Charmed by a Cute Pair of Barred Owls

 

Wow, this month of June has been something! I am hearing and seeing Barred Owls almost daily. Two days ago around noon, Alesia alerted me to Barreds in the backyard…again. 

I grab my camera, step out to the patio, look up, and look what is looking back at me! 

Two beautiful Owls are content to stare at me with as much curiosity as I have to stare at them. And they didn’t mind me moving around to “capture” them from different angles. 

They perch on a Southern Live Oak tree (I think that is what it is) with thick branches that cross in front of a pine tree. I really like the composition of the above two photographs. And you see how the Barred Owls’ coloring blends so well with the trees and branches. 

New "Churchyards of Charleston" Book at the Printer!

I am excited to announce that I will soon be publishing a new book! It is titled "Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston." 

Like my 2014 "In the Arms of Angels: Magnolia Cemetery- Charleston's Treasure of History, Mystery and Artistry," this new book is large format and full color. It is 8.5 by 11 inches in size and 228 pages. 

In it, I examine Charleston's rich, diverse and interesting history through the prism of its old churches (and one synagogue) and their burial grounds. 

Below is the book's dust jacket design: 

Printing my book will be the Charleston-area firm Palmetto Publishing. This will be my second book printed by this company. Last summer, I had Palmetto Publishing print additional copies of my "In the Arms of Angels" Magnolia Cemetery book. 

Please contact me if you are interested in acquiring my new "Churchyards of Charleston." My email is birdseyeviewspublications@gmail.com. I will post updates in the weeks ahead as the release date approaches. for more details on what the book is about, click here.  

Here is what is written on the back cover by three Charleston historians, authors and fellow taphophiles who have read the book. 

"Just when I thought I knew it all, Patrick Harwood’s 'Stories from the Underground' taught me so much more. Much good information for the seasoned taphophile as well as the 'newby' cemetery explorer.  --Pamela Durkin Gabriel, author and historian 

"Patrick Harwood is a born storyteller, and his tales of the dead confirm it. This book is not just a tour de force of Charleston’s churches, churchyards and cemeteries, but a tour through time as well, with stories of funerary history, customs and design. It’s hard to imagine a more enthusiastic or dedicated guide; and the lavish images are not only compelling – but may very well propel readers to visit these sites themselves. I know I will!  --Harlan Greene, Scholar in Residence and author, Addlestone Library, College of Charleston.

"Thank you to Patrick Harwood for gathering together, in one volume, Charleston’s valuable collection of burial grounds. 'Stories from the Underground' serves as an invitation to explore the surface world of funerary art, while helping to unearth countless stories of the souls who lie below. --Ruth M. Miller, Lowcountry historian, author and speaker

Exciting Barred Owl Encounters and Camera Captures

The start of June brought an amazing day of owl sightings at my house. A trio of Barred Owls spent much of the day and part of the next hanging around our front and back yards. I was able to take many photos and record videos as well. The most unusual part was when Alesia alerted me that an owl was in one of the bird baths on our back porch. I took almost a minute of video before it flew to a nearby perch. Check it out!  

Cool right? The water must have felt pretty cool to this young Barred Owl- I'm pretty sure this was a juvenile one. The things that children do! 

Here is more video I took earlier that day. 

I posted the bird bath Barred two days later (after posting the still shots to follow) on several Facebook sites (my neighborhood one, a South Carolina nature site and three or four other bird and nature sites). 

On the Carolina Bird Photo Sharing Facebook site it really took off. It has had more than 600 reactions and numerous comments and shares. 

Memorable Memorial Day Weekend at Myrtle Beach

June 12 Update- My Myrtle Beach photo that begins this post was a winner in today’s Post and Courier photography contest. The topic is “Summertime.”

It was fun to return to Myrtle Beach for the first time in many years. For the Memorial Day weekend, it made a nice getaway that was not too far away. 

We had an oceanfront room on the 15th floor at Marriott’s Residence Inn. We were there two nights…

…and Three days. Alesia and I spent most of the time on the beach. The weather was perfect! 

That's the hotel behind me. It has 18 floors. We were on the 15th, Room 1508 to be exact.

This is a really nice hotel! I would definitely recommend it. 

The water temperature was very comfortable for taking a dip. We brought our favorite beach chairs and I had a good book to read (Harlan Coben's "The Final Detail" to be exact). So life is good!