Christmas Time Bird Surge!

 

Tis the week before Christmas and all through the yard and pond creatures are stirring. Especially birds.

The current spell of colder weather was highlighted by a damaging nor’easter on Sunday, Dec. 17 that wreaked havoc in the Charleston area. Fortunately we had no major problems here in North Charleston. 

Since that storm, temperatures have hit freezing overnight. 

This is a favorite new photograph of a Wood Stork at dusk on the edge of a pond near my backyard. 

Bird activity at our backyard feeders has been frenzied as the chill in the air has our feathered friends eager to fill their bills and bellies. 

Eastern Bluebirds and Chipping Sparrows have been among at least a dozen species I have spotted. I’ll show some more feeder photos later but first…

Wood Storks are not regular guests at the golf course pond near our backyard so it definitely caught my eye to see this one the day of the big nor’easter. Maybe it was blown off direction! 

This Stork had a fishing partner in a Great Egret. Ahead in this post is video I took of the Wood Stork hunting in the small pond. 

Clemson Historic Preservation Program Official Reviews “Stories from the Underground” Book

It was a thrill to read the following review of my "Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston" by Francis Ford, a diector and lecturer at Clemson University’s Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, located in downtown Charleston in the Cigar Factory building on East Bay Street. Ms. Ford wrote the review at the request of the Association of Gravestone Studies, a national organization of fellow taphophiles. 

The newest publication from Patrick Harwood follows the template of his previous book, In the Arms of Angels: Magnolia Cemetery Charleston’s Treasure of History, Mystery and Artistry. In this volume, Stories from the Underground; The Churchyards of Charleston (ISBN# 978-0-9847498-4-3) Harwood turns his photography skills and research to 13 Charleston, SC churches and churchyards as well as one synagogue and cemetery. 

Published in full color 8 ½ x 11 format on glossing pages with heavy bold print this hardcover volume catches one's eye with its bright green cover. 

Harwood's writing style is simple and easy as if he was having a conversation with you directly.  I suppose cultivated after many years of teaching college undergraduate students at the College of Charleston. In creating his narrative, he quotes historians, archivists, and online sources such as the church web sites, Wikipedia, blogs, printed church histories, and interviews with those closely connected to the sites among others. He supplies an index in the rear for those looking for specific information. He also supplies his sources and additional notes for readers.

Charleston Mercury Advertisement

I took the pricey plunge and decided to pay for an advertisement in the monthly Charleston Mercury newspaper. I have been a subscriber for several years and feel the Mercury's readership includes many folks who might like what I did with "Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston."

I paid for a quarter-page ad but I think I got more for my money as the ad seems a little larger. And I received the three Santas at no extra charge! 

Here's the full-page view. I like how I am paired with one of Charleston's premier antiques shops, Geo. C. Birlant & Co.  located at 191 King St. 

My ad is in the Mercury's glossy holiday insert. According to the Mercury's director of account services, the paper reaches 50,000 household members. 

Butterfly Migration

 

Just two days before Halloween and temperatures in the low 80s, the beach beckoned! And I’m glad we went to witness something I’ve not seen before. 

This beautiful butterfly, a Gulf Fritillary, was one of hundreds flying southbound along the beach tree line at Sullivan’s Island. 

This little lovely is also called Passion Butterfly. 

It was difficult to photograph the fluttering fritillaries. I did my best as they streamed by one, two, three, or more at a time. 

The Gulf Fritillary, it seems, cannot stand cold weather, so south they go. In the U.S. in the winter you may see them in the southern parts of Florida and Texas. Many trek to Central America and beyond. Amazing that such a small fragile critter can cover such distances. 

Fun Neighborhood Arts and Crafts Fair!

 

My books and I yesterday made the short drive to the Coosaw Creek Country Club clubhouse and pool area to participate in what has become an annual early November arts and crafts fair. 

This was my second year to have a table at this popular event. It was very timely this time last year as my new book, “Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston” had been released just weeks earlier. 

I decided to offer several of my old lightly used (and freshly washed) Coosaw Creek clothing and golf items as free gifts with the purchase of my more expensive books. The sweatshirt you see here on the left did find a new home! 

