We see much of the Great Blue Heron nesting and flying action that we witness from the path that runs through the trees on this end of the pond. The pond is a man-made, roughly a rectangle, with a paved path that runs along three sides.
The portrait oriented photo above gives a better sense of the height of the trees, but doesn’t show the width of the pond the way the landscape oriented image does, below (click on image for larger view).
December 22, 2017
This Little Blue Heron was very intent on looking in the water for food along the edge of the canal. He had a small white patch on his chest that stands out like a badge, likely the final remnant of his juvenile coloration.
Waiting and watching, the Little Blues are a study in patience.
He probed the water a couple of times but I didn’t see him catch anything.
After awhile he moved a little deeper into the water. He eventually turned his back on me and I moved on.
The best color was nearly twenty minutes before the sun rose and before the Geese and Ibis began to fly.
This pond is home to one of the rookeries where last spring and summer I watched Herons, Egrets and Anhingas raise a new generation.
Now in early December it is quiet with just a few ducks paddling out in the middle or staying tucked into the far corner. More ducks are expected but the warmer than usual fall along the east coast may be keeping them away.
The quiet is nice and I’ll be back throughout the winter to look around but I do look forward to witnessing the trees and the birds start a new cycle.
Narcissus are touted as spring blooming plants but here we are in December and once again this year I’ve spotted some gracing the pathway to the dike around the old rice field we frequent.
This path is lined with huge trees and not much light reaches the ground in any season making it a surprise that these bulbs can rejuvenate year after year. This is not an area that is currently being tended and doesn’t look like it has for some number of years.
A bee found his way to the bloom and checked each cup carefully.
Click on either photo for larger view.
Making a noisy production of it, this Tricolored Heron flew past me up the canal. I saw where he landed but the pathway along this part of the old rice field is lined with a lot of trees so I didn’t expect to see him close up. I got a peeking view of him through some branches, expecting him to fly off any moment as they tend to be skittish.
He stayed put even when I passed by to another vantage point that included his gorgeous reflection and more of the fallen tree that he perched on.
He continued to stay put as I moved on and rounded the corner for yet another view that included some fall color.
Click any photo for larger view.
We recently toured the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, a 20,000 acre property on the coast of South Carolina that is managed by the state Department of Natural Resources. The Center is only accessible by crossing the Intracoastal Waterway by boat and only on pre-arranged tours.
The property is magnificent and includes some fresh water ponds that were glowing with reflected color and rippled by passing Alligators.
Layers of clouds, sand, water and color change quickly with the setting sun. I felt like I was at the end of the earth.
Click photo for larger image.
Happy Thanksgiving to those in the US.
I saw the Anhinga flip the fish in the air and catch it. Too far for a bird picture, but the fall colors reflecting in the pond made the photo.
Click photo for larger view.
