Birding Charleston Guides

Millions of birds crossed Charleston under the cover of darkness. By morning, fall migrants were appearing throughout the Lowcountry and the migration eventually followed me all the way home.

Discover why Pitt Street Bridge is one of South Carolina’s premier coastal birding destinations. Learn the best seasons, tides, birds, and wildlife from over a decade of firsthand experience exploring this remarkable Lowcountry marsh.

A complete guide to birding Magnolia Plantation—where to go, what to see, and the best times to visit.

Explore the excitement of fall bird migration in Charleston, South Carolina. Discover Fort Moultrie, Hampton Park, Marsh View Trail, BirdCast, colorful warblers, and firsthand birding adventures from an unforgettable migration season.

As the humid Summer heat continues here in the Low Country I have been birding less often. Twice this July I ventured out during the evening to enjoy slightly more comfortable temperatures and a different perspective as most of my birding trips occur during the morning hours. On both evening explorations I visited my favorite Charleston birding location, Fort Moultrie National Historic Park located on beautiful Sullivan's Island. Fort Moultrie and the Sullivan's Island Nature

The "West" end of the West Ashley Greenway is a beautiful spot to appreciate nature especially birds! The former railway intersects the majestic tidal marsh providing an ever changing wetland landscape. This thriving ecosystem provides sanctuary and food for a great variety of birds. During the summer months two very colorful and intriguing birds are attracted to this special location. The Painted Bunting and Roseate Spoonbill are always exciting to spot along this final stre

Hampton Park is a wonderful 60+ acre park located on the Charleston Peninsula. This Charleston city park offers a fantastic setting for walking, sitting, cycling, playing, and birding! The rich variety of flora, such as mature trees, dense shrubs, and colorful flowers, draws in a diverse array of bird species. The park's vegetation also serves as a year-round habitat for numerous birds. Exploring the park will allow you to experience the vibrant bird population, including Blu

I love birding Charleston in January! There is such a wide variety of bird species that visit Charleston during the winter.

Carr Richardson is a hidden gem of a park with wonderful views and lots of birds! This a great small park to explore with kids too!

This October I focused a majority of my birding at my favorite Charleston birding hotspot, Fort Moultrie National Historical Park!

Fall Migration is upon us and I decided to explore one of the best hotspots for songbird migration, West Ashley Park. This large park encompasses over 260 acres and has amazing habitat for wildlife and birds! The park has miles of trails that walk through mature and diverse woodlands, wetlands, along waterways, and even a wooded island. You can spend hours walking the seemly endless trails of this park that is conveniently located in West Ashley. West Ashley Park is eBird hot

I explored a beautiful small park in the heart of Mount Pleasant called the Marsh View Trail. This lovely park offers a short wooded trail that leads into a maritime habitat and a vast open salt marsh. There is also a dog park and a beautiful pollinator garden that was being cared for by a group of super nice ladies during my visit. The Marsh View Trail has moved into eBird Hotspot #50 with 157 bird species recorded! The first leg of the trail has a variety of thick vegetatio

I spent a pleasant September morning birding the James Island County Park. I began the day exploring the new fishing dock which offers wonderful long views of the beautiful salt marsh. I then walked the entirety of the green and orange trails. It was a peaceful walk and nearly every park-goer I passed smiled and said good morning. James Island County Park is eBird Hotspot #20 with 210 bird species recorded! As I headed to the fishing dock I immediately heard several songbirds

This sandy inlet is a popular feeding area for all kinds of wildlife especially birds! Beachwalker County Park is eBird Hotspot #26

I had the pleasure of birding beautiful Botany Bay WMA near Edisto Beach this past weekend. This picturesque location has a wide variety of thriving habitats covering over 3,000 acres that provide a vast preserve for wildlife. Botany Bay Plantation Wildlife Management Area is eBird Hotspot #7 with 253 bird species recorded. My day began at 4am doing my best to not disturb my sleeping wife, I was unsuccessful. I brewed a pot of coffee, filled up my mug and began the drive sout

I explored Charleston County Parks' Caw Caw Interpretive Center this past Sunday. It was a midday trip on a hot but beautiful July day. I usually prefer to bird in the morning time but with my 3 kiddos out of school "birding time" has been limited. I seized this free moment to explore one of my favorite parks in all of Charleston! Caw Caw Interpretive Center is eBird Hotspot #9 with 244 bird species recorded. The day's exploration begin on the Upland Forest Loop, I immediatel

The West Ashley Greenway is a fantastic 8 mile trail through West Ashley. The former railroad is part of the City of Charleston’s Park system and extends from Albermale Road to Main Road. The trail is a popular location for residents and visitors to walk and bicycle through neighborhoods, woods, fields, creeks, and marshes. I birded the Greenway on 3 occasions in June focusing on the section between mile marker 7 and 8 (near Main Road). This section of the trail is mostly tid

The Breach Inlet is a beautiful coastal location between Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island. Tidal creeks flow into the Atlantic Ocean making this area an active habitat for marine life and birds. This site also has historical significance as a Revolutionary War Battle was fought at the Breach Inlet. Colonel William Thomson and 1300 Americans successfully defended North Sullivans Island against Commander Henry Clinton and Lord Charles Cornwallis advancing with 3800 British tr

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, known as the oldest garden in America is eBird hotspot #6. This incredible and historic property encompasses over 400 acres of rich wildlife habitat. I explored the plantation over 3 separate trips, each covering a different habitat. The first trip I walked the trail along the Ashley River and explored the Wildlife Refuge. The Wildlife Refuge is a large impoundment that is located along the Ashley River. There is currently work being done to r

The Santee Coastal Reserve Wildlife Management Area is ranked #1 on eBird with 275 species of birds recorded. The reserve covers 24,000 acres with an amazing variety of habitats for all types of wildlife to flourish. Habitats include diverse forests, freshwater, brackish and tidal wetlands, two barrier islands, agricultural fields, old rice impoundments, intracoastal waterway, and the Santee River Delta. The Longleaf Pine Forest is home to 2 of only 15 birds that are fully en