We walked down to the creek on Sunday to see if we could see any wood ducks. The wood ducks weren't there, which is unusual, but I wasn't expecting to get a good shot with the camera anyway. They can burst straight up out of the water, and they always see me before I see them.
The creek and surrounding sloughs are a maze of fallen-over trees, small islands, and calm eddies. Wood ducks love habitat like this.
This is the slough created by beavers, where the wood ducks often hang out and which is filled with willows, red maples and water tupelos.
This is a view downstream where the creek is wider. One time a neighbor's cow swam the creek to calf on the other (our) side. (The electric fence was probably down.) The neighbor had to swim the creek with the calf in arms before the cow would return to her home pasture. She did an excellent job of weedwacking the ditches between the pastures during her stay.
Soon the trees will be clothed in spring green, but for now the main source of the color is the play of winter sunlight on the holly tree leaves, bark and lichen.
There are some very old hollies (Ilex opaca) growing at the side of the creek.
Red maple
Sycamore
River birch (and Poison Ivy)
Parsley leaf hawthorn
Even if I never get a picture of the wood ducks, it's always a thrill even to just get a glimpse. I'm hoping to see a prothonotary warbler again this summer. This is also their favorite sort of habitat.
Your photos remind me of playing in the woods when I was young in CT. What a lovely place.
ReplyDeletepercevere with the wood duckphoto mission!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful creek, every home should have one! ha. Does it have fish?
You Sycamore bark looks the same as London plane over here.
This looks like a peaceful place,,except for the poor cow!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful little walk along the creek. I love the different trees, their shapes, bark, their reflections in the water. I hope you get to photograph the Wood Ducks for us to see, and that your get to see the Prothonotary Warbler again too.
ReplyDeleteFlowerLady
Great pictures! Hope you had a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteA nice walk Sweetbay and loads to see. It would be so much fun to live by a creek... Several of my favorite trees and their location near water is why I won't plant a sycamore here or even a beautiful I opaca...but i can totally enjoy them here. gail
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful. I know I'd be spending all my time here.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, this post inspires me to go have a look at the creek hat runs near my house. I've never seen wood ducks, only mallards. Also, if you ever catch a glimpse of a beaver, I'd love to see a photo. I love beavers!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful wildlife habitat you have!
ReplyDeleteNice creek you have there ma'm! I can't imagine the farmer having to forge the creek with a calf in his arms, it looks like it is a pretty strong current.
ReplyDeleteWe had Wood Ducks years ago, but haven't seen one for a long time. They are cute little guys. Had a Cormorant this morning stirring up the creek....had hoped it was an Otter, no such luck.
The creek does have fish. The ones I've seen are pretty small, but it may be a different story in the calm backwaters and the rapids.
ReplyDeleteThe London Plane Tree is Platanus x acerifolia, a cross between P. occidentalis (American Planetree, Sycamore) and P. orientalis (Oriental Planetree).
The cow was fine. :) It was her idea to leave the herd -- according to the farmer she has a history of wanting to go off and calve alone. It was actually the farmer's teenage nephew who swam the creek with the calf. The creek was not as high or fast then as it is now. If it had been they probably would have strung a rope across the creek to help guide or pull the swimmer. Either that or they would have loaded the cow and calf on a trailer and driven them home. lol
I have seen one of the beavers before and was surprised by its size. They'd have to be of a good size though, considering the weight of some of the tree trunks that they move around.
A very pretty creek. I love the reflections. Very soon you will be seeing leaf buds on all the trees.
ReplyDeleteI love watching as Spring awakens.
Happy March,
Sherry
You will see the wood ducks when you walk down there without your camera.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a wood duck in the wild before. That would be an awesome experience! I wish our rain run-off creek looked like this creek. What fun things one can observe around a running creek…
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful area for a jaunt. I love the bark of the Sycamore tree. If I were an artist I would have to paint one of those trees.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes on seeing a wood duck! :)
SweetBay,
ReplyDeleteI got a wood duck photo once. I think it was at the pond inside Sara P Guke Gardens eating bread the kids brought. Enjoyed being outside in your post, need some spring pretty soon.
It looks "wild" and untouched by humans your creek Sweet Bay. Perhaps that's why it's a favored habitat? I imagine it's teaming with lots of interesting wildlife. Maybe you'll get lucky one day with the wood ducks ~ you never know. If anyone can do it, it's you! You get some really nice bird shots. Is that sand underneath the holly tree? It looks like it to me???
ReplyDeleteWonderful and springlike pictures! I envy you!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great place to be so close to. Love the picture of the Sycamore tree. It looks like paint by number.
ReplyDeleteWho needs ducks? You've found so much beauty out in the woods - I'm especially fond of the sycamores.
ReplyDeleteWe have some wood duck decoys around here. The real thing would be better.
ReplyDeleteThanks for telling us the story of the cow/calf and the neighbor swimming the creek with the calf in his arms.
And look at that interesting bark on the sycamore tree.
donna
Thank you for your comments everyone.
ReplyDeleteKathleen, that is sand, carried by the latest heavy rains. We have a lot of sandy soil in our county; in upland places it's pure sand, and we have a lot of black sandy topsoil here. It's not very far down to red clay though -- about a foot to foot and a half.
What a great place! Love your pictures! Some trees in the water look like alligators!
ReplyDeleteHi, Sweetbay;
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful virtual hike you took me on this morning! I just love it and I hope you have the good fortune to capture a wood duck very soon.
Love the bark on those sycamore and river birches. Good luck getting some wood duck photos.
ReplyDeleteMarnie
You captured the mood of the woodlands so well in these images..I was there with you!
ReplyDeleteYou live in such a beautiful area, Sweet Bay. I think I would be more motivated to walk every day if I had some place like this nearby. I hope you do see a Prothonotary Warbler one day--I've never even heard of this bird!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to see your creek so full Sweetbay! I love the fourth shot especially with all the reflections. The trees and story of the cow and calf are delightful to see and read. What a great holly! I hope you do get a shot of the Wood Duck and the Prothonotary Warbler too! Enjoy your spring and all the sounds, colors and fragrance it brings! Carol
ReplyDelete