And a photobombing turtle!
One of them was fanning her tail feathers in quite a display.
I’m assuming they are female but it is possible that one or all of them are juvenile males, not females.
A lone male Hooded Merganser was on the other side of the pond but he opted not to check this trio out up close.
Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal, SC
February 27, 2023
And their thing isn’t much, or wasn’t on this day. This fellow was just hanging out at the edge of the pond.
Not really a photobomber because it’s not so easy to see, but there is a Belted Kingfisher sitting on the stick at the center top of the image as the Alligator glided by.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
August 27, 2022
I almost deleted this image then saw the antennae sticking out from the stem below the dragonfly.
The dragonfly shifted to another branch right after I took the first image, giving me a little better view.
And then one more time, this time choosing a leaf as his perch.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
August 27, 2022
There is no etiquette amongst the wading birds.
Birds just drop in on each other, no announcement necessary.
You were busy fishing, I’ll share your spot.
Maybe just hop a bit further on.
I don’t know if they actually touched, but it sure was close.
The Reddish Egret never kept to his path and the Ibis did keep moving. Once the Ibis touched down he didn’t look as big as with his wings out.
According to Cornell’s All About Birds, the Glossy Ibis at 19-26 inches(48-66 cm) in length is slightly smaller than the Reddish Egret at 28-31 inches (70-80 cm).
Black Point Wildlife Drive
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, FL
April 12, 2022
Just because it made me laugh.
I was taking pictures of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird but ended up focusing on the purple blossom, looking like a gaping mouth, or a hand puppet or ??
I didn’t see the insect on the underside of the frond as I lined up the unopened purple bloom with an opened yellow one behind it.
Capturing Dragonflies in flight is not easy. Their small size and erratic flight path is hard to follow. For some reason this one was hovering for an extended period of time just over the edge of the pond.
I was able to get decent focus and a photobomber.
We had some rain last night which left a few water drops on flowers along the river bank at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.
Regrettably I did not see the Tree Frog at the time.
Although if I had I probably would have 100 images, not just four or five of a flower I have photographed before.
2018 has been a wonderful year of observing and photographing the wonders of nature, mostly birds in the low country of South Carolina. Thank you for following along. I appreciate all of your comments and observations.
I end the year with a Snowy Egret fishing in a rice field canal, taken on one of the few sunny days we’ve had lately.
A White Ibis dropped in amazing close to the Egret considering all the unoccupied space nearby.
Nonplussed, they both moved on.
Best wishes for a peaceful and healthy 2019!
Click on any photo for larger view.
The White Ibis was wading in the canal just off the dike at the rice field impoundment. I waited patiently for him to get far enough from the bank to get a clear shot.
Then an intruder! Several Ring-billed Gulls were on the opposite bank in the shallow water. I didn’t expect any to be interested in the deeper water, not thinking they would float, not wade.
The Gull continued paddling until he was behind the White Ibis and lifted his head, turning a photobombed shot into a nice bird combo image.
