Good fishing day in the backyard for just some of the many different large birds we get to see!
2 Wood Storks, Cormorant, and Great Egret. These birds are 3-1/2 feet tall.
Wood Stork, Cormorant, Great Egret
Category / Nature
Backyard Birds – Ibis
One sole ibis walking around the backyard today, I am sure the others are near by, on the other side of the house in the nature preserve. I walked out to get close for the shots and a hawk swooped down right over the ibis as I was preparing to take the 45 shots to get these best 6. I guess the hawk might have had more in mind than just a few photos like me. Never walk alone!
Alligator on the bank
Brandi says from the kitchen, “Oh look the large alligator is across the lagoon on the bank”. 10-11 feet.
Birds from the yard. These are Killdeer.
Birds from the yard. These are Killdeer, pretty much here year round nesting and eating along the lagoon bank. #birdwatching
Loropetalum, Ferns, Vines ~
Before and after not quite 4 years. Things certainly grow a lot here in Low Country…like year round!
Crepe Myrtle Forest – Bonsai
About a year and half ago I took the seed pods from our front landscape fuchsia crepe myrtle and stuck them in a brown bag. The following early spring (which is the end of February in Bluffton SC) I put a few of the million seeds I had in little seed pots. Well, last year they grew and I got about Ian 80% success rate and now have about a dozen of them about 10 inches tall. Some made it back into the landscaping and a half dozen made it into this new creation of a Crepe Myrtle Bonsai Forest. During the seedling process I got a lot of moss collected in the containers and that I used in this display as grass. Next year the forest will be ready for a shaping, but it looks great today. It came out pretty good as my 5th bonsai, with today adding 2 others to my collection, all from seed or saplings.
Southern Mornings
Coffee view from porch.
Little Guy Mantis Update
My little buddy found one of my bonsai trees a few weeks ago and has been moving between the many trees effortlessly now. Today’s update shows how much he has grown, now over 1” long.
Sunset at Windmill Harbour – Hilton Head Island
The Talmadge’s enjoying a beautiful May sunset .
Micro Mantis
The Smallest Praying Mantis
While trimming my bonsai trees today I came across this bug that I thought was a mosquito, some say the state bird of South Carolina. After further investigation I noticed it was the smallest Praying Mantis I have ever seen! It was not even 3/8”. Watch the video and tell me what you think.
Talmadge House 