South Carolina
I live in Columbia, SC in the Lake Katherine area which is an area that incorporates the Gills Creek Watershed and a series of small lakes feeding into one another. As I was walking my small white dog down the street, I spotted a single large black bird circling over the creek area & thought it might have spotted something dead.
As I walked closer, I was struck by the pure gracefulness of the bird as it circled and moved, without flapping its wings like most birds do, and the thought occurred to me that it was too smooth and effortless to be a hawk or buzzard. It finally circled closer and I could see it was larger than any bird I had seen and realized it might be an eagle. Mesmerized, I kept slowly walking forward and it circled close enough that I could see the outstretched wings which looked like about a six feet span. It was around 12 noon, and it flew almost above me and I could see the sunlight filtering through the feathers as they spread out from the wing, and then saw the white head curved over from the body scanning the ground. It was pure majesty.
After about 5 minutes it disappeared towards another lake further north about 1 mile away which is the larger of the small lakes. There are lots of tall pines around.
I asked neighbors if they had seen it, and one said she had only seen one a few years earlier over Forest Lake. Then another neighbor said she had gone with one of the bird guides to try to spot one in the Congaree swamp, but to no avail, and the last time she talked to the guy, he said he had spotted some in our area.
Mrs. Sweeny
We saw 2 adult bald headed eagles on a rooftop in Garden City Beach SC. We had seen a younger bird perched on a beachfront house earlier in the afternoon.
We had a hard time choosing between a sunset over Murrells Inlet or watching the pair of eagles...the eagles won!
Denny Powell and Shelby Rhyne
I was just thrilled and disappointed within a 20 minute period when I saw an eagle on Route 601 in St. Matthews, SC on 10/11/09. I had taken the car out after dinner to take photographs of the local landscapes. Driving along, camera next to me on the passenger seat, I saw an unmistakable Bald Eagle. He was landed in the road and, when I drove by with 2 cars behind me, he took off. I was freaking out, wanting to brake and grab the camera. He flew back and landed again. This was NOT a vulture, turkey vulture, hawk, none of that. It was an eagle. I had to drive down a bit to turn around but when I got parked he or she was still there. Grabbing my camera, I got out of the car. Well, I should have come to your sight sooner because that was the end of my eagle sighting. I stood, camera at the ready, for 20 minutes with no results. If you read this, STAY IN THE CAR when you sight an eagle. Take pictures from your open window.
Cheryl Whittier
South Carolina- I am from Pennsylvania but am currently vacationing in Hilton Head, South Carolina. At about 10:45 am we were driving down the main road in Hilton Head by mile marker 8 after breakfast. I caught a brief glimpse of a bald eagle soaring just about the tree tops and then it disappeared into the trees. Having never seen a bald eagle in the wild I came across your website to see if they would be found in Hilton Head. I didn't realize that they are found all throughout the United States. What a way to start my day!
Mike Piparato
What a wonderful and awesome sight it was to drive away from my neighborhood in Fort Mill, SC, (just below Charlotte, NC) and see a bald eagle fly over. It was low enough and the sky was clear enough to make out its distinctive white head. My house is just a short distance from the Catawba River.
Doug Hurst
About two years ago (Dec 2007) my wife, 3 year old son, and I were in the back yard of our Aiken, SC home. It was about 8AM when we heard a loud sound from the top of a pine tree in our back yard. The sound was like a grown man jumping from a pine branch. We all looked up and about 30' above our heads was what was clearly a bald eagle. The morning sun was to our backs and shined directly on the birds white head so there was absolutely no mistaking it's identity. The bird flew toward the southeast and disappeared.
Since then I'm pretty sure I've seen at least one other Eagle, but it's not often that the view is so up close making identification easy.
Jeffrey Burkhalter
I live in the northeast subdivisions of Columbia, South Carolina. Yesterday, 2-25-08, I was in my yard getting a delivery of sod when I notice a large bird, white head and enormous wingspan circling above. The truck driver and I agreed it was a bald eagle. I was so excited that I went to my neighbor' s house, knocked on her door and told her to come out and see the eagle. The bird continued to circle for a few minutes and flew off in an easterly direction. This is the first eagle I have seen in South Carolina. I am hoping to see more!!
Liz Risner
I live in Goose Creek, South Carolina (about 20 miles northwest of Charleston) and have spotted eagles circling high above off and on since we moved in 11 months ago. My wife, believing eagles were not indigenous or migratory to our state, brushed off each sighting as a turkey vulture or something. I finally captured some pictures last Tuesday (1/22/2008) of one perched in our neighbor’s backyard tree (needless to say their dog was flipping out!)
Scott McCain
At the Great Pee Dee River near in a boat just down river from the Hwy 34 bridge me and a friend saw a Bald Eagle, we noticed the large wing span and solid white head and tail and knew this was no Hawk or buzzard I have since seen more birds that I think are Eagles riding the thermals about 1000 feet up I am very glad to see Bald Eagle in the Pee Dee area...Cal McInville, Mechanicsville S.C.
