I was hungry when I saw this fungus sprouting off a tree trunk: all I could think of was pancakes.
From the other side and a bit higher up, imagine a drizzle of amber colored maple syrup as you ponder the pine needle stabbing the biggest cake.
This burst of yellow called out when I passed down a narrow path on a recent afternoon at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. The plant was large, these blooms were slightly above my eye level.
Regrettably I didn’t even look for a plant tag but did get one isolated flower, looking something like a ballerina.
December 10, 2020
Leaving Lodge Pond at Donnelley Wildlife Mangement Area feels like stepping into a mysterious world.
January 25, 2020
Ted spotted them when I was driving and of course yelled “stop!” He got out of the car but I could not–it wasn’t a safe place to pull over plus I didn’t want to spook the pigs.
It was almost sunset with the sun was already down below the trees. I got a few images out the car window at a bad angle, in between watching out for cars running up behind us.
I was amazed how jet black this last little fellow was.
I expect Ted will have a variety of pictures and maybe a better story to tell.
We had a glorious, if not quite right for the middle of winter, weather day today. It was sunny and temps were in the low 70s (21C). I spotted several Cloudless Sulfur butterflies zipping around the swamp this afternoon.
Brightly colored Camellias, which bloom all winter here, were popular feeding spots.
This nearly gone by Jonquil didn’t look like much but the butterfly spent some time working it over.
This dandelion bloom hardly made it through the fallen leaves, making a perfect low spot for the butterfly.
Narcissus of various types bloom in late December and into January in the South Carolina low country.
I spotted several bunches of these petite yellow ones on a recent walk around Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.
They were in random spots with no other live vegetation around them which led me to a low key treatment.
This petite yellow wildflower stalk caught my eye, too.
These cheery Gerber Daisy blossoms reached for the sun on a cold January day.
I liked the color gradient of this one.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston
January 9. 2020
Even though it is winter, with some nights down to and below freezing temperatures, many Alligators are still out and about during the day around the swamp.
Supposedly they don’t eat it when it is cold, their metabolism slowing in a process called brumation.
I still want to keep my distance.
Way at the back of the pond, under an overhang of trees a young Alligator assumed a pose I more often associate with sun bathing. We’ve had some warm days, but it is still winter and the water remains cold.
There is not much color around the edge of the marsh right now. All of the reeds have turned brown and most have fallen over. A Great Egret struck a nice pose in the middle of this drab scene.
