We have just returned from a wonderful stay in the place we will soon call home – the Carolina lowcountry. In town to observe construction progress, we decided to extend our stay and squeeze in a small vacation. Afternoons were spent busily running from place to place to choose our home’s finishes. But mornings and evenings were all ours to relax and enjoy the view. And with each sunrise and sunset, we were met with an incredible array of wildlife.
In the air: The birds, my goodness the birds. From white snowy egrets to giant blue herons, the sky was a magnificent display of wing and flight. Ospreys, pelicans and gulls. A lone bald eagle. Song birds, squawking birds, and chirping cardinals -who were surprisingly smaller and a bit less ‘bright’ red than those found in our current backyard. Morning walks along the marsh were a delight during low tide as tall, skinny-legged birds enjoyed an easy buffet, while tiny crabs scurried to find safety.
At the sea: Bottlenose dolphins visited several of the locations we were lucky enough to be in at just the right time. Their graceful arc across the water soothes me immediately. Upon first sighting I am compelled to keep eyes firmly glued on the water in hopes of seeing them again and again, until I am certain they are no longer in view. I will venture to say this is a sight I will never tire of.
Large horseshoe crabs and jellyfish resembling alien beings also crossed our paths as receding tides left them in precarious positions on the sand. It’s funny to me how disinterested our pups are when faced with these odd creatures. They simply step around the strange obstacle and continue on their beach walk.
On the ground: I had the joy of my very first encounter with a black fox squirrel. This bigger, almost ferret-like relative of the gray squirrel has simply one of the sweetest faces I have ever seen. With camera in hand I approached, closer and closer, to get a better look. He seemed to enjoy the attention and allowed me to get within approximately eight feet, at which time he put down his acorn and posed for me! I was smitten immediately, and can say with all confidence that if one of these cuties ever makes my yard his home he will be given a name and photographed as often as our dogs.
We also came upon a family of six deer feasting on wild grasses. Deer are abundant in this coastal region, as gated and well-forested communities with a lack of natural predators provide them a mighty fine life indeed. This particular group seemed completely unfazed that a telephoto lens was poking out of an idling car window in an attempt to capture the moment. They went about their snacking, and other than an occasional glance ignored us completely.
Also quite unconcerned that humans were in its vicinity was an animal I had gladly not seen since my childhood days spent between the Texas and Louisiana borders. While enjoying a cup of coffee alfresco, the morning quiet was interrupted by the sound of rustling leaves and the snorting and grunting of a foraging armadillo! This peculiar looking fellow cared not that I was a mere yard stick away, and didn’t move even an inch when approached by my curious husband. He did however change his mind upon being faced with charging pups! That was the last we saw of the shelled-one.
This trip reminded me once again that the lowcountry is a wild and wondrous place. Living there I will have to take the bad (armadillos, gnats, jellyfish) with the good (dolphins, herons, fox squirrels). But I know with absolute certainty that it will all be worth it to be able to call this magical place home.
