Charleston, South Carolina. The Ravenel Bridge in morning fog.
Fog, Black And White
Big Enough For No Worries, Alligator
There are not many things to worry one this size. Alligators are a protected animal here and only hunted in specific areas and times.
The warm sun was more important than me.
Wood Stork Gliding
Very impressive when they slide by without a sound.
A Marshland Scene
The marsh area was very dry but there were still pockets of water.
Here a single Wood Stork flew in to feed.
This photograph was taken in the ACE Basin on 3/25/19. Since then the water levels have returned to normal.
Great Egret Nesting
This has become a continuous effort. The trend here is to steal materials from each others nests.
Egrets and Anhinga are the main culprit.
The Great Blue Heron help the process in a different way. If a nest is too close to their own they simply dismantle it, throwing the material down into the water.
Of course some Egret will swoop down and grab branches starting the whole cycle all over again. It’s getting hard to keep track.
Blooming In A Swamp
Not everything has big teeth or sharp beaks in a swamp.
This time of year you can look around and find a splash of unexpected color.
Attack Of The Spoonbill
Sometimes I get lucky and all the pieces fall together.
This is a bowl of Spoonbills feeding in their typical ‘group effort’.
To photograph this correctly the water needs to be the right depth, and location for me is critical since I need to fit them all in my viewfinder.
Obviously I need the group of hungry Spoonbills.
They charge ahead as a group, head swaying side to side, and sift the water / mud for small prey.
They can move like on a parade ground making turns and marching back and forth over the area.
Click and image to enlarge and the details here are better than most photographs. In some you see the birds watching me, in others the nictitating membrane (translucent third eye lid).
Adult Great Blue With Her (Big) Chick
One of the last shots taken for the day.
