The clouds were making a nice reflection in this pond where the water level has been raised and some of the vegetation is dying back.
The grass fronds on the back are still going strong.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
August 31, 2022
This is nearly the same scene I took at high tide on August 10th. Here the tide had actually made the turn and had started to rise, but water was still draining out of the creek.
The scene as I turned 45 degrees to the right:
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
August 31, 2022
It was a hot day and not many creatures were stirring.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
August 10, 2022
Very small catch, hence lots of trips to sustain themselves.
They swallow as they go, make a u-turn and come around again.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
May 9, 2022
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
May 9, 2022
Usually I crop bird-in-flight images rectangularly to emphasize the flight path, but this first image worked better in a 1X1 format because he was closer to the right edge of the frame.
So I picked out some others that also worked square to go with it.
The Skimmers are fascinating to watch, first flying so close together, then separating on some unseen clue.
This next one is not the perfect mirror image capture that I would have preferred. But I like it for the shadow in addition to the reflection, the second Skimmer’s wing hinting of more action, and the still visible furrow in the water where the first Skimmer had just lifted.
And I couldn’t resist another image of the Black Skimmer passing the Roseate Spoonbills.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
May 9, 2022
This scene greeted me when I arrived at Donnelley Wildlife Management Area last week.
It was hard to know where to look first.
The Roseate Spoonbills raising their beaks like this is often a precursor to flight, like a secret signal.
Sure enough, the crowd thinned.
These few stayed a bit longer, performing various stretches then the one on the left gave the signal.
Coming through!
Impressive flying by the Skimmers
While the Spoonbills were doing their own thing
May 9, 2022
I saw these three dragonflies in the same area on June 10 and was struck by the different perches and poses they use.
A dragonfly perched with the abdomen pointing up is known as being in the obelisk pose or obelisking.
So what is pointing down? Anti-obelisking or just going with gravity?
Commonly they perch parallel to the ground.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
June 10, 2021
