One of the most photographed spots at Charleston’s Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, the Long White Bridge is a hot spot of activity this week with the Azaleas in full bloom.
This has been a banner year for Azaleas in the tri-county area. After last year’s disappointment with a late March freeze that severely limited the blooms, the colors are especially welcome this spring.
The chicks have started to hatch and what a sight! These photographs are highly cropped and not the best quality due to the distance and small size of the chicks. Based on activity I have seen and other photographers’ observations these two might be three or four days old. Photos as they grow should be better!
A nest closer to the walk way also has two chicks that I could see. That pair was younger and much smaller so the photos I took may not amount to anything; I started with the best first.
The adult seemed content to bask in the late day sun as the little ones bounced around the nest. I am looking forward to documenting their growth.
Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, SC.
Busy working on their nest at the end of the day this Anhinga pair was a challenge to photograph due to the low light. I used Dfine 2 to reduce the noise, hoping to keep the wing detail.
The male brought Spanish Moss and branches for nesting materials
Practically condo living, all this activity is just below an active Great Blue Heron nest. The GBH neighbors are mostly tolerant, but occasionally sqwak over the side of their higher perch.
Magnolia Plantation Audubon Swamp Rookery, 2/13 & 2/14 2017,
A few Wood Ducks have been around the ponds at Magnolia Gardens over the last month. With the males’ color scheme they are easy to pick out in a crowd of ducks. That and they are usually retreating faster than the rest, having been aware of a human before you spot them.
This day they were gathered at the far end of the big pond. I waited at an opening in the brush for them to edge their way closer.
Back and forth, I finally got a couple of shots without too much glare on the water.
The water was still and the reflections sharp as the sun went down.
Birds that had been squabbling an hour before managed to settle in as darkness approached. I’d like to know how much of that goes on after dark, but I’m not sure I’m brave enough to stay.
Another pond with wonderful reflections on the way back to the car.
Click on any photo for larger view.
Not all the Great Blue Herons around Magnolia Plantation’s gardens and swamps are currently engaged in mating activity; maybe they are too young or too old. We see them around the swamp doing their thing: mostly wading and fishing.
This one made a lovely reflection as he seemed to be reflecting on what to do next.
Click photo for larger view.
2/2/2017
Between their courtship activities the male flies off for either food or more nesting materials. Sometimes the female tries out the nest.
Then makes an announcement.
These were taken just before sun down on February 2. The light was low but the highlights of the breeding plumage kept enticing me to take more shots.
Click on any photo for larger view.
I usually end up discarding any photographs I take of White Ibis: they are dirty with gobs of mud hanging off them, they are surrounded by mud without so much as a blade of grass to add to the composition, they are dirty…you get the picture.
A group of 5 or 6 surprised me in a beautiful pine tree hanging over the trail, looking pretty clean.
They flew up there when one of the local Red-shouldered Hawks was cruising the area.
Click on any photo for larger view.
Part of the Great Blue Heron mating ritual is building the nest. The male brings sticks to the nest and they both arrange and re-arrange. Here he has just returned with a stick that was well received. I have seen sticks get rejected and the male take it to a different female.
I caught this pair from a bad light angle as he flew back and forth to a nearby tree line for branches. I moved into a better position and he flew off again.
I waited from this better spot, watching her work on the nest, but he didn’t return in the twenty minutes I stood there.
Heron Rookery, Magnolia Plantation Audubon Swamp, 2/1/2017.
Click on images for larger view.
I was sitting on a bench at the edge of the swamp watching a Great Blue Heron when this pair of Blue-winged Teals swam by.
The pair mostly stayed together, only rarely separating for a solo photograph.
The Great Blue Heron can easily see over the vegetation, watching for lunch as more Teals swam behind him.
The Teal pair quickly did a U-turn when the open water ended near where the Heron stood and went back where they came from.
Magnolia Plantation Audubon Swamp, Charleston, SC.
