Swamp Fever

Howdee all,

When visiting Magnolia Plantation the other day we paid an extra 8 dollars for entry into …

The Swamp.

After entering the code the gate opens…

Oh OH….that did it!

I got the Feva!

Immediately we see birds..

Blue-winged Teal

Green-winged Teal

We walk the boardwalk..

I was tempted to jump off and walk on the lush green carpet..

 

  Duckweed..

Its beautiful!

As we walk we notice planks of wood coming out of water at an angle..some unoccupied..

Others with alligator

Most of them are shared by both..

Turtles and  alligator..

I thought this was funny..

Alligator head to head with two turtle.

We did see many turtles here....

Usually covered in duckweed

We continue to follow the boardwalk..

Green all around us..

The trail is on and off between boardwalk and pathways..…

There are a few odd trees here..

This one chews on its name tag..

A helpful tree..

holding its name card..…

Wild Wood heart..

more lush duck weed

Canada Geese

There are areas that have very little duckweed…

And…

More birds..

Blue-winged Teal

Little Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron..

White Ibis

Great Egret..

We take the tram road and at the very end of the pond we see..

Wood Duck..

Mom with her little ones..

Mr. Wood Duck

several gators around..

Watch out little Wood duck!..

We loop back to a rookery....

this one holds Great Egrets..

Large twig nests..

A Great Egret crosses the path in front on me..

See the tree in the middle of the lake?

Look closely..

Another rookery…

This one has Great Blue Heron…

And..

an Anhinga..look at that eye shadow!..

We continue on..

We hear and then see a White-eyed Vireo

and luckily it was close enough for me to snag a photo

On a bit further we look up and see a rookery high in the top of a tree.

Nests arranged in a circle..

A sweet little critter basks on the boardwalk..

While above..

A Red-shoulder Hawk searches for dinner..

Its getting toward closing time…

we head back, past the green duck weed carpet..

Past the Teal..

The swamp and park closes at five thirty..

Much too early..

I wanted to stay till dark..

To watch the birds..

I had swamp fever..

Springtime..

In the swamp..

Birds of the Day

  Canada Goose
  Wood Duck
  Gadwall
  Blue-winged Teal
  Green-winged Teal
  Pied-billed Grebe
  Double-crested Cormorant
  Anhinga
  Great Blue Heron
  Great Egret
  Little Blue Heron
  Tricolored Heron
  Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
  White Ibis
  Black Vulture
  Turkey Vulture
  Osprey
  Bald Eagle
  Northern Harrier
  Cooper's Hawk
  Red-shouldered Hawk
  American Coot
  Wilson's Snipe
  Rock Pigeon
  Belted Kingfisher
  Red-bellied Woodpecker
  Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  Downy Woodpecker
  Northern Flicker
  Pileated Woodpecker
  Eastern Phoebe
  White-eyed Vireo
  Blue Jay
  American Crow
  Fish Crow
  Tree Swallow
  Carolina Chickadee
  Tufted Titmouse
  Carolina Wren
  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
  Golden-crowned Kinglet
  Ruby-crowned Kinglet
  Eastern Bluebird
  Hermit Thrush
  American Robin
  Gray Catbird
  Northern Mockingbird
  Cedar Waxwing
  Northern Parula
  Yellow-rumped Warbler
  Yellow-throated Warbler
  Pine Warbler
  Palm Warbler
  Black-and-white Warbler
  Common Yellowthroat
  Eastern Towhee
  Savannah Sparrow
  Song Sparrow
  Swamp Sparrow
  Northern Cardinal
  Red-winged Blackbird
  Boat-tailed Grackle
  American Goldfinch
  Common Gallinule