What the Walrus said . . .

Hello everyone! I hope that this finds you all well and having a much better 2023 than 2022. I know for many that the winter has been long, the snow deep, and for my friends and family in California that the rains and floods are making life miserable. You are all in my heart and prayers.

I had been kicking the idea around of starting up this blog again. I have missed months here since I returned from my incredible road trip. Life has been interesting to say the least and I honestly cannot say I have totally settled in.

I have moved in with my son and his two young daughters (ages 15 and 6.5). It has been a change to having the quiet of a dark tent in a silent campground to two very rambunctious souls (the youngest of which HATES mornings, usually at the top of her lungs!) Going from a two-bedroom apartment that I shared with a cat as a companion to having one bedroom in a three=bedroom apartment is definitely different. We all make it work quite beneficially for all, but I also know that at some point I will change up to my own apartment and get my stuff out of storage.

As I write this to all of you I can feel the wanderlust building again. That desire to hit the road and see new places, meet new people and wear out another camera! It is good to be here now and be able to see the winter slowly blossom into spring Charleston, SC, truly is a very beautiful city and a wonderful part of our country. The flowers are coming out, the greens are beginning to break forth from their slumber, and the birding has been marvelous. Yet . . . a part of me longs to see new and different things, places with new adventures colors and smells. I am working on a plan for later this year, but I will hold off on telling you where and when until I know for certain!! LOL

The Azaleas are in their full glory all over the Low Country, especially at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.

A green Tree Frog seeks shelter from a rain shower inside a pale pink Azalea blossom.

Red Azaleas form a cascade along a trail through the Magnolia Planation Gardens

It is mating and nesting season now in the south. A Great Egret performs his mating display and dance, courting the female close by as they build this season’s nest.

Another Great Egret air lifts a stick, found in the edges of the swamp, back to the nest where the female will weave it into the fabric of the ever-growing nest. The nest will now be occupied by one of the pair at all times. Any nest left unattended is ripe for stick blunder by other Herons and Egrets.

A Great Blue Heron dives out of the nest, headed out in seek of another perfect stick to bring back to its mate! I loved the determined look in this bird’s eye as he headed out on its mission.

A group of my fellow photographers and I have been meeting almost every day at 7 AM to sit below a very old cypress tree at Magnolia Plantation waiting to see the mated pair of Bald Eagles fly in and roost. I learned of this phenomenon late this season, so I did not get a lot of time on the birds, but I did get one or two decent pictures, The weather has now warmed, and we believed that the pair did not have a successful nesting this year, so the eagles have apparently moved on to better hunting grounds.

Morning light on a pair of young, Red-Shouldered Hawks. I was watching them for over an hour and could hear the adults calling to them from the woods. These two must have just recently fledged and the adults were teaching them flying and hunting. The kids were obviously not in on the game!!

A perched Barred Owl makes eye contact with me.

A Northern Cardinal, all puffed up to retain warmth, on a cold winter morning.

Inside the heart of a vibrant orange Poppy.

A male Anhinga in bright mating colors. Not always the prettiest of water birds, in spring the just burst with facial coloring.

The does will be dropping fawns soon, and I love seeing the new kids in the swamp. This one was on her own and very skittish of the human with the one big eye!

A White Ibis giving me the once over. I did not even notice the bright blue eyes until I zoomed in for this closeup!

I enjoy watching for and playing with reflections This morning, the weather was perfect, the light was just right and the birds were extra cooperative.

Easily my favorite photograph so far for 2023! I had seen this Great Blue Heron feeding along this shoreline for a few mornings. The Azaleas were just looking better and better, so when I saw he bird on the shore this time I opted to just slowly follow its progress, knowing that sooner or later it would cross this spot. I love it when a plan comes together! LOL

A mated pair of Wood Ducks. Usually very hard to get good pictures of since as soon as they hear anything unusual, they jump into flight. This pair has been on the lake for the past month and seems to be becoming more tolerant of humans with cameras.

I will dig back into the latter half of 2022 and post any pictures what I have to get you all caught up. I will endeavor now to make this a monthly update, btu if you do not hear from me for a bit, please drop me a reminder . . . just in case life has run me over and I forget!

Love to all!

Matt