Sunday April 10, 2016, Day 8- Crossing Charleston Harbor to Sullivan island

One of the old homes in Mt. Pleasant SC

A grand home with lots of romm for the patter of little feet

One of the manyhomes in "Old Town" Mt Pleasant SC
See below for more

It was a little cooler the AM dropping to 40 F while we knew that most of the eastern USA was still freezing. Even the county just north of Charleston was in a freeze.  So in order for the air to warm, we waited until mid morning to head out. This time was across the Wando River (Charleston Harbor) to Sullivan Island where there had been reported individual homes that had bird feeders.  (Didn’t find any.)

To get to Sullivan Island proper the road (703) crosses Ben Sawyer flats a very good birding site in season. We were still ahead of the heavy migration. We made three stops on that Island,  and the Island of Palms adjacent to Sullivan. All of the islands are accessed by roads and bridges. 

There was a brief stop to view the Fort called Moultrie, and again some views on the water that brought a sitting Osprey into view. There was a Osprey roost, (platform on a 25 foot  pole) but it was too close for us to see if there were any young in the nest.  At the Fort there is a Catholic church that was just letting out from their Sunday Mass as the congestion for parking for both places was very confusing. The church is Stella Maris and after the bombing of Sullivan's Island in the Civil War, the church was the only public building still standing. The church (all stone and brick)  was relocated and became a starting point for the rebuilding of Sullivan's Island. The interior and altar of the church are beautiful. The grooved ceiling was made to resemble the hull of a ship. The statue of lady "Stella Maris" (Star of the Sea), stands on top of steeple. Bricks for the new church were taken with permission from the ruins of Fort Moultrie walls. (Just across the street)

The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge over the Harbor 

Fort Moultrie named after the General.

Stella Maris RC Church with priest and acolytes moving to start Mass

 Traveling the very narrow streets (remember this is one, *’old’ city) we stopped next at the Alhambra Hall which is  nestled in the Old Village section of Mount Pleasant. Overlooking the Charleston Harbor, this former Ferry Terminal is appointed with hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings and breezy southern porches that wrap three sides of the building. It is used as a city hall for weddings and events  with large grassed area in front , it makes a great dog run and a place for children to romp safely. HISTORICAL NOTE: The FIRST resolution to separate from the Union was drafted here in Mt Pleasant a few days before the South Carolina one in Charleston.

A few birds were in the water there at Alhambra hall,  but nothing really significant. So as this  was a very old section of the city, we photographed many of the homes along the way to Sullivan island. Ruth took great pleasure in recording those. There were block after block of old homes of many styles and desIgns. Some had been recently converted into summer homes.  This community was founded in 1755 by the captain of the ship that brought the first white settlers . Of course his name was O’Sullivan.!!!

While photographing the Old Charleston Lighthouse we did spot a Wood Thrush perched in a tree all the time we were there where Mockingbirds abound as well.  That lighthouse is 185 feet in the air and was once painted orange and red until the locals complained and it became a black and white one

Old Charleston Light on Sullivan Island
IT is 185 feet high, (Active)

Fort Moutrie in part

The street markers in "Old Town " Mt Pleasant.

Be forewarned along the beaches.

A short stop to eat lunch at Breach Inlet to watch some fisherman on the beach, and to our surprise DOLPHINS playing in the water in the inlet.  What a thrill!!  We also spotted a few very young Ring Billed Gulls, our Michigan regular. HISTORICAL NOTE: The H.L. Hunley , the Confederate submarine that sank the Union vessel the Housatonic, was launched from this inlet.

The last stop further on up 703 was Isle of Palms County Park that was well attired with benches, walkways, rest rooms, and a kiosk for beach materials to rent or buy today and for the rest of the season. Here we rested while scanning the beach and water for birds. One Blue Jay in a bush, a Bluebird in a tree, as well as one in a bird house, a Willet (one only) on the beach, and finally  as we were walking back to the truck, a Brown Thrasher that Ruth spotted and I thought it was a Wood Thrush. (Wrong place, Jim, it was  in the shrubbery.) Total today was 25 bird specie seen. Total so far on the trip, 58 specie counted.

Ruth wanted some respite from cooking so we found a place just a stone’s throw from the campground called “Southside 17”  and enjoyed chicken bisque soup, shrimp, enchiladas, and a free plate of mushrooms, battered. It was a huge plate full. “Southside” was a noisy, TV screen filled Grill and bar, but a happy place during the final rounds of the Master Tournament. Tomorrow , no definite plans. We shall see.

Here are  few f the manyhomes we saw today.