Recently I have been keeping a spare camera close while out in the marshes. When focusing on an individual bird, alligator, or other animal the size and scope of the location is lost.

Here I stopped a few times and just took a few photographs of the area.

This morning shot was before full sun, you can see the blue sky reflecting into the water. And of course one of the local alligators swimming by.

We deal with the grass and reeds on every dike. However there are always open places to see through. Just never where you want them at any given time.

This is looking down a particularly long impoundment (old rice field) pond. At the far end another series of dikes intersect.

Some dikes are wider than others and can be used by the state DNR pickup trucks. A few times a year visitors can use these as short cuts too.

Bear Island wildlife area is one of many large preserves that run along the South Carolina coast. The full basin preserves are a patch work of State, Federal, and private trusts to create the largest  marsh wildlife area in the eastern US.

The idea started as an experiment doomed for failure, except it worked. Land is still being added.