I know, where have I been? I was all set to make a trip out on the lake about a month and a half ago when I was alerted to an advisory for a hazardous algae bloom, and while boating was not discouraged, in a small kayak you might as well be in the water. But, with the advisory now lifted, it was time to get back Out There! I just hope none of my wild familiars were harmed by the algae.

Is that a little touch of color in the trees? That might be more due to the dry spells we’ve had than any change of seasons:

I’m not sure who these geese are; they’re definitely not Canada Geese:

This guy passed right near me…

and the encounter ended predictably, for a Beaver:

This Crow was surveying everything from the very tiptop of a lone tree:

It’s the time of year to start seeing Great Egrets. This one found brunch to go:

While this Killdeer pondered the menu in this very productive little end of the lake:

I guess something you just have to stretch your legs on a long flight, even if you’re an Osprey:

This one threw me the first time I saw one. The bird in the foreground is actually a juvenile Little Blue Heron. Notice she doesn’t have the yellow peak of the Great Egret in the background:

And of course, we have to have the obligatory Great Blue Heron picture:

Yup, another one, yawn.

When I got back to the boat ramp, there was a bit of a traffic delay, where these ducks were also using the ramp:

But they moved on and I was able to complete my trip.

I snuck out early this morning to beat the forecast thunderstorms. Turns out that was a good idea as the weather started getting convective right around noon.

Last time I was on the lake I was surprised to see an Egret this time of year. Looks like that wasn’t the only one, or maybe this was the same one; birds do get around:

Speaking of getting around:

The usual residents were out and about:


There were several swarms of these guys. These two got caught in a spider web, and there was no untangling them. Another one of those predator-prey relationships:

The water level was down a bit, but no so much that I couldn’t get into at least one of my little hangouts:

And, of course, the obligatory Great Blue Heron picture:

I’ll kick off this creature feature in my back yard. I went out back doing a couple of chores and something caught my eye. There, under a couple low branches, was a small fawn in the grass. He was so small I could probably have picked him up with one hand (not that I’d try of course):

They grow fast though:

There was plenty of “lawn maintenance” going on this morning. These geese were
working on the lake dam:

And crows were working the other side of the lake:

The new nesting platform that was put up for the Osprey looks to have had some activity since I was last out there a few weeks ago. Seems kind of late in the season to be starting a nest, but I’m sure the Osprey know what they’re doing.

And, of course, the obligatory Great Blue Heron picture:

Plus a bonus!

It’s kind of early in the season, but with these unseasonably warm days, and needing to make up for a nearly-disastrous 2020, I decided to venture out on the lake for a bit. Being so early, I didn’t expect to get much in the way of wildlife pictures, but, well, below are the best of the 329 frames I came back with.

The water sure seemed cold to me, but there were turtle heads poping up all over one area to eyeball me as I went by.

And there were a few out enjoying the early spring sun.

This hawk was enjoying the sun and the wind:

With the rains we’ve had, the lake level was ample to allow me to get into some of my favorite nooks, cranies, backwaters, and feeder creeks. Yes, I was up a creek, but I had my paddle.

The year-rounders were here, of course, like these Mallards:

…just before they flew off…

And the Canada Geese.

The small birds are out and about too, like this Chickadee:

Now if these guys can get along, as different as they are, why can’t we?

By the way, that wasn’t the Obligatory Great Blue Heron picture. Wait for it…..

And a second one to make up for lost time:

I’m still here. Like I’m sure is the case for all of y’all, things have been a bit “abbynormal” lately.
Anyway, with a rare day off (if I didn’t take some time off, I was probably going to end up yelling at someone), I decided to get out on the lake first thing.
My favorite time of day, early morning:

There are some flowers that only come out early in the day. These remind me of morning glories, if they aren’t:

The early morning light made this fallen piece of tree really stand out:

I saw a lot of these white splotches on leaves in a couple places around the lake. I suspect they’re insect egg cases, perhaps one of those species that hatches and drops into the water to start life there:

There wasn’t a lot of bird activity visible. As we push towards late summer, the breeding season is mostly over, the kids have grown (boy, do they ever grow fast), and things have settled down to a more relaxed pace. If being a bird is ever “relaxed”.
It is, however, definitely the season of the spider. They’ve had time to grow big, and as they get big, so do their webs:

Obligatory Great Blue Heron picture, heading off into the fog:

Here’s a little better Great Blue Heron picture. A lot easier to catch them when they’re standing still, especially if the lighting isn’t great:

I know, where have I been? Or, more importantly, where have the Creature Features been? The short answer, keeping my head down and out of the line of sneeze. I’d made a couple short excursions out on the lake this month, but it took a holiday (US) to spend some Real Time out there and pull the pictures together to post.

