Tag Archives: Fall

Pied-billed Grebe

December 27, 2018 Ellen Jennings 1 Comment

Small and chunky, the Pied-billed Grebe always looks like a baby-faced juvenile to me.

Last week several of them were swimming in the rice field canal. Saltbrush seeds from shrubs that lined the bank were drifting over the water.

The lowering late afternoon light and growth on the opposite bank changed the look of the water as I proceeded down the canal.

Further along the Saltbrush seeds looked like sparkly feathers floating on the water. Saltbrush, Baccharis halimifolia, is a woody shrub or small tree in the Asteraceae family, and is also known as Groundsel.

Nature

White Ibis in a Nesting Tree

December 26, 2018 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

If they follow last year’s pattern this tree will soon be occupied by nesting Great Blue Heron and Great Egret couples. Until then White Ibis have taken over the tree for sunning.

Doing the one-legged doze the Ibis stood right here for a couple of hours at least.

There is not a bit of material left from last year’s nests. Any Great Blues or Great Egrets that stake this out to start a family will be starting nest building from zero.

Taken as fall is coming to an end, 12/18/2018.

Wading Birds

Great Egret, Corner of the Pond

December 15, 2018 Ellen Jennings 6 Comments

These wooden posts are leftovers from an old dock or walkway at the edge of a rice field pond and the wading birds often perch on them.

The Great Egret was standing still so a slower shutter speed allowed me to capture some images even though the sun had dipped below the tree line and there wasn’t much light in this end of the pond.

Looking in the opposite direction an Alligator was swimming towards a spot to settle for the night.

Looking over the pond, Alligator near Sunset

Nature

Eastern Phoebe

December 7, 2018 Ellen Jennings 4 Comments

The Eastern Phoebes around the rice field canals often eat by alternating flying out over the canal to gather insects and landing on a perch that overhangs the water.

The marsh reeds appeared golden at the end of the afternoon on this day and I was able to get a bit better background as I got closer to this Phoebe.

Not surprisingly, many of their chosen perches are obstructed from view by branches and reeds. And they don’t hold still very long.

Landscape

Orange and Gold at the Back of the Dike

December 6, 2018 Ellen Jennings 6 Comments

The reflections were like a pot of gold in the back corner of the canal that runs along the rice field dike. The dike and canal make a 90 degree turn at this corner, and then the water widens off to the left into a pond. There was a little breeze ruffling the water surface in the more open area.

Taken about a half hour later, this view is towards that same line of trees from a bend in the dike. A few Great Blue Herons have been using the clumps of reeds sticking out from the bank as fishing and sunning spots.

Nature

Following A Yellow-rumped Warbler

December 5, 2018 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

The sky was gloriously blue and this Yellow-rumped Warbler flitted in and out of the trees along the rice field dike.

Anyone who follows birds, especially the small ones, knows the advantage of fall and leafless trees.

The other edge of the dike is lined with various evergreen trees making it easy for these little fellows to disappear in a flash.

Flowers

Flower Color

November 28, 2018 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

Today I’m sharing a few random flower images taken over the last month around the swamp. These Swamp Sunflowers are growing on a floating clump on one of the ponds.

We have not yet had a hard freeze and a few late lilies are still blooming, if a little bedraggled.

I don’t know what this one looked like in bloom, but I liked the wispy fluff around the drying stalk.

Songbirds

Eastern Phoebe

November 27, 2018 Ellen Jennings 3 Comments

An Eastern Phoebe flew up from the brush around the marsh edge and paused on this reed stalk.

I tried re-positioning myself to capture the bird with a sky background, but it was not to be as the Phoebe had other plans.

Landscape

Beach Sunset

November 26, 2018 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

I joined some photographer friends at Folly Beach yesterday afternoon to watch the sunset. Fall sunsets there can be very dramatic with pink often playing a big part. This one didn’t live up to “spectacular” but it was pretty and we had fun during the waiting.

The water in the foreground of this image is a tidal pool left by recent very high tides.

This couple was peddling away from the sunset.

This dog clearly can’t read. His owner, a few steps to the right of my frame ignored this and the “Dogs on Leash at All Times” sign he had just passed.

Actually there is no more than average danger and no one “Keeps Off” this cement walkway that leads from the parking lot to the beach. In fact you can’t see this warning if you are on the walkway. The water is the end of the tidal pool seen above.

Loose dogs are another matter.

Landscape

Creeping Shadows

November 21, 2018 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

This was late in the afternoon and it was mostly quiet on the pond. You can just make out the half moon hanging. The water was still, creating a nice reflection except where the duck weed gathered.

About 2 hours later the second image was taken from the side of the pond, about half way down. White Ibis were gathering in one of the far trees for the night and the light was disappearing fast.

I was on my way out and by the time I got back to where the first image was taken there were at least 100 Ibis in that tree. It was cool to watch but not enough light to photograph.