A single Roseate Spoonbill came flying in to land in the Spoonie Tree.
I didn’t see the alligator at the time, you can just make him out down at the water line.
He made a pretty smooth landing…
…and walked it the last few feet.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
December 4, 2023
The Spoonie Tree remains an attraction for the wading birds, even the precarious looking top.
It’s a balancing act.
Even a Wood Stork took a turn.
Meanwhile, a few other birds stuck to their spots on the lower branches.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
November 30, 2023
It turned out to be more about something to do than possession of the branch for the Great Egret and he soon dropped into the water.
The Roseate Spoonbill settled in…
… had a stretch…
…worked one leg…
then the other…
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
November 19, 2023
The Great Egret won this standoff, with the Roseate Spoonbill re-locating.
A quick maneuver…
…flaps up…
And the Roseate Spoonbill settled on the other side of the tree.
While the Great Egret took the high point on the branch.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
November 19, 2023
I try not to anthropomorphize when watching bird behavior, but this scene unfolding in the Spoonie tree sure made me think of a territory rumble.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
November 19, 2023
We didn’t see much for birds on Saturday at Donnelley Wildlife Management Area. The Spoonie Tree, so named because Roseate Spoonbills like to perch in it when they are around, had no birds when we arrived.
The elusive Kingfisher was in her usual spot on the water control trunk.
However, she relocated to the Spoonie Tree when she noticed us.
A wider view of the Spoonie Tree’s spot in the marsh.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
October 21, 2023
Three wading birds were hanging out in the Spoonie Tree on Sunday.
They took turns on the various branches, occasionally routing one of the others off the tree.
They would quickly return and then manage to line themselves up with the one branch left sticking out towards me.
The water was high in the pond and only the longer legged Great Egret took a turn in the water.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
October 8, 2023
You often hear a Belted Kingfisher before you see it, with a distinctive chatter as they swoop over ponds or marshes looking for a fish lunch.
This one landed in the Spoonie Tree, too far for a good photo of such a small bird, but a picturesque scene.
A little while later one that was clearly on a mission passed me as I walked along a dike.
And then he landed in another artful looking dead tree, creating an unmistakable silhouette.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
September 2, 2023
I’ve been posting about the slow demise of the Spoonie Tree for a couple of years and remain amazed that it is still standing. I took this image on Sunday, before Hurricane Idalia passed by.
Compare that to this image, taken in April when the water had been let out of the pond. The main limbs are still there but some of the smaller branches are gone and more of the bark has dropped.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
I’ve been posting about the slow demise of the Spoonie Tree for a couple of years. I stopped by on a quiet day at the end of February.
A few Double-crested Cormorants were the only birds around and the scenery was mostly brown.
I was reminded I had taken those shots and not processed them when I was there last week. I was rather surprised that none of the wading birds took a break from feeding in the name-sake Spoonie Tree.
Those that flew off after eating went into some trees further back in the pond.
The tree lost a branch, but it is mostly intact compared to this image from May 2022.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