This one was from a couple weeks ago, when a bright sunny day brought out the turtles:

Osprey showing us would-be fliers how it’s done:

And how to operate in tight spaces:

Osprey chick on the nest. I’m pretty sure that’s a chick there, because if the adults are around, they’ll be warning me off by the time I get this close.

For the record, I heed their warnings, because, hey, they’re the parents, they know what’s best for their little ones.

Ducks and geese are around all the time.


There are duck boxes all around the lake. I’ve never seen a duck use one, and they’re all in some degree of decay. This one seems to have aspirations of being a Chia Duck Box:

Grabbed the camera when I saw this bird flying over head. I wasn’t sure, but a close look at this not-so-great photo shows that he is a Bald Eagle:

How apropos for a national holiday.

Humans spend a lot of effort keeping their aircraft in top shape and making sure everything is in place prior to flight. Then along comes a ;Turkey Vulture missing a bunch of primaries flying around like it’s nothing:

I’m not sure if I never noticed this spot before, or just as likely maybe something has changed, and I found this little inlet to a nice lush forested wetland.

Always when I start thinking I’ve seen it all out there, Nature throws something else in front of me. Speaking of which, lots of squirrels hang around under the bird feeders in my back yard, but this chipmunk snuck in with them:

And, of course, the obligatory Great Blue Heron pic. I spotted this one on top of a snag through the trees:

They always look so awkward when they launch from a tree…

but once on those big broad wings, they’re as graceful as any bird.

It’s been a busy year so far (to say the least), and now with the “civilized” world grinding to a halt, it might be good to pause and reflect that the rest of the world goes on. My suggestion: find a way to get outdoors, while maintaining your social distance.

On that subject, IMHO the best way to get past this current unpleasantness is that social distancing. The virus needs humans to make more of itself, and if we deny it that, it’ll die back.

I had planned to spend a day at Croft State Park, but found they’re now closed on the day I showed up (I now see where SC state parks are just closed for the duration; sigh). So I made the best of it, took a walk in the local woods, and as the day warmed up, broke in my 2020 boat permit.

Recent rains had plenty of water pouring out the lake overflow.

and some of the trails along the creek were pretty soggy from the slosh-over.

In the woods, it’s a lot harder to spot the wildlife, but this Chipping Sparrow came out on the path long enough to snap some pictures:

Up topside, the high water level let me get into those little nooks and crannies around the lake I like to poke into, like this little spot with a small feeder bubbling into the lake up at the far end, almost like a miniature waterfall:

The sun poked through the clouds occasionally, but that was enough to bring out the turtles. Two’s company:

but maybe three’s a crowd:

Five definitely is a crowd:

Up above the lake, I didn’t see many Great Blue Herons around (sorry, no obligatory GBH picture this time), but the Double-Crested Cormorants were all up and down the lake.

I’ve said it before, just when I think I’ve seen it all, Nature throws something else up in my face, like the Chipping Sparrow mentioned above, which I saw for the first time. I also spotted a couple little creatures on a tree trunk. Maybe they climbed up there to escape the rising waters, as this tree would normally be on dry land.

That wasn’t a lot of wildlife pictures from out on the lake, so I’ll fill in with a few from a busy backyard feeder.

Lots of comings and going, a Blue Jay comes, a Red-Bellied Woodpecker goes…

Mourning Dove approaches:

Mourning Dove and Tufted Titmouse share the seeds:

No mistaking the Northern Cardinal, and downstairs a Dark-eyed Junco:

Now it’s the Blue Jay‘s turn to bolt. Gear up!