Tag Archives: Bulls Island

Landscape

Milky Way From Bulls Island

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Light pollution keeps us from seeing much of the sky’s offerings at night anywhere around Charleston. We had a fabulous opportunity to go out to Bulls Island last night at the new moon with the milky way fully extended above us.

I read up all sorts of tips and tutorials; in the end just doing it was the best teacher.

On the negative side I could not get sharp focus on the stars so my images are all soft and I didn’t get to a place with a good foreground element. On the plus side, it was a fabulous experience seeing the milky way, listening to the ocean, and taking it all in. I definitely want to do it again.

Milky Way Over North End of Bulls Island
Milky Way Over North End of Bulls Island

Some swaying sea oats lend some visual interest:

Milky Way Over North End of Bulls Island
Milky Way Over North End of Bulls Island

Canon 7D Mark II
Canon 24mm, F2.8, ISO 3200, 20 seconds

Bulls Island, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, SC
September 24, 2022

Landscape

Bulls Island Hint Of Sunrise

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We hoped to get onto the bone yard beach, so named for dead trees that have toppled as the island’s sands shift, before sunrise. The tide chart was with us but strong winds pushed the ocean currents ashore.

So we made do with a second choice spot.

Bulls Island Sunrise
Bulls Island Sunrise

Near the same spot, the next day when it wasn’t nearly as windy, but we still had to opt for choice two.

Bulls Island Sunrise
Bulls Island Sunrise

Bulls Island is an uninhabited 5000 acre barrier island off the coast of South Carolina with multiple ecosystems including maritime forest, fresh and brackish water impoundments and salt marsh.

April 2 & 3, 2022

Shore Birds

American Oystercatchers, Bulls Island

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A pair of American Oystercatchers were standing on a dike between two brackish ponds, with no oysters in sight for their breakfast.

American Oystercatchers
American Oystercatchers

They didn’t stay long, and is sometimes the case when photographing birds in flight, they were too close to cut one out of the picture, and too far apart to make a really pleasing composition. But it is birds in flight and you can see their eyes so I went with it.

American Oystercatchers In Flight
American Oystercatchers In Flight

One of the birds was banded, a project of The American Oystercatcher Working Group (http://amoywg.org/).

American Oystercatcher In Flight
American Oystercatcher In Flight

Bulls Island is an uninhabited 5000 acre barrier island off the coast of South Carolina with multiple ecosystems including maritime forest, fresh and brackish water impoundments and salt marsh.

April 2, 2022

Duck, Wading Birds

Bird Variety in Bulls Island Pond

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Most of the birds we saw on Bulls Island were far off, but there was a lot of variety. This fresh water pond was hosting wading birds, ducks and shore birds.

Bird Convention
Bird Convention

A path between two ponds had a few spots where you could peak between the underbrush for a better view.

Ring-necked Duck and Two Northern Shovelers
Ring-necked Ducks and Northern Shovelers

A group of shore birds was making the rounds.

Black Necked Stilts, Blue-winged Teals, and some Shore Birds
Black Necked Stilts, Blue-winged Teals, and some Shore Birds

Bulls Island is a 5000 acre barrier island off the coast of South Carolina with multiple ecosystems including maritime forest, fresh and brackish water impoundments and salt marsh.

April 3, 2022

Reptiles

Juvenile Alligators

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Young Alligators often perch on their mother’s body, maybe for safety or in this case a good sun patch.

Juvenile Alligator on Mother's Back
Juvenile Alligator on Mother’s Back

Bulls Island is a barrier island off the coast of South Carolina made of a series of ancient sand dunes that run parallel to the long ocean side. Over time fresh water sloughs have formed between the dunes, home to many Alligators.

Juvenile Alligator on Mother's Back, Two Others on Bank
Juvenile Alligator on Mother’s Back, Two Others on Bank

A closer view of the two duck weed coated youngsters on the bank:

Two Juvenile Alligators on Bank
Two Juvenile Alligators on Bank

Another juvenile found his own dry spot, complete with dappled sun.

Juvenile Alligator
Juvenile Alligator

April 1, 2022