There wasn’t a single ripple in the water, no breeze at all.
The Alligator was on one of the logs that are usually completely submerged in this area. It’s old and crusty making a great prop for a photograph.
An added bonus was the wide open mouth.
Early riser sloshing by in a cut. The Stork right front is hanging on to a small fish. One of those days we hit the marshes early.
Images like this, showing the raw environment around subjects are some of my favorites. Though I think this should have been taken wider, a different format to show more.
Donnelley rice fields, South Carolina.
A little drama, tells a story, and two animals most people don’t typically see.
Wood Stork and American Alligator.
An interesting crowd scene in this marsh.
Look close and you can count at least 6 Alligators (look for tails) right in the thick of this. Gators go for the easiest meal and only when hungry. I’m guessing fish were on the menu.
Included here are;
There’s this thing about wildlife photography. If you come across a great location with lots of activity you always remember to check back for a repeat. May never happen, but it is now ‘a thing’.
This is such a spot.
Probably about 7 years ago, with a photographer friend now departed, we drove along an ACE Basin road and came on a big flock of storks down some cuts in a marsh. Big flocks were not as common then, and since that day the land shape has changed.
Last week we finally had some opportunities in the same spot.
This was a quick stop the car and get into the marsh. The new metal farm fence only a slight diversion.
Wood Storks, Bennett’s Point, ACE Basin, South Carolina.
I almost missed this series. I heard the Alligator with the crab, actually there were several at the same time.
When I tried to get some images he was facing away from me, I had the back of his head. This being a marsh, water, and such my logical options were limited. I walked down the dike angling to get a much of a profile as possible.
I did manage to get these.
The alligator has his tail, and back arched, in a position called ‘profiling’. The gator is showing his intention to keep his catch with body language. Alligators will profile to attract a mate or make a territorial challenge.
There were a large number of alligators around so profiling was happening all morning.
Another early morning photograph, I just published one a little while ago.
Here are two alligators passing in the same general area, and time, where the small herons have been wandering in.
This photograph picked up none of the gold/yellow sunrise. Only a light brown tones across the surface of the water.
A pretty big difference in size here. The closest gator is actually a typical medium size. The other is huge!
ACE Basin, South Carolina.
Flocks, groups of birds of the same species, have some creative descriptions. A flock of storks is called a Muster of storks.
Thats one I will never be able to remember, not much ‘ring’ to it. Especially when you consider a flock of Spoonbills is called a Bowl. 😁.
