BirdWalk Newsletter 2.11.2018 Walk Conducted by Perry Nugent and Ray Swagerty

Newsletter Written by Jayne J. Matney

Photography in our Swamp Photo by Paula Collins

Ode to Our Nature Photographers The term “our” is not usually what I would say in normal conversation. Those who know me around Magnolia Plantation are quite used to me saying “my” photographers. I have become very attached to those interesting folks that come out to the property and do what they do: create emotion driven images of our world with an eye for the realities and the magic around them. I am in awe of what they do. Many of us are. The funny thing is, I don’t believe they

recognize that they are rare. They are at different stages in their skills and learning curves, but because they tend to feel and experience their environment around them so well, and because they understand the ambiance of what they are viewing, they get it right. Here at the plantation, they are becoming a fraternity of sorts. A comradery is developing along the moss drenched trails. It is not about competition, but about sharing the moments. When I get to talk about what they see out there, their eyes light up. When they discuss lenses and other equipment with each other, they speak their own language. It is more than a hobby to them. It becomes an intricate part of their being because they know they can’t possibly do what they do well without being immersed. Involved. I love being around them. My cohorts here in the office tease me because I get so excited when I receive their images by e-mail. Many times, a photograph which they take inspires me with my own ideas for the articles. February being the month of “love”, I thought I would give some of my love to “my” photographers by featuring them this week. It is only fair that we put the camera on them for a change. This will allow you to get to know them a bit, as I am getting to know them. My thanks to all of them.

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching. What you have caught on film is captured forever…It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” Aaron Siskind

Jo Frkovich: My impression: Spends plenty of time out in nature with her husband and dogs. Friendly, intelligent lady with an eye for the humorous side, as well as the beauty, of nature. A nurturer at heart, she enjoys being distracted by nature to satisfy her adventurous, sensitive side. Photo by Guenter Weber She must be very detailed oriented and organized at some level because she was trained as a CPA and worked as a Health Care Financial Administrator. Her pioneer spirit allowed her to become the first women in a large firm, and she dove right into being a mother when it was time. She especially enjoys supplying me with the “odd couples” in nature when different types of animals live in harmony together. She uses the property here often for exercise and reflection. Preferring a small, pocket sized camera for convenience while walking and biking, a Canon Power Shot SX720 is her present piece of equipment. Guenter Weber, another photographer also profiled in this article, has become the “where is Waldo” of the property photographers. Jo got a chuckle out of successfully guessing his identity one day based on his German accent and the size of his camera lens! She entered a few of her photographs in the Virginia Highland Festival competition, and won the Grand Prize (best photo by amateur and professional) one year, a People’s Choice Award (for the photo of the turtle walking along an alligator’s back) and 1st and 2nd Prize Awards. In addition to photography, she enjoys boating, snow skiing, reading and travel. Jo was my first photo contributor to the newsletter!

Guenter Weber:

My impression: Highly energetic, motivated individual with both the technical and artistic talents. These skills are being used by an adventurous, intense, and generous man. Always glad to share his knowledge with the others on the trail.

Guenter grew up in Germany. Photo by Cary McDonald

He trained for a career in automotive component manufacturing in Germany then moved on to work for Bosch.

He started photography at 17 years of age when his father let him use a vintage Braun Paxette from the 50’s. Later he did studio and fashion photography. “My favorite is always what I photograph at the moment….if the light is right regardless of the subject.”

Lately, he is focused on birds in flight and astro-photography. He is printing his own images again as a test for capturing and finding the “print worthy shots.” Guenter adored working his magic in photography with his daughter through the years and was honored and thrilled to be asked to photograph the CSS Hunley when it was recovered from the depths of the Charleston harbor.

