Swamp Things: A Southern Theme

A short trip down the road lead us to a typical southern scene in the winter.

January in the South may not be what one might expect. The scenery can be quite drab but it doesn't deter the activity of nature's beasts. Despite being in the deep South, it was also unseasonably cold with a biting wind that cut right through relatively thin clothing, but my wife and I braved the fierce elements and took to the inland waters to capture some of the local viewing flavor.

OK, we didn't actually get out on the water, but we did walk near it. This is what we saw...

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This was the view as we approached from our car. It's not impressively colorful, but I suppose there could be less picturesque places in the world.

Our shot to the left, up the small creek.

A couple of birds were basking in the sunlight, just trying to stay warm. They didn't fly far enough south, unfortunately.

The tide was low but our body warmth was still high. That quickly changed.

Mmm...dinner!

Doesn't that look scrumptious? If I were a fish or bird, I'm sure seeing this would get me very excited and make me drool.

Speaking of birds, these guys were everywhere. Unfortunately, the lens I was using was being stretched to its maximum capacity for shooting this stuff at a distance, so the photos weren't as crisp as I had hoped. (I promise to upgrade my zoom lens when the STEEM price hits $10! For the good of the community!)

I tried to catch the creatures in flight. The results were decent, but I think I can do better.

I'm pretty sure this guy was drunk.

It's a bird!

It's a plane!

It's su...

Oh...wait...nope. I think it's a weather balloon.

After waiting a long time for a bird to fly closer to us, we were finally graced with this quail's presence...or whatever it is. I don't know birds. I'm not even sure if it is a bird.

Still not the best photos, but not too bad.

I saved the best for last! This magnificent creature - the best of all the swamp things - stood still just long enough for me to capture a quick image! I'm not sure of the name, but some people refer to these as "brides" or "spouses."

I wonder if they can be domesticated...

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I hope you enjoyed the swamp as much as I did!

You even had the added benefit of seeing this while staying warm! How lucky you all are! I'll probably have a do-over day and try to get some better shots. As winter will likely be over here soon, I might have better luck with non-frozen fingers.

See you next time!

All images taken by me with my Canon 6D.

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