If you’ve ever stepped on one of these Sweetgum Tree balls you can appreciate why the Ibis picks a careful path. Barefoot, they are sharp, and with shoes on they are like stepping on marbles.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
February 14, 2026
(Ted’s OM 100-400mm Lens)
I spotted this hawk while I was walking around the barnyard at Middleton Place. He was looking down at me, not much concerned by my presence.
I think this is a Red-shouldered Hawk, probably immature. I moved along and a few minutes later I was alerted that he did, too, as the pigeons that perch on the barn roof took to the air in a frenzy.
October 19, 2021
Feeding on Sweet Gum seeds is a lot of work!
A lot of probing goes on and you can see some debris falling at the bottom of this next image.
The Chickadee’s foot grasps the ball between the spikes.
Check out the reward!
From my research the seed balls of the Sweet Gum (or Sweetgum, depending on where you read) tree should be empty of seeds by mid fall.
Clearly this tree didn’t follow the program and several Carolina Chickadees were feeding in its upper branches on this mid-January day.
The dried pod stems are still quite sturdy, although this little bird doesn’t weigh much at 0.3-0.4 ounces (8-12 g) per All About Birds.
If you’ve ever touched one of these balls you’ll likely remember; those spikes are quite sharp.
Fellow blogger Mike Powell has captured similar scenes in Virginia where there is overlap in both the tree and the bird, including his post Acrobatic Chickadee