He has been published in Sandlapper Magazine, Skindiver Magazine, Natur Magazin in Germany and several newspapers. When he is not photographing our property, Guenter enjoys motorcycle riding, driftwood art, hiking, staff carving, and working with clay

“Taking pictures is savoring life intensely,

every hundredth of a second” Marc Riboud

Paula Collins: My impression: Paula is a good natured, funny lady with a propensity for puns and traveling to Ireland. She is usually modest, but is fierce when it comes to board games. She feels like she is just starting to learn the photography scene and loves it! She has always worked in the tourist industry as a travel agent and in guest services- she is one of our own here at Magnolia Plantation. She started photography while working here because of our surroundings. She is presently interested in landscape photography and any wildlife subjects she can find using a Nikon SCR camera. When she first started working at Magnolia, she spent a bit of time trying to find the peacocks early in the morning and took a fright when she located them above her head roosting in their favorite tree. She also volunteered that from now on, she always remembers to check and see if her memory card is inside the camera.

“Taking pictures is like tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies” Diane Arbus

Photo by Paul Barnes

Jim Betz: My impression: A scientific mind in conjunction with honesty and passion, he is probably considered a bit of an introvert but can expose his humorous side when he feels comfortable. Our own dentist photographer, Jim received his first camera when he graduated and began considering photography as his “serious hobby ever since.” He enjoys integrating his love for technology and nature. Nature and travel photography are top on his list along with air shows. He uses full manual mode, with Auto ISO, hand held while “just getting out there to see as much as you can.” Once on a visit to Kenya this past year, he experienced a three week photo safari! He expresses that he will never forget this experience. Jim enjoys hiking, biking, golf, all sports, and being with his fiancé and their pooch. Perry Nugent: My impression: The most dedicated person I have ever met in relationship to birdwatching, Perry approaches birdwatching and photography of birds as a way of living. His scientific background and his passion for the outdoors makes him very detail oriented. He can spot a camouflaged moth from yards away, while you cannot see it at 2 feet away! Most of his career was spent in the areas of the botany and agricultural research fields. He has been dedicated to the bird walks here at Magnolia Plantation since the 1970’s and does not limit his extensive explorations to just this plantation. If there is wilderness in the area, he knows it like the back of his hand. He once told me he started his interest in birds due to Photo by Jayne Matney

his mother’s inclinations toward bird watching. He would restock bird seed in the feeders while he was still in diapers. Now, he is our resident master birder.

Angie Bridges: My impression: Very family (including her “fur babies) and people oriented with a caring, loyal heart mixed with a determined spirit. Angie found a way to match her detail oriented skills with a career in Program and Financial Management. She started her interest in photography by watching her mother behind the camera. Eventually, she picked up photography herself by shooting at car shows, but the spark really took

Photo by Hannah Bridges hold when her own daughter arrived on the scene. Outside of family portraits, the Bald Eagle and Great Blue Heron are her favorite subjects as she enjoys watching their behavior while they go about their lives and interact with their natural setting. Landscapes are another one of her interests. “I chase the light and capture what it wants to give me.” She also states that photography is “being at total peace… it is therapy for me.” Her most memorable experience with photography was when she photographed a birthing by a surrogate mother and the passing over of this child to the parents. The gift giving of this moment was captivating and she was honored to share in it.

“Photography is the story I fail to put into words.” Destin Sparks

John Nickerson: My impression: High energy, techno-nerd with a bubbly personality that likes puns (Would love to be a fly on the wall if we got him and Paula in the same conversation!) and corny jokes, backpacking, skiing, winter mountaineering, endurance bicycle racing, scuba diving, and traveling. He studied under journalism and

