This small pile of sticks doesn’t look like much of a nest.
Hopefully the male Great Egret is out gathering more material as this female (presumption on my part) guards the spot.
Great Egret, Small Nest
Reflections, Dew Drops, Pond Vegetation
Pond vegetation and reflections.
Green Heron, Times Three
I walked a remote trail this morning along an old rice field canal and was happy to see a number of Green Herons. They were pretty skittish and I most were rear end views.
The majority of them were down closer to the water but this one was interested in something happening in another tree.
This is the same Heron as above, taken from the other side of the tree.
Black Swallowtail Butterfly on Thistle
The four or five Swallowtails flitting around these thistle plants flew off when I drove by. I had room to stop, walked back and waited.
After a few minutes one returned and continued probing the thistle.
These butterflies were competing with some other flying insects, the tail end of one can be seen here sticking up out of the flower.
Sanderling On The Run
Sanderlings are known for being “wave chasers,” probing into the sand at the ocean’s edge. This fellow was running down the river’s edge just after low tide when the water was hardly moving.
What, am I in the wrong place?
No matter, he continued on his way, full speed ahead.
Young Dolphin and Bonaparte’s Gull
Or Follow The Food
Dolphin can be hard to spot from shore until they break the surface but this Bonaparte’s Gull served as a great marker for me. You can just make out the young Dolphin below and to the left of the bird.
With an idea where the animal is there is some chance of capturing an image of him above the water, like this:
I had the pleasure of speaking with Lauren Rust, founder of The Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network (www.lmmn.org), while I was watching the Dolphins in the Kiawah River on March 18. She spends a lot of time monitoring the local Dolphin and shared with me that this behavior goes on regularly and she has wondered if it is the same few Gulls who have figured this out. The Dolphin is a two year old who still stays pretty close to its mother, who was feeding nearby.
These two had developed an understanding. and if you zoom in on the next image you’ll see the Gull got a fish just as the Dolphin ducked under the water.
It appeared that the Bonaparte’s Gull was following the Dolphin, which presumably was following fish.
Lastly, a wider view of the unlikely pair, taken on the Kiawah side of the river, looking towards Seabrook Island.
Great Blue Heron Greeting
This nesting pair of Great Blue Herons gave an affectionate greeting when one returned to the nest.
White Ibis in Swamp
This section of swamp is newly flooded this year. A small flock of Ibis has added it to their route, poking their way around it looking for food.
Ibis are never concerned about swamp junk getting stuck to them or how deep the water might be.
Here I come…
surely there is something to eat under this log.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens announced today that they are now closed until further notice. I will miss my peaceful walks in the woods and keeping up with the birds.
Azaleas and Foot Bridge, an Aged View
This cluster of azalea blooms were a bright spot as the shadows deepened just before sundown on a recent evening at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. An “old photo” treatment takes us back in time.
March 21, 2020
Overhead Nest Building
Another of the Great Egrets that are trying out new nest spots.
There would be plenty of support under this one, but right over the walking trail doesn’t seem like a good choice.
