The real scene with an Anhinga ;
What we normally see ;
This is why they are call ‘the snake bird’.
Anhinga, A Different Look
Tag Archives: Fall
Critters In The Shade
Heading out of the swamp end of day, which is pretty early since we lose sun before 5:00 PM.
In the shade on a big ramp were a juvenile Little Blue Heron, and two Slider turtles. The turtles mostly hidden by the bird and low light.
Best viewed large.
A nice fall swamp scene.
Red-shouldered Hawks, Hunting Territory
As expected a pair of Red-shoulders have taken the back side of the swamp rookery as their territory. The dead trees along each wetlands will have one sitting up top watching for prey.
Below is a perch always in use. The last few swamp visits I have photographed them in the same spots. Like exactly the same spots.
Red-shoulders prefer to hunt by waiting up high and studying the ground below. Prey is attacked by quietly dropping straight down from above.
Fishing Pier / Dock, Santee River
A dock along the Biggin Creek (Biggin, no s like the church).
It’s been made larger over time, it was a flat three board walk just a few years ago. That said the swamp in the background add to the image.
The Anhinga Spot(s)
The pylons and Anhinga photographs keep showing up in the to ‘to do’ list. And… it is an old fashion hand written list on my office pad of paper 😆.
There must be a half dozen sets of pylons scattered across the old rice field here. Better yet they are all blessed each fall with color reflections over the water. The only difference here I see is the Anhinga are replaced by Cormorants at times.
They Just Looked Cold, Ibis
Being tropical birds I don’t think of them being in, or around, cold.
And yet, here they were all puffy and hunched over in the breeze. This is another bird that doesn’t really migrate as much as ‘shift’ a little south. I think of a migration being like going from the northeast to Florida. Ibis could just take a bus, or drive with us to Florida. It’s a few hours, be there by lunch time.
They Found Sun, Turtles
They found a dry log, in the sun. Suddenly it was a turtle convention.
We do have a few of these guys in the Lowcountry.
Yellow-bellied Slider Turtles.
Fall Colors And Locals In A Marsh
This is a natural canal in a marsh that had a nice fall scene. A wide shot to catch as much of the marsh grass and trees as possible.
The Great Blue Heron was the main subject when I shot this. However at the bottom left a small Alligator can be seen adding a nice touch. I never knew he was there until I started typing this LOL.
Best viewed large.
ACE Basin, South Carolina.