graphic design then worked as a program manager, systems analyst, and knowledge management systems manager. Digital cameras renewed his interest, and he began his passion for photography in a different mode. He started a studio and gallery and began doing shows and exhibited in Sage Gallery on Edisto and the Artisan Center in Walterboro, as well as several galleries in downtown Charleston. He is known for capturing photographs of wildlife and nautical subjects and is presently enjoying working with macro-work in his studio. In addition, he is learning and acquiring equipment for off-camera strobes and techniques. He integrates his love for travel with his passion for photography by traveling to several countries in Africa, the Amazon River Basin, the Andes of Peru, Ecuador, Galapagos Archipelago, Alaska, Nova Scotia, and Europe. The most memorable event during photography was when he heard a lot of commotion and started taking shots, then went back to the pictures and realized he had witness an encounter with an Osprey and a Bald Eagle fighting over a fish which dropped onto and got stuck on the wing of the Osprey. All captured within 10 consecutive shots. He was shocked one day when a Mississippi Kite landed very close in his backyard and he had to go back into the house to get his camera and found the kite waiting for him there to pose. After balancing his lens on a deck railing, he was shocked to see another kite enter the viewfinder and was able to take an entire mating sequence. “Opportunity is when preparedness and luck intersect.”

Paul Barnes: My impression: The newbie on our block, Paul describes himself as sarcastically funny, caring and detail oriented person. He is a mechanic by trade. He started photography in his teens when he found an old Kodak box camera, then received a Nikon EM for his graduation gift. He enjoys taking pictures of birds, especially catching them doing something different, landscapes and old buildings. His best memory cracked me up when I read his explanation because it shows just how far some photographers will go to hang in there and get their shot. I bet many photographers can remember something similar….He fell off a log trying to get the best shot in Glacier National Park, landed on his side on another log and between boulders, broke a few ribs, busted a hole through his lip with the equipment, and still managed to take that photograph. Well Paul, I hope you don’t try doing anything like that in our neck of the woods! Photo by Paula Collins

“When I have a camera in my hand, I know no fear.” Alfred Eisenstaedt Photo of Rene Heil by Paula Collins

Ray Swagerty: My impression: Ray is a dedicated person to the things which are very important to him. Even though he is intense and honest about his life, he possesses a relaxed sense of humor. When asked about his favorite stories, he ended his tales with, “Pretty much whatever you try really hard for and miss- yet again!” However, he does not always miss the mark. Highlights for him out in the field were when he captured a Kiskadee at Bear Island last spring, and the time he was trying to keep up with his friend Carol in the deep recesses of the Smoky Mountains, and the sweet shot he took of a spoonbill with spread wings out at Donnelley.

Ray is another one of our photographers that manages to get some birdwatching in while working full time. He didn’t start getting into photography until he desired to sketch native wildflowers without picking them. Ray enjoys getting shots of birds in the habitats and showing their behaviors. Lately he is in to night photography of moon and nebulae with time exposure. He also likes to experiment around with shooting the Space Station during clear, high fly overs. Outside of work and photography, Ray grows some REALLY hot peppers (I understand that he has a part of the original line of McIlhenny Tabasco of Louisiana), and enjoys spending time with grilling and smoking, dabbling with shortwave and medium wave radios, brewing beer 100% from scratch, and anything with nature, especially birds. He and Guenter knew each other in a past life when they both were avid SCUBA divers. Ray continues to show his dedication to both birding and Magnolia Plantation each Sunday on the bird walk.

Tom Haines: My impression: Being persistent and goal oriented does fit into the fact that he is a self-proclaimed health nut with his diet and his work outs. However, pizza, I am told, is his weakness. He walks through life trying to always be a considerate, caring person. Tom is a veteran of the Air Force where he was a dog handler for the K-9 Corp with the 38th Air Police Squadron. He then went into a health and physical fitness career which included being with the school system, a risk manager within the hospital system, and auditor/inspector for health facilities. He remembers first becoming interested in photography as a young man in Germany where he bought his first 35mm Minolta camera. He began working in a photo lab developing film and eventually with the development of DSLR cameras and lack of film cost, his interest and bank account improved, as for many photographers back then. Now that he lives in SC, he has increased in his interest in wildlife photography, especially capturing Snowy Egrets and Bald Eagles. He attributes much of his ability to stalk and wait for the right shot with his training in hunting. He admits to not being a “techy” when it comes to photography so he does not do much in the lines of Photoshop, etc, but he does enjoy experimenting around with his photoscape program. One of his favorite memories of the outdoors was hearing the alligators bellowing during mating season when he was out adventuring in the area with his daughter. Here they were, just at sunrise and the thundering sounds were echoing and the alligators started criss-crossing the trail on which they were standing. They found great courage while waiting for those moments to pass and eventually they mustered up more to continue on their adventure. It looks like these kinds of remarkable events have captured Tom’s love of photography and now he considers photography a full time hobby. For him, “everyday out photographing has its’ own special story.” Besides photography, Tom enjoys horticulture and reading.

