Tuesday, June 23
In addition to the Visitors Center
and Wrights Bluff Nature Trail, the Bluff Unit of Santee NWR is home to the Santee Indian Mound and historic Fort Watson.
The Santee Indian Mound dates back to 1200-1450. The remaining mound, which stands roughly 30 feet, was part of a ceremonial mound complex which consisted of several mounds around an open plaza. English settlers first encountered the Santee Indians in the 1700's and many of the Santees were shipped to the West Indies as slaves during the Yemassee War. Those who were not captured escaped and joined the Catawba Nation.
British Troops erected Fort Watson atop the abandoned Mound during the Revolutionary War, only to have it taken by General Francis Marion's (aka "the Swamp Fox") troops in April of 1781. In 1969, the Santee Indian Mound was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
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| love this tree |
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view of Lake Marion from the grounds of the Indian Mound.
this area is frequently used for fishing |
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| Indian Mound is located behind this marker |
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| Lake Marion was named after Brig. General Francis "the Swamp Fox" Marion |
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| Santee Indian Mound. It's overgrown to keep artifact hunters at bay |
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| these stairs take you to the top of the mound where Fort Watson once stood |
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| at the top of the mound. nice view of Lake Marion from here |
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| heading down |
Sights from our backyard, where we have very active feeding stations....
Many of our birds come in "pairs", either together or singly. We fondly refer to them as the "Mr." or the "Mrs"...
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| we never see one without the other.. |
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| and here she is! love her red beak! |
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| the "Mr." is close by... |
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| unlike the painted bunting who is so colorful and is easy to spot, this dove blends in well with his/her surroundings |
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| here he is! |
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| flowering cactus. only bloomed for a couple of days |
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| "Mr." I never get tired of seeing him |
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| "Mrs." peeking her head around the corner |
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| I so love his colors! |
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| cracks me up how they manage to bury their heads in the feeder... |
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| on my bucket list! keeping my eye out for him...prothonotary warbler |
We also have a bunny who shows up now and then, along with hummingbirds, cowbirds and lots of squirrels. And I do mean a lot of squirrels! We finally gave up and are feeding them now as well. They love the corn and stay away from the feeders (until the corn runs out)!
Til next time,
Ron, Dawn & Coop
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