Lowcountry outdoors: 2021 Beidler Forest

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

2021 Beidler Forest - Flora and Fauna

Swamp Sentinel - Barred Owl

The folks at Audubon South Carolina oversee a unique swath of the Lowcountry at Beidler Forest, including 1000-year old cypress trees in Four Holes Swamp. The term 'four holes' refers to the four lowest points fo the swamp, that continue to hold water even during a time of drought. Of course rainfall in 2021 has been ample and not only is the swamp wide with water right now, it has a decent flow moving through it. Beidler Forest empties directly into the Edisto River, and functions to conserve and preserve a large watershed. In addition to bottomlands, the Beidler Forest includes upland habitats and miles and miles of edge habitat where the swamp transitions to high ground.

Bedded doe and playful fawn

This blog entry will not document all the the flora and fauna found here, but rather what was encountered on Monday September 27. Migratory songbirds encountered included American redstart and black-throated blue warbler. The prothonotary warblers which dominate Beidler Forest had already left on their Southbound migration. We did not encounter a feral hog, but we did witness large animals in the form of white-tailed deer. The deer walk in the swamp water with ease, and they find solitude in the heart of the swamp where no hunting is allowed. A barred owl is a large raptor that is at home in the swamps of the Lowcountry, and we found one taking an afternoon nap not far from the boardwalk.

Damsel Fly

It is wildflower season in the swamp and we saw two kinds of lobelia, both purple and red. Poison ivy is omnipresent in this environment, so beware the leaves on fuzzy vines. Damsel flies and hovering flies were common on this day, and despite a lack of wind we were not bothered by mosquitoes. Many yellow-bellied slider turtles were encountered, and crawfish were out scavenging. We even witnessed a crawfish battle royale with the largest crawdad the victor. To take a video tour of the swamp click on Beidler Forest.