The sun was going down behind me and cast a pink glow in the east that reflected on the pond. The Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets were still sorting out their roosts for the night and a number of Cormorants had settled into the trees on the island.
01/16/2018
Today had none of the brilliance of my last images from these spots: it was grey and few sprinkles of rain had graced us. But the pond was just as still and the reflections as clear.
Our recent cold weather has slowed the nesting activity with only a few herons tending to nests today.
01/10/2018
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Taken with the Sony Alpha 6500, 18-105 Lens, Processed in Lightroom and NIK Color FX Pro 4.
It’s not just the fences that are works of art at Magnolia Cemetery. Statues and monuments giving tribute to the departed of all ages are scattered throughout all of the sections.
The lush landscaping and massive trees, evident even in December, add to the peaceful feeling of the cemetery. I’m usually more interested in the birds that share this space when we walk here but the man-made beauty attracted my camera this day.
Charleston, SC, December 2017.
A final image for the year of my favorite pond as the sun was going down last night. This Great Blue Heron was working hard to impress his mate, gathering sticks right up until dark.
We see much of the Great Blue Heron nesting and flying action that we witness from the path that runs through the trees on this end of the pond. The pond is a man-made, roughly a rectangle, with a paved path that runs along three sides.
The portrait oriented photo above gives a better sense of the height of the trees, but doesn’t show the width of the pond the way the landscape oriented image does, below (click on image for larger view).
December 22, 2017
Many of the borders of family plots in older sections of Charleston’s Magnolia Cemetery are marked by decorative metal fences. The styles are as varied as the families must have been and all are in some state of decay.
This fence with a Lyre and Star motif is particularly intricate. Sadly a large chunk of it is gone.
The cemetery is dotted with centuries old Live Oaks and giant Magnolias that take a toll on the fences and stone work below with every big storm that passes over Charleston.
From the cemetery’s website:
Magnolia Cemetery first opened in 1850. It is on the land of a former rice plantation. The property was designed during a new rural cemetery movement that crossed from Europe to America in the mid-19th century. With lovingly landscaped paths and ponds, trees and green space, Charlestonians would come to Magnolia to picnic and play, as well as visit lost loved ones.
Aside from status, the fences may have been a way to protect a wealthy family’s plot from the picnickers. The cemetery occupies over 130 acres at the edge of a marsh on the Cooper river and it remains a beautiful spot to visit.
Click on any photo for larger view.
We changed our plan on Friday and I’m so glad we did. We were going to walk the dike around the old rice fields but after seeing the Great Blue Herons starting to nest on Thursday we headed to the rookery first.
The light was spectacular and the pond was as still as glass.
There was some bird activity but the landscape opportunities were what got my attention.
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Taken with the Sony Alpha 6500, 18-105 Lens, Processed in Lightroom and NIK Color FX Pro 4.
The best color was nearly twenty minutes before the sun rose and before the Geese and Ibis began to fly.
I’ve wanted a second camera to have at the ready for landscape shots when I am out shooting wildlife for awhile. Switching lenses for those shots then missing a bird opportunity happens regularly or I just don’t bother then wish I had those landscapes later. A lighter camera to carry when walking around town also had appeal. I’ve taken the plunge and purchased a mirrorless system camera.
I originally was planning on a non-interchangeable lens camera to keep the size down. However, after much research and deliberation I decided on the Sony Alpha 6500. Image stabilization, the choice of lenses, and the way it feels in my hand were the final deciding factors.
Magnolia Plantation is trimmed with red and green for the season and provided a great opportunity for some landscape shots. I usually don’t take photos around the house because of the tourists but today the area was remarkably people free when we returned from walking around the dike.
Click on any photo for larger view.
This pond is home to one of the rookeries where last spring and summer I watched Herons, Egrets and Anhingas raise a new generation.
Now in early December it is quiet with just a few ducks paddling out in the middle or staying tucked into the far corner. More ducks are expected but the warmer than usual fall along the east coast may be keeping them away.
The quiet is nice and I’ll be back throughout the winter to look around but I do look forward to witnessing the trees and the birds start a new cycle.
