I recently visited Pinckney
Island, South Carolina to photograph their nesting birds. Pinckney Island
National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
encompasses 4,053 acres with a 7.8 mile main hiking trail. It is located between
the mainland and Hilton Head Island and was established to provide a nature and
forest preserve for aesthetic and conservation purposes.
I hiked 1.2 miles on a very well
packed gravel road and spent about four hours photographing at Isbis Pond.
There were literally hundreds of birds of different kinds all nesting on
this small, (about one acre) island, within a fresh water pond. As I
was shooting, I kept hearing alligators calling to each other. Their calls
sound like someone trying to start a gasoline motor. I inched up to the edge of
the pond and no matter how close the alligators seemed, I never actually
saw them. I am certain, however, I was near at least six or seven calling
gators.
Although the park is free, I paid dearly. I walked through some six-foot tall grasses to capture different camera angles and discovered, about 24 hours later, I was covered with chigger bites. A Southern specialty, I understand. Not as itchy as a mosquito bite or poison ivy but still itchy and we are talking at least 100 bites. Worth the trip. Stay out of the really tall grass; an easy option I ignored. Worth 390 photos? I think so.
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