Nature Sights in Boykin

Thousands of wading birds make their nests around the Boykin Millpond each spring, making it one of the most spectacular birding sites in the state. While this habitat is carefully protected on private property, there is always a magnificent view of pond wildlife from the Millpond Restaurant at the water’s edge where one can see huge alligators and the magnificent sunset flight of hundreds of birds returning to their nest sites.

This pond and wetland habitat, fed by Swift Creek is home to many species of wading birds - Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Green Heron, Black Crowned Night Heron, Yellow Crowned Night Heron, Anhinga, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, American Bittern, Purple Gallinule – and large variety of birds of the wetlands including the Red-Winged Blackbird, Rusty Blackbird, Belted Kingfisher and the Eastern Kingbird.

In addition to hundreds of ducks and geese, one may also catch a glimpse of many birds of prey including the Osprey, Bald Eagle, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Mississippi Kite, plus many species of migrating warblers and resident woodpeckers and owls.  In recent years, swans have been visiting the pond.