Tag Archives: Winter

Roseate Spoonbill With a Stick

December 31, 2021 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

This Roseate Spoonbill really wanted to sit in the Spoony Tree with his stick. I didn’t see him arrive, but think he just flew up from underneath the tree.

Roseate Spoonbill With Stick In the Spoonie Tree

Who knows why, it’s not breeding season yet and he doesn’t look like he’s of breeding age based on still having pin feathers on his head.

He took off when the Cormorants started squawking at him.

The Anhinga was not impressed when he came right back.

He headed across the dike, where he promptly landed in the mudflats and abandoned the stick for some fishing.

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
December 25, 2021

Landscape

Subtle Sunrise

December 25, 2021 Ellen Jennings 7 Comments

Flowers

Look Both Ways

December 23, 2021 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

before crossing.

Wading Birds

Tricolored Heron In Flight

April 5, 2021 Ellen Jennings 12 Comments

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

Flowers, Insects

Bee on Red Camellia

February 23, 2021 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

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

Landscape

Layers of Grey

February 19, 2021 Ellen Jennings 4 Comments

The weather forecast promised a sunny day.

Not so much.

Striped clouds over pond, tiny streaks of swallows

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
February 17, 2021

Landscape

Tucked in a Hummock

February 17, 2021 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

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!

Wading Birds

Restless Great Blue Heron

February 16, 2021 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

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.

Great Blue Heron, Gallinules, and Double-crested Cormorants

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.

Great Blue Heron and Double-crested Cormorants

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.

Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Cormorants, and Ring-billed Gull

February 4, 2021

Flowers

Holly With Yellow Flowers

February 12, 2021 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

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.