Norma Armstrong: My impression: Norma is very diverse in her interests and talents, and looks at the world as a caring, curious person. She loves viewing and capturing sunsets and sunrises. Her favorite type of photography is landscapes, and all wildlife. But, she also enjoys photographing historic homes architecture. She likes to challenge herself by getting an unusual point of view in her shots, and finding the personality of the animals she shoots. Norma has been a business woman mostly in the hospitality/hotel area. This business woman has always enjoyed taking photographs, but became more serious about it 3 years ago when “I realized how much I have been missing by not looking at the world through the lens of a camera.” She feels that “doing photography creates many lasting memories.” Some of her favorite memories from being out shooting wildlife included the time she took one of my favorite pictures of a new Great Blue Heron hatchling. After this infamous shot, she stayed and watched the parent patiently and meticulously work the egg shell out of the nest. Another time she was pleasantly surprised to get a good eagle shot then another eagle walked into the view of the camera lens and she thought she was seeing double. That was one of those moments when you take your eye off of the camera to look for yourself to make sure you are not seeing things that weren’t there! Of course, there are those photography moments such as the time she was out with her sister and a bobcat came to visit by sneaking up on her sister and sat watching as her sister was oblivious to the moment. Unfortunately, Norma was so intent on showing it to her sister without scaring it off, that she forgot to take the once-in-a-lifetime shot! Norma’s hidden secret is that she is very knowledgeable of local history and does genealogy research on her own time. She also enjoys gardening, fishing, and quilting.

“We are making photographs to understand what our lives mean to us.” Ralph Hattersley

Marc Regnier: My impression: Having just met him face-to-face, it was an immediate impression that he was a kind sort. Patience and thoughtfulness come to the forefront quickly when you meet him. The flip side of the coin is that he is also intense and considered a life-long learner. After graduating with his masters in the musical arena with his classical guitar studies from John’s Hopkins, Marc has been recording and performing ever since. He was a nominee for a Grammy in “Best Chamber Performance” of the 53rd Grammy Awards, and is an esteemed classical music professor of guitar at the College of Charleston. His father, a professor of

the arts, first introduced him to the arts a long time ago – hence the artistic side. His brother began using his artistic side with his interest in photography and became a professional photographer. So it only seems natural for Marc to fall into photography now – in between his other favorite activities such as competitive cycling, competitive running, and traveling. Luckily for us, his favorite subjects for the camera are birds. He is presently learning the ropes, and is quickly picking up the use of his fairly new 500mm lens. Marc was the bird watcher and photographer who identified and photographed the Nashville Warbler here on December 10th! This was a highlight for him as he continues to seek his photography experiences. Welcome to our “club.” __________________________________________________________________________

“Taking an image, freezing the moment, reveals how rich reality truly is.” Ansel Adams Other photographers who have contributed to the newsletter include Cary McDonald, Chuck Fuhrman, Marina Coppedge, Cesar Barroso, Dana and Robyn Hogan, Becky Arndt, Cathy Padgett, Ed Blitch, Edie Countryman, Arthur Ellis, Ted Jennings, Tradd Harter, and Shelly Palomaki. I hope I didn’t forget anyone, but if I did, I didn’t mean to, and I love you too! Photo left: Guenter sharing his expertise and enthusiasm

