Pause on way to swamp
for purple iris standing
in sun dappled woods
Pause for Iris
Tag Archives: Spring
Nesting Area: A Wider View
These three trees at the end of the swamp are popular nesting spots. There is a Great Blue Heron tucked down on a nest in the upper right and the Great Egrets are looking around for the best spots.
Taken 2/26/2019 before the Great Egrets started to build.
Chickadee All In
A few days after seeing a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker investigate a tree cavity I saw a Chickadee do it.
It wasn’t as nice a day with a grey sky for a background, but the bird’s behavior was interesting.
The Chickadee went back and forth between this tree, which is dead, and an overhanging branch across the path. I’m not sure if he was looking for food or a potential nest site.
After the Chickadee flew off I went around the tree to see the cavity. I’ll be watching this spot when I pass by as spring progresses.
Tulip Magnolia Blossom
The color of the Tulip Magnolia Blossoms often outshines their mis-shapen form.
Tulip Magnolias in Bloom
It’s not yet spring, but Tulip Magnolias started blooming throughout the greater Charleston, SC area at the end of January.
We had a few days in the high 70s (around 25 C) last week and the blossoms popped out like crazy.
The daytime temperatures have since dropped back to more seasonable mid 60s (15C). I’d like to think we’re past having an overnight freeze, which would turn these beauties into black disappointment. However, two years ago we had a hard frost at the end of March so I won’t hold my breath.
Prickly Poppy
I spotted groups of these white flowers in several spots on a recent drive through Botany Bay Plantation Wildlife Management Area.
The spot I photographed these had a mowed path leading towards them so that I could get close, but the abundance of ant hills kept me from taking additional shots, including one of the full plant. I’ve avoided ant bites since moving to South Carolina, and I want to keep it that way.
The abundance of thorns on the stems and sharp leaves would prohibit picking a vaseful. My research to identify the flower also found that all parts of this plant are toxic in some way to humans, from the spines that contain skin irritating substances to the seeds which are poisonous.
Wood Duck With Chicks
Mama Wood Duck and her brood posed for a family portrait on one of the new alligator ramps installed around the rice field. I counted fourteen chicks while they were sitting still, but some were snoozing with their heads down so there may have been more. All About Birds says their clutch can have up to sixteen eggs.
A Common Gallinule was doing his best to photo bomb the portrait, paddling along behind them. I waited, hoping he would move along.
He did, but Mama felt it was time to move on, too, and they all bailed off in one fluid motion off the side of the ramp away from me.
Great Egret Back to the Nest
It’s always fun to watch the greetings as one Great Egret returns to the nest where its mate has been tending the eggs or chicks.
Meanwhile the neighbors pay no attention as they wait for their mates.
The Egret who was in the nest plopped back down, but I think there was one chick under there. You can just see some fuzz of chick(s) that have hatched in the nest on the lower left.
Iris Reflection
Falling into the swamp lined with duck weed this stem of purple Iris created a colorful reflection.
Depending on where I stood the water either reflected the sky or the green fronds of the standing patch of iris.
A closer look at the stem reveals flowers in various stages of bloom.
This last image was taken about an hour later from about the same spot as the first one above, with the sun no longer directly on the flower.
Prothonotary Warbler Hunting and Singing
The Prothonotary Warbler didn’t stick around so there may not have been anything to eat in the web woven into this branch, but he poked around for a bit.
He stopped to sing a song and show off his bright yellow head before disappearing into some low trees.
