Tag Archives: South Carolina

Birds, Charleston, Marsh, Swamp, Wildlife

Wood Duck Clan

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Every member in one spot. here are young almost grown, females, and adult males losing all their bright breeding colors. Each of them is molting and looking a little ‘raggedy’.

Wood Duck Clan - click to enlarge
Wood Duck Clan – click to enlarge

This group photo is also on PassingByPhoto , Ellen was at a different angle and managed a few in flight shots also.

Wood Duck Clan - click to enlarge
Wood Duck Clan – click to enlarge

This male still has great color on his head, most everything else has fallen off.

Click, or double tap, to view the gallery.

Wood Duck Clan – click to enlarge
Wood Duck Clan – click to enlarge
Wood Duck Clan – click to enlarge
Wood Duck Clan – click to enlarge

 

Alligator, Marsh, Swamp, Wildlife

Watching Me Photograph Egrets, Alligator

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A couple of years ago I thought this was a little weird. Now it’s something that just happens and sometimes you take a gator shot, others time no.

Watching Me Photograph Egrets, Alligator - click to enlarge
Watching Me Photograph Egrets, Alligator – click to enlarge

Above you can see the trunk of a tree on the right side. At times the small / mid size Alligators swim up to the bank and float, looking up, and watching.

Watching Me Photograph Egrets, Alligator - click to enlarge
Watching Me Photograph Egrets, Alligator – click to enlarge

All I can think of is they are curious, in their own way. Also, when you eventually walk away they don’t move at all. It’s like they forgot all about you. Short attention span, tiny brain.

Birds, Marsh, Swamp, Wildlife

Young Female Anhinga

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This female Anhinga, on the wooden platform, is much like any number of other photographs taken right there. I found I liked this as much about the water and shades of the platform as I do the bird.

Young Female Anhinga - click to enlarge
Young Female Anhinga – click to enlarge
Young Female Anhinga - click to enlarge
Young Female Anhinga – click to enlarge

Young Anhinga stay around the swamp and ponds here for most of the summer.

Birds, Heron, Marsh, Swamp, Wildlife

Green Heron By A Small Rookery

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I had been concerned the Green Herons would not be around much this year. The last week or so has proven me very wrong.

Green Heron By A Small Rookery - click to enlarge
Green Heron By A Small Rookery – click to enlarge

They didn’t nest in this rookery, which is too bad. This is a great place to sit and capture feeding on through flight school. Maybe next year.

Green Heron By A Small Rookery - click to enlarge
Green Heron By A Small Rookery – click to enlarge
Green Heron By A Small Rookery - click to enlarge
Green Heron By A Small Rookery – click to enlarge
Birds, Heron, Marsh, Swamp, Wildlife

Colorful Little Blue Heron

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This is a Little Blue in his breeding colors. Typically they are a dark slate blue and even during the spring are just too dark to grab a clear color shot. The light and angle has to be just right to see their many different shades.

Colorful Little Blue Heron - click to enlarge
Colorful Little Blue Heron – click to enlarge
Colorful Little Blue Heron - click to enlarge
Colorful Little Blue Heron – click to enlarge
Colorful Little Blue Heron - click to enlarge
Colorful Little Blue Heron – click to enlarge

Above you can see the magenta colors on his head and neck. Even here the electric blue on his bill is not all that clear.

Colorful Little Blue Heron - click to enlarge
Colorful Little Blue Heron – click to enlarge
Colorful Little Blue Heron - click to enlarge
Colorful Little Blue Heron – click to enlarge

They don’t have the flowing plumage of an Egret but their colors may be the most vivid of all the wading birds.

Alligator, Marsh, Swamp, Wildlife

Alligator Teenagers

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Baby Alligators are too small and timid to be around people. They just want to survive and grow large enough to not be on the menu. The big gators, somewhere along the line they have had a human issue and now the best thing is to keep away while still looking tough.

Alligator Teenagers - click to enlarge
Alligator Teenagers – click to enlarge

That leaves the teens. Big enough to be ‘pushy’, young enough to be dumb. The prime spots are owned by the big guys, next best is the place of those pesky humans… a trail or sunny open spot.

Alligator Teenagers - click to enlarge
Alligator Teenagers – click to enlarge

Every spring / summer a new batch find a nice location and do their best to claim it. Depending where it is, people backup or stand their ground. If you get close, these guys fly through the air into the water. However…some wait until the last minute.