It was a treat to see this Tricolored Heron fly by me rather slowly and in a straight line.
I more often see them in something of a panic mode, flapping and squawking.
The squawking can be fun to photograph but is often accompanied by erratic flying, which is not so easy to catch.
These were taken in early January when the marsh reeds and grass were just brown.
January 3, 2021
Even though these Red Camelia blooms did not have the obvious pollen as the White Camellia there was plenty of bee action.
And this bee was taking full advantage.
Lastly, a view of the full Camellia Tree, looking pretty snazzy.
Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC
February 20, 2021
The weather forecast promised a sunny day.
Not so much.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
February 17, 2021
The big pond at Donnelley Wildlife Management Area is dotted with these little islands covered with clumps of marsh grasses. Maybe not quite technically hummocks, as I’m not sure the ground is in a mound or if the grass is just thriving in a clump.
It’s not uncommon to see Black-crowned Night-herons tucked into the grass, but on this cold day they were joined by a Great Egret and a Double-crested Cormorant was bobbing in the water. I couple other Night Herons came and went while I was watching.
Look closely and those little blurs are Swallows zipping through the air. By 11:30 AM it had warmed up enough for insects to be active at the water surface.
These Swallows are fast!
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
This yellow flower stalk caught my eye, as did the roving dangly legged insect.
He wasn’t too impressed and moved on.
There wasn’t much to the plant, the leaves you see here were all there were, about three or four feet (1 Meter) off the ground.
I had not noticed these flowers before and don’t know if they are typical winter bloomers or if the relatively mild winter we are in has brought them out early.
This scene of a cattail, some pond-side greens, and a Double-crested Cormorant made me think of a bouquet.
I edged along the path to get a better angle and the Cormorant decided to relocate.
He wasn’t in any particular hurry, with a gentle splash he dropped into the water.
Then he headed toward the middle of the pond.
Camellia blooms reaching for the sun
I don’t know what these trees are, but spotted several in full bloom this week at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.
A couple of the trees are quite large, this next shot was over my head.
Up close the blooms are quite delicate
and have quite a full center.
The light and positioning of the Great Blue Herons has been similar my last few visits to the rookery. This fellow was watching an established nest in another tree and tried a few times to route out at least the male from that nest. He was not welcomed, and kept returning to this spot.
