You can’t escape light from somewhere.
The South Carolina coastline curves outward further north of Charleston. The brighter light must be Georgetown, Myrtle Beach on the horizon. The Milky Way over head.
Shot from an uninhabited barrier island (Bull’s), coastal South Carolina.
They are also called ‘Peeps’ around here. Small, fly fast, and probably run faster.
While all the other shore birds are flying and diving these little guys scurry around, zipping past on a mission.
Sanderlings breed in the High Arctic areas of North America, Europe and Asia. They may migrate 6,000 miles (9,700 K) from the south to their northern nesting areas.
Charleston, South Carolina.
The small locals are still with us. Our nights can hit in the 60’s now (15 C) so they will be looking for their hidden holes soon for the winter. No clue where that may be, just outside in the woods is my hope.
Living and lounging on the big plant pots, and watching us is their usual tough day. Go beyond the screened in porch and it’s a dangerous world.
Below is the more domesticated Anole. Others come and go but this one has routines, and nightly sleeping arrangements.
Most nights he returns and uses my ‘guppy net’ as a place to sleep. Tucks in when he gets the right spot. Like a sleeping bag. He has grown so sleeping high up on the door frame is another spot now.
The net is used to catch Tree Frogs on the porch. Once inside the porch these frogs don’t find their way out, it ends badly without assistance. Anoles are too quick for the net, never has one been in the net unless it was their idea in the first place.
This is beyond the best viewed large suggestion. It’s tiny, and a long (long) ways off. It’s the only way to view this shot.
Last night we were out on an uninhabited barrier island.
When suddenly…
The SpaceX launch came into view.
At first I though the ship had dropped booster rockets. More came so this was when the rocket was releasing the payload of new satellites. A bit later there was a smaller second release.
Wrong lens, wrong settings, perfect spot. We were out in the ocean to avoid ‘light pollution’ for milky way and star photography.
Standing at the trunk, water flowing by, there was nothing to see at this corner of the marsh.
Looking down, where the water was moving fast there was just ripples and greens. Well, at first that’s the thought.
A closer look down around the pilings found a big wrinkly head. The bumps made him blend right into the water 😂.
Not a little guy either.
This was at the start of a long circular dike along the Ashley River. A few trees, some long dead, hang over the water making a favorite rest stop for these herons.
At this point the bird was hot and gasping. Me too.
Walking by I grabbed these from different angles. I’m not sure I even stopped, there was shade ahead and that was my real goal.
Even though he was right out in the open I walked straight to him. Being thin, and the lines, had me thinking it was a stick. They aren’t very big, maybe 3 feet (1 meter).
There were boot heel prints in the dusty sand here, you can see how thin they are.
Above is the trail we found him on. This trail is on an old wide dike. On the right is the Ashley River, the left a plantation marsh once rice fields. Viewed large you will see a trunk down the trail to let the water flow into the fields from the river. The river has been moving water back and forth on this spot for centuries. This is part of a plantations back property.
Here is another look at the Ribbon Snake stretched over the trail.
Again for perspective he is laying over tracks of a small ATV that has passed over the dike recently inspecting the area.
Taken on rice fields owned by Magnolia Plantation, Charleston.
Alligators are more flexible and capable than you would expect. I have seen one, multiple times, jump out of the water. I know, horrible thought but their powerful tails can push them up.
However, they can’t climb, way to bulky. Yet here he is…
I’ve seen them grab hold of a ramp with their claws and pull themselves up when the water is low. Never one this big, or heavy, though.
Too bad I missed that part.
