Monthly Archives: August 2019

Insects

Palamedes Swallowtail Butterfly

12 Comments

Red was the favorite for this  Palamedes Swallowtail as he zipped around the brilliant Lantana blossoms.

Swallowtail Butterfly on Red Lantana
Swallowtail Butterfly on Red Lantana

This garden area had some orange and pink zinnias and other annuals but this butterfly kept coming back to the red.

Swallowtail Butterfly on Red Lantana
Swallowtail Butterfly on Red Lantana

Head on images of wildlife rarely end up looking good, but I liked this view with the wings folded and antennae out.

Swallowtail Butterfly on Red Lantana
Swallowtail Butterfly on Red Lantana

The butterfly then turned a bit to the side showing off his long legs. If you zoom in you can see he’s picked up some pollen in his travels, too.

Swallowtail Butterfly on Red Lantana
Swallowtail Butterfly on Red Lantana

Click any image for a larger view. 

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, August 27, 2019.

Wading Birds

Great Egret Not Going to Share Lunch

7 Comments

This Great Egret worked hard in the reeds to capture a Siren, a weird eel-like salamander that hangs out in the mud, and flew to a secluded corner of the pond to figure out how to eat it. He dropped and retrieved it several times.

Great Egret with Siren
Great Egret with Siren

A Great Blue Heron had been following along, slowly getting closer until the Great Egret decided to relocate, taking lunch with him.

Great Egret with Siren
Great Egret with Siren

Covered with mud, the Great Egret took this opportunity to dunk and rinse his catch.

Great Egret with Siren
Great Egret with Siren

He took off again as the Great Blue maneuvered closer.

Great Egret with Siren
Great Egret with Siren

The Great Blue Heron took off, too. They went out of my sight so I don’t know who got to eat.

Great Blue Heron Following Great Egret with Siren
Great Blue Heron Following Great Egret with Siren
Animals

Dolphin Splash, Take 2

2 Comments

I thought the Dolphin from yesterday’s post, Dolphin Splash, would move on when the first big splash was done. I stood still, watching and was surprise he circled again in the same spot.

Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek
Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek

This time even more water went into the air…

Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek
Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek

… making a cool fountain shape.

Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek
Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek

I got a couple glimpses of the Dolphin’s fin, but again did not see if he got anything to eat.

Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek
Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek

Then he really did move on and this was the last I saw of him.

Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek
Dolphin moving down the creek
Shore Birds

Ruddy Turnstone: Mud Hunt

Leave a comment

The receding tide uncovered a blob of mud and left a pool of water perfect for a Ruddy Turnstone to poke around in for breakfast.

Ruddy Turnstone
Ruddy Turnstone

The sun had just come up casting a bit of orange glow on the water.

Ruddy Turnstone
Ruddy Turnstone

The Turnstone feeds by probing in the mud or sand for small crustaceans. This mud was pretty dense and was not something I wanted to step in but this little fellow found it appealing.

Ruddy Turnstone
Ruddy Turnstone

Click on any image for a larger view.

Animals

Dolphin Splash

1 Comment

The volume of water a Dolphin can move when they are hunting always amazes me. This one was after fish in a tidal creek that started off with a small splash…

Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek
Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek

…that built up …

Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek
Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek

… to a swoosh of water.

Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek
Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek

I was not close enough to see if the Dolphin caught any fish.

Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek
Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek

The water rained back down about 10 seconds after the first image.

Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek
Dolphin Splashing Water in Creek

The far bank is an oyster bed, covered with sharp shells, so the Dolphin cannot Strand Feed  here. Instead, they swim rapidly in a circle to herd and confuse the fish.

Landscape, Shore Birds

Pond Scenes

4 Comments

The water was still and the air was hot. A few gulls and terns occupied old posts standing in the pond while an Anhinga dried off on a stump.

Shore Birds on Posts, Anhinga in Background
Shore Birds on Posts, Anhinga in Background

Even though it was early morning when you expect to see the birds feeding there wasn’t much going on.

Shore Birds on Posts
Shore Birds on Posts

Trees and grasses on the other side of the pond made interesting reflections in the water.

Shore Birds on Posts
Shore Birds on Posts

Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, SC, 8/12/2019