Santee Coastal Reserve WMA

I came across a "kettle" of Barn Swallows last month while exploring the Santee River region north of McClellanville, S.C. I was driving toward the Intracoastal Waterway to see if the ferry was running to the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center (it wasn't- it only operates certain times of the year)

A nice spot this ferry landing!

If only I had my own boat! 

The ferry to the Yawkey Center- I tried to get the guy to take me across but no luck there

On the way to Intracoastal Waterway landing, I was driving along North Santee River Road when I crossed a small bridge over a creek and saw several birds on a power line. 

As I pulled over and started snapping photos with my brand new Canon SX 50 HS camera I was struck by the expressiveness of what I would later learn were Barn Swallows. I couldn't help think they were sharing jokes and funny stories (like the one about the Hawk and Mockingbird that flew into the barn together...ha, ha, a real side splitter)! 

A kettle of laughs were these Tree Swallows!

Also impressive were the long forked tails of these Barn Swallows. 

Once at the Santee Coastal Reserve WMA I saw another type of Swallow, this one is a Tree Swallow. It was by itself, an interesting contrast to the boisterous Barn Swallow kettle I came across earlier. 

Here are some of the other birds I photographed at the WMA: 

Red-winged Blackbird

Cormorant at the fishing dock on the South Santee River

(Left to right) Great and Snowy Egrets; Tri-colored Heron and a Little Blue Heron

Wood Storks

Wood Storks in flight

More Wood Storks!

Great Egret in rice field

Great Egret in a pine tree

A Little Blue Heron transitioning from the all-white color of its birth to the slate blue of adulthood.

Great Blue Herons and a Great Egret

Lots of majestic live oak trees but beware of the bugs in these wooded sections of the preserve!

Another neat feature of the Santee Coastal Reserve WMA is this boardwalk across a marsh that ends at a wide expanse of water-- and wonder!

It was very hot this June today! 

Actually, tomorrow I'm going back to this WMA. I'll add new pictures, for sure!