This photograph is a good example of what happens when marsh water is low. The short version is, everybody is crowded together.
Some other nearby marsh ponds and rice fields have water but food is easier here. A trade off considering the other occupants.
Above has a Roseate Spoonbill, Black-necked Stilt, and of course the local Alligators.
As I work through these photographs I am amazed at how many large Alligators managed to congregate in one marsh. I am starting to see the hierarchy here though.
No small Alligators were on this side of the dike. Plenty were in the other marshes, which also had more water. They stayed on the other side.
The area above, where the animals are, is under water most months of the year. It is a small island and rookery for Night Herons.
Right now there isn’t a Night Heron anywhere near this spot. Wonder why.
So, what happens when the water in a wild marsh slowly shrinks.
This;
Evertbody gets a little closer, sometimes very close. Here we have, gators, Spoonbill, and photographer.
It’s not always a good thing, but it is so very fascinating !
There is always one eye on the prize, one on what else is going on around you. Again here, we all paid attention.
A watering hole.
I have been considering different, and new ways to publish and present my work. Over time the size and scope of the photography is getting overwhelming.
This web site alone has over 5,300 pages, a guess would be bare minimum of 15,000 photographs. And, we are involved with others. I just flipped over to the next set of drives, did the archive stuff, and ‘almost’ counted images per drive.
I am just adding a new category, ‘A Watering Hole’.
In a week none of us will even care anyway…
He was trying to keep away from everyone, me included.
Low spring waters and warmer weather has all the locals out getting the sun. It actually gets crowded in the best spots.
This one opted for a sun patch closer to a dike road, but less competition.
Besides this is one of the smaller Alligators over here. So he has less problems when alone.
Of course there are others that feel the same way about crowds looking to steal his spot.
I think this photograph sums up our day. It certainly wasn’t a day to be day dreaming.
When I saw this shot all I could think of was ‘Mutual Of Omaha’ with Marlin Perkins.
I know I’ve written that before, but this is the thing a kids Saturday morning TV was all about. And yes, I had only black and white.
Just sayin…
