Week 16 - A week for the birds

Late Sunday evening going into the early morning hours we had a thunderstorm far off over the ocean.  There was no thunder to announce it's arrive, just a flash of light across the horizon every couple of minutes or so.  If you weren't looking you would never know that a storm was taking place off in the distance.  As I was slowly getting ready for bed I noticed it.  Well, that was it!!  Out came my camera, and my notes on the proper setting for this type of photography.  It can be a little tricky especially because it was far away.   It's also best done using a remote with your camera which I don't have.  I do have a feature however that allows me to set up my camera to take continuous pictures without me pressing the shutter.  Perfect for this type of photography.  I can set it up and basically sit down and enjoy the show. 

On Monday we had a round of golf planned however the day started off with rain and the forecast was not good for the rest of the day. Schools were closed and a prediction of a severe storm bringing hail, high winds and lots of rain was enough to convince us that it wasn't a good idea.  No severe storm came and only minimal rain.  It went all around us at the beach however inland there was a storm but nothing like they were predicting.  It was a good day to get out and walk and enjoy the beach and also to enjoy a good book.

We went back to Huntington Beach on Tuesday. The park was very quiet with not many birds at all.  We couldn't walk the straight road either which was a disappointment for me as I am looking to see if the Egrets are starting to nest.  Its such a beautiful thing to see, but I guess this year we'll miss it. We had a big temperature change as well on Tuesday and it was cold at the park.  We didn't stay long and headed back to the condo for some more book reading.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Little Blue Heron

Snowy Egret

Great Egret with breeding mask

Great Egret showing breeding feathers

A beautiful pair

In flight

A beautiful sunset to end the day

On Wednesday we bundled up and  played a round of golf at Blackmoor.  I started with 5 layers on as the temperature was below 10c.  Thankfully the sun was shining and it warmed up somewhat while we were playing. It sure is hard to play with all those layers.  As well, we celebrated Grace and Teresa's birthday.  

On Thursday we drove out to Ocean Aisle Beach to see if we could view the new baby eagle that had been born.  While we didn't see it, we heard it chirping from deep within the nest.  

Eagle - keep guard

We then went to Sunset Beach to watch the Osprey and Eagles.  There was more activity there.  We saw multiple Osprey in the sky and one down by the nest sitting on the hydro pole.  They often flew by the Eagle's nest which agitated the Eagle causing it to come out and chase them away.  It's fun and interesting to watch.

Feeding time - Eagle

A view from the tree top - Osprey

Eagle chasing Osprey away

Osprey territorial dispute

Gator on the hunt

Osprey takeoff

Coming into the Osprey nest

 

On Friday we golfed at Arrowhead.  It was pretty warm and felt nice being out in the sun.  We enjoyed a fun round all together.  

Saturday we went back to Sunset beach because the Kite Festival was on at Huntington Beach.  During any special event the park can get extremely busy.  We make it a point to avoid all the crowds.

 It was another fun morning and a beautiful day.  The noseeum's were out in full force and I sure got a lot of bites.  We saw the Osprey's chasing the Anhinga's in the sky and they later they chased them out of a tree.  I have never seen that before and it was pretty interesting to see.  The Anhinga flew really high into the sky and it almost looked like an Eagle. Pretty cool!!  A while later the Eagle flew by with a large fish that it was bringing back to the nest.  You should have seen the Osprey go after that fish.  They were swooping and chasing that Eagle as best as they could.  Unfortunately they were not successful.  News must have gotten out that food had arrived because about 5 minutes later the juvenile Eagle made an appearance.   The adults in the nest made it quite clear that he was not welcome.

Osprey

Osprey and Anhinga

Osprey

Eagle with a large catch

The chase is on (another Osprey behind the Eagle)

Eagle

The case is still on

Juvenile joins the mix

Osprey going after the Eagle

Osprey chasing the Eagle

Osprey chasing Osprey

Osprey chasing Osprey

In the afternoon we enjoyed spending some time on the balcony.  It was such a beautiful day.  I saw a couple walking their dogs along the shoreline and throwing them a ball.  It was a  perfect time to grab my camera and take some shots.  

