As the morning warmed up I could smell the honeysuckle as I walked along the dike and pretty soon several butterflies appeared.
This Gulf Fritillary was a very bold orange, and in pristine shape like he had just hatched.
Gulf Fritillary on Honeysuckle
Several Skippers were intent on feeding from the underside of the leaves, this one popped out for just a moment.
Long-tailed Skipper on Honeysuckle
This last butterfly looks like a Sulpher Butterfly, but was much smaller, about this size of a dime (Diameter 0.750 in. ~ 19.05 mm) . Research turns up it is likely a Little Yellow.
Little Yellow butterfly on Honeysuckle
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
November 26, 2022
I remembered this delightful bush as I wondered some lesser traveled paths at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens a few weeks ago.
Cassia
This plant is surely the gift that keeps on giving, as it was just covered with these shapely yellow blooms.
Cassia
Some of the singles left on a stalk were real stand-outs.
Cassia
Most of the plant was covered with these clusters.
Cassia
I had posted images of this plant last December not knowing what it was. Fortuitously, the most recent Magnolia Newsletter had an image and identified it as Cassia.
Cassia
A little plant research shows there are a number of varieties of Cassia and I’m just going to let it go at that.
Cornell’s Merlin App has identified this as a King Rail, a member of the Rallidae Family, along with other Rails, Gallinules, and Coots.
Both the handsome adult and the distinctive all-black chick were new to me. I watched them for ten minutes and the adult kept this posture, perhaps a cooling mechanism on a hot August day, while the chick tottered around in the grass.
King Rail and Chick
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, Green Pond, SC
August 8, 2021