Now you see it Now you don't

I've been hit with spring fever! The daffodils bloomed and some are still coming out, so far no new frosts to kill stuff...I have not had to split firewood, and that is nice.  I've had the windows open been having breakfast on the porch then going out to the "slab" with my dinner...(the slab is my new outdoor space on the cement slab where the old shed used to be) 

Today I tried to detail it, sweep out the leaves piled up around the flower pots etc. with the leaf blower. I seem to have no control over those things! The leaves circle around and land behind me..

Last week when I went down to the "low country" to see the Long tailed Duck, I stopped at a couple other spots along the way back home...I figured I'd make a whole day of it...After the success of the duck I took off from the residential area where that duck was hanging out and made a bee line to Givhan's Ferry State Park. The Edisto River is the big draw there...it is the longest free flowing blackwater river in North America! I have always wanted to Kayak from Collerton State Park down to Givhan's ferry...it's a 23 mile paddle....I haven't even been able to buy a kayak yet...so damn! But it's not off my list, it's just You gotta have someone drop you off or have a car sitting at the end..WAWA... let me stop moaning.  

Givhan's Ferry has a Florida feel with all the saw palmetto trees along the river's edge. 

It was built by the CCC 988 acres of flood plain...there are some remarkable views but the trees make it hard to get a good vantage point...I love trees, I love views so I'm torn in both directions.   

 

Riverfront Hall...

There's 25 campsites with hook ups, and tent sites, and cabin rentals too...there's 2 hiking trails...I did my walk along the river's edge.

Of course you can find birds everywhere you go...I ran into a lot of back-lit birds on this walk...this Carolina Wren came down to rattle at me...

And I spotted this eastern phoebe scanning the water for gnats and bugs...

I would really enjoy camping here once I get that kayak so I can enjoy some of those views...

Yellow Rump Warbler

My next stop was at Santee NWR.  I hiked the Wright's Bluff Nature Trail...another place that really needs to work on access...the trail is so overgrown you can't even see the water...only one boardwalk brings you to the water and this one is overgrown with reeds...


 

I could hear tons of geese, ducks, and swans, but I could not see them...

I did see an Osprey hovering...

 

 

I picked out a Yellow Throated Warbler up in the canopy...

On the way out on the highway bridge I caught a glimpse of the waterfowl...

 

I'm thinking Tundra Swans about 30 of them...shovelers, wigeons, gadwalls and others that were just too far away, a nice boardwalk along this stretch of shoreline, just 100 ft would be awesome wouldn't have to cut any trees, it could be put right alongside the water's edge...because this is the most protected area,,,,a narrow leg out of the main body of water where the waterfowl concentrate.  I should have put this in their comment box, but I feel it would be a waste of time...surely they know?  Access is the biggest challenge to Eastern birding.  

This is the current view of this  section...the edge is muddy, and the view is obscured by tangles and scrub trees...I know it would be expensive but I'm sure volunteers would help build it. See the swans out there this would have been a much better vantage point to view the waterfowl.  If people can't see anything they soon stop coming, then what???

I am not saying get a bull dozer in there I'm saying ecologically minded and sound access is important to protection of species and habitat.  So on the way home I saw this really cool mural of Francis Marion, The Swamp Fox..It really shows all the awesomeness of the low country the Black Bear, the Red Fox, the humans on horseback the Cypress Trees and their knees... the Spanish Moss, the Great Egret.. and look really close on the right side just above center....

and then look carefully on that right side....

a Carolina Parakeet...extinct since 1918.

a crop of the image

The cutting of old growth forest is given as the most likely cause of the demise of this bird that used to live as far west as Colorado, as far north as Wisconsin...what a gorgeous bird it was...Our Ancestors....what were they thinking?? Maybe if they had  known about this bird they would have thought twice about how it could have continued to live alongside them.

I'm falling behind on posting so I will catch up this week..

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

My Time Machine?

I did get all but one of the planks on the deck  the one where many cuts will be made to make it fit around all the posts where the steps and handrails will go...Im not in as much a hurry to get to step 2 of this project next week probably....here is where I am now..

