Water Birds

Trumpeter Swan In And Out of Shadows

May 24, 2024 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

This Trumpeter Swan was casually feeding, pulling vegetation up from the pond bottom.

He was in no particular hurry, paddling back and forth in and out of shadows created by the pond-side trees.

His movement made ripples in the water as he got further from shore, maybe as the depth of the water changed.

And the ripples sometimes make freakish reflections…two headed swan…or head with a donut hole.

It wasn’t intentional, but I mostly captured this swan going to my right–was that his better side?

Swan Lake Iris Gardens is a public park in Sumter, SC and has been home to all eight known swan species.

Swan Lake Iris Gardens, Sumpter SC
May 21, 2024

Flowers

Fancy Purple Iris

May 24, 2024 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
May 20, 2024

Water Birds

Whooper Swan and Purple Iris

May 23, 2024 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

A Whooper Swan was doing a bit of grooming with a purple iris backdrop at Swan Lake.

Swan Lake Iris Gardens is a public park in Sumter, SC and has been home to all eight known swan species.

Many of the iris beds have undergone thinning and resetting since we were last there so the flowers weren’t as dramatic, but it was still pretty nice!

Swan Lake Iris Gardens, Sumpter SC
May 21, 2024

Wading Birds

Roseate Spoonbill Chicks Feeding

May 19, 2024 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

The three Roseate Spoonbill chicks in this nest were all vying for an opportunity to get fed.

The adults regurgitate their meals…

…and the chicks stick their beaks into the adult’s throat.

The adult didn’t seem to showing any preference, whichever chick stuck his beak in the right direction got something.

At this age the chicks don’t have much coordination so it was rather a free for all. Just guessing here and knowing they grow fast, this trio might be a week or ten days old.

St. Augustine Alligator Farm, St. Augustine, FL
April 16, 2024

Reptiles

On The Move, On Land

May 19, 2024 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

I saw the Alligator come out of the pond to the left and plomp down.

I was rethinking my destination when he got up, sauntered over the walkway,

…slid into the water and swam away.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
May 12, 2024

Amphibian

Frog in Rotten Tree

May 18, 2024 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

Sprinkled with bits of the crumbling trunk this little frog was hanging onto a perch in the curve of a rotting tree.

I was expecting him to jump as soon as I spotted him, but there he sat watching the world go by.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
May 12, 2024

Duck

Wood Ducks Duckling Outlier

May 18, 2024 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

While the Wood Duck family was gathering together this one intrepid duckling struck out on his own. Mama was watchful but she didn’t try to interfere.

Junior didn’t have a care in the world about what might be lurking under the duck weed. I first thought there was an alligator at the bottom of this photo, but it turned out to be a stick.

Might as well test out the wings a bit…

…then right back to the group.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
May 12, 2024

Artsy

Gone to Seed

May 17, 2024 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

Duck

Wood Ducks Gathering

May 17, 2024 Ellen Jennings 1 Comment

Several families of Wood Ducks are around the ponds at Audubon Swamp at Magnolia. I’ve mostly seen them paddling in the duck weed but late Sunday afternoon they gathered for a break on a mound of mud and vegetation.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
May 12, 2024

Wading Birds

Great Blue Heron Looking Around

May 16, 2024 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

A Great Blue Heron was wandering the bank of the big old rice field pond. This bank was raised a few years ago when the pond was dredged to better accommodate the nature boat that Magnolia operates as part of their tourist operation.

It hasn’t been a pretty place to take photographs in the interim, but this year a variety of “weeds” have taken hold. You can still see some of the dredged mud behind the heron, but it does make a nice backdrop for our view of the bird.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
April 30, 2024