Tag Archives: Spoonbill Tree

Everyone Has A Spot

The Snowy Egret and the Spoonbill took a break from harassing each other while the Great Egret was doing his own thing.

The Spoonie Tree:
The Spoonie Tree: Snowy Egret Roseate Spoonbill and Great Egret, Alligators at the base

A closer look at the Alligators: it was warming up and they were looking for sunny spots out of the water.

Alligators Below the Spoonie Tree
Alligators Below the Spoonie Tree

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
October 16, 2022

Roseate Spoonbill With a Stick

This Roseate Spoonbill really wanted to sit in the Spoony Tree with his stick. I didn’t see him arrive, but think he just flew up from underneath the tree.

Roseate Spoonbill With Stick
Roseate Spoonbill With Stick In the Spoonie Tree

Who knows why, it’s not breeding season yet and he doesn’t look like he’s of breeding age based on still having pin feathers on his head.

Roseate Spoonbill Flying With Stick
Roseate Spoonbill Flying With Stick

He took off when the Cormorants started squawking at him.

Roseate Spoonbill Flying With Stick
Roseate Spoonbill Flying With Stick

The Anhinga was not impressed when he came right back.

Roseate Spoonbill Flying With Stick
Roseate Spoonbill Flying With Stick

He headed across the dike, where he promptly landed in the mudflats and abandoned the stick for some fishing.

Roseate Spoonbill Flying With Stick
Roseate Spoonbill Flying With Stick

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
December 25, 2021

Restless Great Blue Heron

This was the scene under the Spoonbill Tree at Donnelley Wildlife Management Area on a recent cold and windy morning. The Roseate Spoonbills were wisely at the back of the pond, tucked under a bigger tree.

Great Blue Heron, Gallinules, and Double-crested Cormorants
Great Blue Heron, Gallinules, and Double-crested Cormorants

A few Gallinules were popping in and out view and the Great Blue Heron seemed on the verge of doing something as he repositioned several times.

Great Blue Heron and Double-crested Cormorants
Great Blue Heron and Double-crested Cormorants

The GBH moved back into the water when a Great Egret appeared. This dead tree, which has been a great perch for a Roseate Spoonbills over the last few years,  has taken another step towards its end as another good size limb has fallen off this winter.

Great Blue Heron and Double-crested Cormorants
Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Cormorants, and a Great Egret

I was expecting the Heron to drive off the other birds the way he came back around the front of the island all puffed up.

Great Blue Heron and Double-crested Cormorants
Great Blue Heron and Double-crested Cormorants

But he decided to ignore whatever was going on behind him at least for the moment, as one lone gull paddled by.

Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Cormorants, and Ring-billed Gull
Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Cormorants, and Ring-billed Gull

February 4, 2021