Tag Archives: Landscape

Skinny Tree at Rest

July 29, 2021 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

I would never be surprised to find the Skinny Tree had succumbed to the elements and fallen into the pond. Happily, it made it through another wading bird nesting season, providing a start to one Great Blue Heron chick in the top nest and five or six Great Egret chicks in at least two nests lower down.

All sorts of birds will use the tree as a perch for the next several months for fleeting moments. Come December the cycle will start again again when the Great Blue Herons start staking out nest sites and hopefully this tree will be around to participate.

It appears that the duck box has no bottom, so any Wood Ducks looking for a nesting spot will have to find another location.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
July 23, 2021

Landscape

Smith Pyramid, Magnolia Cemetery, B&W

June 29, 2021 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

Magnolia Cemetery is full of oddities; to me this pyramid is one of the oddest. I think a tree or large limb must have recently fallen as I don’t recall seeing this view before. Or maybe I’ve been too busy watching the birds.

Magnolia Cemetery, Smith Pyramid through fence of Martin-Aiken Plot — Magnolia Cemetery, Smith Pyramid behind fence of Martin-Aiken Plot

Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC

Landscape

Old Rice Field Canal

June 26, 2021 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

This canal runs along a dike that crosses an old rice field, and once would have been used to manipulate water levels where the rice was grown. The property is currently managed as a low-impact wildlife preserve.

Caw Caw Interpretive Center, Charleston County, SC
June 23, 2021

Wading Birds

Caught In The Rain

June 18, 2021 Ellen Jennings 12 Comments

I rarely go to the swamp in the rain. My camera is water-resistant, but not water-proof, and in South Carolina rain is often accompanied by lightening. I don’t want to ruin my camera and more so don’t want to get electrocuted.

Sometimes you get a surprise. Fortunately there is a covered area of the walkway along this side of the pond.

There are a few Great Egret juveniles that haven’t fledged yet and this one backed into the boughs for a little protection.

This fellow was more curious.

The juveniles above are the two seen in the middle tree in the wider view below. There are three others visible in the further tree, along with an Anhinga.