We have some “crafty,” creative and artistic residents in our fine neighborhood. Fifteen or so of them had creations to display and sell. 

The four hours went by quickly! I enjoyed many conversations with folks who stopped by my table and whose tables I visited. 

I figured I would not sell as many books as I did at last year's event, and I didn’t. But I actually did better than the “guesstimate” figure I had in mind. 

I did not leave empty-handed in other ways too. I bought a nice hoodie sold by Jairy Hunter who has his own clothing company called Holy City Brand Apparel. 

Check out his Instagram site here. 

Thanks Alesia for this nice pix. 

I am so pleased with this purchase! It fits great and is very comfortable. I am wearing it right now as I write this post while sitting on my back porch. 

Jairy has previously purchased a few of my books to give as gifts, I believe, so it is nice to reciprocate. 

Plus in my “Churchyards of Charleston” book I go into how the Holy City of Charleston earned this nickname. 

Here are two other items I purchased from neighbors: a decorative Christmas plate made from clothesline rope and a lovely long and thick scarf sewn by my crafts fair table neighbor named Biddy.  

Red-shouldered Hawk Shines on Sign!

A relaxing walk in the park can produce some nice surprises and excitement, especially when I have my camera and am looking for birds to photograph. 

Such was the case last weekend during a stroll around the old Kings Grant Golf Course.

From a distance, I spotted a large bird perched on a Do Not Enter sign. I quickly surmised it to be a Hawk, a red-shouldered one. 

I took some pictures from behind like the one above, then slowly moved in the shade of a tree to see the bird’s face. I’m sure it saw me. These raptors don’t miss much I am sure.

The Hawk proved a good model! It let me take all the photos I wanted and didn’t fly away until I walked away. 

We saw a second Red-shouldered fly to a nearby tree. I wasn’t able to photograph that one but am very pleased with the ones I took of this beauty. 

Views from the Ravenel Bridge- Spectacular!

 

A recent walk across the majestic Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge offered a bounty of beautiful photography opportunities for this shutterbug. 

Sunday, Oct. 1 was an ideal combination of nice weather, puffy cloud cover, busy boat and ship activity plus an expansive view of Charleston, its harbor and points beyond in Mt. pleasant and Sullivan’s Island. 

My Canon SX70 lens was drawn to pleasure boats and the long wakes they left speeding toward the bridge.

Charleston- the Holy City- glistened in the distance. 

My book, “Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston,” explores the old city’s rich, interesting and diverse history through the prism of its religious burial grounds. 

Check out this book (and my previous ones) at the link above or on my Amazon site. 

Beach Boats Abound (And a One-Legged Bird)

 

Going to the beach, soaking in the sun and atmosphere in late September! Not a bad place to live and way to live, in my opinion.

I do apply the sunscreen and wear a wide-brimmed hat, so I’m well aware of the sun’s hazards. Believe me, I’m aware. 

Bald Eagle Highlights Fall Nature Excursion

 

I didn’t see too many birds in a trek Sept. 23 to the Santee Coastal Reserve Wildlife Management Area, located north of McClellanville.

However, encountering a Bald Eagle early in the visit made the outing a huge success. 

We parked near the visitor center (old hunt club) and walked to the fishing pier. I had just spotted an Osprey and took the photos you’ll see if you keep reading. 

To the left of the trail in what looked like a dead or dying tree I saw America’s national bird. 

Can you see it? 

Bet you can now. On my Canon SX70 I switched to the HDR (high dynamic range) setting figuring the setting would pop. 

I was pleased the Eagle didn’t fly away. 

Rainy Visit to Magnolia Cemetery

 

It had been a while since I’d been to Charleston’s Magnolia Cemetery. I had the itch to go after seeing recent bird photos posted on the Facebook site, “Magnolia Cemetery Photographers Group.”

The forecast looked wet but we decided to go anyway. When it began to pour I took several pictures through the open car window. This is the iconic Smith Pyramid, an ancient Egyptian-influenced mausoleum erected for wealthy banker William Burrough Smith after his death in 1894. 

