Common gallinule.
Green heron.
I moved on up the creek to the larger pond. There a family
of common gallinule (above left) paddled around the edges
looking for water bugs, frogs and the like. The brilliant
Chinese red shield on their bill, subtle black, brown and gray
plumage, and the bright flashes of white on their wings and
tails give them a very dressed-up, sophisticated look.
Crossing the footbridge to the trail between the waterway
and the dense growth of trees and bushes, I spotted a little
green heron (above center), angry that I had disturbed his
search for breakfast. I have always been a sucker for their
iridescent green and brown feathers and the way they look at
you with total disdain. “How dare you trespass in my domain?”
The waterway narrows at this point, and there is a bluebird
house on the opposite shore under a live oak tree. This
morning the bluebird was not home. The vegetation thickens
before opening into the last pond in the series. There near
the shore was a black-necked stilt (above right) and his mate
working the edges of the pond. Stilts are well named. Their
extra long legs look comical when they stand on the shore, but
the long legs are useful for wading in deeper water. As soon as
they saw me, the male took off in a storm of protest. What must
have been bird profanity poured out as he loudly decried my
very existence. I rewarded him by recording his performance.
Beyond the pond is a copse of live oak trees where a bird
Orchard oriole.
WINTER/SPRING 2019 • VOLUME 41
Loggerhead shrike.
Black-necked stilt.
or two frequently rests in the branches. The difficulty is telling
what kind of bird it is because of the strong backlighting and
the contrast. Today was easy because of the easily recognizable
bird calls. It was an orchard oriole (below left). Orchard
orioles are less brilliantly colored than their cousins the
Baltimore oriole, which are not typically seen here on Kiawah.
The back side of the oak trees is open to the fairway. This
is a great place to catch a glimpse of a loggerhead shrike
searching for grasshoppers. They are famous for catching
grasshoppers and impaling them on the points of a barbed-
wire fence. Unfortunately for the shrike (below center), there
are no barbed-wire fences on Kiawah. Loggerhead shrikes are
easily confused with mockingbirds. Both are gray overall with
flashes of black and white when they fly. The hook on the end
of the shrike’s beak is a clear identifier of his profession.
On the trails between the ponds separating the fairways
heading away from the clubhouse and the journey back, there
are cattails around many of the ponds. I always look for red-
winged blackbirds, yellow warblers, swallows, ducks, coots,
and wading birds, but once when I had my camera, I caught
a bittern (below right) that was trying hard not to be seen. It
is difficult to tell whether it is an American bittern or a least
bittern. I always have to check with Aaron, our Town
of Kiawah Wildlife Biologist.
Bittern.
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