Photographed in a spot that has been reclaimed by a swamp.
The last two years this has been dry and empty of anything except a passing hawk.
The water has flowed back this year and the first to move in have been White Ibis.
A few trips back there did provide additional images still to be finished. I have been trying to catch up in chronological order while waiting out the pandemic.
A Great Egret was wandering along the edge of this swamp island. No doubt there was plenty of small things to catch and eat here.
The bad news here is what we don’t see. The biggest Alligators here all rest in this island. Any time I walk by and take the time to study the tangled growth I find multiple ‘big guys’.
This day there wasn’t any incident.
The colors on this shot came out much more vivid than I had expected, or any other shots taken that day. Not sure why, but I’ll take it.
For around one month, each year, this dike road is open to cars. The rest of the year the entrances are blocked by metal cattle gates. The dike may be fragile if too many motorized vehicles drive it. This is fairly far out in the ‘Willy Woggs’, fixing ruts may be just too much out here.
There was more rain than usual, so the road closed early and often.
At least we were able to get back here a few times before it was shut down again.
We kind of bumped into each other.
Neither of us knew just what to do.
They are great hunters.
But not perfect. He dropped it in the field of flowers.
Birds Of Prey, Charleston, South Carolina.
This scene would have made a nice series. The Egret returning, interaction with the mate.
Not to be.
Two photographs only. I must have shifted a little since I changed the focus and locked on the branches. It happens when holding a big lens for a period of time.
I will be happy with just two. It is a pair of Great Egrets after all.
I didn’t think I would get this shot.
Times like this are when you fill a memory card (or two). Some photographers I know work a busy situation very methodically, picking out a single spot to capture.
I have two methods. At first, using the ‘get a shot first’ rule, I will catch as many scenes as possible, fast. This was one of them.
After a bit, and I catch my breath, I will also work on interesting spots of action.
I should be more discriminating early on but it’s too easy to have something go wrong and get nothing.
If you’re comfortable with your camera setup some custom settings, also have speed, aperture, and manual preset. After that you can quickly change to another setting without leaving the viewfinder.
This Egret was down low on a pine bough over the water. It made for the perfect back drop.
The empty back highlighted the green lore and yellow bill, even the flowing feathers.
I can’t remember the last time a Great Egret gave such a near perfect pose.
