Thursday, January 3, 2013

Below are several pics I've taken since moving to Charleston, SC....






Folly Beach...pier and restaurant..


Shem Creek..basically a large creek fed by the Charleston Harbor waters...several bars and restaurants along this creek....



Shem Creek at sunset...







Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge...stretches across the Cooper River and connects the downtown Charleston area (The Peninsula) with the Mt Pleasant area...



View from the walkway along the edge of Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge....the VA (where I work) is out on this peninsula...



Friday, June 29, 2012

Correction

Ok..the "Martins" I referred to below are actually Chimney Swifts...it only took my dad just a few seconds to figure this out after I described the size of the birds and nesting style...I've also since learned they lay eggs more than once per season..after the kids below left, I took down the nest and was happy to have a clean front door / entry way...one day later..another nest was under construction..so, we'll see if this will be the last nest this year.  Determined looking birds uh?


Thursday, May 17, 2012

Getting bigger....

Wow...a day later and clearly more feathers...


The Martin Kids

So, here are the kids...four total..two fell out, one was dead and the other was struggling on the ground so I put it back...it's a pretty crowded nest...Mom was back sitting on the edge last night...


Monday, April 16, 2012

Mr. and Mrs. Martin

This couple (assuming they’re the same duo) has insisted on building their family just outside my front door for the last three years.  Tearing down the nest does no good, they just build it right back.  Martins tend to build nests in open areas such as in Martin houses (the tall bird houses and poles you see in some yards) so that they can easily see predators such as hawks.  The male does most of the nest building at first after which the female comes in and puts on the final touches.  Martins get used to people pretty quickly; I can walk out my front door and they’ll just sit and stare at me.   The problem is, they leave bird poop below which means I’m periodically cleaning it up.  Oh well, it’s still cool to have Martin family visit each year.

Update...

Update:  Thanks to everyone for asking about updates to my blog.  For the moment, my only access to the Internet is via my smart phone at home and my computer at work.  Unfortunately, work has been crazy busy so I'm less likely to post updates from there; I can update from my smart phone but preferred placement of pictures and text can be tricky.  So, hopefully at some point I'll pick up an tablet so I can more easily post updates when I'm home.  In the meantime, I'll try to find time at work; I definitely have more stuff to put up so stay tuned.

Mark

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Caney Fork

...I stopped and took this pic while heading back home after the Christmas holiday..this is the Caney Fork river which meanders under I-40 two or three times, not far from Nashville.  I've past the river many times during trips and had always thought of grabbing a pic..I had some time during this trip so I stopped and checked it out...definitely need to grab a friend and check the view out from a kayak..fishing is probably good too...

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Fall Rain

...At my job, there is a parking lot next to an old ballfield.  The parking lot is lined with really big oak trees (or various types of oaks) and is basically the front face to the moderately wooded walking area towards the back...so I'm sitting in my truck having lunch one day in mid-Fall and notice that it's raining with leaves...so I drop my two front windows to feel the breeze and allow leaves to fall inside..these two were among several that floated in so I thought I'd try to capture Fall a bit...kind of a poor attempt since I had lunch in my lap that I was working on :) ..

Friday, November 11, 2011




...I snapped this pic as a friend and I walked along the trail...I saw this view from a little ways back and as I approached it definately looked worth capturing....

...Radnor Lake hardwoods...


...this deer just came walking across the trail right in front of a friend and I...the deer aren't shy at all at Radnor and are used to seeing people on the trail..


...a few shots of the expansive hardwoods...the area offers plenty of food for wildlife...

...more hardwoods....

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Otter Creek

...this is a stream that runs through property behind my mom's previous home...the property has two ponds with each somehow connected to the stream...












...as you might imagine, there is plenty of wildlife all over the property...you can't walk or ride through the area without seeing at least two or three deer...












....last Spring I followed the stream back into the woods along a firebreak (which tends to have more dirt than leaf or grass covering so I could move rather quietly).  It wasn't long that I heard light, periodic splashing over in the stream just a few feet away but somewhat out of view due to brush...I waited and finally saw three adult otters dipping in and out of the water looking for crawfish and minnows...they never saw me as they eventually passed by...it was nice to see wildlife focused and engaged in their profession with no worry of humans or other threats nearby...very relaxing moment...I wish I could have snapped a few pictures....

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Sister Goats

...these are Spanish / Kiko goats.  My mother owned them last year as pets and had them all named...the white goat up front is Molly, the others are Maggie, Savannah, Emily, Sarah Jane, and Ellie Mae.  Mom really loved them but had to sell them after her husband passed away.  Luckily she found someone who wanted goats like these as pets so they're in good hands now....I'm assuming they were able to keep their names...mom certainly did a good job naming them...