If any of you follow my husband, Ted Jennings/TPJ Photo, you might have seen his post He Couldn’t Wait, Alligator, a series of an Alligator walking across a walkway.
I had passed by before the Alligator came out of the pond on the right, and turned just to see him disappearing into the pond on the left. This was what I saw:
This Black-crowned Night-heron landed in a tree to locate some nesting material.
Who knew? They are all attached.
He finally snapped off this little piece.
But dropped it when something larger caught his eye.
This was a marginal improvement; he turned and flew away from me to the small island rookery.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
April 15, 2023
I had been wondering if we would see Black-bellied Whistling Ducks in South Carolina this year; they only starting migrating here from Florida in the last few years.
Last year it was May and June when I got pictures of them last year, although not at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens.
On Saturday, in the fog, there they were! Five of them just standing around in a tree in one of Magnolia’s recently cleared swamp areas.
This morning not far from the above picture these two were soaking up the sun on an Alligator Ramp.
A mother Wood Duck and her brood paddled on by.
Whistling Ducks are cavity nesters like the Wood Ducks, and may use some of the man-made nest boxes or the tree cavities recently used by the Wood Ducks.
I continued on my path and got a little closer view before these two flew off.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
April 15, 2023 & April 20, 2023
This Black-crowned Night-heron was busy gathering nest material, undeterred by the fog that was slow to burn off Saturday morning.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
April 15, 2023
Francis Beidler Forest, SC
April 14, 2023
Prothonotary Warbler surveying his options, left, right, left. Warblers are speedy, often chasing lunch; this one took a few pauses sort of in the open.
Audubon Center at Beidler Forest, Harleyville, SC
April 14, 2023
I hardly ever see frogs out in the swamps. Occasionally I hear a splash that seems like it could be a frog, but couldn’t swear to it.
Friday I saw two! This first one was perched on a tree stump.
And this fellow was all about the green: mustache, moss, and umbrella foliage.
Francis Beidler Forest, SC
April 14, 2023
This Barred Owl tried out a few perches while I watched him from the Beidler Forest boardwalk.
Francis Beidler Forest, SC
April 14, 2023
Another photographer told me about this young fawn just off the boardwalk. It would be easy to pass right by without seeing it; in fact I saw some chatty folks do just that.
The fawn never moved while I took a few photographs.
I did two circuits around the Beidler boardwalk and the second time around he was in the same spot, tucked down even further and appeared to be asleep.
As I walked away something startled him and he took off like a shot. I expect the Doe wasn’t far off. Deer are known to leave their young on their own as their spotty camouflage and lack of scent protects them from predators.
Francis Beidler Forest, SC
April 14, 2023
If you wait long enough an Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly will open and close its wings.
Their outsized heads tend to make nice shadows in the right light.
Wings closed is their most common position when I have seen them.
They do chose some interesting leaves to land on, including this poison ivy.
Francis Beidler Forest, SC
March 31, 2023
