Tag Archives: Birds in Flight

Yellow-crowned Night-heron Stick Shopping

May 10, 2025 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

A Yellow-crowned Night-heron picked up and rejected a number of possible twigs for nesting material and spent some time just looking around.

Finally, the right stick was located…

Yellow-crowned Night-heron Flying With Stick

and away he went.

I don’t normally include humans, but that’s my husband, Ted (tpjphoto.com), not getting an image of this flight. The photo also give you an idea of the rookery location and density, with the boardwalk running through the woods.

The heron continued on towards his nest, somewhere up in the trees.

Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal, SC
May 7, 2025

Correction March 28, 2026
I had these photos and post erroneously labeled as Black-crowned Night-heron.

Wading Birds

Great Egret Coming Through

April 16, 2025 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

And just a little closer to me than I expected!

Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal, SC
March 25, 2025

Wading Birds

Wood Stork Gliding By, Return Trip

April 16, 2025 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

The Wood Stork broke a small branch off a tree and took it on a gliding path back to his nest.

Wingspan 59.1-68.9 in (150-175 cm)

Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal, SC
March 25, 2025

Wading Birds

Wood Stork Flying

April 15, 2025 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

Wood Storks were flying all around the rookery as they gathered nesting materials from the nearby trees. Their size means they often have to circle around a time or two to get lined up with their target.

Wingspan 59.1-68.9 in (150-175 cm)

Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal, SC
March 25, 2025

Raptor

Red-shouldered Hawks, End of Day

January 27, 2025 Ellen Jennings 5 Comments

A pair of Red-shouldered Hawks caught my ear as I was about to head back to my car at the end of the afternoon. Then I spotted them, swooping, then landing at the top of this tree. It looks like there could be some nest material there, although it would be early for them.

I moved along as the tree was never going to allow a good angle and at a half hour before sundown I didn’t expect any more movement.

I was wrong. The pair came together in a nearby tree with a better vantage point for me.

Then they rearranged themselves.

Then rearranged themselves again, with one of them flying in a big circle before picking its spot.

That was the end of the photo shoot; even with no leaves on the tree there wasn’t going to be a nice side-by-side portrait.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
January 7, 2025

Duck

Hooded Mergansers In Flight

January 24, 2025 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

There have been a few small groups of Hooded Mergansers around the various ponds at Magnolia Plantation over the last month. Two or three birds, hardly enough to call a flock, and always on the far side of whichever pond I saw them. Until last week.

Two days I caught a fast exit when the group got startled in almost the same spot. The second time I captured them lower to the ground, with a nicer background.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
January 17 and 19, 2025

Wading Birds

Great Blue Heron Getting Nest Material

January 21, 2025 Ellen Jennings 4 Comments

While I was watching the White Ibis feed a Great Blue Heron flew from his nest in the big island to grab some building material. He was wading around in the swampy area to the left, selecting and discarding a number of choices. Finally he emerged with this teeny stick.

Great Blue Heron Getting Nest Material, Road along Ravenswood Pond is being renovated

Ravenswood Pond, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
January 17, 2025

Raptor

Bald Eagle Pair, Away They Go

January 19, 2025 Ellen Jennings 5 Comments

The Bald Eagle pair was perched in their usual treetop location on the Magnolia Plantation grounds when I passed by on Friday.

I found out from a photographer friend that while I was walking the 300 feet (90 M) from the above location to a better vantage point the pair had mated. She was pretty excited as she had captured their interaction.

The pair hung around for about twenty minutes, then first one took off.

Gracefully gliding towards the Ashely River…

Not to be left behind…

…less then twenty seconds later the second one followed along.

They flew out of my sight, up the river towards what I suspect is their nest.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
January 17, 2025

Water Birds

Brown Pelican Take Off

January 14, 2025 Ellen Jennings 4 Comments

Brown Pelicans feed in the marsh inlets between Magnolia Cemetery and the Cooper River. Occasionally they land in the cemetery pond for a rest, like this one in mid December.