All posts by Ellen Jennings

Bluebird Data Collection

I went with a friend yesterday who is volunteering with Audubon SC on a project that is monitoring about a dozen Bluebird nest boxes. This was her first stop, where we saw a Carolina Wren peaking out of the box.

Blue Bird Box with Carolina Wren
Blue Bird Box with Carolina Wren

The process is for her to tap the side of the nest box so any adult present flies off, open the box, take a quick photo in the nest with cell phone, then close it back up and retreat. There were five eggs nestled down inside. The boxes get checked once or twice a week until just before the time the chicks are expected to hatch.

Blue Bird Box with Carolina Wren Nest
Blue Bird Box with Carolina Wren Nest

A closer look at the nest shows detail of the variety of nest material around what turned out to be five eggs.

Blue Bird Box with Carolina Wren Nest
Blue Bird Box with Carolina Wren Nest

Most of the boxes were not in use, but a couple of the others had Bluebird eggs. Bluebirds often have multiple broods so the boxes may already have been used this year and may be again.

May 29, 2023

Snake In A Tree, LR AI Denoise

This morning I finally updated Adobe Lightroom to Version 12.3  which includes the new AI denoise functions.

I had already processed the images for my recent snake post using Topaz Denoise, then tried them with the new Adobe function.

Processed with Topaz Denoise

Same image, using Lightroom Denoise first, then the same cropping and light adjustments. On this particular image I don’t see much difference in the bigger view.

Lightroom Enhanced Denoise

Cropped from the above images:

Process with Topaz Denoise, Cropped for closer look

However, when you zoom in to the snake details, there is some improvement.

Lightroom Enhanced Denoise, Cropped For Closer Look

I’m not sure how this is going to play out with my image processing flow. One plus to the Topaz version is the ability to batch process, which I have used a lot.

Audubon Center at Beidler Forest, Harleyville, SC
April 14, 2023

Snake In A Tree

This odd shape caught my eye as I worked my way down the boardwalk at Francis Beidler Forrest.

Snake
Snake

Possibly a Rat Snake, he was in a tidy pile and undisturbed by my presence.  It wasn’t until processing these images I noticed the insect exuvia, seen in this next image if you zoom in, just to the right of the snake’s head.

Snake
Snake

I passed by a little later and the snake had stretched his neck out along the branch, and you can see the exuvia dangling above the snake about 3/4 across the image from the left edge.

Snake
Snake

His tail had flipped around to the other side, but the rest of his body stayed in the same looped configuration.

Snake
Snake

Audubon Center at Beidler Forest, Harleyville, SC
April 14, 2023

Wood Duck

A couple of male Wood Ducks were patrolling around the recently cleared Audubon Swamp at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. And without the cattail overgrowth they were easy to see.

Male Wood Duck
Male Wood Duck

Not that they came close and seemed determined to not give me the well lit shot I hoped for.

Male Wood Duck
Male Wood Duck, One Duckling

This male was following along his mate and eight or ten offspring.

Male Wood Duck
Male Wood Duck, Duckling in the weeds

A wider view, them all heading away from me in the mosquito fern covered pond.

Wood Duck Family
Wood Duck Family

The male was trying to encourage the group to turn back the other way, but the rest of them weren’t having it.

Wood Duck
Wood Duck Pair

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
April 15, 2023

GBH Triplets In The Skinny Tree, Foggy Morning

It was a foggy morning and I had just missed the adult Great Blue Heron feeding the chicks.

Great Blue Heron and Three Chicks
Great Blue Heron and Three Chicks

The adult was showing signs of leaving…

Great Blue Heron and Three Chicks
Great Blue Heron and Three Chicks

…and away s/he went.

Great Blue Heron Leaving The Nest
Great Blue Heron Leaving The Nest

The chicks hunkered down.

Great Blue Heron Triplet Chicks
Great Blue Heron Triplet Chicks

One was a little more curious, soon they will be wing flapping.

Great Blue Heron Triplet Chicks
Great Blue Heron Triplet Chicks

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Charleston, SC
April 15, 2023

Great Blue Heron, Close Up

Every spring there seems to be one Great Blue Heron that hangs out on the edges of Ravenswood Lake, likely a chick from last year that for whatever reason didn’t become part of a pair for this year’s breeding season.

Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron

Undeterred by humans passing by on the nature trail, this one prowls the banks.

Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron

On this morning he appeared to be just looking around, not actively hunting.

Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
April 20, 2023