Barred Owls typically inhabit dense, lowland forests and swampy areas such as the ACE Basin. Although not currently threatened or endangered, the Barred Owl is very sensitive to changes in its natural habitat and serves as an indicator species for the state of the ecosystem.

SCIWAY thanks Robert Kemmerlin of Orangeburg for submitting this photo.

Brown Pelicans once nested along coastal areas from Mexico to North Carolina, but today they only nest in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana. The Deveaux Bank Heritage Preserve within the ACE Basin is a very popular nesting spot for the pelicans.

Joanna Thurman of Conway captured this great shot, and says that she “much prefers winter at Myrtle Beach to summer, as one is more likely to have close encounters with visitors of another type, such as this Brown Pelican. I always carry a little camera in my pocket, and this day it paid off by providing me with a very fond memory. I chuckle every time I look at it because the bird was such a character.”

Learn more about the Eastern Brown Pelican.

Find out more about the Great Egret and the scenic Black River.

Deborah describes her Sunday hike: “We rounded a bend and the rush of the Gorges threw its spell on us from the bowels of the valley floor. The closer we got to the valley floor, the more wildflowers carpeted the ground. The ferns were tall and green and in several varieties. We ate our lunch back at the creek where the trail ends in the valley. We chose a rock next to a rapid and watched two ducks rise in quick flight from a possible hidden nest on an island. Yellow tiger swallowtails were dipping and playing all over and above the water. I walked down to the point above the rapid and to my surprise, about fifty swallowtails were sitting on the edge of the rock next to the frothy water feeding. They did not care that I stood and shot pictures or that I slid down to the lower level and came up eye level with them. They were on a mission and nothing would deter that.

“We hike the Jocassee Gorges in every season and it is never the same. No spring is ever the same as the flowers try to outshine the year before. I think all was well with us and God for missing church since we praised what we saw and decided that if we should encounter a bear or wild boar, this was the perfect place to be their lunch. We are like salmon coming back to the same spot every season to feed upon the splendor. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Read more about the South Carolina State Butterfly, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

Deborah describes taking the photo: “The Bells are very hard to photograph as they are a member of the Galax family and grow low to the ground, the blooms are white, small and the heads are bowed. I am sure I must have looked quite amusing lying on the ground, legs stretched across the creek and bent over at the waist trying to get a good shot. It was exhausting but worth it. I am so proud to live in Oconee County and very thrilled to have the chance to see the Bells in the wild.”

Oconee Bells (Shortia galacifolia) are a species of wildflower native to the Appalachian mountains of South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina. They occur relatively rarely in the wild, as they require very specific habitats. They bloom for a very short time in early spring. Click here to learn more about Oconee Bells.

A large tree, it reaches 60-80 feet in height and 30-50 feet in width, generally taking a pyramidal or oval shape. The tops of the evergreen’s leaves are waxy and deep, glossy green. The bottoms are soft and slightly fuzzy – a dull reddish-brown. Its cheery red seeds resemble large kernels of corn.

The magnolia is one of the oldest plants on earth, and various varieties grow across the continents. Another name for the Southern Magnolia is Bull Bay.

Sally Taylor of Gilbert took this lovely photo during the summer of 2009.

This photo submission is from Julie Rowe of Charleston. She is a professional photographer who takes many wonderful shots of South Carolina‘s wildlife. You can view more of her photographs at Julie G. Rowe Photography.

Read more about SCIway’s trip to McClellanville.

See photos of neighboring Awendaw.

She writes: “This was taken at the Sea Pines Forest Preserve on Hilton Head Island. It is a wonderful place to visit. I didn’t expect to see the red leaves against the Spanish moss in January. To me this combines the color of the upstate with the Spanish moss of the Lowcountry.”

She writes: “This photo was taken at the Sea Pines Forest Preserve on Hilton Head Island. This preserve is a wonderful place to go and take photos. There are several lakes there and in the winter there is a large variety of birds that winter in the area. This particular photo was taken near the shell ring. This place is remarkable for its peace and quiet. You would never think you were in the middle of Hilton Head.”

The saw palmetto is native to South Carolina and is most often found near the coast. It is a very common ground cover and is used in the manufacture of saw palmetto extract.

John describes his photo: “My wife Sharon and I are relatively new retirees to this wonderful area (July 2004) and simply love to walk the beach at Huntington all year long. We are both amateur photographers and try to capture wildlife as we find it. All my life I have been fascinated by ‘sea foam’ and when I could get a Sanderling included I almost fainted! Huntington Beach State Park played a serious role in our decision to retire to this area.”

The Sanderling (Calidris alba) is a migratory bird that covers long distances from its wintering to its breeding grounds. It spends the summer in the High Arctic, where it typically lays three to four eggs. When the cooling weather arrives, it will make the trip down south, stopping anywhere from Massachussetts to South America. It stays exclusively close to the coast and can often be sighted “running” on South Carolina beaches in the winter.