
Francis Beidler Forest, SC
April 14, 2023
Another day, probably the same Barred Owl, caught napping.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
March 30, 2023
I noticed this well camouflaged Red-shouldered Hawk perched in a tangle of crepe myrtle branches. Then I realized it was the flitting of the Mocking Bird that had caught my eye.
The Mocking Bird passed in front of the hawk undisturbed and went on his way.
It was late afternoon and I thought maybe the hawk wasn’t in feeding mode, but then he dropped to the ground. He immediately mantled over some prey, covering it from other potential predators.
That prey either escaped or was very tiny, consumed in one bite.
The hawk flew to another crepe myrtle and continued to watch the ground.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
November 3, 2022
Red-shouldered Hawk ID confirmed with Merlin Bird ID app.
I finally spotted the Osprey that had been calling, plaintively, for several minutes. By the time I raised my camera he had ducked down. The nest alone made an artsy silhouette on this grey day.
The Osprey is probably a juvenile, calling for a parent and hoping to get fed from the sound. An hour or so later he flew some laps around the area, and paused in this tree.
Then the sun came out and I saw the nest from a different angle, well placed in swamp.
August 26, 2022
Cypress Gardens, Moncks Corner, SC