A little breeze was ruffling the water and reptiles were the only creatures in sight.
January 14, 2020
Pond, Turtle and Alligator
All posts by Ellen Jennings
Great Blue Heron, Overhead
As I was walking along towards the bamboo garden at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens I was quite surprised to see this Great Blue Heron.
This was in the middle of January. I didn’t see him or any other GBH there again over the next two months. If he was seeking a good nesting spot or food he must not have been satisfied.
Roseate Spoonbills, Framed and Not
This Roseate Spoonbill got pushed out of the community tree but found a nearby perch to re-group.
This one dropped lower in the tree to get his own space, framed by the branches.
I’m sure I commented last year that I would never be surprised to see this tree had succumbed to the forces of nature but here it still stands.
January 916, 2020
Great Blue Heron Nests
Taken at the end of January, this tree stands on a small island in Ravenswood Pond at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. It was hosting two Great Blue Heron nests, easy to see before the trees leafed out.
Minimalist Grebe
A Pied-billed Grebe just floating along.
A bird or turtle beyond the frame caused the water to ripple.
January 15,
Big Sky
Some days the sky seems bigger than others. Here, the sky is big and the Double-crested Cormorant quite small.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
Correction: January 9, 2020
A Spoonie Tree Full
We call it the Spoonie Tree because the Roseate Spoonbills often perch there, but it really is first come, first served and this year I’ve seen more Double-crested Cormorants than Spoonbills.
The Cormorants were just enjoying the sun and grooming, but the Spoonbills had a need to agitate.
Getting an image with all heads up didn’t work out that day.
The Snowy Egrets came and went, mostly ignored by the others.
January 16, 2020
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
Triplet Windows, From the Inside
Almost two years ago I posted photographs of these windows from the outside in Triplet Windows.
A couple weeks ago when passing by on my way to the nature trail the back door was open. I stepped in and got the answer to my question about their position: they are centered over the kitchen sink.
Those with kitchen duty had a lovely view into a pine forest.
The house, well on its way to ruin, was once the hub of a thriving cattle farm. The property is maintained by the SC Department of Natural Resources; periodically they trim back overgrowing vegetation, which may help it last a few more years.
Wood Storks Feeding
Last fall the land managers let this old rice field dry out and some vegetation flourished, then died back over the winter, leaving tall stalks and weed trees. Sometime over the winter water was let back in, and now covers the field.
The wading birds are happy to poke around looking for food, including this small flock of Wood Storks.
I thought they were coming back toward me, but they quickly did another u-turn and moved to the back of the field.
Black-crowned Night Heron, Quiet
As I got out of the car there was a din of red-winged black birds and grackles: loud and harsh. I looked up to see what they were up to and there was a gorgeous Black-crowned Night Heron looking back at me, probably wondering what all the fuss was about.
