Tag Archives: Donnelley Wildlife Management Area

Skimmers In The Square

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.

Black Skimmer in Flight
Black Skimmer in Flight

So I picked out some others that also worked square to go with it.

Black Skimmer in Flight
Black Skimmers in Flight

The Skimmers are fascinating to watch, first flying so close together, then separating on some unseen clue.

Black Skimmer in Flight
Black Skimmers in Flight

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.

Black Skimmer in Flight
Black Skimmer in Flight, Reflections

And I couldn’t resist another image of the Black Skimmer passing the Roseate Spoonbills.

Black Skimmer in Flight Over Roseate Spoonbills
Black Skimmer in Flight Over Roseate Spoonbills

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
May 9, 2022

Gathering of Roseate Spoonbills

This scene greeted me when I arrived at Donnelley Wildlife Management Area last week.

Roseate Spoonbills, Black-necked Stilts, Snowy Egret
Roseate Spoonbills, Black-necked Stilts, Snowy Egret

It was hard to know where to look first.

Roseate Spoonbills, Black-necked Stilts, Snowy Egret
Roseate Spoonbills, Black-necked Stilt, Snowy Egret

The Roseate Spoonbills raising their beaks like this is often a precursor to flight, like a secret signal.

Roseate Spoonbills
Roseate Spoonbills

Sure enough, the crowd thinned.

Roseate Spoonbills
Roseate Spoonbills

These few stayed a bit longer, performing various stretches then the one on the left gave the signal.

Roseate Spoonbills
Roseate Spoonbills

Dragonfly Poses

I saw these three dragonflies in the same area on June 10 and was struck by the different perches and poses they use.

Dragonfly
Dragonfly – obelisk pose

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?

Dragonfly
Dragonfly – anti obelisk pose

Commonly they perch parallel to the ground.

Dragonfly
Dragonfly – straight on

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
June 10, 2021