On a Cypress, looking around in a rookery.
Wood Storks prefer an isolated location, with a flock of other Storks to nest.
Storks will stop where they see other birds building. Check out the neighborhood, and move on. I rarely see them on nests.
I know of a few Stork rookeries. All are pretty isolated and some protected. That is one of the reason they have made a come back from the brink of extinction.
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.
Getting some type of perspective in swamps like this is hard. This first shot worked out because the Cypress Knees in the water were in the open.
An added bonus when shooting this was my audience up above. A White Ibis sat and watched.
No effort or thought. He just leaned out and was in the air. They make it look so easy.
Roseate Spoonbill taking flight.
This Night Heron sat in a big tangle of branches and vines. There were several of them, but the old ‘branch in the face’ problem was the rule of the day.
I did get this shot, and his deep red eyes were clear. Only takes one shot so I count this as a win.
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.
Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah is older than Magnolia in Charleston. Only a few years, but enough to make a difference.
I had always wanted to visit Bonaventure since it’s always compared to Magnolia, and Magnolia was created based on the ideas started in Savannah.
The US civil war changed the path of Magnolia which was damaged and housed federal troops for a period of time. Bonaventure is much more structured and manicured.
Both are special and beautiful.
I think my preference is the unstructured, almost scattered, layout of Magnolia. That said, the wild flowers and long open lanes of Bonaventure are incredible.
She is tucked in between a Cypress Tree and a Palm. Looks like a pretty good spot and hard to see.
