are excellent for supporting moths and butterflies, and the enhancement of a four-acre area with a diverse array of native flowers. Additionally, multiple birdhouses have been installed around the perimeter, and several fenced gardens featuring 12 different native plants have been created to attract pollinators. In a further commitment to biodiversity, US1 has adopted a 0 PHYTO policy, which prohibits the use of pesticides on the property, thereby providing a safer habitat for wildlife.

 

Thank you Michelin US1 for all of your hard work and dedication to wildlife conservation on your property!

 

Why WAIT?

SCWF partners with conservation-minded businesses throughout the state who want to help wildlife thrive by enhancing their properties and providing educational opportunities for their employees and communities. Read more about the WAIT Program and how to join here.