I swear I did prune back these azaleas they grew back already...time to trim again! Once the planks are seasoned  I have some stain to put on.

the old horse pasture is my back yard...it's yearning to have hooves in it again! On my list of 40 things was adopt a mustang so stay tuned!

at least I can walk out the door and sit on the deck!! I even moved my little umbrella and table out.  I did see some of the large market umbrellas on sale---maybe gotta think that over.  I had one out here for years don't know where it went?

...meanwhile on the screen porch I added some more seating (do you recognize my famous camp chair) and a couple of storage footstools, found those at Goodwill.  I already have my little bottles of fertilizer, and some yard hand tools stashed inside! 

my avocado tree is getting BIG- it really wants a bigger pot so it can become a grandpa!

...the chartreuse on these boxes matches my fabric almost perfectly!  I have yet to stitch  up my cushions but it's on the list.  And in the center of the photo you can see Mom's house we are literally a stones toss from each other...

Along the fence I hung a nest box, it was higher up on a tree and not one bird was interested it hung there 3 yrs and  so I moved it last winter and LOOK,  a Carolina Wren is sitting!

the wrens have already fledged one batch of new wrens...so very happy to provide them with a home...NOW I just have to watch out for black snakes!

And in case you thought I was kidding about the "ball" art--

I wasn't!! I want more--I have one ball that has split in half, I'd like to make a couple of Lady Bugs outta that one--stay tuned.  I tossed out about 10 bowling balls...darn-wish I hadn't been in such a hurry to get rid of them just imagine the possibilities....

AND bad stuff news the van window had a  major malfunction...so I had to go on an exploratory adventure and found the cause...A plastic gear is turned by the window motor....a braided steel cord is what wraps itself around this plastic gear -not good-think rock, paper, scissors-- and then 15 yrs later your window won't go up....I ordered the entire window regulator and its on its way....I have plans to go on a long weekend  Friday I don't think the part will arrive on time, so I have shoved the window up in closed position and jammed it with old towels to keep it up there...I am not planning to camp its just too hot and every State Park I checked on my planned route had big R's across the board??? How can this be? Personally I think they just put the R's on there to discourage walk in's.... but I sure hate the idea of Motel sleeping--if it should turn cooler, I may reconsider.  I don't have to pack my kitchen I can eat take out--just I will miss my coffee so I may pack that-

currently watching on Antenna TV-- THE BLOB (1983) I have enjoyed watching TV shows that are older than my son... before that it was Seals n Croft Year of Sunday on the record player 1971, I have literally gone back in time-I am living in a house I lived in back in 1977, listening to music from my high school years, and watching TV from the days when I was raising my son, and wondering why a van window from 2001 went screwy?? 

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

A-Birding I did Go...

...in continuance of the trip to see the waterfalls I thought I'd share the birds I enjoyed seeing. 

First in my sisters back yard she gets birds on her feeders I never get even tho those species are in my yard...Like Blue Birds!

a small family of them are always eating at my sis's feeders! I've tried buying the same seed, but still I don't get bluebirds show up to eat it...then an American Robin jumped on for snacks...

a red-bellied woodpecker waited in the wings for a turn at the feeder...

and I saw several yellow rump warblers at the feeders too!

Then over at Oak Grove and the lake there from Oak Creek...I saw the usual fare of ducks this one gave me a decent bath sequence...which was fun 

Then he glided off with a friend...

then.......The Race WAS ON....

The Geese are nesting so any intrusion was not tolerated and a chase ensued....only the fastest would escape without a honking big bite on the rear!!
I've been bitten by a goose it does hurt...

...and this red tail was making sure everyone stayed on their toes!!

The large flock of ring billed gulls that was around on my last visit has dwindled down to only one or two...I like gulls because they tolerate humans pretty well...

Brown headed cowbirds were around as well as Carolina Wrens..

More Eastern Bluebirds....

                  These guys were so back-lit I couldn't tell if they're barn, bank, or other! Either way they're swallows!

I wanted this to be a Eastern Wood Peewee but I think its an Eastern Phoebe..

...and its just not birding without a northern cardinal to brighten things up

Spring arrival....

and this killdeer wad very leery of my intentions...

and several hundred people flew over the lake....

and one totally aggravating Belted Kingfisher who wouldn't be still long enough for any kind of shot... so ended up with this extreme crop job...

How annoying is that? All in all it was a good day of birding for me!!

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.