Spring Birding in Beautiful Upstate South Carolina
South Carolina Parks, Recreation, and Tourism is proud to present the annual Blue Wall Birding Festival, held in Upstate South Carolina from April 25 to 28, 2024. Our home base for the event will again be Table Rock State Park. From there, we will branch out and bird some of the best hotspots for spring migration in northwestern SC. At this time of year, we should find a great variety of migrating birds as well as a nice selection of the region's breeding birds, such as Swainson's Warbler, and perhaps a few lingering winter residents. All trips will be led by knowledgeable local birders. This year we will again have workshops for bird identification by call, as well as a field trip to focus primarily on butterflies, of which the Upstate has a great variety.
Table Rock State Park
Throughout the weekend we hope to showcase the great birding and parks that Upstate South Carolina has to offer, as well as some of the conservation work that is under way here. Field trips will visit a great variety of habitats, from the open country landscape of the Townville area, to the striking mountains of Table Rock and Caesars Head State Parks, to the pristine and beautiful Lake Jocassee.
Participation will be limited to 50 attendees in order to keep the field trip group sizes small, so sign up quickly.
Schedule
THURSDAY, APRIL 25
- 4:30 PM - Registration desk opens. Check in at the Table Rock State Park Lodge.
- 5:15 PM - Opening social at Table Rock State Park Lodge. Opening comments and introductions, followed by a game of "Jeop-bird-y." Drinks and snacks provided.
- 6:15 PM - Keynote speaker (TBA).
Thursday night we will gather together to introduce some of our trip leaders, discuss the logistics for the weekend, play a bird-focused version of Jeopardy, and enjoy chatting about birds. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
FRIDAY, APRIL 26
- 6:00 AM - Registration desk opens. Check in at the Table Rock State Park Visitor Center.
- 6:15 AM - Field Trips begin. See our Outings page for more information.
- 8:45 PM - Nocturnal birding (Trip 7) for those interested. Meet at the Table Rock Nature Center / Trailhead.
SATURDAY, APRIL 27
- 6:30 AM - Field Trips begin departing. See our Outings page for more information.
- 7:00 PM - Social and festival wrap-up, including species count-down. Meet at the Pinnacle Pavilion ("The Barn") at Table Rock State Park. Snacks and drinks provided.
SUNDAY, APRIL 28
- 6:30 AM - For those interested, Trip 8, to Conestee Nature Preserve, departs.
- 7:00 AM - For those interested, Trip 9, to Lake Jocassee and Devils Fork State Park, departs. See our Outings page for more information.
Accommodations
Participants are encouraged to stay at the cabins at Table Rock State Park, which will be held for attendees of this festival until April 1, 2024.
NOTE: Since the cabins are held for festival participants, they will not appear available online. Please call the park at (864) 878-9813 instead and tell them you are registered for the festival in order to reserve one of the cabins.
Table Rock also has several campsites available. To reserve a campsite, visit the park website or call 1-866-345-PARK (7275).
In addition, the following state parks in the area have cabins or campsites available, as specified:
- Devils Fork State Park - Several 2-bedroom villas and camping available.
- Keowee-Toxaway State Park - One 3-bedroom cabin and camping available.
- Oconee State Park - Several cabins and camping available.
- Caesars Head State Park - Primitive camping only.
There are also several hotels available in Clemson, Seneca, and Easley.
Cost
The cost for the event is $125 per person, and includes guides for all trips, admission to Thursday night's presentation and to any state parks included as part of a field trip itinerary, as well as snacks at the Thursday and Saturday evening events. For those interested, it also includes admission to Table Rock State Park after hours for Friday night's owling excursion, and a guided tour of Conestee Nature Preserve on Sunday morning (Trip 8). All registrants will also receive a festival coffee mug and T-shirt.
For those interested in Trip 9, Devil's Fork State Park and Lake Jocassee, there is an additional cost of $65 per person to cover the boat tour portion, allowing close looks at Loons and Grebes, a chance at seeing the Peregrine Falcons nesting along the cliffs, and a very enjoyable and relaxing ride on a beautiful lake in the mountains.
Not included in the registration fees are accommodations, meals, and transportation, with the exception of Trip 5, covering Table Rock State Park, The Mountain Bridge Wilderness, and Tall Pines WMA, which will use the State Parks van for transportation.
Registration
Registration is open until April 18, 2024. Details for how to sign up can be found on our Registration Page.
Partners
The Blue Wall Birding Festival is being brought to you by the following organizations:
South Carolina State Parks
The Greenville County Bird Club
The Keowee-Clemson Bird Club
Jocassee Lake Tours