These were taken recently on a morning when there was plenty of flight action. Egret nesting to be exact.
Walking the parameter of the large rookery pond, well dodging direct sunlight, gave me a few different angles as the birds flew past with their ‘collections’.
It’s frustrating, but I could show up the next day, at the exact same time and place with no results. When you do get it right this is an amazing show.
Above an Alligator watched with me.
I walked by this old plantation statue, then had to stop and take a second look.
He is now green.
Not St. Patrick’s Day green.
Pollen green.
Welcome to the south.
Off to the side of a trail is a newer wetlands being formed. Some times wet, other times dry. Now it has a full time Little Blue Heron.
Walk by at any time and you can be sure he is in there. On the other side of this trail is a rookery so it will be interesting if he stays here.
A medium sized local who decided to sleep on the lawn (of a plantation house).
I noticed him as I walked into the main house lawn area. Probably he was chased back towards the swamp in a short time. A group of picnic tables for the tourists are just off to left side here.
Nobody would come to any harm, but the ‘squeals’ would have been fun to hear.
Main grounds, Magnolia Plantation, Charleston.
What caught my eye here was the Egret looking like he had just eaten something. Their neck looks full afterwards.
Not until later did I realize how nice the light and golden reeds were.
I still think he just ate something but nothing else happened.
A month ago this was jammed full of reeds and thick cattails. This swamp was losing what it had been for hundreds of years. An old pipe that helped move water finally clogged, it was plantation era though.
At what I’m sure was a significant cost a dredging project cleared the vegetation and returned this swamp to where it could again support water flow and wildlife.
The land is part of the old Magnolia Plantation properties and still family owned. Plantation grounds, further down a dirt road is open to the public. The swamp is not as big a tourist attraction, but this location was once a large rookery. Photographers are around here of course.
The land is referred to as the ‘Audubon’ swamp, and for a good reason. John J. Audubon was related to the family and visited this swamp, filled with Great Egrets, multiple times.
I walked a back trail here the other morning hoping to get some bright sun rise reflections on the newly open areas. These photos show how not so bright the morning was.
Even in the dull light this is still an incredible place to visit. It was empty except for me and few over head birds from another rookery down the road.
Several years ago this was a busy small heron rookery. I’m hoping they will return soon.
There was no plan on these shots. They were taken while wandering through the house looking for my preferred wide landscape style shot.
I had photographed these rooms before which was why I passed by. What I hadn’t considered was how the ambient light had changed.
Charleston, South Carolina.
About everything you could ask for in a southern swamp scene.
