These two Alligators were swimming in different ponds, taken about an hour apart on a recent June morning.
The bank where I was standing was much higher above the water in the second image, the sun was higher in the sky, and there was a remarkable difference in how the water appeared. The second Alligator was moving a little faster, too.
It was so weird looking I had to stop.
And large, it was at least a foot tall (0.3 Meters).
My brief attempt to identify it took me down many paths but rather than get sidetracked with that, I’ll say it is a fungus growing on a fallen log in a pine forest.
The birds exited. And then came the rain.
We got our gear into the car just as the first rain drops hit.
A scene that includes the “Long White Bridge” at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is hard to pass up no matter how many times I’ve taken it.
Neither of these shots, taken about eight weeks apart, have much for colorful flowers and there isn’t a bird in sight but the reflections of the old trees in the still water intrigue me.
Click on the images for a larger view.
A Great Egret was flying up the Ashley River, about 90 minutes before high tide.
The water just perceptibly flowing downstream; you might think it was a pond if you just saw this scene and had no other context.
The Egret went slowly on by, gracefully headed to an unknown destination upstream.
The Ashley is tidal most of the way to its origins in the swamps of western Berkeley County.
We are starting to see some spiders and big webs as we walk around the swamps. This web was several feet across with the fine gauge threads glistening in the sun.
I changed position but couldn’t closer due an abundance of poison ivy, something else that is thriving this spring.
My next image was just a few seconds later but focused on a slightly different spot which resulted in a different glisten on the web and background.
I recently posted that it took me almost three years to get a decent image of a Carolina Wren. Two days later another opportunity presented itself, complete with a snack!
The windows on the end of the abandoned Boynton House at South Carolina’s Donnelley Wildlife Management Area intrigued me. Why three and interesting that they are lined up with the roof peak not centered in the room that appears to run front to back of the house.
The reflections in the windows of a tree trunk and other vegetation was an interesting play on light.
The windows facing front in the same room were a double set and appeared to be the same size.
Several Peacocks have the run of Middleton Place, a historic SC Plantation and Museum. They mostly stay in the barnyard area and on my last visit I spotted just this one sleeping on top of a rabbit hutch.
He opened his eyes to watch me watch him but he showed no sign of getting up.
Nature is working on reclaiming the Boynton House located in South Carolina’s Donnelley Wildlife Management Area. Managed by SC Department of Natural Resources, the front lawn is kept roughly mowed as this is a parking area for one of the managed nature trails.
Once part of a thriving cattle farm the house was abandoned ages ago, and other than the occasional mowing is being left to rot.
This view of one end of the house shows the vegetation encroaching on the back of the building. The other end was completely covered with vines. I was standing in a sea of poison ivy to take this image and decided I didn’t need to see the back and retreated.
These images were taken at the end of April and by mid-summer I expect even less of the house will be visible.
