Magnolia Cemetery- Bustling with Birds!

Charleston's beautiful and historic Magnolia Cemetery continues, for me, to be a great place to visit, especially when it’s one of those “It’s so pretty out, let’s do something” Sunday afternoons. And especially when beach season is over. 

Such was the case on Sunday, Nov. 2. Upon entering the cemetery, the front lagoon quickly came into view and so did lots of birds in the trees by the pond. 

Not just any birds either. This is the colorful paddle-billed Roseate Spoonbill. Such a unique bird! 

A second Roseate Spoonbill was on site, joined on a live oak tree by a trio of White Ibis. 

Chill Start to the New Year

 

I was eager to get in an early 2025 nature outing so on Jan. 9 I cleared my schedule and headed south down to the ACE Basin.

It was clear cold day with temperatures in the 39-41 degrees range. I felt it in my hands while walking around looking for birds to photograph. 

I knew the Bear Island Wildlife Management Area might be closed, and it was for periodic hunting. 

But I also knew that I could still check out Mary’s House Pond, which is accessible after parking in the entrance area. 

Having been to Bear Island many times (see this post when we took bicycles out there!), the large pond attracts many birds, especially migratory ones in the winter. 

I would not be disappointed! Tundra Swans were the stars of the show. 

Tundras are North America’s most common swan but you don’t see them too often in the S.C. Lowcountry. They breed in Canada and Alaska and migrate to the Pacific and Atlantic coasts during the winter. 

Here at Bear Island is the only place I have seen this big beauty. 

Birds Galore at Magnolia Cemetery!

 

The photographer got photographed on Nov. 8 at Magnolia Cemetery! 

Gary Eaton snapped this image of me doing my thing from my perch on the bridge. A few years ago Gary founded the popular Facebook site “Magnolia Cemetery Photographer’s Group.” I was pleased to meet Gary on this day as well as another photographer named Catherine. 

There were quite a few birds to see from the long bridge at Magnolia Cemetery. Here are a pair of Wood Storks, a trio of White Ibis and a Black-crowned Night Heron. 

It had been a while since I’d seen a Black-crowned Night Heron. 

One of the Bird Kingdom’s Delights: Little Blue Heron

 

A mix of blue and white at our backyard pond caught my eye a few days ago. 

I knew right away what I was seeing because I have seen this a few times before. This is a Little Blue Heron that is also a little white because it is in the molting phase of becoming a much darker blue. 

Check out my blog post from 2011 that has many more photos of this interesting bird, especially images of a very young one with all white feathers. 

This Heron is also distinctive with a bill that is so dark at the tip. 

I walked around the small pond to take different pictures. It flew from one side to the other a few times. 

“Hoodies” Back in the ‘Hood!

 A favorite migratory bird has been in my (the golf course actually owns it) backyard pond for almost a week now. These are Hooded Mergansers, “Hoodies” for short. This time of year (or earlier in the fall) they come south from as far away as Canada. Last Monday I counted five, four females and one male- he has the big white patches on his head. The last few days seven have been here more evenly distributed between boys and girls. 

A Little Blue Heron flies by a brace or raft (collective names) of Hooded Mergansers.

Hoodies have come to this pond in the past this time of the year. I first became aware of this unique-looking species years ago at Magnolia Cemetery. They have wintered in the ponds there for years. 

In the background are (right) a Great Egret and three White Ibis. 

Great Egret and Little Blue Heron 

Little Blue and Great Blue Herons in Flight

 I am fortunate to live by a golf course pond that is a wonderful ecosystem. It attracts a variety of wading birds (Egrets and Herons especially), turtles, frogs, alligators, and the occasional snake. And there are some fish in there too and residents and guests occasionally fish the pond. Over the years, though not lately because the pond is no longer stocked with bass, I have caught and released a number of bass, crappie and sunfish. 

The other day I photographed a Little Blue Heron that I have seen at the pond for a while. After popping off a few shots as I got closer and closer I set the camera to burst mode to see if I could capture a decent in-flight shot or two. Take note of the dragonfly in a couple of pond-side shots. 

Herons Versus Frogs: Herons Win

Sometimes the small pond behind my house resembles the “Wild Kingdom” TV show I remember watching as a kid. In recent weeks I’ve been able to capture with my camera a Green Heron, then a Little Blue Heron, catch and swallow (awkwardly) large bullfrogs.

Both times it was in about the same spot near or amid tall weeds along the far bank of the pond. And both times the resident alligator kept an eye on me taking pictures.

GREEN HERON

January Bird Bounty

The new year and the recent cold spell have created a busy time at my bird feeders. I had been noticing the increased activity.

Finally, on Martin Luther King Day I spent some time seeing if I could get some nice camera captures.

This photo shows several Chipping Sparrows (a "tournament" is the collective name- who knew?) and an Eastern Bluebird on my rather elaborate bird buffet.

Little Blue Heron

New Little Blue Heron Photos

I went back to the old Kings Grant golf course and came across what I'm pretty sure is the same juvenile Little Blue I photographed there several weeks ago.  You can see how its color is changing, from all white (see below photos) to, eventually, all dark blue.  I plan to go back in coming weeks in hopes to see this heron again as its maturing process continues.

I shot the above photo in my cameras Vivid setting.  Almost looks like a watercolor!
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I was planning to next feature, as part of my recent heron spree, the Great Blue.  But last weekend I had a really neat encounter with a couple Little Blue Herons, so I decided to share these pictures first.

The Little Blue Heron is yet another of the Heron species that can be scene regularly in South Carolina's Lowcountry.  I took these photos at what used to be a golf course near my home.  This site has yet to be redeveloped and is returning to nature in many ways-- not a bad thing at all! 

The Little Blue is much darker than other Herons.  Its purplish neck is also distinctive as is its black-tipped bill.  Its also smaller than many of the other Herons. 

The big surprise for me at the old golf course was enountering an immature Little Blue which is more than a little white. 

When getting these shots, I wasn't sure what kind of bird I was seeing here. Looked little a Snowy Egret some but when it moved I wasn't seeing the Snowy's bright yellow "slippers."  Later at home I looked at my pictures and a few of my bird books.  It was then I noticed the same black-tipped bill as the adult Little Blue.

So this outing proved a first for me in that I had never seen a juvenile Little Blue Heron before.

 The Little Blue Heron is the only heron species in which first-year birds and adults show dramatically different coloration: first-year birds are pure white, while adults are blue. (source Cornell University's All About Birds website).

And quite a transformation it is!