I panned along with this big Wood Stork as he came into the marsh from the back woods.
They look clumsy and all strange angles. However they are smooth in the air.
Wood Stork flight in an old rice field.
Wood Stork Fly By
Tag Archives: landscape
Last Of The Blossoms
The first freeze has come here. While we don’t get all that many it only takes one to stop most of the Camellia.
Found on a walk.
Around Middleton Plantation, Charleston, SC
Random photographs taken late afternoon, when the sun finally warmed us up (yeah, not northern cold but now I’m ‘southernized’).
This plantation is maintained gardens, hundreds of years old. The lawn mowers, flocks of sheep, were in the stables by the time we arrived.
The main house was probably built around 1705, in 1755 two flanking buildings were added.
Above is the south flanker. The other two buildings were burned beyond repair by the New York 56th Regiment in 1865, the end of the Civil War. The federal army moved along the Ashley River burning all but one plantation. After the war the south flanker became the main residence until 1975.
Most of the land around the house is landscaped, and terraced hills. The slopes must have been added on the small hill since we are flat, sea level flat. I checked once and this is one of the highest elevations in the Lowcountry.
Several large reflection ponds are on the property, and yes Alligators can wander by. The old mill house is along the back of this pond. Behind the mill is a very large rice field pond filled by the water gates, Trunks, along the Ashley.
Final shot here is of a statue, one of many, around the Spanish Moss and oaks. This statue survived the war by being buried and hidden until federal troops left the area.
If you read PassingByPhoto.com you will have seen photographs of the stables and barnyards. Each spring Ellen drops by often to visit the ‘Sheeps’. Tiny lambs bouncing around and entertaining everyone.
Middleton Plantation, Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC.
Sun Setting On A Plantation House
The sun came out yesterday afternoon, it was a bit late so we dropped by another nearby plantation. This property is more formal than any of the others around me so only two short lens in my pocket.
Formal is a good description since at one point this was the largest formal garden in the US. Middleton Planation was the home of several of the founding fathers of the country, this being only one of nineteen rice plantations they owned.
This was taken as we were leaving. Unfortunately photography is not allowed in the house.
Middleton Plantation, Charleston, South Carolina.
Fall Marsh Colors, Great Egret
There were several Egrets working the marsh grass here. I had seen Egrets and Herons chasing each other so I waited for another opportunity for a shot.
They kept the peace, however in the first two images here the Great Blue can be seen up top watching and waiting.
The golden color grass of a few weeks ago is gone, replaced by brittle browns.
ACE Basin, South Carolina.
Little Blue Heron (White)
I was not in the best spot for these. Looking down from a slope, above the swamp water, I could only shoot between holes in the brush. And of course the bird was walking right by on a mission.
This was in the old ‘little rookery’ swamp. The smaller wading birds nested here the first few years we were in Charleston. It was a busy rookery with nice open areas.
The nesting birds moved on, but we come by. It’s still a nice swamp with activity.
This young Little Blue probably still has a year before changing color to slate blue. The smaller birds now nest in the big rookery up the trail, I assume he was from this years broods.
Hidden In Color, Hawk
It was dark and raining the morning, day after Thanksgiving, so we made more coffee and hunkered down.
Rain finally stopped and we couldn’t take it anymore. Off to local swamps. As Ellen said, we can just come home if we want. Famous last words.
Well, we had hardly entered swamp and looked up… a Red-shoulder in our face. Big, close, and gone! We couldn’t even say anything, it was by far one of the best opportunities in a long time.
Not much further we found this Hawk too. We knew they were gathering, but this was a promise of good days.
Best viewed large.
Because it was dark and wet I had a shorter midsized lens mounted. My trusty bargain basement sale 40-150 Olympus R. In a swamp distance isn’t always critical.
Red-shouldered Hawk in a swamp.
In The Spanish Moss, Hawk
This is where the Spanish Moss made the photograph .
Without the moss it would still be a beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk, just with a stick in the way. 😂.
This shot shows how a hawk is invisible in a swamp.