Live Oak trees line the drive into this property, dripping in Spanish Moss and history. Who knows how many hundred years ago these trees were planted.
With low hanging branches, the view down the path created outside the entrance drive is more interesting than the drive itself.
The pond surface made beautiful reflections of the cypress trees.
The pond appeared quiet but there are many mysteries beneath the water. Frogs, bugs of all sorts, small fish and even an alligator can be seen here.
There is a small bench if you want to sit a spell but the mosquitoes and no-see-ums are hungry this time of year.
“Stop the car!” As we approached Middleton Place the storm clouds were blowing away and fresh fluffy clouds were rolling in at a lower level over the plantation house.
There weren’t any people or animals in view to add or subtract from the scene in the few moments we were able to stay parked in the entrance. I would have liked the horse drawn carriage to pass by, but it wasn’t to be.
Middleton Place, SC 5/5/2017.
The swirling of the clouds reminded me of the beginning of the movie Wizard of Oz when Dorothy was still in Kansas. It was more than a little eerie and cause to review our storm plan.
A flock of Canada Geese made their way to safety, honking and trying in vain to get into a tidy V.
It was oddly calm on the ground and we were fortunate that the system passed with no damage.
Summerville, SC 03/31/2017
The sun rose over the beach with an orange glow, highlighting this bicyclist on his morning ride.
For a few minutes the sky was very dramatic and well worth getting up for.
Click photos for larger view.
This was a quiet January day at the north end of Folly Island, without even a gull in sight. This pile of driftwood marks the spot where high tide can trap you on the beach if you aren’t watchful.
This listing light, decommissioned in 1962, guided ships near Charleston Harbor. Once on shore, shifting sands have resulted in the light now being off shore, surrounded by sand bars. All remnants of the accompanying housing complex are long gone.
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The water was still and the reflections sharp as the sun went down.
Birds that had been squabbling an hour before managed to settle in as darkness approached. I’d like to know how much of that goes on after dark, but I’m not sure I’m brave enough to stay.
Another pond with wonderful reflections on the way back to the car.
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This Great Blue Heron was speaking to its mate on a recent foggy morning at the rookery.
No one came so he/she took a trip around the pond, returning to repeat the ritual. I had my shutter speed set too low to get any flight shots.
The Great Blue Heron’s neck feathers were on full display to help with mate attraction.
Most of the pairs and singles were quiet by their nests for the hour we were there, seen below. There were a few Anhinga in the tree, too.
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Magnolia Plantation Heron Rookery, January 16, 2017.
In less than an hour the sky went from mostly cloudy, to dotted clouds, to full sun on a recent morning. The wind that was moving the clouds was only aloft, with only a slight breeze at ground level.
The big pond at Donnelley Wildlife Management Area reflected it all. Bare trees and the Spanish Moss give a silvery sheen in the early morning light.
A few Great Blue Herons were prowling around the perimeter and some ducks splashed in the distance, too far for a photo.
In the silent gaps between airplanes and dogs barking in the distance the noises of the ducks carried through the stillness. It was almost solitude.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, 1/12/2017.
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One Roseate Spoonbill perched in a tree above a pond full of Alligators. I stopped counting at 60 and I’m sure there were more hidden in the reeds and along the banks.
From a distance the alligators looked like logs bobbing in the pond. Most of them didn’t move much but make no mistake they were alive.
Don’t fall in!
Donnelly Wildlife Management Area, Colleton County, South Carolina, 11/25/2016.