Fun Facts on the History of Photographs:

(List and information taken from an article by Michael Archambault, 2015 for petapixel.com called “20 First Photos from the History of Photography”)

First photograph 1826 by Joseph N. Niepce

First photograph of a human 1839 by Louis Daguerre

First self-portrait 1839 by Robert Cornelius

First photograph of the moon 1840 by John W. Draper

First president photographed (J.Q. Adams) 1843 by Unknown

First photograph of the sun 1845 by Fizeau and Foucault

First news photograph 1847 by unknown journalist

First president photographed while serving (Polk) 1849 by Unknown

First aerial photograph 1860 by James W. Black

First color photograph 1861 by James C. Maxwell

First colored landscape photograph 1877 by L.A. Ducos du Hauron

First photograph of lightning 1882 by William Jennings

First tornado photograph 1884 by A.A. Adams

First photo from space 1946 by V-2#13 rocket

First Cape Canaveral launch photographed 1950 by NASA

First Digital photograph 1957 by Russell Kirsch

First photograph of Earth from the moon 1966 by a Lunar Orbiter

First image of Mars 1976 by Viking 1 NASA

February 11th, 20018 was a cloudy, mild day. 5 participants set out with Ray Swagerty leading the group.

Highlights of the Day:

• Unusual sighting for the plantation, three Brown Pelicans were seen as flybys at the beginning of the walk while the watchers were still in the parking lot.

It is surmised that they had moved a bit inland for the storm during the night, and were heading back to the harbor that morning.

• Although the Great Blue Heron are not unusual, on this morning, Ray was able to put his scope onto a nest which had at least one egg in it.

• An American Kestrel was seen in the garden area • An osprey was see initially perching on a branch of a tree. It

made a few passes over the waters of Ravenswood Pond, but came out shy of fish each time.

• Not on the walk itself, but during that same morning, Guenter Weber had the “find of the day”- an adult Broad-winged

Hawk was seen and photographed on a grassing area in the gardens as it made a feast of mole crickets. Photos on this page: Broad-winged Hawk Guenter Weber

• During the walk, the bird watchers saw two adult Bald Eagles. As Guenter progressed through his own walk, he noted and photographed one adult and one immature, probably a 3 to 4 year old. This reinforces the idea that we have at least two adults and one juvenile on the property. It is suspected that the juvenile may be one of the pair’s past youngsters, as they were interacting favorably.

Above: Immature (3 to 4 year old) Bald Eagle which was seen with adult. Far right on bottom photo Note the incomplete white head and tail, and some marbling on the body. Photos by Guenter Weber

The woods and perimeter around Fernanda’s Field seemed to be the happening place for the avian kind. Included in this area were the sightings of Blue-headed Vireo, the Black-and-white Warbler, and the American Robin. Scattered around the property were Mourning Dove, American and Fish Crows, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, and Common Grackle. Both the Ruby-crowned Kinglet and the Pine Warbler are being especially verbal as they get ready for spring. Opposite Ravenswood Pond at the cypress tree row, a Swamp Sparrow was observed flitting around the brush. A Hermit Thrush and a Brown Thrasher made the list on this morning. Besides the Carolina Wren, either a House Wren or Winter Wren, was spotted. In the woodpecker family, the plantation revealed many: five Red-bellied Woodpecker, two Downy Woodpecker, three Pileated Woodpecker, two Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and four Northern Flicker. The ducks included Wood Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, and Blue-winged Teal. Other water oriented birds were: Pied-billed Grebe, Double Crested Cormorant, Anhinga, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, White Ibis, and Common Moorhen. Both the Black Photo by Tom Haines Vulture and the Turkey Vulture were accounted for. One Red-shouldered Hawk was seen near the Ravenswood Pond. At the end of the walk, five Tree Swallows entertained the bird watchers while they conversed at the picnic tables. Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Phoebe, and Ring-billed Gull were also included in the count.