Category Archives: Landscape

The Spoonie Tree, Slowly It Tilts, 2023 Update

April 14, 2023 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

I’ve been posting about the slow demise of the Spoonie Tree for a couple of years. I stopped by on a quiet day at the end of February.

The Spoonie Tree With Cormorants, February 28, 2023, — The Spoonie Tree With Cormorants, February 28, 2023

A few Double-crested Cormorants were the only birds around and the scenery was mostly brown.

I was reminded I had taken those shots and not processed them when I was there last week. I was rather surprised that none of the wading birds took a break from feeding in the name-sake Spoonie Tree.

Those that flew off after eating went into some trees further back in the pond.

The tree lost a branch, but it is mostly intact compared to this image from May 2022.

The Spoonie Tree, May 9, 2022, A Turkey Vulture and two Black Vultures

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC

Landscape, South Carolina

Cabins at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens

March 19, 2023 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

The sun was working its way up, lighting up this wisteria bloom, though not yet reaching the grounds around the cabins.

These cabins housed enslaved workers when Magnolia was a working rice plantation and are now part of the “From Slavery to Freedom” tour.

Tung and Half Moon at Cabins — Tung Oil Blossoms, Half Moon at Cabins

This smaller building was likely used for cooking.

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Charleston, SC
March 14, 2023

Landscape, South Carolina

Plantation House at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens

March 16, 2023 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

The view across the big field of the Plantation House. Previous visitors to this location may notice that the hedge to the right of the house and the English boxed garden in front of the house have been removed.

Another view taken a few days later, on a grey afternoon, image cooked up just a bit.

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Charleston, SC
March 11 & 13, 2023

Landscape

Ring-billed Gull Awaiting Sunrise

January 30, 2023 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

Good morning!

St. Augustine Beach, FL
January 21, 2023

Landscape

Sunset Black Point Wildlife Drive, 2

January 27, 2023 Ellen Jennings 3 Comments

The sun was down, I jumped out of the car one more time to watch the disappearing light.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
January 18, 2023

Landscape

Sunset Black Point Wildlife Drive, 1

January 25, 2023 Ellen Jennings 4 Comments

Just before the sun went down, wispy clouds seemed to materialize from nothing.

After the sun was below the horizon, looking a bit further north across another pond:

A bit further along the drive a Great Blue Heron stood in what had become a pink glow.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
January 18, 2023

Landscape

Sun Rising Over Ashley River

January 8, 2023 Ellen Jennings 3 Comments

The Ashley River was clear as glass on Friday morning, and the water didn’t appear to moving, as often happens around high tide. The water coming downstream, from the left in this first image, and the rising tide are equalizing.

Looking upstream, this large Live Oak was dipping in the water.

I passed by that tree then looked back to the east to watch the sun’s rays through the Spanish Moss.

Ashley River From Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, SC
January 6, 2023

Consolidated from Wikipedia and Google: The Ashley River is a blackwater and tidal river, rising from the Wassamassaw and Great Cypress Swamps in western Berkeley County. It widens into a tidal estuary just south of Fort Dorchester, which was a colonial settlement. Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site is about 7 miles, as the crow flies, upriver from Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.

Landscape

Boat Pond Maintenance, False Start

January 6, 2023 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

Conditions were right on Wednesday for the fire to be set in the Boat Pond at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens to help manage the invading cattails and other reeds. Unfortunately it started to rain before the burn was complete so there will be another session. This morning the perimeter trail was still closed so I couldn’t really see what has happened.

This is what it looked like in September, before the water was drained.

Boat Pond, Choked With Cattails and Reeds

This river-side pond was created as a rice cultivation field, probably in the 1700s. It’s referred to as the Boat Pond because Magnolia offers nature tours by boat around the pond. The channel seen in the second image was dredged and widened three or four years ago.