We had another beautiful day on Sunday with the sun coming up under the clouds.  I'm so glad that the warmer weather has arrived.  It was the end of a fun week.

Week 15 - A little bit of this and that

Monday arrived with another foggy morning.  The fog was so thick that we couldn't see the ocean.  The weather is forecasted to be 24c making it a great day for golf.  We noticed the last couple of days that the Noseeums are out in full force as well.  We're getting a lot of bites. Yikes!!! They are so itchy!!!

Golfing was fun and hot.  The ponds are showing the pollen falling and you could see it blowing in the wind.  It's amazing how fast everything is coming into bloom here.  What a great day!

Since Tuesday is cleaning day, we headed off to Costco for some groceries and then to Huntington Beach.  We had a bit of rain in the morning but by the time we had finished shopping it was past us. The park was nice to be at although pretty quiet. We spent our time enjoying the Pelicans and Herons.  I am always amazed at how much fun we have at this park.  We've made some friends and always spend time talking with the locals.  It's a beautiful place to go.

Pelican takeoff with an Anhinga looking on

Great catch - always goes down head first (Great Blue Heron)

Darn!! I dropped it.

Another good catch - better eat it quickly

The Pelicans are quick to spot when a fish is caught and will try to take it away from the Heron.

Off in the distance we observed another Pelican catching a fish.  Wow was it ever a big one.  After a significant amount of struggling, it ended up swallowing it with the tail first.  It might have been a prickly meal with the fins scratching the inside of his throat.  

Look closely and you will see the eye

The head is popping out

Juvenile comes in close for a look

Now that's what I call a  mouthful

Down the hatch

On our way home from Huntington we stopped at the Myrtle Beach State Park.  It’s nice to walk out on the pier and sometime we get lucky and see some dolphins swim by.

A beautiful sunrise on Wednesday morning.  The pollen levels are rising  and by the end of our golf round at Heritage today my socks had a pollen ring around the top.  It’s amazing how fast the pine trees are starting to blossom.  

The weather on Thursday was calling for a drop in temperature and rain. We’re planning to go to Charleston but decided to wait till Friday for warmer weather and sunshine. I took a few walks during the day along the beach after the rain (which really wasn’t much). I felt the temperature go down from 21c to 13c. A big change. It was also very windy making large waves. They are always nice to watch. 

On Friday Ralph and I drove to Charleston for the day. It was fun to go out and explore the Marketplace.  Each year it becomes more commercialized, but its still enjoyable to look at the art, photography and sawgrass baskets that some of the vendors have.  I always enjoy a visit here.

Sawgrass artwork

More Sawgrass artwork

Beautiful photos

You can always take a horse and buggy tour

Beautiful steeples

Byrd's cookies anyone.  They are amazing!

Beautiful flowers

Reflections

Artwork on the stable walls

After the Market we went to Folly Beach and enjoyed a beautiful walk.  The beach is very flat and is good for sharks tooth hunting.  Unfortunately we came at the wrong time and no teeth were found.

Careful where you walk - Jelly Fish in the sand

More Jelly Fish

Lots of small shells

Beautiful Sanderlings

Nice homes on the beach

After our time at the beach we drove to Morris Island to see the Lighthouse.  It wasn't what we were expecting but it was still pretty interesting to see.  The pathway is approximately 1/2 mile long and it is totally filled with graffiti.  It was actually pretty cool to see and read what everyone put on it.

Lighthouse off in the distance

Pathway to the Lighthouse viewing

Morris Island (pretty small lol)

Decided to make some of our own graffiti 

Saturday and Sunday were both quiet days. We watched the funeral service for Tante Frances. It was a beautiful service. I took a nice long walk along the beach and enjoyed the weather outside. I am amazed at how busy it’s gotten here with visitors. The beach was pretty busy with lots of people enjoying the weather. 

Early morning sunrise

We were suppose to get some rain on Sunday afternoon but it never came.  The sky was overcast at times but otherwise it was a nice day.  I spent a couple of  hours on the beach enjoying the Bonapart Gulls doing their wave hopping and also finding sharks teeth. I love these nice quiet days!!