Last January a magazine company began a monthly publication for my neighborhood, Coosaw Creek Country Club. Stroll, free to residents, had a polished high-quality glossy look. It was advertising- driven and each issue seemed to have plenty of ads with new local businesses appearing regularly.
Within a few months, I met the publisher at a clubhouse event. She invited me to contribute a bird-themed article and photographs for each month’s issue.
I didn’t need to be asked twice! Birds and bird photography- that's definitely in my wheelhouse. I've published two books full of my bird and nature photographs: "The Birds of Magnolia Cemetery: Charleston's Secret Bird Sanctuary" and "Nature-ly Fun! Bird Photography from A to Z." Both, along with my other books, are sold on Amazon and by me personally.
My first “Peck of the Month” piece appeared in the March 2025 magazine. Following are the articles I wrote in subsequent months. I really liked the layout done by Stroll’s production team.
Poor bullfrog! A golf course pond is adjacent to our backyard and that’s where this capture was made (by my camera and by the Great Blue Heron’s long bill).
Woodpeckers and Barred Owls. I felt I would never run out of topics and related bird photos.
The publisher/editor said she was getting positive comments about my bird stories. She allowed me two pages from the one page I had the first few issues. I liked that because I could provide more photos and the writing could be a little more in-depth.
Beach birds were a natural for a summer spread.
Our July Bermuda wedding anniversary trip was fun to share. I photographed a variety of birds there, including a few first-time “lifer” birds.
Mississippi And Swallow-tailed Kites one month, Painted Buntings the next! I was able to feature my favorite birds and favorite images. I was free to select my topics each month.
In December another favorite species, Wood Storks, took center stage.
I was contemplating my 2026 topics when I began to hear from neighbors through our Facebook site that December may have been the final issue. Sure enough, in her regular column early in each issue, the publisher said in so many words that she was leaving the magazine company. She thanked the residents like me who contributed content. A talented resident poet shared her work monthly too, for example.
So Stroll is no more unless a new publisher takes charge. So far, that hasn’t happened. So for me, it was good while it lasted. I enjoyed sharing my longtime birding hobby in this format. Coosaw Creek, several years ago, had a similar magazine, but that too was short-lived.
The magazine business is tough these days. I understand that and talk about it with students in my Survey of Mass Communications course.
Again, good while it lasted. Thank you Stroll!
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