Another favorite site here is that of Annie Kerr Aiken (1853-1856). Her ornate box tomb is among more than two dozen graves in the large partially fenced Aiken-Martin plot near the back pond. 

“Little Annie” was a month shy of 3 when she passed in 1856 of the throat disease diphtheria. The child depicted in the sculpture isn’t necessarily a likeness of her, though it could be. 

Ever since I’ve been coming to Magnolia Cemetery (15 years now) there have been small items placed here by her fans, people like me who also admire this beautiful and poignant bit of artistry commissioned no doubt by her loving parents. 

Note the yellow ducks at her feet. Someone even put a tiara on Annie’s head. What a thoughtful gesture! 

In this rain, she could use a blanket, but Little Annie has slept through worse, including countless hurricanes and tropical storms. 

Her parents, Joseph and Ellen Aiken, are buried in this plot near their precious daughter. 

Back at the Beach for Labor Day!

 We got off easy from Hurricane Idalia which at its worst on Wednesday-Thursday, Aug. 30-31 wasn't bad in our neighborhood. It was a tropical storm by the time it ripped through Florida and Georgia on into South Carolina. Some beautiful weather ensued in the following days so back to the beach we went. 

I ventured into the Atlantic with my GoPro Hero 8 and made a nice video and also took several photos. 

Ships and Shorebirds at Sullivan’s Island

I posted a few weeks ago about photographing Sandwich Terns for the first time. That was at Folly Beach. Well, Sunday at Sullivan’s Island I saw some more. 

This type of Tern certainly has two distinctive traits. The partially black head reminds me of a balding man. And the yellow tip on the bill is the mustard on the sandwich. That’s a memorable line I read in a guide somewhere. 

This smaller beach bird is a Sanderling,
a species of Sandpiper. 

Author to Author

 

What a pleasure to recently meet fellow author (and tennis enthusiast!) Angela Williams, who in 2014 published her excellent and enlightening memoir “Hush Now, Baby.” (Amazon sale site here)

We connected during the summer and decided to meet in person. At a Mt. Pleasant Starbucks, we had a long chat and exchanged and signed our books for each other. (link here to my latest)

Angela is a longtime educator and retired English professor and writing lab director at The Citadel. She grew up in Berkeley County where three generations of her family founded and owned Williams Farm Supply in Moncks Corner. 

From her birth to her wedding day, Angela had a very close, supportive and loving relationship with her family’s live-in nanny/housekeeper/cook Eva Aiken. 

When we met I told Angela her book reminded me of the popular 2011 film, “The Help” which depicts the lives of Black women working at White family homes in Mississippi in the 1950s-1960s. 

Angela told me that the movie triggered her to write “Hush Now, Baby” because the film was nothing like her own experience. 

I recently completed this fine book. Angela provides such interesting details about her life in the Lowcountry from the early 1940s to the mid-1960s. 

In my book, her book is a five star read! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Folly Beach “Lifer” Bird!

 I wasn’t expecting to add a “lifer” bird during Sunday’s Folly Beach outing. But that’s a neat part of the birding hobby- expect the unexpected! 

Meet the Sandwich Tern. What’s with the sandwich you ask? This shore bird was “discovered” and documented in Sandwich, England in 1787 by ornithologist John Latham. 

The species has a distinctive yellow tip on its bill. That’s the mustard on the sandwich (I read somewhere). 

This tern type is a lifer bird for me, an unexpected bonus to our first visit to Folly Beach since August 2021. 

The Folly Beach Fishing Pier re-do is featured in my two years ago post. It has been completed but we were not close enough to see it in this August's visit. 

I saw this mixed group of shorebirds as we walked toward the inlet so we could see the venerable Morris Island Lighthouse. 

I’m a longtime member of the “Save the Light” organization that has helped repair and preserve the tall brick light that dates to 1876. 

This is a Ring-billed Gull that may have been also feeling the hot, humid temperatures. 

Long-legged Willets are common sights on our area beaches. 

To follow are other Folly Beach scenes.

Nature Being Nature Sequence

 I was not expecting to see what I saw recently when I walked in my backyard to photograph a Great Blue Heron that I spotted through a window. Here is the sequence I captured (Hint: poor bullfrog).