Florence, South Carolina. January,3 2007
I ran down to the store in town and as I was pulling out to go back I saw something out of my front glass, Coming over just above the trees he sailed over my truck. Looking back out of my mirror i saw him glide to the trees on a small branch that runs into town.. Beautiful just beautiful. Over the last few years I'm seeing more and more, Love it..
Mike Eaddy
It was amazing,my wife and I had walked out on our back deck around 9:15 a.m. on 12-04-06 when I happened to look up over my mothers house and there was a rather large bird flying over, and then about 20 seconds later here came another one following it.They had solid white heads and tails,and very large wingspans so I would say they had to be eagles,I have heard that they mate for life so hopefully they are a pair.I khow we have eagles that live about twenty miles fron us on the catawba river near the bowater plant.I dont know if these have taken up living on one of the large reservoirs near my house or not but I sure hope so.I know we have a pair of hawks that raise young in the woods back behind our house every year and have been doing this for a lot of years.My mom would sit and watch them teach their young to hunt every year in our feild.I live in Lancaster S.C. out in the county.I have always enjoyed watching the hawks and would love to be able to watch the eagles.I will be checking out the spots where they might like to live.
John T. Hagins sr.
On March 20, 2006, my friend and I were riding on Route 601 going north in North Carolina not far from the South Carolina border. There is a stretch of farmland and some land being leveled. I was in the passenger seat and looked to my right, and right there in the field was a bald eagle. He must have just caught up with something. We kind of thought that rats and mice were being chased out of the piles of plowed trees that were being burned. I was very excited to see the eagle in such plain sight! Several days later, my friend saw one in a tree while fishing at a local lake in Ruby, South Carolina. I did not know that eagles were so prevalent in this area, having moved from New Jersey, where there are some in the local reservoirs near where we lived. Courtesy of Karolyn Tredeau
I had the privilege of seeing a bald eagle this morning in Timmonsville, SC. I was driving by a restaurant near the Hwy 403 intersection and saw the bird land on a light pole near the restaurant. I did a double take, turned around and parked at the restaurant parking lot and started snapping photos. People came out of the restaurant and cars were pulling over to see the bird. It was very awesome! Courtesy of Stephanie Bittiker
South Carolina: My friend and I were beached at Morris Island early January ('06) during the middle of the afternoon. The sky was clear and the sun bright, and while catching up from the holidays he looked up facing toward the harbor sighting the eagle. The markings and size were unmistakable - it was in fact my second experience with a bald eagle in the Charleston area. The eagle soared over Morris Island and near to us for some time before flying higher and toward the peninsula out of our sight.
In sharing this experience with my neighbor on James Island she indicated seeing an eagle hunting around our creek (Seaside) within a week of our sighting. Perhaps it was the same bird.
My first experience sighting a bald eagle in Charleston was early spring '00 at Bulls Bay. I was touring the area with an ecologist who made the sighting. Without his guidance I doubt I would have made the connection or trusted my judgment to classify the bird. This most recent sighting at Morris Island confirms for me that the bald eagle exists in our area, and has generated real enthusiasm to learn more about this incredible creature that I only believed existed in textbooks or patriotic themed advertising. Both sightings were real blessings.
Courtesy of Sean Davis
South Carolina -- Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie (the Santee Cooper Lakes) are great places to see Bald Eagles. Saw one take a fish from an Osprey and another catch its own fish. Courtesy of Jim Lang
I am so excited and pleased to be able to let you all know that over the last month and now into Feburary, our two Eagles have been returning to the same tree on the old air base in Myrtle Beach, SC.
I saw them on several occassions, soaring overhead almost too high to make out that they were eagles, and between January 25 - 31, 06, they frequented the same tree that I originally saw them in! They are indeed beautiful beyond words. I can not believe that they are returning and the fact that there are two on most occassions, I am guessing that perhaps they are mates.
I was in the backyard, and heard a shrill, clear cry. Not a screech, almost a whistle. I had never heard it before and scanned the nearby trees to locate what bird was making the sound. Because of the weather it was difficult to see at first, but there he was. A beautiful Bald Eagle. Sitting in the very same tree as I first saw him. I got the camera, and was going to take some pictures, when he spread his wings and off he went, within seconds a second eagle came from behind me and followed the first.
And today, Feburary 3, 06 I saw him again. He was alone. He sat in the tree for several hours and did not seem to be bothered by the loud trucks that were driving by on the nearby street. He watched me just as I watched him. Turning his head and following me. I am so fascinated with him. I am going to keep a note of each time I see him (or them). The camera doesn't seem to bother him, nor that my German Shepherd is with me. He allows us to come approximately 15' of the base of the tree. I sit quietly and watch, and I'm careful not to disturb him. Perhaps he is as curious of me as I am of him. We have had a lot of developement going on around us, as they are redeveloping the old air base in Myrtle Beach. I am thinking that perhaps their usual roosting spot has been torn down or disturbed. I have lived in this area for seven years and these sightings are the first for me. Courtesy of Dee Salmi |