Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
December 11/2021
Silent Sunday: Pink In A Tree
Tag Archives: Spoonie Tree
Audience Unmoved
They’ve seen it before…so have I but I still like to photograph it.
3
2
1
Touchdown!
Two adults looking on, ho-hum.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
November 27, 2021
Cormorant Supervising
Double-crested Cormorants were calmly sunning on the Spoonie Tree when a Great Egret dropped in.
Then a Black-crowned Night-heron joined the gathering.
It was close to a crash landing, but the Night-heron made it, perhaps to the surprise of the Cormorant.
Then the Night-heron lost points for not sticking the landing. Not that anyone is keeping score.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
November 27, 2021
Great Egret, Fall Colors
I wonder if the limbs of the Spoonie Tree creek as a Great Egret works his way along them.
Knowing you can fly if needed probably gives some confidence, even if your perch is on its last legs.
The Great Egret found a satisfactory spot…
a little breeze ruffled his feathers as I dropped to a better angle for the background.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
November 14, 2021
Fall Colors, Donnelley Pond
Pine trees dominate the South Carolina low country landscape, including most of the wildlife areas I frequent so I don’t see a lot of autumn color change.
The back edge of the big pond at Donnelley WMAÂ is an exception, and more this year than I remember.
I didn’t expect to see so many Alligators out as it was only about 50 F (10 C).
If you zoom in on the next photo you’ll see Alligators gathered under the Spoonie Tree, which I recently featured in a post: The Spoonie Tree, Slowly It Tilts.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
November 14, 2021
The Spoonie Tree, Slowly It Tilts
How low can it go before it falls?
First, a throw back to two years ago… changing water levels in the pond worked to carve out the earth under the roots. Alligator action might have played a role, too.
The smaller branches long gone, some kind of vegetation hid the base over this past summer.
At the beginning of October:
A couple of weeks later that cavity beneath the tree had collapsed.
I’m hoping the tree will stay around even after it collapses to serve as a perch for the wading and water birds.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
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.
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.
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.
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.
But he decided to ignore whatever was going on behind him at least for the moment, as one lone gull paddled by.
February 4, 2021
Incoming, Roseate Spoonbill
A Roseate Spoonbill was on a steady course towards the Spoonie Tree.
Landing is a delicate matter, but little attention is paid towards occupied spots vs plenty of open space.
All good, no feathers ruffled.
The Spoonie Tree, No Spoonies
A peaceful morning at the big pond.
Roseate Spoonbills, Framed and Not
This Roseate Spoonbill got pushed out of the community tree but found a nearby perch to re-group.
This one dropped lower in the tree to get his own space, framed by the branches.
I’m sure I commented last year that I would never be surprised to see this tree had succumbed to the forces of nature but here it still stands.
January 916, 2020