Ibis and Tupelo

[Tugboat1]

A composite memory of exploring the bottom land swamps around Altamaha River Park during my canoe trip down the Oconee and Altamaha rivers.
I was lucky to see White Ibis on a few occasions feeding at low tide and, to me, they looked like ghosts moving slowly and graceful against the dark forest. A beautiful memory for me. In real life they have a bit more definition but my camera phone couldn't capture it.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Nice work! Captured the mood quite well. I can remember hog hunting in south GA a few years ago and seeing flocks of those ibises fly over, and stalking the sloughs with the big buttressed tupelos and cypresses. Very surreal landscape to a boy from the mountains.

 

[Silver Britches]

A composite memory of exploring the bottom land swamps around Altamaha River Park during my canoe trip down the Oconee and Altamaha rivers.
I was lucky to see White Ibis on a few occasions feeding at low tide and, to me, they looked like ghosts moving slowly and graceful against the dark forest. A beautiful memory for me. In real life they have a bit more definition but my camera phone couldn't capture it.

Nice work! Captured the mood quite well. I can remember hog hunting in south GA a few years ago and seeing flocks of those ibises fly over, and stalking the sloughs with the big buttressed tupelos and cypresses. Very surreal landscape to a boy from the mountains.

That looks cool! I grew up hunting the massive swamps along the Altamaha river, and know that area very well. I've had many "exciting" encounters with those birds through the years. Years ago while hunting from the ground in a swamp, along the edge of a nasty thicket, I started hearing what I thought was two guys talking real low and coming my way. I was truly concerned, because I knew no one else should've been in this area. This was our hunting club at the time, and this was an area way off the beaten path. I sat there, nervously listening, as "they" eased closer. I didn't have my orange vest on at the time because I had taken it off earlier when I saw a bobcat coming my way. I didn't want him to see my orange vest and spook off, so I eased it off and simply had forgotten to put it back on. I wanted the cat to get closer so I could take some pics of him. Anyway, as I sat there with my back to that big cypress, I eased my vest back on so "they" could see me when I stood up. I said something before I stood up to get "their" attention. And when I stood up and out from behind that massive cypress tree, I saw those dang birds coming towards me. Not only was that a relief, but pretty funny. Those jokers sound just like people talking real low. I was 100% convinced I had some trespassers. Every time I see those birds, I think back of that day they scared me. A lot of cool critters out there in those swamps. You'll get yourself lost in a a blink of an eye, too, if you're not paying attention to where you're going. Ask me how I know!

 

[NCHillbilly]

That looks cool! I grew up hunting the massive swamps along the Altamaha river, and know that area very well. I've had many "exciting" encounters with those birds through the years. Years ago while hunting from the ground in a swamp, along the edge of a nasty thicket, I started hearing what I thought was two guys talking real low and coming my way. I was truly concerned, because I knew no one else should've been in this area. This was our hunting club at the time, and this was an area way off the beaten path. I sat there, nervously listening, as "they" eased closer. I didn't have my orange vest on at the time because I had taken it off earlier when I saw a bobcat coming my way. I didn't want him to see my orange vest and spook off, so I eased it off and simply had forgotten to put it back on. I wanted the cat to get closer so I could take some pics of him. Anyway, as I sat there with my back to that big cypress, I eased my vest back on so "they" could see me when I stood up. I said something before I stood up to get "their" attention. And when I stood up and out from behind that massive cypress tree, I saw those dang birds coming towards me. Not only was that a relief, but pretty funny. Those jokers sound just like people talking real low. I was 100% convinced I had some trespassers. Every time I see those birds, I think back of that day they scared me. A lot of cool critters out there in those swamps. You'll get yourself lost in a a blink of an eye, too, if you're not paying attention to where you're going. Ask me how I know!

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A buddy of mine was hunting on the WMA next to my place in SC in a creek bottom one afternoon, and described the same thing. He finally came out of the stand and went down to the creek to investigate, and saw a bunch of ibises in a tree. I've never seen any down there. This was October, so maybe they were migrating?

 

[Silver Britches]

A buddy of mine was hunting on the WMA next to my place in SC in a creek bottom one afternoon, and described the same thing. He finally came out of the stand and went down to the creek to investigate, and saw a bunch of ibises in a tree. I've never seen any down there. This was October, so maybe they were migrating?

I see them year-round here along the Ga coast. Large groups of them. I’d expect the same for South Carolina. I bet they’ve fooled many people into thinking they were people talking.

 

[Tugboat1]

That looks cool! I grew up hunting the massive swamps along the Altamaha river, and know that area very well. I've had many "exciting" encounters with those birds through the years. Years ago while hunting from the ground in a swamp, along the edge of a nasty thicket, I started hearing what I thought was two guys talking real low and coming my way. I was truly concerned, because I knew no one else should've been in this area. This was our hunting club at the time, and this was an area way off the beaten path. I sat there, nervously listening, as "they" eased closer. I didn't have my orange vest on at the time because I had taken it off earlier when I saw a bobcat coming my way. I didn't want him to see my orange vest and spook off, so I eased it off and simply had forgotten to put it back on. I wanted the cat to get closer so I could take some pics of him. Anyway, as I sat there with my back to that big cypress, I eased my vest back on so "they" could see me when I stood up. I said something before I stood up to get "their" attention. And when I stood up and out from behind that massive cypress tree, I saw those dang birds coming towards me. Not only was that a relief, but pretty funny. Those jokers sound just like people talking real low. I was 100% convinced I had some trespassers. Every time I see those birds, I think back of that day they scared me. A lot of cool critters out there in those swamps. You'll get yourself lost in a a blink of an eye, too, if you're not paying attention to where you're going. Ask me how I know!

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Great story!

 

[1eyefishing]

@NCHillbilly !
Please throw that pic up full size for us.
I can't see it all at once when I expand the thumbnail.
Thx.

Wait, what!
It's workin for the first time ever...
Scratch that.

Aaand, it's gone.
No it's not working anymore.

Awesome talent and work, Tugboat...
Hats off.

 

[NCHillbilly]

@NCHillbilly !
Please throw that pic up full size for us.
I can't see it all at once when I expand the thumbnail.
Thx.

Wait, what!
It's workin for the first time ever...
Scratch that.

Aaand, it's gone.
No it's not working anymore.

Awesome talent and work, Tugboat...
Hats off.

Done.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I see them year-round here along the Ga coast. Large groups of them. I’d expect the same for South Carolina. I bet they’ve fooled many people into thinking they were people talking.

Yeah, they're common in the SC Coastal Plain, but this was up on the SC/GA line above Augusta, about across from Lincoln, GA.

 

[Para Bellum]

Yeah, they're common in the SC Coastal Plain, but this was up on the SC/GA line above Augusta, about across from Lincoln, GA.

I used to see em pretty regular during duck season on Clark Hill.

 

[Para Bellum]

I used to see em pretty regular during duck season on Clark Hill.

Off topic but years ago I saw a flock of roseate spoonbills on the Hooch in Roswell. There was a group of hipsters with giant cameras filming and taking pictures of the “flamingos.”