Lake Conestee Nature Preserve

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Lake Conestee Nature Preserve is owned and managed by the Conestee Foundation, a nonprofit organization.

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If you've been to our Spanco Dr. entrance lately, you've noticed some vast improvements and beautification. This is due to focused and coordinated volunteer support led by Sam Gardner, a high schooler working to on Eagle Scout certification. Sam did a phenomenal job leading his troop and volunteers through his vision; laying new pavers, pruning to improve views of South Bay, planting native plants, and mulching. He has made a lasting impact on the Preserve, and we thank him and his team for their incredible efforts!

LCNP recruits only 1 or 2 Eagle projects each year. We post volunteer opportunities on our website. ... See MoreSee Less

1 day ago ·

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Is Fall Your Favorite Season? ... See MoreSee Less

Is Fall Your Favorite Season?

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Recent sighting at LCNP: Female Mallard Duck photo by Anthony Martin WAYS TO GIVE TO LAKE CONESTEE NATURE PRESERVE Donation boxes There is an “iron ranger” just past the main entrance off Mauldin ...

3 days ago ·

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With Halloween on Saturday, many people will be dressing up as monsters, princesses, or superheroes. We have some “superheroes” at Lake Conestee Nature Preserve as well; ducks and other waterfowl with incredible abilities, and this is an excellent time of year to observe them. We’re giving each of these birds a superhero name to match their powers!

PIED BILLED GREBE - THE SUBMARINE
These unique diving birds have incredible control over their buoyancy. They squeeze excess air out of their feathers by flattening them against their body. This allows them to control how fast or slowly they sink in the water. Sometimes only their eyes can be seen above the surface of the water.

Pied billed grebes can be seen year round at LCNP, but most commonly during the winter months. Keep an eye out for a small body with a large blocky head diving in the open waters of the East and South Bays.

HOODED MERGANSER - THE FISH FINDER
Hooded mergansers are the only duck in North America who can change the refractive properties of their eyes to improve their underwater vision, which is critical since they find their prey underwater by sight. They are the only ducks that specialize in eating fish, though they also eat crayfish and insects. They also have a “nictitating membrane”, a transparent extra eyelid that helps protect their eye during swimming, like a built-in pair of goggles.

These little ducks have extravagant crests; sharp black and white patterns on the breeding male, with chestnut flanks, and a cinnamon crest on the female. They can fan these crests open and closed.

Their ducklings leave their nest cavity within 24 hours of hatching, even if it involves a fall of 50’ or more. When their mother calls from the ground, they scramble to the entrance hole and then jump to the ground. From there, they head to water, where they can swim and find their own food.

Hooded mergansers are most often seen during the winter and spring months at LCNP. They nest in wood duck boxes or tree cavities next to the wetlands.

WOOD DUCK - THE LAZARUS DUCK
This duck has risen from the brink of extinction and is now a common year-round resident of LCNP!

In the early 19th century the wood duck population was threatened with extinction due to hunting and logging of large trees that served as nesting sites for wood ducks. They are cavity nesters, specifically in cavities adjacent to water. The Migratory Bird Act of 1918 and the construction of artificial nesting boxes, such as the 76 we provide and maintain at LCNP, helped the wood duck population rebound.

Their webbed feet are tipped with nails that help them cling to tree branches...another “superpower”. Look for these flashy waterfowl perched in trees or paddling through the water.

Breeding male wood ducks are stunning! They have colorful, ornate patterns. Females are gray-brown with a thin white eyering.

The wooded wetlands, rivers, and old lake beds at LCNP provide perfect habitat for wood ducks to find cavities for nesting and aquatic plants, seeds, and crustaceans to eat.

Photos by Anthony Q. Martin ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago ·

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HOME
ABOUT US
VISIT US
EVENTS
TRAIL STATUS
EDUCATION
WHAT’S HAPPENING
WAYS TO GIVE