Swiss Cheese, anyone?
For probably not the first time this Pileated Woodpecker did the rounds of this well pecked tree.
Checking out the existing holes…
…giving it a few new knocks…
…and having a general look around.
June 9, 2021
Fellow blogger Ms. Liz, (ExploringColour.wordpress.com/) recently introduced me to the New Zealand term “sticky beak” used for an inquisitive and prying person.
Our chat came immediately to mind when I saw this group of barnyard chickens trying to peak through the slats into the coop where a few other chickens had been confined.
This chicken might have been as nosey but was exploring on his own.
A Pea Hen was perched on the wall around the Middleton Place Stable Yard late one afternoon.
I hadn’t seen or heard any Pea Fowl at Middleton this spring and had wondered if they still hosted any. They roam free and easily fall victim to any number of predators.
Looking around I only saw this one dapper looking hen, no Peacocks. Other years a half dozen or more were all around the stable area.
May 2, 2021
The Red-headed Woodpecker is a bird that I have only glimpsed, generally flying away from me. Then a few weeks ago I saw two in less than ten minutes!
The second one, perhaps a mate to the first, tormented Ted and me with knocking that we could not locate. Who knew they could make such a racket inside a tree?
Once out of the cavity he stuck to the shady side of the tree.
We’re so pretty!
Along with the heritage breed Coastal Sheep that have free run during the day at Middleton Place there is a small mixed flock of colorful chickens.
The Sheep had just been penned for the evening and needed a bit of grain to induce them into their quarters.
The chickens were well aware there might be droppage available for pecking.
They also seemed to know not to get amongst the sheep until they settled down,
A fourth fancy-looking fellow joined the crowd on the safety of the divider.
The big rooster decided to move on, dropping into an empty pen that is awaiting the birth of lambs, expected any day now.
Middleton Place
March 30, 2021
I realized the American Avocet Pair was moving further and further from me, so focused instead on trying to capture a Tree Swallow. It was a grey, sunless day, so the iridescence of their wings was also dull.
A small flock of them were feeding over a pond, zipping in unpredictable patterns over the water.
I’m sure they were capturing insects, but that action was undetectable.
They often swooped near each other, but never crash.
Last second change of flight plan was pretty common, showing off flight skills.
Peacocks only seem to have one volume when they have something to say: high!
Me, more genteelly: My apologies for any comments you’ve left in the last few days that I have not acknowledged. My WordPress site has had a hiccup and some comments have gotten left out of the Comments list. Fortunately there are other ways to find them, now that I know.
A Belted Kingfisher paused briefly on this dead limb over a view of a pond before swooping away.
Acutally, he flew almost into me as I was watching a Great Blue Heron standing at a water trunk. We both jumped and he made a speedy exit to this tree top down the trail.
I inched my way along the trail towards the tree, the Kingfisher zipped back to the spot he originally wanted on the trunk. This gave him a close view of the Ashley River just beyond the trunk and the rice field pond that now was between us.
