
Francis Beidler Forest, SC
April 14, 2023
Another day, probably the same Barred Owl, caught napping.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
March 30, 2023
It was very windy, the kind of wind that makes your eyes water, as I walked around the recently burned rice field pond on Monday. At the first corner a number of Turkey Vultures were hunkered down.
At first I thought they might have found something dead to snack on, but as I got closer I could see they were resting.
Some of the reeds on the edge of the pond did burn, although not all the way to the ground.
A wider view, with the Vultures blending in to the brown vegetation. Oddly, I got no odiferous hint that there had recently been a fire here.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
January 9, 2023
I noticed this well camouflaged Red-shouldered Hawk perched in a tangle of crepe myrtle branches. Then I realized it was the flitting of the Mocking Bird that had caught my eye.
The Mocking Bird passed in front of the hawk undisturbed and went on his way.
It was late afternoon and I thought maybe the hawk wasn’t in feeding mode, but then he dropped to the ground. He immediately mantled over some prey, covering it from other potential predators.
That prey either escaped or was very tiny, consumed in one bite.
The hawk flew to another crepe myrtle and continued to watch the ground.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
November 3, 2022
Red-shouldered Hawk ID confirmed with Merlin Bird ID app.