I spotted these two on a collision course. The Alligator wasn’t making a wake but he was moving.
The Grebe’s buddy popped up and between them they had more curiosity than the Alligator.
A few minutes later I saw another Alligator drifting along. It was a warm day, in the 60s (15 to 18 C), with more Alligator activity for December than you might expect.
I spotted an Alligator floating/laying in some tall grass at the edge of a tidal inlet.
I passed by about an hour later and the Alligator had not moved as the incoming tide rose around him.
These images were taken in the same tidal inlet as my post All Stacked Up, Alligator Mother and Young.
It is probably the same family as mother Alligators are very territorial.
The tide was in and the juvenile Alligators were having some swim practice.
I didn’t see mamma, but you can be sure she wasn’t far off as the youngsters explored.
This last fellow was working on his “just floating” pose.
This tree is affectionately known as the “Spoonbill Tree” by the many photographers that frequent this location.
Some days when I stop by there is lots of activity and this day in September was one of them.
A close look at the exposed roots and the leafless branches tell a story of a tree that is closer to the end of its life than the beginning.
I will not be surprised at any time to discover it has fallen over. In the mean time it is well used as a bird perch.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
Green Pond, SC
September 20, 2020
It was a morning for Great Blue Herons to stay tucked into the grass, not quite hiding. In this first image the heron is standing in a tidal creek, the sun had just come up but was behind a low bank of clouds.
The second one I spotted was on the edge of a canal around one of the old rice fields.
A little later on the sun became brighter, highlighting the change in color in the grass around this pond from green to autumn browns and golds. Wading birds often gather on the edges of these hillocks of marsh grass, uncaring about the passing Alligators.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
October 2, 2020
A mother Alligator will stay around her young for two to three years; the juveniles are on their own to eat but she will ward off predators. They often can be seen piled on each other, probably to control temperature and some sense of protection when they are very young.
They all appeared to be ignoring us but you can see the “king of the hill” opened his eyes between my first and second shots.
You can easily pick out five juveniles above, there were three or four down by momma’s tail, and I’m sure more we couldn’t see in the grass.
Just based on my observations I’d say these are around six months old.
Two Alligators were visible in the canal that runs around an old rice field at Donnelley Wildlife Management Area. Taken September 13th, we are starting to see some changes to fall colors.
I heard this young Alligator chirping at the edge of a duckweed covered pond. I’ve seen juveniles in this area off and on over the summer and suspect they are now around six months old and about 2 feet (60 cm) long.
From there he headed out into the pond, using his full body and tail to propel forward. I didn’t hear any more chirping and didn’t see any siblings. Or mama.
Then he made a 90 degree turn.
Finally he straightened out and headed for the other side of the pond, leaving a squiggly trail in the thick duckweed behind him.
The greens seem more intense in some places as we head into fall. This Alligator slid from the walking path into the water as I approached, then bobbed up in the duckweed as I passed by.
The sun was up but stubbornly hiding behind a cloud, the birds were a bit far and the water was kind of crinkly, but the company was perfect.
Sunday morning, Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC.
