Maybe not friends, but tree-mates. This dead tree stands on the banks of the Ashley River and is popular perch for a variety of birds.
I have been watching some Yellow-crowned Night-herons that are nesting at the edge of a nearby pond. This one stayed here, perhaps getting a respite from nest duty, for over an hour.
The Anhinga and Grackle came and went. The sky stayed grey.
Acutally it was more of a slide than a dive.
But it was precise.
A final selection of the spot.
Toes out, wings tucked.
Hardly a ripple for score of 10.
Anhinga fish under water and often bring their catch to the surface and eat while they are swimming, flipping the fish around and swallowing it head first. This fellow may have tried that before climbing onto the alligator ramp.
He was having trouble dislodging the fish from his beak.
The ramp seemed like a convenient tool to work the fish free.
Or so he thought.
I missed the resolution this time. More than once I’ve seen the fish drop over the side after all that hard work.
The Great Egret showing off is surrounded by other nests in this “tree condo.” It’s a favorite spot because the tree is surrounded by water, reducing potential attacks from snakes and raccoons.
Two juvenile Great Blue Herons that hadn’t yet learned to fly were in their nest in front of the displaying Egret. In the layer behind there are at least two Great Egret nests and two Anhinga nests.
Taken last April, the trees had leafed out enough to make a lush surrounding, unlike when the Great Blue Herons start nesting and dull grey limbs are everywhere.
April 13, 2019
This log was an easy spot for a female Anhinga to climb out of the water and preen.
I was able to move and get a different reflection from the nearby tree.
A light breeze ruffled the water as she spread her wings to dry.
April 15, 2019
A female Anhinga perched so that she was overlooking a small pond.
You can see her giant feet wrapped around a slender branch and her sharp beak, used for spearing fish underwater.
I went a few steps to the right trying to clear the branches from my view which resulted in a drab sky. And different branches.
April 5, 2019
Imagine the Anhinga piloting a flying ship full of Yellow-bellied Sliders….
A female Anhinga struck up a pose at the edge of a small pond. It was late afternoon with little sunlight reaching the water.
The reflections in the water changed considerable by my moving just a few feet and a small drape of fall colored leaves added some color.
A few steps further on and the leaves and some Spanish Moss competed for a frame around the bird.
I was standing at the edge of a small pond when this Little Blue Heron landed in a tree above me. Surprisingly he stayed put even though several other folks walked underneath him, most without even noticing him.
With breeding season over the wading birds tend to ignore each other but this one had his eye on something, and was chatting about it.
Hmm, a big stare. I could hear an Anhinga also doing a bit of bird chat, too. I never expected it would be up even higher than the Little Blue, where he continued to stare.
When I moved on I finally spotted the Anghinga in the highest available spot looking out over a pond behind where the Little Blue Heron stood.
Just after the Juvenile Little Blue Heron flew off I realized he wasn’t alone in the trees above me.
This Anhinga was having a look around.
These views from underneath show off how sharp the Anhinga’s bill is, perfectly shaped for the way they spear fish under water.
After I passed by I turned for another image and a look at those amazing webbed feet, which you can see better if you zoom in.
