So very far from most of this web site…
Just because things can catch your attention, and you have a camera.
Georgetown Harbor, South Carolina.
Found On A Walk
Tag Archives: OM System
White Pelican Gathering
When you have small groups of these big Pelicans spread across this larger marsh it’s hard to keep track of any counts. It’s nice to be able to compare info over the years. We go back over time to find what has happened in any given area.
On this morning last week the Pelican were swimming in giant circles. They swam off into a cut, we lost sight, and then would appear from another open cut in a different area. There are lots of tall grass mounds in the marshes that block your view. Otherwise this could be a huge lake.
I gave up on the counting, instead I walked over to places with an eye towards getting a shot as another bunch ‘popped’ out.
White Pelicans fishing.
Warming Up, Alligator
The Alligators are still out and about, just not first thing in the morning. It needs to warm up a little first.
I spotted this one moving slow along the reeds and I walked around until I could get a few different angles for these.
Low light, no breeze, and lots of fall gold reflections had the makings of nice images. Every year I get photographs like this. The gator does all the work, I just shoot from a dike as I walk around.
Rice fields, Donnelley wildlife area, South Carolina.
Fog, part 2
The other day I published a few shots of morning fog taken as we headed towards the big marshes and rice fields. I had forgotten I also took some photos when we first arrived out there.
1) Below is a view looking down a cut between stands of thick grass and reeds. When clear there is usually something hunting along the edge. There were a few ripples in the water but nothing to be seen.
2) The water opens up after a while becoming a large shallow pond. By large I mean the back side could be a mile away. Fog hung low over the reeds, having the Great Blue made for some perspective.
3) Last is the old ‘spoonie’ tree, or what’s left of it. No Spoonbill here but Great Egrets, an Anhinga, and in the water the ever present floating Alligator head. You can’t get many wide shots without a head.
Donnelley, ACE Basin, South Carolina.
Watch Full Hawk
well ! So much for my proof reading skills 🤡
One of the local Red-shouldered Hawks.
This tree sits near a trail we don’t usually take to enter a local swamp. It’s the long way around to everything. This year it’s also been one of the favorite haunts for the Red-shoulders.
I’ve been thinking we are having a great winter for these birds, however maybe that’s just because I usually take a short cut and skip this part of the swamp. It would be funny if they were here the whole time. 😂.
Small Snack, Great Blue Heron
This Heron was working really hard to catch very little. However he was successful, even if the fish were tiny.
It was hard to even see exactly what the snack was. If you look close it appears to be a translucent fish of some type.
In the above you would think he had a huge meal his mouth was so full. Maybe I missed him getting a bigger one in the series as I shot. Or maybe it was just a mouth filled with water 😁.
Anhinga Confronting Night Heron
When the Black-crowned Night Heron landed on this branch it was already occupied. The Anhinga was not happy. While not the biggest predator out here they are enough to stand up to the biggest Egrets and Herons.
Yet the smaller Night Heron was not intimidated at all.
He dropped down and settled in.
The Anhinga went back to drying off, this was going nowhere and she knew it.
Group Fishing
It’s always nice to get a shot with various types of marsh birds in the frame. You can’t always get the perfect composition, but that’s not the idea anyway. Wildlife have their own rules LOL.
Included here ;
- White Pelican
- Great Egret
- Wood Stork
This shows just how big these Pelican are.